OWB

Hi,

I am John Ralston, and 5 SHOT LEATHER, LLC. Making craftsman quality gunleather has been my passion for the past 10 years, and I could not have done it without the love and support of my wife and family. Having two jobs is not easy on anyone, and without my wife to pick up the slack, this venture would have surely failed. I have spent countless hours taking care of customer's orders while she takes care of everything else!

Every item that leaves the shop is hand crafted by myself, and I take great pride in each and every piece. My goal is to provide each customer with a piece of equipment that is a great value and one that they can be proud to wear. I strive to use the best materials available, so that a superior product can be expected.

As you browse my web site, you may see exactly what you are after, but if you don't, just ask. I am more than happy to create a truly custom piece to your liking.

I owe a great deal to the legendary Lou Alessi. Lou shared many, many tips, tricks and secrets of the trade, and is responsible for the quality of the work that I produce today. I could not have come this far without his help, and I am very grateful for that. His passing this year is a great loss to us all, but I am glad that I had a chance to meet him and have him call me a friend. I will truly miss him.

I have also been influenced by the designs, craftsmanship and friendships of others in the business, including Joshua Bulman, Matt Del Fatti and Tony Kanaley of Milt Sparks. I aspire to someday produce holsters that can be compared to the works of art that these three gentlemen create.

Thank you for looking,

John Ralston

John,

The web site looks great, and I wanted to thank you publicly for the very kind words you had to say about me helping you.

What little help I was able to give you wouldn't have mattered if you didn't have the talent, the passion, and the drive to stick with it, and improve your product with every holster you made.

I've seen the transition from hobbyist to professional over the last couple years, and it's been my pleasure, and honor to have had a small hand in your development, but make no mistake, you did this yourself.

I'm proud to call you a friend, and I wish you all the success you deserve.
You have 'arrived' my friend.

Lou

1911Forum.com 3.31.06 - Reprinted here, with the permission of the late Lou Alessi - 10.28.1944-2.21.2009

2014

2013 was my best year ever, with production far outpacing previous years. Unfortunately, orders have continually outpaced production over the last 3 years.

In order to make some headway on order backlog, I am closing my order books until the 1st of August. I am hoping to knock a big chunk out of the backlog and get leather to those who have been patiently waiting the past 18 months for their turn.

I am not looking to hire additional help, as the tasks suited to an apprentice don't really help me a great deal and I would be spending more time training them when I should be focussed on finishing holsters. In addition, one small mistake could result in ruined rig, and then I am even further behind. I am keeping the idea iin the back of my head, but it doesn't really fit in with my goal of producing heirloom quality holsters.