ltwguns.com

Greetings all,

I have been a reader for a few years now, but this is my first post. I would appreciate honest feedback and suggestions regarding a new venture I am beginning. I have not worked in the holster industry for almost ten years, but like riding the proverbial bicycle, a lot of the skills are coming back.......

I have just worked up three different holsters which are my interpretations and adaptations of current styles and designs. I would love to hear constructive criticism and any suggestions which might help me improve these offerings.

Many thanks in advance for your comments and advice.

Respectfully submitted: The COURIER model (Pancake), the TRANSPORTER model (IWB) and the DIPLOMAT (Pocket holster)

















Sincerely,

Stuart Palmer

_________________
Pb Precision, LLC
"We deal in lead, friend...."
6342 NW 18th Drive, Ste #2
Gainesville, FL 32653
352.335.1911
pbprecision@cox.net

Nice work...I think you did an especially nice job on the OWB.

John

_________________
I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

Very nice work!

Nice work. You might give Sam Andrews a little credit for the designs as he is almost your neighbor.

http://www.andrewsleather.com/andrewsleather.htm

ML

Nice looking rigs!!! I particularly like the IWB myself.--John

_________________
"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee

Mr. Ralston,

Thank you for the kind words. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the opinions of end users, but I especially appreciate the thoughts of those who understand what it takes to create something functional and good looking.

Regards,

Stu

_________________
Pb Precision, LLC
"We deal in lead, friend...."
6342 NW 18th Drive, Ste #2
Gainesville, FL 32653
352.335.1911
pbprecision@cox.net

torrejon224 and JR Munsey,
Thank you both for your comments. Any suggestions for improvements? I know it's hard to comment on function, but what about cosmetics? Do you prefer the look of more detailed, more sharply defined molding? Would you prefer a design without tension adjustment hardware?

Thanks for your comments.

Stu

_________________
Pb Precision, LLC
"We deal in lead, friend...."
6342 NW 18th Drive, Ste #2
Gainesville, FL 32653
352.335.1911
pbprecision@cox.net

Mushinto,

I will have to admit that I have been heavily influenced by Sam's work, but I have taken pains to make some changes that I feel would be considered improvements to the basic designs shown. Without getting too verbose, I have changed the attaching method and the angles of the IWB for comfort and security. I have minimized the bulk of the belt slots on the pancake holster and there's only so much you can do with a pocket holster design after all....

To paraphrase an article from American Handgunner: Leather holsters are made from rotting animal flesh that has been chemically persuaded to deteriorate at a slower rate..... That was from an article discussing the benefits of Kydex holsters if I recall correctly. I suppose some people don't see the artistry in a handcrafted leather holster.... Perhaps they lump all leather products together because they're all so similar. My point is that there are only so many permutations of a particular theme, and there are only so many ways to build an effective platform for the secure carriage of a handgun.

You could just as easily say that I've copied an ARG or a Concealable. I have holsters from Ken Null, Andrews, Safariland, Bianchi, Galco, Alessi and many more. I have been influenced by what I hope are the best designs from a variety of makers and I am now applying my own artistic interpretations to the craft.

I have a fast draw rig that I cut and stitched entirely by hand. Believe me when I say I'll never hand stitch an entire holster and belt again! It is a direct copy of an Andy Anderson "Walk and Draw" rig. I built it for my own personal enjoyment. Did I copy a famous design? Yes I did, because it works, and because Steve McQueen was so cool in The Magnificent Seven...... Still, it is a product of my own handiwork.

Hopefully others will appreciate my efforts to persuade leather to rot at a slower rate.......

_________________
Pb Precision, LLC
"We deal in lead, friend...."
6342 NW 18th Drive, Ste #2
Gainesville, FL 32653
352.335.1911
pbprecision@cox.net

Stu,
I cannot honestly find any cosmetic flaws in your holsters, at least in looking at a picture of them. All the ones shown LOOk perfect in both design and cosmetics. I too have a wide variety of holsters from most of the big names, like most of the members here do, and I cannot see any flaws in your work.
That being said, I will mention one negative that I have come across with a couple of "Ayoob Rear Guard" type IWB's like the one you have pictured. I have owned 2 of these, and I really like the design, comfort, and concept..but have found a personal dislike that precludes me from using these. Anytime I wear one of these, no matter the position or type of weapon, the holster always manages to "tilt" itself downward at the front..basically "nose-diving" into my trousers at the leading edge of the holster! I would like to see someone install a small hook at the leading edge to go over the waistband of the trousers to prevent this. I feel that a small metal hook..similar to the metal clips on military ALICE gear should suffice, if there is a way to install it in the leading edge without adding bulk. This is just a suggestion..not a personal criticism of your work. Best regards--John

_________________
"There is a true glory and a true honor, the glory of duty done, the honor of integrity and principle."--Gen. Robert Edward Lee

Sorry to seem so accusatory Pb, but Sam is a friend of mine and I guess I got a bit over protective.

Although a popular design, I have had the exact same experience with the ARG design as JR.

ML

Lou once told me that there are only so many ways to wrap a piece of cowhide around a chunk of steel....but, if you produce a piece that is someones bread and butter, you should give credit. The Sparks VM-II and the Alessi PCH come to mind as couple of unique designs that leave no doubt as to the originator. There are others for sure, but most all can trace their designs back to Seventrees, Bruce Nelson, Threepersons, etc. As has been pointed out, all of the designs shown have been done by a miriad of makers, so to name one as the creator might point credit in the wrong direction. Even the famed Alessi CQC/S was invented by Lou....it was Bruce Nelson, and Lou and Matt Del Fatti came out with the concept in a modified form that actually worked, where the Nelson version did not.

Keep up the good work.

John

_________________
I will never forget you Lou......February 21, 2009

John Ralston
5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC - Finely Crafted Custom Handgun Leather

http://www.5ShotLeather.com

Looks good. About the IWB - how secure is that attachment method? All of my carry holsters, IWB or OWB, are geared towards hostile territory since I pretty much use the same holsters whether I'm here in the states or pounding through a war zone. Everything I have has two attachment points to the belt for stability. Having had holsters fail where a snap ripped off, or a loop snapped in half, I've avoided any holster where the connection to the belt is limited to one loop/snap. That said, I imagine you and most of the other designers must have thought this out and conducted some long-term testing to figure out if my particular concern is moot with this kind of system?

Considering I can barely cut paper straight, I'm pretty impressed with the pics of your work.