A New Holster Maker!

[B P Arn]

I have a Russian friend named Kamil (which is actually a Turkish name). Interestingly, he served in the Soviet Army, and was stationed in Dresden, East Germany in the mid 1980s, and I drove past that army base when I was there, long before I ever met him. He said life in the Soviet military was a living hell, and your only function was as a slave laborer. His firearms instruction consisted of firing three rounds from and AK74!

Anyway, I have known him for about 15 years. He saw some of the holsters I have made, and recently asked me to show him how to make one. He has a Pietta NMA 1858 replica.

We made it last week in my garage after work. It turned out very well, especially for a first holster.

 

[Kozmo]

That's awesome. Nice holster and really cool to see someone from a former Soviet regime enjoying American freedoms.

 

[B P Arn]

He bought the gun about three years ago, and had not even taken it out of the box to look at it! Now he wants me to take him to my gun club and show him how to use it. I'm looking forward to it!

 

[Notchy Bob]

Great post! I agree with Kozmo. Kamil did a super job on the holster, and good on you for showing him how!

I spent three weeks in the Soviet Union in 1985. The people we met were wonderful, but their lives were very restricted. Travel was very limited, and there were a lot of shortages of basic necessities. I hope they are having a better time of it now.

Notchy Bob

 

[ppg1949]

He has the gift. So happy Kamil enjoys the freedoms that should be universal. Great story and give Kamil a good slap on the back for us for a job well done. Sign him up as a member.

 

[Gun Tramp]

What a great post, BP. Thanks

 

[deermanok]

Nice work.

 

[B P Arn]

When I arrived for my stay at a "free room" (a room rented out in a home by someone living there" in East Berlin, at the apartment of a very beautiful German lady, she got on the phone with a bunch of her friends, and brought me out to the "garden", where she placed me in the middle, and set chairs around for her friends so they could sit and look at me. I was the first American they had ever seen. I told them I actually was the same as them, as I am 100% German ancestory.

One guy, who could speak decent English replied,"...no... you look American..."!!! They were looking at me like I was from another planet!

I told Kamil this story. He understood!

 

[deermanok]

Funny how people are. No harm intended I'm sure.

 

[B P Arn]

Funny how people are. No harm intended I'm sure.

Yes, no offense meant, and none taken!

 

[stevie]

Great looking holster, wish I had those skills!

 

[Justin.44]

Cool story and a really nice looking holster!

 

[MTGUNNER]

Super Cool Holster! How did you do the darkened stampings?

 

[ZUG]

That is quality workmanship for sure and it has "eye appeal" . I don't think this is his first rodeo -- the stitching looks too good as does the rest of his work --- He need to shoot that gun!

 

[B P Arn]

That is quality workmanship for sure and it has "eye appeal" . I don't think this is his first rodeo -- the stitching looks too good as does the rest of his work --- He need to shoot that gun!

Yes, this was indeed his first time at making any type of leather project. I made the pattern, and cut the leather holster blank just just to save time, but he did everything else under my supervision, including the hand stitching.

In this thread, posts #2 to #71, I show exactly how I make a holster. This is how he did it: Uberti Walker replica

 

[B P Arn]

Super Cool Holster! How did you do the darkened stampings?

The first stamping Kamil did on some scrap leather was too light. I told him he needed to put more power into it. From then on he made excellent deep impressions. Deep impressions accept the leather dye more readily than the surrounding leather, and for some reason, especially so in this instance.

 

[B P Arn]

Great looking holster, wish I had those skills!

If you are interested in making holsters, see post #15 and the link, where I show how I do it.

 

[toot]

you work good with leather!

 

[B P Arn]

You are very kind! Thank you.

 

[Desperate Lee]

That is a nice holster. BPA the pattern you sent me for the Walker will come in handy. That holster there is just what i need for my new Pietta stainless NMA i just acquired. If you have a pattern laying around for it i sure could use it. All i have for it is an old Cabelas Hunter holster that does it no justice. How much difference is the Walker pattern from the NMA pattern? They are both a California Slim Jim pattern right? I do love the hammer throng on that Walker holster and the wrap around pattern.
DL