Making a Leather Block Plane Holster
by Skip Thompson
Disclaimer: I'm not an expert leather worker, most of what I do I've picked up or interpolated from what I've already done. It works for me, but if leather work interests you there are lots of expert resources available, and some are noted later in the article.
Materials and Tools
Leather
Leather can be tanned several different ways, each method imparting certain properties to the leather. The most common types you will encounter are latigo (oil tanned), chrome tanned, and vegetable tanned. This entire holster was made with vegetable tanned (veg tan) leather. Veg tanned leather holds its shape when molded and tooled, the others would not.
Leather is commonly sold by weight per square foot. Most sellers will not cut the quantity you want, but sell it as (from largest size to smallest): full hide or skin, half hide or side, double shoulder, single shoulder and bellies. These are then further described by their weight per square foot, 2 oz., 4 oz., etc; or 2-3 oz., 4-5 oz and etc., the higher the number, the thicker the leather. Then there is tooling or top grain leather and splits. Splits have a suede surface and are not really appropriate for tooling although they may be appropriate for other types of holsters that don't require molding. The flesh side of the leather is the rough side while the grain or top is the smooth side.
This holster was made with 6 oz. leather although 4 oz. might have been sufficient for the front and 8 oz. would have been acceptable for the back. All I had was 6 oz. so I used it. Of course 4 oz. would have been easier to mold while 8 oz. would have been more difficult. For most projects like this, 6 oz leather is probably the best compromise. I used a total of about 1¼ feet2 of leather for the whole project.
Cutting tools
This entire project (excluding the tooling) can be made with a really sharp knife, a scratch awl, a few clamps, some glue, a couple of needles, and some thread However, as with woodworking, there are specialized tools that make some jobs easier.
For cutting the leather for this holster you could use scissors, a really sharp knife, a rotary cutter or a head knife. A rotary cutter with a self healing cutting mat is a good choice, relatively inexpensive and available at most craft stores. It is especially good for cutting long straight pieces of light or medium weight leather. In any case, a really sharp knife will also be needed. Before I got my round knives, I used a rotary cutter for most of my cutting. Scissors, while they may seem like a natural for cutting leather, are at the bottom of my list of cutting tools. It's really tough to get a good cut on medium to heavy leather with scissors and they can be really hard on the hands.
Molding
Making the form
I made this form out of a piece of red oak 2 x 4 to fit both a Record 09½ and a Veritas low angle block plane. The angle of the front was set by the angle formed from the front of the toe to the front of the front knob and the width was determined by the plane. I actually sketched out the relevant parts of the plane on the form before I shaped it. The edges that will be in contact with the leather should be eased over a bit.
Making the Holster
The piece of leather for the front of the holster will need to be a few inches larger in all directions than the form. Measure the two sides and top of the widest part of the form, then add a couple of inches for each seam plus a couple of more inches in width to ensure you have enough width. It's better to have too much than too little. For length, make sure you have a few inches extra at the top and bottom. The piece I used for this project was about 10 inches square.
Take the piece of leather that will form the front of the holster and soak it in water. Five minutes should be enough.
Pat off the excess water and let the leather rest a few minutes. Position the leather over the form and begin kneading it into position. Use your fingers and thumbs to flatten out any wrinkles and keep slowly working it until gets to its final shape.
The leather is very easy to scratch or dent when it is wet, so try to avoid digging your finger nails into the leather as it will leave dents. This will be the case in any operation where you soak or get the leather really wet. Especially avoid allowing anything sharp to come in contact with the leather as it will likely score or cut it when it is this wet.
When I have finished forming, I like to clamp the leather fairly tightly against the form. I use a thin piece of wood along both sides and the bottom to hold it in place while it dries. I round over one edge and put the rounded edge against the base of the form to avoid leaving a line at the base of the front. Let the leather dry several hours or over night, it should feel hard and hold its shape when it is dry.
The back of the holster should also be wider than the final width and longer than the final length—both pieces will be trimmed up together after assembly. It is, in my experience, far easier to trim the final assembly up than it is to try and trim two separate pieces to match. The piece I used for the back was about 4½ inches by 18 inches
Assembly
Preparation
After the front of the holster has dried, unclamp it and inspect the bottom corners where the wood for the clamps met. If there are raised areas where the wood pieces met (or didn't quite meet), wet just that area with water from a syringe or eye dropper and use your fingers to work these raised areas down.
Finally, remove the form. If there is a lot of excess at the bottom of the front, trim it back some at this point. Do not try to trim it to the final length now.
Next, determine the profile you want for the sides and top of the front and make a template. Trim the top straight across at the point that will be the top of the front. Dampen the leather in the area that you are going to cut the profile in, and let it dry for a few minutes. The leather may appear to be dry, but it's still soft and be easy to mark.
Now set the template in place and, using a scratch awl, lightly mark the profile. I usually mark the side profiles then connect them with a straight line. Put the front back on the form and, using a sharp knife, cut the profile for the top of the front using the form as support for the cut.
Glue up
At this point, take the plane the holster is for, set the front on a flat surface, insert the plane and see how it fits. If you need to make any adjustments to the top, now is the time to make them. Provided the fit is acceptable, run a bead of glue around the flesh side of the part of the front that will be the seam, insert the form and squarely align the flesh side of the front and the flesh side of the back, then set in place and lightly clamp until the glue is dry. Remove the form and double check the fit of the plane in the holster.
Hole punching
The next thing to do is mark the seam for the holes that will be used to stitch the holster together. With the front up, dampen the area that will be stitched and let it dry slightly. Then with a straight edge and scratch awl, lightly scribe (I usually do two parallel) lines around the seam. When doing parallel lines, scribe one close to the base of the front sides and one 1/8" or 3/16" outside of the first lines. Then, on these lines, mark out where the stitch holes will go. I use an over stitch tool to do this at five stitches per inch on the outside line only. Then I use the marks on the outside lines to make the marks on the inside line. The reason I do this is that the screw projecting from the over stitch tool will scar the side of the holster. An alternative method is to use graph paper and a scratch awl to mark where the stitches will go. Decide on the number of stitches per inch you want and mark them out on the appropriate graph paper and mark the holes with the scratch awl. Don't try to make the holes all the way through at this point, just lightly mark where the holes will go. A final alternative is to just mark the stitches free hand.
Once the seams are marked, the holes where the stitches will go need to be punched. The proper tool to do this with is a diamond point awl and is usually accomplished by whacking it through the leather with your hand. While doing this on one project, the soreness in my hand prompted me to look for a better method. I finally came up with a superlative way to turn a power tool into a hand tool. I took an old, cheap Phillips screwdriver and knocked the plastic handle off, sharpened the point like an awl and chucked it into my drill press. This method really saves a lot of stress on the hands. You might also use a scratch awl to make the holes. However you punch the holes, wipe the tip of your tool with bee's wax occasionally. This makes it easier to punch the holes and helps to keep the leather from sticking to the tool.
When making the holes for the stitching, you need to penetrate all the way through the leather. You can punch the holes with a scrap piece of wood as backing but I use a piece of polyethylene cutting board. Punch all the holes that you have marked for then turn the holster over and using a fid, if you have one, widen the holes on the back side. If you don't have a fid, then use an awl—but be careful that you don't misalign the holes. It's very easy to do when using a sharp pointed awl as opposed to a dull pointed fid.
Stitching
Once all the holes are punched, stitch up the holster. There are at least two ways to do this—using two needles and stitching from opposite sides or using a stitching awl. I generally use a stitching awl. To finish off the line of stitches I like to take the two ends and using a needle on each, go back through the next to the last hole and push them between the front and back then knot them. After that I thread the loose ends and push them back between the front and back a stitch or two lower and then cut the loose ends off a little inside the seam. I prefer using waxed linen although other types of thread can be used. Keep some bee's wax handy—it's especially useful for waxing the ends of the threads so it's easier to get them into the eye of the needle.
Final shaping
Trimming
When the stitching is completed, trim the holster to its final shape. For aesthetics, try to keep each seam close to equal. I usually use a long, straight piece of wood, cut to the appropriate width, as a straight edge. Mark all the way up both sides and the bottom using a scratch awl. Trim the holster along the marks using a sharp knife make sure you don't cut into any of the stitching. The flap, where it fits over the front, will need to be trimmed down so it will go under the strap. Make a template necking the flap down so it will do this use any profile that is pleasing to you.
Strap
To form the strap that will hold the flap, cut an appropriate width piece of leather, soak it and form it on the same mold used to make the holster. Don't try to get the strap tight against the form, leave a little slack across the top and don't pull the strap tight to the sides. After the strap is dry, take it loose from the form and trim both sides to about the same length. With the plane in the holster, pull the flap into place and locate where you need to place the strap.
The flap needs to project through the strap far enough that it will remain in place. On the other hand, the strap should not be so tight that it's hard to get the flap under it. I then glue the strap in place and, with the mold inside the holster, mark and punch the holes. The strap can then be stitched to the holster. An easy alternative to stitching on a strap would be to use Velcro™ attachments. You should be able to find them in either sew-on or self-adhesive. You could also use a snap—but make sure the bottom snap is placed so there is enough support to close the snap.
Edge smoothing
When the holster is completely assembled, dampen all the cut edges. Then, with a smooth round object (I used an empty 35 mm film canister) lightly slick the edges. Try to lightly roll the top and bottom corners smoothly into the edge. Do not soak the edges or push into the edges too hard or you will create ridges in the edge. When done correctly the edge will be very smooth and appear slightly glazed.
Snaps, grommets and belt loops
When the holster is completed, there are several things that can be added to make it more useful. I like to put a couple of grommets just above either seam so I can hang the holster. I have also put a snap on the front of the flap, just above where it meets the strap with a matching snap in back. This allows the entire flap to be used as a belt loop. Another alternative is to simply stitch a strap on the back of the holster as a belt loop. A better alternative in my opinion is a belt loop with a grommet at the top so it can be worn or hung.
Leather Tooling
Tools
The tooling may be accomplished with only a few tools, a beveling tool, a background stamp, a wooden mallet and a swivel knife. You may find these on eBay, Tandy Leather, or possibly at a local craft store. You will also need a solid surface to back the leather when you are stamping it—I use a piece of marble threshold. What ever you use, the surface should be smooth or you may end up with unwanted marks on the back of the leather you are stamping. The idea behind tooling is that you make a cut into the leather and then use a tool to stamp one side of the line down, leaving the other one raised. This creates a clearly defined raised area. This is usually accomplished using a beveling tool. The background is filled in using a background tool. On this project, I used the beveling tool around the outside of the figure and the background tool for the interior texturing.
Design and transfer
More difficult than getting and using the tools in my opinion, is coming up with an appropriate design. If you are going to do your own try to start simple and work up to more complicated designs later.
I took the pattern of the Celtic boar from a pendant that my wife has. To get the figure I copied her pendant on a copy machine and then adjusted the image size to fit the space. To find the center of the image, using a 45° drafting triangle, I established a straight line for the bottom of the image. I then used the triangle to establish lines 90° from the base at each end of the image. I then folded the image in half to establish the center line which I marked with a pencil. Finally, I cut the image out using the outside lines as a guide.
Then I made a copy of the flap that was long enough to make sure I could match it up straight on the holster. From the copy, I cut out the flap so that I had a paper copy of the flap. Using the triangle to establish a line 90° to the side, I drew a line where I wanted the bottom of the image to go. Then I folded the copy of the flap in half and marked the center line. I then taped the image to the copy of the flap matching up center and baselines. Finally, I made a copy of the flap and image with the baseline and center lines clearly showing and cut the image of the flap out.
The image is best transferred to the flap using transfer paper. You should be able to find transfer paper that does not have grease or wax in it at a craft store. Cut a piece of transfer paper a little bigger than the image and tape it to the back of the copy of the flap with the working side toward the leather (there is nothing more frustrating than transferring an image only to find you have a great copy of the image on the paper and not the leather).
Now tape the copy on to the flap and, on a firm surface, draw every line of the image firmly. I use a slightly dull 4H drafting pencil to do this but a stylus or a regular pencil will work just as well. When done, lift a couple of pieces of tape and see if you have missed any lines. If you have, go back and complete them. When all the lines are transferred, remove the copy.
Cutting and stamping
Now that the image is transferred to the leather dampen (do not soak!) the leather in the area of your design with a sponge or damp cloth. Dab, do not swipe the cloth or sponge across the surface as swiping will lighten or erase your transfer marks. Let the leather dry a bit.
Now, take a swivel knife and cut in all the lines. You may need to dampen the leather from time to time each time giving it some time to dry before starting to cut again. Make sure the knife is sharp and strop it often as you cut the design. Keep the knife as close to 90° as you can while making the cuts. Using a swivel knife will take a bit of practice. I'd suggest making a number of practice cuts before you start on your project if you've never used one before.
When all the lines are cut in, it's time to get the beveling tool (I used a Craftool B 200). The leather needs to be a bit dryer than it was when you used the swivel knife. So, when you wet the leather, let it dry a bit longer. When using the beveller, you want to set it so that it flattens one side of the line you are working on leaving the other side raised. I beveled all the way around the image and then beveled the interior lines. Even though I'm going to use the background tool on the interior, beveling that side down makes it easier to keep the background tool from encroaching onto the line you want raised. For the area when the two legs on the opposite side of the body meet the bottom line of the body, I wet the leather fairly heavily then using hand pressure alone, created a slight bevel with the beveller.
When done with the beveling tool, get the background tool (I used a Craftool A 104). The background tool is used to create depth or contrast to the image. In this case I used it to create the idea of hair on the boar. The leather should be as damp as it was when using the beveling tool. Rotate the background tool around as you stamp to avoid creating an unwanted pattern in the image. If you notice ridges or unstamped areas, go back over them.
When done, you might want to consider dyeing, especially if you're not happy with it, black dye can hide a multitude of problems (trust me, I know this). At this point the leather is ready for its final finish; the traditional method is rubbing in some Neatsfoot oil. Although there are other methods, this is the one I use.
So, how long did the total project take? Well, I didn't really time things but it probably took me five or six hours to construct the holster and another couple of hours to do the tooling. The construction part is relatively straightforward but if you're new to leatherworking, you should probably practice the design on scrap leather a couple of times.
Sources
Some sources for leather and leatherworking tools:
Ebay
http://crafts.listings.ebay.com
Subcategories in this category:
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Once you get a feel for what weight is good for what you want to do and how much you'll need, this can be a good place to get leather. However, most leatherworking tools are fought over more fiercely than planes are on eBay. If it has the name Osborne or Gomph attached to it you can count on paying a premium. On the other hand, there are some modern tools that sell reasonably usually in Buy-it-Now sales.
The old standby—Tandy:
For a beginner, Tandy can be a good source. While you may be able to get leather cheaper on eBay the ability to return a mistaken purchase has its advantages. Leather comes in different weights and different weights are better for different things. So if you get something too light/heavy, you can return it and get a different weight or refund. . The best bet is to find a source close to you, if there is one. That way you should be able to look at the leather before you purchase it. Oh, one other source, however limited, craft stores often carry a limited selection of tools, leather scrap bags and some lacing. I know that Michael's usually has a small section with leatherworking stuff. You can get rivets and snaps from Tandy, craft stores and maybe at a Box.
For a beginner, I'd recommend purchasing bellies. The leather is more irregular in shape which means more waste—but it also comes in smaller square footage. This results in a smaller cost even if the price for bellies is about the same as other cuts. Also, if you're not sure about getting into leatherworking it's a lot less stuff to have sitting around that you might not use. This project took less than 1.5 square feet of leather, so you don't need a hide or half hide to have plenty of leather.
Others
You might want to take a look around the two links below, especially the list of suppliers on the Legio XX site (Legio XX - 20th Legion - is a reconstructionist Roman Legion site).
Legio XX leather tips
www.larp.com/legioxx/leather.php
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