Tempering And Dyeing Holsters

[donut]

I need a good process to temper ( harden ) my holsters for concealded carry ( IWB&OWB) so the mouth or throat stays open. Also what type of dye and finish to use. It looks like dipping them in the dye would be easy but I don't want the leather to soften up.

[Denster]

I need a good process to temper ( harden ) my holsters for concealded carry ( IWB&OWB) so the mouth or throat stays open. Also what type of dye and finish to use. It looks like dipping them in the dye would be easy but I don't want the leather to soften up.

I use drum dyed leather so I can't tell you what dye to use. Most dye the pieces prior to assembly. I assume you will be wet forming and molding your holsters. If so after they are molded put them in a convection oven or build a heat box and bring the temperature up to between 120 and 130 degrees leave them for about 30 minutes and remove and air dry. This will firm the leather up nicely. Then go ahead and burnish your edges and apply your finish. I use a light coat of neatsfoot oil inside and out and finish with Fiebings leather sheen.

[electrathon]

For dying mix 1/3 Fiebings dye and 2/3 isopropyl alchohol in a pan. Drop in your holster and slosh it around. Remove it and pat it with a towel. Let it dry. This will not soften up the overall stiffness.

Do not use water based dye (or worse yet paints) if you want the color to last.

Aaron

[katsass]

I need a good process to temper ( harden ) my holsters for concealded carry ( IWB&OWB) so the mouth or throat stays open. Also what type of dye and finish to use. It looks like dipping them in the dye would be easy but I don't want the leather to soften up.

donut; For what it's worth. I make almost all of my holsters with two layers of leather bonded together, flesh side to flesh side. For example, if I want the holster to end up as if made with 9 oz, I use two layers of 4/5 oz. I use a good quality of contact cement to bond the layers together and wet mold with fairly warm (not hot) water. The desert heat and breeze here usually takes care of the drying. (At 6am this morning it was 70 degrees...heading for 90 or so, humidity around 20%) In a more moderate or humid climate a simple heat box would do well. The two layers of leather never have the grain running in an identical way....and the grain of the leather is what will give you the firmness in molding. The two layers with differing grain lay offer a greater rigidity than a single thickness of leather IMO, and this idea seems to have held up well for over 30 years for me. As to dye....I use only Fiebing's Pro Oil dyes.....thru an airbrush.......finished with Feibing's Satin Sheen thru an airbrush. (In a dire circumstances, Mop and Glow thinned 50/50 with water and also shot thru an airbrush works well as a finish......just mist it on) The two layer method requires a bit more stitching (all edges are stitched), however, the stitching adds a bit to the appearance of the finished product....again IMO. Mike