So...How Much Do You Love This Holster?

[QKShooter]

I just finished it. I made it for my personal use.
It is black Elephant Hide (front) & with Wild Boar Skin for the rear face.
The holster is lined with Vegetable tanned Calf Skin.
The natural color lace is Kangaroo (which is extremely tough stuff)
Look Ma! No stitching machine used.

So YOU really can make a holster for yourself at home even if you do not own a leather stitching machine.

I do own a Tippmann machine which makes a very nice tight stitch but, I just did not want to machine stitch this holster.
I liked the contrast of the lighter lace on the darker pachyderm skin.
The lace is Extremely Tight & Tough.
Barge leather adhesive was also used in the construction & to laminate the various leathers and this holster will NEVER pull apart.
The Elephant hide is not an easy leather to get looking perfect especially at the edges but I managed to do it but, it just took extra time. It also is not an easy leather to "bone and mold" to the firearm but, this holster is good & perfectly tight to the revolver.
I sort of really like the plain naturally patterned leather for the front without the heavy boning.

I'll carry in it for the first time today & give it a test drive.
Thanks for looking!

I loved making this holster!
BTW the Elephant hide is legal and CITES Approved.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[elrey718]

really really really really nice. i love the colors too. very nice holster. take some pics with u wearing it.

[retsupt99]

That's a good looking holster...even more unique because YOU made it...something to be proud of...
I wish I could do that...
Need special tools?
Where do you find the skin(s)?
How long did it take?
How do you make the leather permanently fit 'a' gun?
What's with the 'preban'?

ret

[srfl]

Wow! Excellent job! I really like!

[pogo2]

That is a real achievement! I notice an interesting "keyhole" effect on the belt slots which I haven't seen before.

I would also be interested in more detail on where you acquired the exotic materials.

[QKShooter]

Well, I learned a couple of things making this one.

There is an Internal Import Ban (Endangered Specie) on any African Elephant Ivory or Elephant animal by~product unless C.I.T.E.S. approved.
This particular Elephant leather is C.I.T.E.S. Tagged.

I've worked with leather for a long time but, never laced a holster together before. I've hand saddle stitched them but, never laced one.
So...I decided to lace through the corner & maximum stress points two and even three times which I discovered is totally unnecessary with the kangaroo lace.
So the next one will go much easier.

I actually tried to make this one using the barest minimum of "leather tools"

The tools were VERY basic and simple & inexpensive.
The Grade A+ Kangaroo lace was pretty expensive for a spool at $35.00 for 60 yards but, that is a LOT of lace.

A lacing needle
Utility knife.
X~acto Knife.
2 hand hole punches.
1 larger round hole punch for the ends of the belt slots.
Barges Contact Cement.
Mallet
Leather dye (for the wild boar) & edge dressing.

Very Simple, Basic, Stuff.

It took me about 6 hours - the next one will go a bit quicker. Some of that time was drawing up the pattern.

Ebay is a good place to shop for exotic leather. I've had most of my weird and more bizarre leather for quite a few years.

I press molded this holster directly to my gun and not a dummy gun since I don't have any dummy guns.
The holster is assembled then dunked in water...I put my S&W revolver (covered in thin plastic wrap) into the holster and then just press fit it....carefully removed the firearm & allowed the holster to dry.

[Nate]

So when do you start taking orders?

I'm being serious.

[Bud White]

Wheres mine?

[Tangle]

Wow, QK, that's really good!!! Very impressive!

I'm gonna take another look at that!

[QKShooter]

"So when do you start taking orders?"

No Never.

Seriously, while I love to promote our deserved forum holster makers. (Insert ALL their names here)
I also love to promote the interesting "art" of "leather-working" in general.

So my real purpose in making this one holster was three~fold.
1.) I needed a new holster for this gun.
2.) I've not posted a decent CombatCarry forum thread in a while since I've been super busy.
3.) To use a bare minimum of inexpensive tools in the hope that it will get a few folks to "explore" simple and basic leather-work.

There is no reason why any person cannot construct a decent functional and workable personal holster or knife sheath.
You'll probably never reach the ultra high level of refinement of the best holster makers but, so what?
You'll feel like you did something worthwhile for yerself.

Learning how to "saddle stitch" is very easy and extremely inexpensive to do...since you only need; two needles - an awl - stitching cord/thread and a homemade stitching pony to hold the work.
Saddle stitching is even EASIER if you don't want to learn it the traditional way and instead pre-drill all of your stitching holes with a small drill bit.
It is every bit as strong as the best machine stitching only it takes longer to do.

Or you could just punch lacing holes. That works!

Something for you'all to think about trying.

[pistola]

You are a true craftsman,and artist.Beautiful,and no doubt very durable.

[QKShooter]

pogo2

Even though I have a few "C.S. Osborne SLOT Punches" I decided NOT to use them on this holster since they are fairly expensive for a novice to buy.

I punched four round holes slightly over my belt width & "connected the dots" using a plain, ordinary Single Edge Razor Blade...held vertical to the holster and then tapped down straight into the leather with a mallet.
A VERY EASY and inexpensive way to cut decent (& at least neat looking slots) without chancing any Whoops! cuts.

[bae]

Very inspirational!

[lowflyer]

Nice looking holster. I'm off to find some leather tools.

[dr_cmg]

QK, that is a great looking holster. I'd like to see the backside and the edges. Exotic leathers are so good looking on holsters. I had a friend in New Orleans who had at one time been a mercenary in southern Africa (he never said where exactly) and he had bought several pairs of elephant hide boots. I saw him practically every day for 6 years and I never saw any wear in the boots. They looked just the same after 6 years as they did the day I first saw them. In the Army one of my company commanders had served as a liaison officer with an Australian unit. During his time he had managed to get a pair of kangaroo hide boots. They did not wear as long as the elephant ones the guy in NO had but they were so comfortable and did wear for a very long time.

Keep up the good work I expect to see some ivory handle on something in an elephant hide holster.