O.K., here we go with THE ugliest IWB holster this side of the Mississippi!
However, it IS absolutely comfortable, functional, and leaves NO external indicators that I'm a JMB disciple....
And it's cheap.
First, the holster.
The leather came from hobby lobby in a bulk "scrap" leather bag that cost like 8 bucks. I researched holster making techniques on-line and watched a couple of vids on you tube. I cut the leather to fit a Kimber that has a light rail, however, I carry a springer with no rail, and it still works fine. I used a nail and a hammer to make it easier to run the needle through the leather, and I used 550 para cord guts as the threading. The needle came from a heavy duty needle kit I had on hand that I used to make repairs whenever my military kit needed it. I cut the leather with a box cutter.
Once I formed the holster around the gun, I placed it on my hip while wearing pants and a belt, and futzed around with the height and cant in order to determine what was comfortable, and what concealed well. Once I found the right height and cant, I marked, cut the angles, and sewed the holster to the 2 pieces of leather I used for attachment to a belt, and to distribute the weight.
The belt is made of cotton denim from an old pair of levis I cut up, which is very comfortable, strong, and washable. I used velcro I had on hand to secure the belt in place.
The rig worn....
This particular rig was going to be a prototype, but out of shear laziness, and the fact that it works well, I opted out of buying nicer leather and making it look "pretty". However, I will probably get around to buying better leather and making a "pretty" rig one day....maybe use some silk for the belt or something. BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
Total construction time was probably about 5 hours or so, however, more time was spent futzing with the right angles, wetting and shaping the leather a bit, and letting it dry. Basically, I spent a Saturday afternoon watching some flicks and making the rig, and touched it up the next day after the leather dried.
Outside of the leather, I used what I had on hand, however, you can purchase specific leather tools to speed up the process and make a more refined product. That wasn't my goal though. I like to do things myself, so the time expenditure didn't matter to me, as I would rather create something that works for me, as opposed to wasting cash on products that may not serve my needs.
I am very satisfied with the end result as it is functional, the leather is super comfortable, and I can carry my full size 1911 in pretty much ANY clothing without leaving ANY type of signature, and I'm a relatively slender dude.
Many folks opt to purchase finished products and are satisfied, however, many end up purchasing a few holsters until they get the "right" one. That's fine, however, with a little work you can get it right the first time, and get EXACTLY what you want by doing it yourself.
Good job Dan.
My carry pistols range in size from LCP to XDM and holsters range in price from $10 to $90. Reguardless, 3 o'clock is always my best position.
