being a lefty, i started to make my own holsters. i got a few patterns i like, so i would like to have a permanent pattern. what do you prefer? sheet metal or plexiglass?

I make my patterns out of file folders. I guess if I was making many holsters and doing it for a living I'd look into something more durable but so far these work for me.

i've been using cereal boxes. marking the holes would be easier with something harder than cardboard.

+1 to bamabiker's file folders, works
for me also. Plastic file folders are
available too, just more $.
Chipmunk6

They sell sheets of translucent plastic at Hobby Lobby, cuts easy but holds up to the constant rubbing around the edges. Hadn't though of plastic file folders though, that might be cheaper. I just like being able to see through the plastic a bit, makes it easy to trace onto it.

I use file folders as well. I do not make a living making holsters. If I did, I might consider the rubberized product like the old drafting tables were covered with, or perhaps if i were doing big volumes, making cookie cutter like dies from sheet metal.

I have made 50-100 holsters from a single file folder pattern, and it continues to work well. If it begins to wear, it wouldn't take but a minute to trace it onto a new file folder and cut it out.