Polishing the Inside

[JRB]

Any thoughts on what to use (homemade formula) to "polish" the inside of a holster? I like to get the inside smooth...Not like glass just a little less "rough".

My thought is to do this before I glue & stitch.

[Lobo]

Try using Fiebings Bag Kote, a great all purpose leather finish used by saddle makers for many years. Can be swabbed, brushed, or sprayed on. Use it at room temperature; cold temperatures cause streaking with no known remedy.

[JRB]

Try using Fiebings Bag Kote, a great all purpose leather finish used by saddle makers for many years. Can be swabbed, brushed, or sprayed on. Use it at room temperature; cold temperatures cause streaking with no known remedy.

I'm assuming you dye first then apply the Bag Kote. Would you still apply a finish like resolene?

[Shorts]

On my holsters I don't do anything special on the inside. It gets done the same as the outside.

I'm also wondering what kind of results you'd get if you attempted to wet mold the leather after the application of a sealer

I don't really think you need to go through the trouble to smooth out the inside. A gun won't notice and it'll wear in the leather fibers anyway.

[Go2Tex]

If the flesh side is too rough, then you probably used fleshy leather. If you start out with good, firm leather, the flesh side will be about as smooth as it gets. Then, for appearance sake, after molding and before stitching, apply your finish to the inside. You can also temper the leather with a slicker tool to firm up that flesh side. It will help with fibers and will make the leather harder. Problem is, it will also tend to crack easier on the grain side,..... not so much a problem with holsters as such but something to be aware of on buckle folds.

[Lobo]

I'm assuming you dye first then apply the Bag Kote. Would you still apply a finish like resolene?

Yes, all of your fabrication and finishing work is completed, then the Bag Kote is applied. A swab applicator will reach into all the interior surfaces easily. Bag Kote makes a fine finish, so the Resolene won't be needed unless you want a higher gloss on the exterior.