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Diy leather holster - Glock 26


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Hi all!

I'm trying to build a leather holster for my new little Glock 26 in 9x21 caliber.

I bought 3mm thick leather untreated, pretty soft, above all when wet.  I followed your advice, I also bought a low priced tool for marking points ( unfortunately "pro" tool was 5 times the price ). I found a good  pro dyeing, dark brown color maybe dissolved in acetone, the smell is pungent.

I've not found a jeans steel clip, I tried to make one from inox 2mm flat bar, hope It will be fine!

I post some picture of work in progress,  advice are welcome! :D

Saluti

Stefano

 

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Hi! you're right, 9x21 is close to a clock :D.  In Italy, usual 9x19mm  is not permitted, but 9x21mm is fine for civil use, according to law...

I finished sewing, I have to find a good hollow punch tool for waxed twine, I used 2mm drill bit, but holes are big, it's not a perfect jobfrown.png
Luckily the holster keeps the glock in perfect position, It's needed some strenght to pull out the pistol.
I will add a reinforcement in the top area, because 3mm leather is too soft , and trim the contour.
I used acetone dark brown dyeing and two hands of white shoe polish.

I'm thinking the best way to finish edges


 

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Vegetable tanned leather can be burnished smooth on the exposed edges.  The leather has to be wet and allowed to dry for a little while.  Leather burnishers are usually wooden rods with half-round grooves cut in them.  The grooves are made in a range of sizes to match the total leather thickness.  You can also use a plastic pulley like you might find in the hardware store for use in window blinds.  Either way, you rub the grooved tool against the exposed edge.  Speed is your friend, pressure is not.  Eventually the fibers bind together and the edge becomes smooth.

There are specialty edging tools made for radiusing the cut-edge of the leather.  If both the finished and unfinished sides are radiused, they tend to burnish better.  It's also possible to cut a chamfer on each side before burnishing.  If it's done nice and even, the burnishing will round things pretty well. 

Some holster makers sew in a ribbon of spring steel around the opening so it's possible to re-holster one handed.

 

 

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Thanks for the advice!

and for the name of the tool, I'm not an expert in english Language, and sometimes I have trouble finding the right tool. I think I will try to build a burnishing tool on my lathe, I got some aluminum and teflon scraps, with a radiused tool maybe I can do a nice job. 

It's a good idea to make a rigid ribbon in the opening area, I think I will try in the next holster, not only to re-holster than to pull with thumb in order to facilitate the extraction (maybe my holster is too rigid and new)

I bought some more leather for a leg bag, with 2x3mm belt (5cm - 2" wide). I'm starting to build the belt, I post some picture

I bought also a couple of hollow punch bit, I discovered that mounted on a bench drill they are nice. Size 1mm. Maybe I used wrong glue, normal vinavil pressed with brass plates and transformers.

I posted even an aluminum tool found on a forum ( http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/26604-edge-burnisher-for-dremels/ )  should I replicate something like this right?

 

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rendoman, That dremel tool would be nice, but you could effectively burnish with nothing more than a piece of wood or plastic with a rounded notch filed in. Most leather working tools are manual, and punches in particular are generally pounded with a soft mallet.  Maybe it's just the picture, but that hole punch looks like it's got a blunt edge.  Most leatherworking tools are sharpened and stropped to a very sharp edge.  That way the cut edges require minimal finishing.  Holes are burnished with a tapered rod from both sides of the hole.  Burnishing not only looks nicer, it binds the fibers together making the edge more wear resistant.  That's especially important in a belt where a lot of force is applied to the edge of the hole.
Look for "edge bevelers" for the cutting tool that makes a rounded profile before burnishing.  If you're struggling to find places selling these tools, you might try searching for saddle makers, or cobblers (shoe makers). 

If all else fails, you can also use fine sand paper backed with a profiled wooden block on DRY leather to get whatever shape you need.  Even a fingernail file will work pretty quickly. 

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