Privateer Leather

To order, fill out the contact form (on the “Orders & Inquiries” page), and let me know what you’re interested in. I’ll reply via email to get details from you, and answer any questions you may have. Alternately, you can also send an email to wes@privateerleather.com

I can accept a check, money order, PayPal, or major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express).

For holsters, I use USPS Priority Mail, which includes tracking and some insurance coverage. Smaller items (like challenge coin holders, and some smaller mag carriers) usually ship via USPS First Class parcel.

Yes -- I fully understand that things come up, and sometimes cancelling your order may be necessary. Please be aware that if I have already cut out leather, or ordered special molds or tools, I will have to charge a restocking fee to cover those expenses. The fee is usually 15%, but may vary depending on the project. Not all projects are the same, and therefore the restocking fee may need to be adjusted. ​ If you cancel your order before the leather has been cut, or special supplies have been ordered, there is no fee.

At present, I'm crammed into a very small area, so I only have the space to stock supplies for the most common belt size, which is 1.5". Other belt sizes are a possibility in the future, though.

The term Privateer referred to a person (or armed ship) who, with a government license called a Letter of Marque and Reprisal, was authorized to attack, plunder, and capture enemy vessels during wartime. Privateering was a way to expand a country's naval force at no cost -- the country didn't have to build and outfit ships, or recruit and train officers and sailors. Instead, privateers supplied their own ship, armament, and crew, and were funded by investors who hoped to profit from their raids. When they weren't filling the role of warships, privateers would attack an enemy country's merchant and supply vessels, acting essentially as licensed pirates. In addition to taking the enemy's cargo and supplies, it would cause the enemy to divert valuable naval resources away from the war in order to protect their merchant fleet. The privateers delivered captured crew to the admiralty courts to face trial, and earned money by selling captured ships and cargo, which was split between the officers, crew, and investors.

Well, that depends what you mean by "molding." The molding process includes being molded by pressure in a hydraulic press, followed by deeper molding by hand, and finally by tracing the details of the gun with a bone creaser (called "boning.") I can certainly make your holster without the boning, if you wish -- many holster makers don't bone their holsters at all. However, the other molding steps need to be done to assure proper retention and function. For illustration purposes, the top was taken after the holster was molded in the hydraulic press, but before being hand-molded or boned. The bottom picture on the right was taken immediately after boning.

Yes, in most cases. However, there are some exceptions: The Cutthroat and Brigand cannot be made without the mouth reinforcement. It is integral to their construction. On the Crossbones, Buccaneer, and Voyager, the reinforcement piece plays a big part in turning the butt of the gun inward, so while it isn't essential to the holsters' construction, they will lose some utility without it. All of the pancake-style models (Corsair, Highwayman, Navigant, Rogue, Castaway, Adventurer, Marauder, and Vigilante) can be made without the piece. On the avenger-style models (Cutlass, Raider, Explorer, and Nomad) the mouth reinforcement is also the piece that comprises the belt tunnel -- but that can be modified to exclude the mouth reinforcement portion.

Yes, you can.

The optional mouthband insert is a lot like heated seats in your car. It's certainly nice to have, but for a lot of people it isn't necessary. Without the plastic insert, the mouth is quite rigid, and stays open very well. After all, it is 2 layers of 8oz leather. However, with the plastic insert, the mouth "springs" right open. Here is a picture of two Cutthroats for the same gun. The one on the left does not have the insert, and the one on the right does. You may notice that the mouth on the holster at right is spread open a little bit wider. There are 2 main reasons you might want the plastic insert: If you frequently have problems with your holster mouths collapsing, then it would probably be worthwhile. If you sweat a lot (like I do) in a few years, when the holster has been exposed to lots of sweat and body oils, it is possible that the leather will soften. At that point (if the holster doesn't have the plastic insert) it is conceivable that the mouth will eventually become soft enough to collapse. However, if the holster does have the insert, it will continue to spread the mouth of the holster open. The reinforcement piece itself is a thin, spring-like thermoplastic polymer. It is approximately 1/96" thick, and extremely flexible. (No, it is not kydex.)

You can, but be aware that the effect is less pronounced in models other than the Cutthroat and Brigand, due to the different mouthband design. It still has an effect, it just isn't as dramatic.

Unfortunately, no - I'm not able to offer thumb-breaks at present.

I have made lined holsters on occasion. I don't stock lining materials, but I can get them. ​ I don't recommend lining for several reasons. ​ One is that most "soft" leathers (like suede, pigskin splits, etc.) tend to trap dirt and grit, and will eventually become abrasive. Many soft leathers, particularly suede, are chromium-tanned (as opposed to vegetable-tanned), and those chromium salts will attack some finishes like bluing. ​ Two, the added layers make the holster hold on to moisture (like sweat) for notably longer. Because of that, the holster frequently doesn't dry overnight, and the moisture that remains can also damage your gun's finish over time. ​ Third, the biggest reason I dislike lining is that it feels like selling a lie. Many people believe that a lined holster won't hurt the finish on their gun, which is false -- all holsters will wear the finish on a gun, period. In some cases, as mentioned above, they can actually be harder on the finish than an unlined holster. Additionally, since it almost doubles the number of construction steps, I have to charge more to line a holster... but I don't feel that it gives the customer any added value for their money. ​ For all of those reasons, I don't recommend lining, and I try to talk people out of it when I can. However, for those who insist upon it, it can be done on most models.