TexasCHLforum.com

Being a woman and tight on money, I've had a rough time finding a good holster, so I've decided to just make one myself. I'm pretty good at crafts so I think I can do it. I got the leather from tandy's and plan to make a basic slim iwb holster with a clip mounted with a Chicago screw so I can change the cant. So in what order should I do things? I plan to water mold it to give it a bit of a tighter fit and make reholstering a bit easier. I want to keep it really basic and comfortable.

asbandr wrote:Being a woman and tight on money, I've had a rough time finding a good holster, so I've decided to just make one myself. I'm pretty good at crafts so I think I can do it. I got the leather from tandy's and plan to make a basic slim iwb holster with a clip mounted with a Chicago screw so I can change the cant. So in what order should I do things? I plan to water mold it to give it a bit of a tighter fit and make reholstering a bit easier. I want to keep it really basic and comfortable.

Welcome to the forum asbandr.

I admire your initiative, but would not recommend making your first holster for IWB.

By the time you purchased all of the materials I think it would be more expensive that buying a holster.

I suggest getting a pre-made Kydex holster from one of the name manufacturers.

Have you decided on a carry gun?

When choosing a carry method, one of the female members on the forum will be more help than me.

I agree with Bill; the cost of tools and the leather will far exceed the cost of a good leather or Kydex holster. I used to make my own holsters many years ago when I couldn't find the style I liked. I made several dozen for many different pistols.

If you want one or two holsters, cost-wise it's better to buy. If you want to make a number of holsters, then making your own is a viable option. I'd look at http://www.AdamsLeatherWorks.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for patterns and tutorial videos if you decide to make holsters. He even has a couple of videos on how to make patterns.

Chas.

have you ever sewn on leather? esp thick leather? it's not easy. I sew leather baby shoes, using thin leather, that's not easy.

I thought you had received some very good advice on your thread.

Since money is an issue, I recommend you give Kholster a try.

I use mine all the time and have been known to carry some moderately expensive 1911s. I say this only to assure you they will not harm your pistol.

Also, you can wear the holster for a while and them trim the leather backing to suit you. Cutting the backer WILL NOT void the Lifetime Warranty.
They even have a 90 DAY "NO STRINGS" RETURN GUARANTEE, in case you just don't like it.

No, I'm not in any way associated with the company. I'm just a satisfied customer.

I actually already have all of the supplies I need. My gun is a sig p238. I chose to make instead of buy because I was buying holster after holster and still not finding one that works. I don't have time or money to continue with that if I plan to actually carry when I get my chl in the mail. I have actually already made a prototype leather holster and it turned out pretty good, definitely usable, but I wanted to get better supplies and make a few adjustments. It may not be show worthy when I'm done, but I think it'll work fine for what I wanted it for. I was just looking for some tips if anyone had any.

One thing you can do if you have some sturdy fabric is make a prototype out of that. I wouldn't carry in a fabric holster (especially IWB) but it's a cheap and easy way to figure out stuff like cant, depth, etc. for your body and your clothing. You can do some of that just sticking the (unloaded!) pistol in your waistband, but that's susceptible to shifting as you move around. I don't have any advice for forming the leather but it looks like there's a lot of advice online.

Enjoy your tinkering and please post back with pics of the final product in action.

This is my first attempt to make any leather item, or holster. I obviously need to sand it down even, stitch, snaps etc. I found a local leather shop that has everything, and bought some tools. This is my Shield 9 mm pattern I made.

I got the leather from tandy's and plan to make a basic slim iwb holster with a clip mounted with a Chicago screw so I can change the cant.

what kind of pistol is the holster for?

It's a Sig p238

Ok, I did it. I made my holster and I gotta say, I'm very pleased by how it turned out. It's very comfortable with good retention. I set the cant exactly how I needed it and it's very concealable even in gym shorts and a tight t shirt.

It looks great!

Thank you!