Tool & Phone

For those who wish to carry their knife and phone on the hip.

No intros, let's get to work.

Copy the profile of your set in hardwood and make a negative around it leaving a gap the thickness of the leather.

Make sure all edges are rounded off and be aware of imprint of irregularities (or use on purpose).

Dry leather won't go.

Soak it in alcohol, it dries ten times faster than water.

Stick the leather between the wooden parts of your mold, clamp it down and go have a coffee...

Take it out of the mold and have another coffee...

Cut yourself a nice fitting divider and glue or stitch it to the front.

Choose the length of your stitch and go from both ends down to the middle marking them.

This to prevent you from ending the row of holes asymmetrical.

Tie the back flap to the front and drill all the holes through. A nail and hammer does the job as well.

Mind you an awl is tapered and leaves big holes. Use an awl from back to front.

When you close the structure some parts are very hard to reach.

So make sure the belt straps and buttons are in place beforehand. (notice my belt straps aren't finished yet)

Remember your belt needs space too. Give the straps a bit of curve by attaching the ends closer to one another than their length suggests. It depends, of course, on the thickness of your belt.

You can do it with the front and the back loose of each other but I glued them together.

The little nails are used to line up the two halves while gluing.. Stick in a few here and there.

I used two needles with waxed nylon thread crossing each other in each hole.

Reinforce both ends with some extra passes. End your knots at the backside.

Clip the unused thread leaving about a centimeter or 3/8 standing.

Secure the knots melting these down with a flame and pushing them flat while it is still liquid nylon. (Yes, it's hot) duh

This is the moment to correct the shape if needed.

A little alcohol will help. (I hear you thinking, that's not what I meant)

With hot air I let the leather soak up a fair load of saddle soap (fat, grease you know ?) Avoid silicone based crap.

I think the new inhabitants like their new dwelling.

I hope your Tool & Phone ( or whatever objects) will like a nice holster made by YOU !

Thanks, Steve

Keep it maintained with some beewax type of stuff, leather loves it.