Anyone have a pattern for an 1860 colt revolver holster?

[S.Kenton]

Where can I get a pattern for that? Maybe looking for a slim Jim type, would consider others as well. 8 inch is the barrel length

 

[Red Owl]

I would get some type of cheap material, vinyl, etc. The home depot has a countertop pad (paint dept.) that works well, and I make a pattern out of that. On the slim Jim you want to make sure to have enough space that the revolver sits deep in the holster. I made one where the revolver wasn't "real far down" and it was top heavy. The slim jims often had a liner, I think thin glove leather but suede works okay, yellow or red. Rubber cement it in place. The outside often had a fish scale stamp pattern. The Tandy mule shoe looks a lot like the fish scale. I used that on one but then made a stamp I liked better out of a spike.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I make my patterns from the paper grocery bags. Cut the bag to lay flat, fold in half, put the pistol inside and sketch around the perimeter. Cut out the rough pattern, wrap it around the gun and refine as necessary.

 

[S.Kenton]

I make my patterns from the paper grocery bags. Cut the bag to lay flat, fold in half, put the pistol inside and sketch around the perimeter. Cut out the rough pattern, wrap it around the gun and refine as necessary.

View attachment 62056

Wow! That’s nice! You make those to sell?

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Wow! That’s nice! You make those to sell?

Not usually. More for my own amusement and being unwilling to spend for the commercial rigs.

 

[RoaringBull]

https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/product/1194/0206-belts-and-holster-patterns
Might be one in here...

 

[RoaringBull]

Another one...

https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/product/1235/percussion-pistol-pattern-pak-2691

 

[Artificer]

I make my patterns from the paper grocery bags. Cut the bag to lay flat, fold in half, put the pistol inside and sketch around the perimeter. Cut out the rough pattern, wrap it around the gun and refine as necessary.

I'm with Tom in that I've made 7 or 8 holsters over the years for BP revolvers and used that basic technique. About half of mine were military flap holsters and the others various types of slim jims.

I would stress if one does buy a pattern, then trace around the edge for an additional 1/4" to 3/8" all around the pattern before you cut the pattern out. This because some of the patterns available over the years weren't "sized" correctly when the printing set ups were made and then you wind up with not having enough leather to go around the pistol. Better to have a slightly oversize pattern that you can adjust/refine as necessary vs a too small pattern.

Oh, if one does want to use a soft leather liner in the holster, then one also needs to add extra width to many patterns, as the liner takes up space and can make an otherwise correct size pattern too small.

Gus

 

[Tom A Hawk]

Oh, if one does want to use a soft leather liner in the holster, then one also needs to add extra width to many patterns, as the liner takes up space and can make an otherwise correct size pattern too small.

Gus

A very good point. I use deerskin suede to line.

 

[Artificer]

A very good point. I use deerskin suede to line.

Tom,

Thank you. I realized you knew that from having looked at your VERY nice lined holster in the pic you showed above.

However, sometimes we just forget to mention things that are common enough in our experience, but we don't think to add them for folks who are new to making holsters and leather goods. That leads me to adding something else I forgot to mention.

New holster makers may not realize it is a very good idea to use what is commonly referred to as "Edge Dressing" on the exposed rough edges of the leather edges when sewn together to make the "Pocket" of the holster. Not sure if that is clear so, another way to say it is the rough leather edges outside the stitching. While it makes it look better to use Edge Dressing, it also gives the rough outer edges more resistance to sucking up water from rain or snow. My favorite Edge Dressing is " Fiebings Edge Kote". I use the black color on holsters I'm going to dye black and the brown color on everything else.
Fiebing's Edge Kote — Tandy Leather, Inc.

Since I only had a few hours of professional leather training, I had to discover on my own that after one uses Edge Dressing on the edges, it is a good idea to bone the edges to force more of the dressing into the grain of the leather and give a more pleasing effect to the edges. OR one can also buff the edge dressing on a buffing wheel.

During the period, they had their own Edge Dressing, though it likely had a lot of beeswax in it like the period "Black Ball." Actually, they may have used Black Ball as Edge Dressing. I think they added asphaltum to the period black edge dressing to make it even more water resistant and that may have been the difference between their edge dressing and period "Black Ball."

Gus

 

[kansas_volunteer]

Crayola crayons, like you used as a kid, can be used as edge dressing. "Color" the leather then buff and burnish.

 

[Artificer]

Crayola crayons, like you used as a kid, can be used as edge dressing. "Color" the leather then buff and burnish.

There's a thought.

In the period, they had colored natural waxes they may also have used.

Gus

 

[GYJ]

I would strongly suggest the Chuck Burrows DVD's. It covers patterns and edge work. The California pattern is an easy one to draw up yourself. Once you have a good one that fits right, it's easily adapted to other guns and barrel lengths. Like Chuck, I use manila file folders to make patterns from. It's highly advantageous to have that center fold. IMHO, I prefer to burnish edges, rather than using edge paint. Here's a couple aged holsters I did last year.