Cas City Forum Hall & CAS-L
CAS TOPICS => The Leather Shop => Topic started by: BrushyCreekDouglas on November 13, 2022, 02:16:34 PM
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Alright folks, since the Cheyenne may just be my favorite 19th Century holster design, how’s about we start a thread. If this has been done before (I’m sure it has) then let’s make a new one to add to. Show off your favorite Cheyenne rigs and feel free to share any stories you have about making them.
I’ll start with one I just finished. I enjoy giving each holster I make a back story. I’ve always had an overactive imagination, but sometimes it can make a fairly repetitive task more entertaining.
This holster, belt and gun combo I like to think comes from around 1919 and might’ve belonged to an old Line Rider in AZ. Former Rough Rider who kept his issued artillery model SAA. He’s about 65 years old and wears a rig that’s comfortable and familiar to him. A mix of Tom Rynning and Jeff Milton I suppose.
I know I’m probably a bit hokey, but it’s fun. Do any of y’all do the same with your projects?
Hope y’all are doing well and God bless!
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I don't have a good story to go with this but it's one of a pair I made to wear when I first got into CAS. I left out the toe plugs thinking it was a good idea then but would put them in if I made them today. I have since changed my rig(s) to follow my likes but this was my first.
(https://i.imgur.com/pym9rwE.jpg)
And this is the first rig I made for my wife. It's an olive pattern rather than a Cheyenne but it's still fun to look at. This rig is one of her favorites still.
(https://i.imgur.com/uxUEssH.jpg)
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I don't have a good story to go with this but it's one of a pair I made to wear when I first got into CAS. I left out the toe plugs thinking it was a good idea then but would put them in if I made them today. I have since changed my rig(s) to follow my likes but this was my first.
(https://i.imgur.com/pym9rwE.jpg)
And this is the first rig I made for my wife. It's an olive pattern rather than a Cheyenne but it's still fun to look at. This rig is one of her favorites still.
(https://i.imgur.com/uxUEssH.jpg)
Dang nice rigs Marshal, as always!
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Thanks, BCD.
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That olive pattern is great, Marshal.
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Thank you, Skeet.
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Here are a few that I have made. The Cheyenne is a great looking and classice pattern that looks good with most any gun.
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Here's a pair I made from 8-9 oz leather and lined with 8-9 oz. It was an experiment to see how stiff I could make them. They were a bear to wet mold but once done, I could drive over them with my truck and not hurt them. ;D
(https://i.imgur.com/4TFwUtP.jpg)
This one for an 8" Remington. Again, not quite a Cheyenne but still a Mexican Loop.
(https://i.imgur.com/yJxmqmy.jpg)
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I bet you could drive a truck over those. I just did a pair of holsters in 8-9 oz leather with a 3-4 oz liner and the were super stiff once done.
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I just finished this one. Hope it fits in the Cheyenne category.
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It looks like a lot of you sew the bullet loops individually. That's the way I do it. The idea is if one breaks- you only have that to repair. I also put a dot of waterproof glue over the threads on the inside- looks like maybe others do the same thing.
The double loop. To me I think it was the ultimate design. The skirt with the two loops sort of bonds to the pouch creating a solid holster while using only one layer of leather. If you don't have the skirt the pouch can become sort of weak and need a two layer type construction.
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It looks like a lot of you sew the bullet loops individually. That's the way I do it. The idea is if one breaks- you only have that to repair. I also put a dot of waterproof glue over the threads on the inside- looks like maybe others do the same thing.
The double loop. To me I think it was the ultimate design. The skirt with the two loops sort of bonds to the pouch creating a solid holster while using only one layer of leather. If you don't have the skirt the pouch can become sort of weak and need a two layer type construction.
I have to agree with you on cartridge loops. I haven't found a better way to make them than stitching them on individually.
The Cheyenne style holster is, as you mentioned, quite secure and a great design. You don't have to stitch a belt loop on and it's hard to beat the looks. That said, I find a Slim Jim design more comfortable. A skirted holster can be somewhat restrictive.
The most restrictive holster I ever made was the Rice-style Dodge City due to the width of the belt loop formed by the skirt. It doesn't move on you, though.
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I must agree that the skirt is wide and noticeable compared to other styles.
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Here's a 5 1/2" Cheyenne holster and a money cartridge belt that I sent to a customer a few months ago.
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That's a beautifully authentic looking one, Buck. Very nice work. I'll bet the customer is happy with it.
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Buck, you make the rest of us look like amateurs.
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I very seldom show any of my work on this or any other forum, because I don't want it to seem like I'm advertising. There are a lot of pics I'd like to post.
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Please post them.
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Beautiful work!
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Buck, by all means post those photos.
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Buck- when you say "money belt" what do you mean? I thought a money belt had a hidden compartment for folding money.
And, how about those spur leathers. I've made one pair, no tooling, and I'm not happy with them. The wide/larger half has the buckle sewn on and two slots and the smaller half has the tongue/belt that runs through the slots and is buckled. The buckles on the outside so the wide part is visible.
1. I just sewed the buckle strap to the top of the leather but I'm not certain if that was correct- it looks like some folks run it through a slot.
2. Concho- I've seen the ladder back on You Tube demos but was wondering about a center post., You would have to remove the button from the spur and use a bolt.
3. Spurs. The old Cowboy spurs had a fixed upward extension for the button, now a days they are hinged- I don't know why.
4. I wanted to attach curb bit chains under my boots- not sure how to do that, the "hangers" I can't figure out how to attach them.
5. Real world experience. Of the two styles, the one mentioned and the other where the small half has the buckle and the large half the belt or tongue- which do you prefer?
All help appreciated.
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Davem,
Most folks are confused by the term "money belt". Original money belts of the period, were not intended for paper money. They were used with gold or silver coin. These belts were made in several standard widths. The one I offer with a single row of cartridge loops, is a 3" wide belt. I also offer a 4" wide belt with a double row of loops. The 3" as shown in my photo, starts out as a 6" wide piece of li leather, folded over to create a 3" belt. Billet, buckle end and cartridge loops are sewn to the face of the belt. Then it is folded over to make the 3" width and the main seam is sewn along the full length of the belt. This forms a hollow tube the full length of the belt body. There is a slot cut in the belt through both layers, under the front edge of the buckle. Coins are dropped inside the belt through this slot.
Spur straps can be made in a variety of styles. The ones in the photo are most often referred to as "Gull Wings". They are one piece, without a buckle. These are my spurs and I prefer the gull wing pattern, so that is the style I made for this pair of spurs. I like these 1870-1880 style spur leathers. The silver conchas do not have screw backs. They have a heavy standing loop soldered to the back, which is also made of silver. There is a short tear drop piece of leather cut to fit the spur button, which slides through the standing loop and riveted to the strap under the conchas. Unless you are familiar with this type of attachment, this will be very difficult. If your spurs don't already have metal chain hangers, I don't see any way to install them on your spurs. Hangers are attached during the manufacture of the spur. It is attached before the button and stud are put on the spur.
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Thanks- appreciate your input. The only thing I could think of on the hangers is to have a split that you bend apart- put over the stud and then bend back. Either that or drill out the stud and replace- either is a lot of work. Thanks on the leathers. Off hand it seems a lot easier to make them with the buckle on the "small" half.
In looking at old vintage phots, it seems a lot of leathers weren't the dove wing at all, just a wide band. The spurs didn't have the button on a hinge- just an upward tab, and there were slots for the chains.
While we are on this topic, some spurs are wider (top to bottom) than others. Any reason? Do the wider styles stay in place better? Years ago some spurs on the arm going back to the rowell had upward curls. Some guy say it was to prevent your blue jeans from getting down on the spurs but I figured they were used to dig into a bad, bucking horse.
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There were literally dozens of different spur styles. The spurs and Gull Wing straps that I described are very early 1870-1880 cowboy style. These styles were still made well into the 20th century, but many new designs were also developed in the late 19th and early 20th century. Some of these had chain hangers, and some did not.
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Thanks
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Here's a 5 1/2" Cheyenne holster and a money cartridge belt that I sent to a customer a few months ago.
Buck,
The layout of that picture and of course your work is just outstanding. Like the rest of the guys here, I’d LOVE to see more of your leatherwork. Always inspires me to get better!
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i made this one for my .45 Kirst converted new model. It's constructed from 6/7 oz veg tanned with a 2/3 oz lining leather. Jw
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Jack, that's a good example of a West Texas half-skirted holster. I still have yet to make one but they're totally cool. The closest I ever came to this style is the Dodge City style. Looks very good.
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Real nice, I also like the belt.