Simple Whip Holster

So I made this new whip, and so I need a way to carry it. Or at least hang it up so its not just piled in a heap on the floor. And that is why I made this really simple holster for it. In this Instructable I'll walk you through making a quick easy holster that you can tailor to work with any whip. You don't have to make it exactly the way I have it here and I'll explain some modifications you can make along way. So whether you need a holster for your whip as part of your Indiana Jones costume (or Trevor Belmont costume) or just a way to keep your whip handy around the ranch, this should fit the bill quite nicely. You can also use it to hang your whip on a wall from a hook to display it or just keep it someplace out of the way.

Materials

1. 3/4 inch wide leather strapping https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Straps-TOFL-Crafts-...

2. Leather Snaps https://www.amazon.com/Tandy-Leather-Metal-Plated-...

Tools

1. Leather Punch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CY6HCKP/ref=syn_sd_on...

2. Utility Knife

3. Cutting Board

4. Leather Skiving Knife https://www.amazon.com/Tandy-Leather-Safety-Bevele...

5. Leather Snap Setting Tools https://www.amazon.com/Tandy-Leather-Basic-Setter-...

6. 2lb Mini Anvil (optional but handy) https://www.amazon.com/Tandy-Leather-Mini-Anvil-31...

7. Hammer

8. Sharpy (optional, but again, handy)

Many of these supplies can be found online, but places like Hobby Lobby or Micheal's will have all of it, or similar, and you wont have to pay for shipping.

There are a few ways to do a Whip Holster so the first step is deciding what would fit our needs the best. Personally I want something that can be taken on and off of a belt without uncoiling the whip. I also like for the whip to be held fast without flopping around too much, or the handle dangling along my leg, so It should hold the handle of the whip where its easy to grab.

So for my design I'm going to make it to have two loops that are held closed by snaps. One loop will close around my belt and the second around the whip. The loop that attached to a belt only has to be big enough to wrap once around the belt. As for the loop that goes around the whip, I want it to wrap fully around the whip and then snap closed. By having the loop wrap completely around the whip once and then closing, the leather strap will be contacting more than 360 degrees around the whip maximizing its grip on the whip. That one wrap around the whip will also be held tight, somewhat, by the weight of the whip. By arranging the two loops in an S shape they will be able to be opened individually, and hold the whip higher against the belt. If you wanted the whip to be held a little lower you could make it in a C shape.

As you are making the holster you'll want to have the belt you're going to be using it with handy. If you wanted to have the whip attached to a pack that has molle webbing, or perhaps the cummerbund strap of a backpack, then having those handy as well will help you size the loop for them. And then of course you'll want to have the whip your making this for at hand so you can size up the loop for it as well.

For this entire project you don't really need a ruler or tape measure because we are going to be sizing everything be eye as we go along. That being said this isn't the first one I have made so I know how big I want to make the loop for the belt, so I'll reference that measurement once we get to it. Also we wont be cutting the leather strap until we have everything to the size we need, no point in cutting it to any specific length until its almost done.

To start with, I want to double up the leather at both ends of the strap, just to make it look cleaner and it makes working the snap with a thumb a little easier. Start by taking the end of the leather and fold it over. Take one of the snaps and hold it to the leather to size up how much leather needs to be folded over. You can use a sharpy to mark where the folded over portion will stop. From that point back to the end of the strap we'll want to thin the strap with a skiving knife. If you're careful you could also use a utility knife instead. Thinning the leather will make it easier to fold as well as make it easier to set the snap in place. At this part of the holster its not critical which way you fold the leather over, to the flesh side or to the grain side, so whichever way you prefer is fine.

With that done go ahead and use the leather punch to make a hole through both sides of the folded leather. Compare the rivet portion of the snap to the leather punch to find one that is the appropriate size. For this holster I am setting one of the female snaps at this portion of the strap. I'm setting the snap on the grain side, this way with the holster in an S shape the grain side will be facing out when its on a belt. To set the snap get both portions of it in place and set the back of the snap on the little anvil that comes with the snap setting kit. You can place this on top of the 2lb anvil if that helps. I'll actually hold the 2lb anvil in my lap between my legs as I'm setting the snap because it positions it where its a little easier to work, and I don't trust my cheap Walmart desk to take that much beating, do what works for you.

Setting these snaps takes a little finessing. If you take the punch in the snap setting kit and drive it straight down into the rivet, it will just crush it and it wont hold anything. To set the rivet of the snap you can start with one or two hard taps from the hammer straight down, but then hold the punch at an angle and tap it firmly with the hammer. While continuing to hold it angle an angle, move it in a circular motion around the rivet and keep hitting it with the hammer. This will gradually peen over the rivet in all directions. Keep doing this until everything is tight and the snap cant be rotated, that is how you'll know it tight enough.

With the first snap in place with can move onto its counterpart. This is where you'll want to have your belt handy. Wrap the strap around your belt and you can size up where the next part of the snap will go, mark it with a dot using your Sharpy or an awl. For mine I know I want it to be 4 and 3/4 inches on center from the first snap to fit my leather belt that is 1 and 3/8th inches wide. Using the same process we set the male side of the snap on the grain side of the leather. Punch the hole, position both of parts of the snap and then rivet it in place. With that done you now have the loop for the belt finished.

If you wanted to have the holster setup in a C shape with the loop for the whip hanging below your belt, reverse the orientation of the snaps so that the grain side of the leather is facing out. In the next step you'll be putting the next snap below the belt loop.

All that is left is to set both sides of the snap for the loop in the holster that holds the whip. For this holster I want it holding the whip up near my belt, so the first part of the snap will be set in the belt loop. If you are going for a C shape you'll put it below the belt loop.

Using the leather punch make a hole in the belt loop. You'll want it to be on the side opposite of the direction that the loop opens, that way the two loops can be opened individually. With the hole placed you'll then set the male snap with the snap facing the flesh side of the leather, it should be facing the opposite direction of the male snap below it that closes the belt loop.

With that snap placed we can now work out the finished length of the leather strap. Grab your whip and wrap the leather strap around it as tightly as you'll want it to be when the holster is all done. If your whip has a transition knot then you may want to wrap the leather such that it holds to the knot, that will hold it in place better. As mentioned before you can have just be a simple loop that doesn't make a full wrap around, it'll use less leather and be closer to other holsters you see, but I like having it wrap once and then snap. With the leather wrapped around the whip as tight as you want it, press the leather against the male side of the snap, this will make a light mark in the leather that we'll use to place the female side of the snap.

Now that we know where the female snap is going, just like the other female snap we'll double over the leather. Go ahead and punch a hole for the snap where that mark was and then double over the leather. With the leather doubled over so you can size up how much you need past the fold, punch the next hole and then cut the leather to length. Use your skiving knife to thin the leather in the area where its going to be doubled up. After that just set the last part of the snap, and that's it, you're all done. If you are doing the C shaped holster that hangs a little lower you'll want to make the doubled over portion a little longer so that it doesn't get stuck under the tab above it.

Open both snaps and pass one end of the holster over you belt and close the snap. Holding your whip to the holster reach through the coils to grab the strap and wrap it around the whip and then snap the loop closed. Now your ready to go tomb raiding, treasure hunting, or shrugging off a battle with a scimitar wielding bad guy who you're just going to shoot in which case your new whip holster can hold your whip right where its at.

If you want to see how I made the whip in the pictures in this Instructable you can see it at https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-a-24-Pla...