When a leather holster is wet formed it will fit your handgun like a glove. In this video I will show you the entire process of wet forming a leather holster including how to use the simple tools involved and critical steps such as prepping the sight groove and baking the shape. Join me as I teach you how to get that holster fitting just right.
This video is part 3 of my video series on how to make a leather holster, however I am making it available separately for those that already have a holster constructed and just want to learn the wet forming stage. The paid video is organized into chapters, to help you find the information you need quickly and use as a reference later on.
10 minutes // Beginner
Tutorial Skills
- Prepping for Wet Forming
- Molding the Shape
- Front Sight Groove
- Belt Tunnel
- Trigger Guard Hold
- Curving to the Hip
- Baking and Drying
- + more
Tools + Materials Needed
- Your constructed holster
- Your unloaded and safe handgun or a Blue Gun
- Plastic wrap (if using handgun)
- Bowl or small tub of luke warm water
- Edge Beveler for sharp curves
- Utility knife
- 5/16 Leather Punch
- Scrap 7-8 oz veg tan leather to make mini belt form
- 1/4 inch dowel 6 inches long (if using Blue Gun)
- Old School coat hangar with cardboard roll on bottom (if using handgun)
- Mallet
- Wood shaping tool with narrow and wide blunt end
- Pear Shader tool
- Wood scrap 1.5″ wide x 1/4 inch thick x 12 inches long
- Oven
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.
Initial Instruction Preview:
Once you have glued up and sewn your holster it is now time to wet form it. I like to make sure I have given the glue on my holsters plenty of time to dry before approaching this stage. 12 hours should be good enough for most PVA glues, if you are using contact cements you might be able to continue much sooner – just check the label.
In my shop I have small white tubs I fill with water. Ideally you should use luke warm water, but I only have cold water here in the shop and it seems to work fine. I’ll wedge my finger underneath the belt tunnel on the back and submerge the holster completely underwater for about 15 seconds. Make sure to shake it a little underwater to help release the bubbles of air that come out of the leather.
Once I pull the holster out of the water I will cut the rest of the side belt slot out using the utility knife. Then grabbing edge beveler for tight curves I can bevel all edges of the slot. It’s the details that matter in leather goods, so this step while small is actually fairly important for the overall look.
If you are using your own handgun for wet forming the holster, you will want to first oil it a bit then wrap it in plastic wrap. Then you can proceed to inserting it into the holster. For Blue Guns this step is not necessary, you can push it straight in….
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.
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