It's funny how one thing can lead to another, and how hidden talents can surface from seemingly nowhere and change your whole direction, just like that….that's how Cyndi’s Custom Leather came to be a few years ago.

 

My husband has always had a fondness for big revolvers. He purchased one that was so big that finding a holster to fit it was almost impossible. When we did find something that would fit, it was just plain ugly. One day he was looking through a course catalog from American Gunsmithing Institute and saw a training course for making leather holsters and thought maybe I could do something like that, because I love to do craft work, and make a nice holster for his "hand-cannon".

 

I never took that course, but I did buy a book on how to make holsters and bought a few basic tools just to play around with. I first made a knife sheath for him and then a pattern that I felt like would fit his gun. He then took me on a shopping trip to a leather store to get some supplies and some better tools and dyes (Oh man, the money we spent in that store that day!) The end result was a beautiful holster for a Smith and Wesson .460 revolver with an 8” barrel. The holster just happened to also match his knife sheath and then a key ring, and finally a wallet for a complete matching ensemble any gentleman would be proud to carry. His coworkers started sending him home with their wish lists for all kinds of leather goods. Everyone was so happy with the products I was making, they all started asking when I was going to open a shop and start doing this full time. Well, all that sounded very unlikely to me at the time, nothing more than an impossible, far away dream… but here we are, heading in that direction like a herd of wild horses!