Leather Working DVD's

[Johnny McCrae]

I know that there are several good Intructional DVD's out there on how to make Holsters. My biggest problems when making holsters is getting consistent results when finishing the raw leather and making clean, neat edges. What are are some of the best Instructional DVD's to buy that will give help in these areas?

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I don't know any vids or such that specifically address clean edges. I just use a super sharp knife and strop it every few cuts with jeweler's rouge to clean it. The thing that makes a knife drag and grab is the oils from the leather. Stropping it will take that off and hone the edge to keep it sharp. If I have a tight inside curve to cut, I usually can use a large 1" - 2" round punch before I start cutting with my knife. I have one narrow knife that is good for curves and another wider one that is great for straights. I use both on holsters. Some pards use a head knife because of the versatility of the narrow point and the long straight edge of the middle. If you can cut it where you want it with one pass, it will be a cleaner cut, too. The rest is a matter of practice.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

We discussed edges before, but I couldn't find the thread to post a link for you. Another part of the edge process is to slick the edges to smooth them after the piece is done. I like to wet the leather slightly and rub it with a piece of lignum vitae or canvas fire hose. This makes a nice finished edge. You can also rub the edge with beeswax first then slick it and it will make a longer lasting smooth edge. There are a number of different slickers available. One of my favorite slickers is a turned spindle of lignum vitae with different width grooves in it for different thicknesses of leather. It works great in a drill to smooth the edges nicely. You can use a steel burnisher or even the side of a screwdriver to get the result, too. Maybe some of the pards here will have other methods they use.

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[Johnny McCrae]

Hi Marshall,

Many thanks for the tips. I never thought of using beeswax. I will try this on my next project.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I think there's even a product called Edge-Cote that some pards use to good result. I've never tried it, but that's another possibility.

[Brazos Jack]

The only trick to getting a smooth finished edge is to start with a reasonably smooth edge. I catch some flak for using a Utility Knife to cut the leather but nobody can argue with my results. Also, my favorite Slicker is a Deer Antler Spike.

Try this: with a good clean cut on the edge, dye a small piece of leather and let it set for about 20 minutes. Apply Fiebing's Resolene to the edge with a dampened sponge and rub briskly with your slicker. Afterwards, re-apply another light coat of Resolene. 

The photo below shows a holster in progress with the edges done in just such a manner.

[Johnny McCrae]

Hello Brazos,

Great looking edges! I greatly appreciate the input.

[Johnny McCrae]

Been using the suggestions from Marshall Will and Brazos Jack. A sharp knife makes a difference. My edges are improving.

I bought the Frontier Holster DVD by Chuck Burrows from the CAS City store. Learned a lot from it especially the section on dyeing and finishing leather.

[Slowhand Bob]

I really think I have seen everyones video on holster making and would be hard pressed to call one better than the other overall, BUT.  The one that seems to devote the most time to edges and their treatment is one of the oldest and thats the one John Bianchi made.  He even goes into how he made his special edge dressing machine to melt the wax into the edge.  I personally prefer gum trag to wax for my use.