How to Make a Pattern for a Leather Holster

6 MONTH ACCESS

Every well made holster starts with a properly designed pattern. In this video I will show you step by step, how to make a pattern designed to fit your own handgun. We will cover grip clearance, a forward FBI cant, belt placement, stitch line measurements, adjustments for larger or aftermarket front sights, and overall shape. Learn the easy way to make a holster pattern by watching this tutorial.

 
This video is part 1 of my video series on how to make a leather holster, for those that wish to skip this step – I do have pre-made patterns for sale for almost all models of Glock handguns. The paid video is organized into chapters, to help you find the information you need quickly and use as a reference later on.

14 minutes // Beginner

Tutorial Skills

  • Belt placement
  • Shape considerations
  • Forward FBI cant
  • Grip clearance
  • Stitch line measurements
  • Sight groove adjustment
  • Reinforcement panel
  • + more

All Videos in this Series

holster pattern button
Construction - Leather Holster
How To - Wet Forming
finishing holster button
holster secrets button
thumb break holster button
tension screw holster button

Related Patterns

Tools + Materials Needed

I sell various tools and supplies in my online shop here as well ➔

If I don’t have an item shown in the video listed here, I don’t have a link for it so you may have to search around to find a supplier.

Links directing to an amazon product are paid links.

tools needed for making a leather holster pattern

Initial Instruction Preview:

To get started in making a leather holster pattern you’ll want to first unload your handgun and make sure it is safe. Next we are going to lay out a vertical line on the poster board to act as a reference when creating the 15 degree forward tilt also known as the FBI cant. This makes it easier and a bit more ergonomic to draw the weapon. Using the protractor aligned with the reference line make a mark in the bottom hole and a mark at 15 degrees.

making a leather holster pattern tracing

Connect these two marks with a line and place your handgun aligned against it so that the line is parallel to the slide. Go ahead and trace the outline of your gun as close as possible, being aware of the angle you have on your pencil (it can make the outline larger or smaller when tracing). Also trace inside the trigger guard area for this pattern. Last step here is to make a mark where your mag release is, and then sketch it in once you remove the gun from the paper. We will be altering the shape of the top edge of the holster pattern to avoid the mag release, that way you don’t drop the mag when re-holstering.

grip clearance when making a pattern for a leather holster

Another important aspect of the top edge of this holster pattern is grip clearance. You need to be able to comfortably grab the grip while the gun is holstered. A decent starting measurement here is 3/4 of an inch, but if you have thick fingers, you may need a bit more wiggle room. So consider measuring your digits to be sure. We will take that clearance measurement and make marks underneath the grip until the trigger guard. Then connect the marks with a line.

belt placement for a holster pattern tutorial

Now to get this holster sitting right on your hip, we will need to figure out where the belt will slide through the slots. There’s a bit of a design constraint with this style of leather holster pattern, in that we can’t go too low or it will mess with the design of the reinforcement panel. I place my belt across the pattern so that the top edge touches where the grip clearance line meets the trigger guard….

Meet Your Instructor
Mr. Lentz

Over a decade ago in the dusty plains of central Colorado, I began the path of building this small leather goods business. As the years have passed, I have acquired very useful and practical leather working skills that I am more than happy to pass on to those who are looking to learn the trade. A lot of knowledge comes with running a successful leather goods business, and at the heart of it all - remains a deep understanding of how to work with leather, approach problems, and come up with simple and satisfying solutions. Let me pass on a bit that knowledge and advice to you and we can keep the beautiful artistry of leather craft alive.

READ MORE

Meet Your Instructor
Mr. Lentz

Over a decade ago in the dusty plains of central Colorado, I began the path of building this small leather goods business. As the years have passed, I have acquired very useful and practical leather working skills that I am more than happy to pass on to those who are looking to learn the trade. A lot of knowledge comes with running a successful leather goods business, and at the heart of it all - remains a deep understanding of how to work with leather, approach problems, and come up with simple and satisfying solutions. Let me pass on a bit that knowledge and advice to you and we can keep the beautiful artistry of leather craft alive.

READ MORE

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