I am thinking of making my own holster for a 9mm Shield. Where is a good source for 9 to 10 oz leather, say 12"x 12"? I have a Tandy in town but are there any online stores to look at?
Thanks

Mals

Tandy IS an online store :-). I buy many things from them online (delivered to me from a single store location here in Australia, in another State). Leather, though, I buy from a local importer of Wicket & Craig; so if you want to make the best of your situation, look for a retail store you can walk into and buy your leather.

9-10 is a great choice for a very stout, unlined holster. Look for a smooth flesh side or you'll want to line it; and if you're going to line it, 7-8 is better for the job. Look for what's called 'temper': reasonably stiff because it will soften when wetted for moulding, and re-harden when you hot-air dry it (you are going to hot-air dry it, yes?) after moulding.

Lots more to know about making a holster than buying the leather :-).

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

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rednichols I have been doing a bunch of research and I will be hot air drying after wet forming. Is there an advantage or disadvantage to using a lighter weight and a liner?
Of the several thousand sellers on ebay I am not sure who is selling quality materials and many don't list the weight.

Mals

Much of the leather offered in the US these days is imported, usually from Latin American countries, and tanning methods vary considerably (in some countries it is fairly common practice to use animal feces and urine in the tanning process).

I recommend vegetable tanned cowhide from either Wickett & Craig or Hermann Oak tanneries. But both of those sources require more substantial orders than a hobbyist can justify (6 or more sides, roughly 150 square feet). For smaller quantities I suggest that you contact Springfield Leather (very nice interactive website, should be easy to find). Springfield stocks Hermann Oak veg-tanned and will sell by the square foot. You will pay a little more with shipping expense, but you will have more assurance of getting quality leather.

As rednichols mentioned, you should avoid leather with loose or stringy flesh sides (inside of the hide). Also avoid leather cut from the bellies, which is quite variable in both thickness and strength and seldom makes a decent holster. Shoulders usually work well, and backs are usually very good.

You asked about advantages of holster lining. Lining (either suede or smooth leather) has long been a popular method for protecting the handgun finish from excessive "holster wear", which is abrasion caused by holstering and drawing, as well as movement of the handgun inside the holster during carry. A 7-8 oz. leather holster body lined with a 2-4 oz. soft leather makes a very serviceable rig.

Why you would prefer to order on line is beyond me , leather is a natural product...it varies greatly . Go to the Tandy store , look at and feel the leather before choosing a piece for your project....it's the best way to get what will be proper holster material.
Red Nichols and Lobo Gun Leather are pro's ...heed their advice.
Gary

I've been buy from The Hide House in Napa CA. for years. They have a very large selection of leather but I'm not sure you can get a piece as small as your talking about.
Hide House

You'll get a good result from Tandy leather. I use the W&C here, because it is a side leather of a type called 'skirting leather' (as opposed to 'bridle leather' which has extra oils inside it for weather and sweat resistance and unsuited to wet moulding). It comes in colours, too; which allows me to make every item the same colour rather than hand oiling each time to get the 'right' colour every time. A side can cost me A$500, which helps explain why I can't be price competitive with my American counterparts.

Linings, when the leather is smooth on the backside (called the flesh side), don't contribute anything. Nothing. The W&C I use must be split down from 15-16 ounce so I get a rather harsh finish on the flesh side; therefore all my holsters are kangaroo lined. Another reason I'm not price competitive -- yet my result is unique in all the world so I'm content.

The Tandy leather you'll get will be a natural colour that is not unlike the colour of a manila folded; so plan on how you will colour it to your liking. If you'll dye it, that's a whole 'nother discussion (don't use water-based).

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

I have bought many things from Tandy in the past. We used to have a local store, but they went out of business years ago.

When I acquired my first holster, I was in a bind because it was to hold a scoped 8 3/8" S&W N Frame and i couldn't find a suitable store bought model.

Someone suggested a shoe repair store. The guy sold me a few square feet of leather at a reasonable price so I made my own. Best deal I ever made...