c1960 Ruger 22

[rdb]

Customer asked me to make a new holster, duplicating the one he had when he purchased it in the 60s. The weapon is beautiful. He bought it for like $39 back then and $10 for the holster. It's valued for several hundred now, I guess. BUT, he is a LEFTY. Now his son has purchased a similar weapon, and he wants to give him the old holster. He asked for me to duplicate for a lefty. I thought it came out quite similar. (he wanted it darker).

I've been experimenting with oil dyes and dunking lately. Without the deglazer gives a mottled look where the dyes don't penetrate the fingermarks, and such. Sometimes it comes out quite nice looking. With the deglazer, it's the same but the fingermarks aren't there, mostly a better look, some sort of marbleized finish. What do you think?

[Jordan]

Look excellente to me, good job, which one is the copy?LOL

[rdb]

Thanx Jordan!

Yeh, I was amazed, because all I really did was take the old holster, and trace around it very roughly on posterboard. Then just cut it out and transfer to the horsehide. The accuracy of my quick scrawl was scary!...lol. Two hour job at most, and most of that was waiting for it to dry in between.

The customer is hard to please, apparently, so when I found out he was delighted, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Edited June 2, 2009 by rdb

[Lobo]

Very nice job. Glad to hear that your customer was pleased.

I haven't used the oil dyes, and I found your comments on results interesting. I have been using spirit-based dyes, rather heavily diluted with isopropyl alcohol, and dipping with good results (after a fair amount of experimentation, of course). Color penetration is very good and usually very uniform. An interesting benefit to the alcohol and dye combination is that the holster forming work can be accomplished almost right away, as the alcohol evaporates off very quickly. This speeds up the overall production process quite a bit by eliminating one drying process completely, and the drying time is much shorter with the alcohol/dye solution than with water. I can set up the dye bucket, dip 10 or 12 pieces, wet-form, and bone them in under 2 hours total, and they are completely dry and ready for final finishing within a couple of hours.

I don't know how that might work with horsehide. I have very limited experience with it, but have read that it can require a lot more immersion time to absorb water, so that might be true with alcohol solutions as well.

Good post!

[UKRay]

Isn't it great when a plan comes together! Nice job, Dave.

[rdb]

Sounds like something I should try, Lobo.

I left the spirit dyes behind a long time ago, in favor of the oil dyes. I'm probably scientifically wrong, but it seems that all that alcohol can't be good for the leather (oil dyes aren't probably much better). So...when you dunk in the alcohol, and do the final molding, you've got to replace the oils to the holster. It seems you would have to do more than a light coating with spirit dyes. How does the oiling after shaping affect the molding, in the long run?

[Lobo]

Sounds like something I should try, Lobo.

I left the spirit dyes behind a long time ago, in favor of the oil dyes. I'm probably scientifically wrong, but it seems that all that alcohol can't be good for the leather (oil dyes aren't probably much better). So...when you dunk in the alcohol, and do the final molding, you've got to replace the oils to the holster. It seems you would have to do more than a light coating with spirit dyes. How does the oiling after shaping affect the molding, in the long run?

I always finish my products with neatsfoot oil, which infuses the leather fibers and remains there to provide protection against moisture penetration and allows some flexibility without worries about cracking or splitting. (see other posts, there are differing opinions on this).

In my experience, the oiling after shaping provides long-term benefits with no negatives. I know of several holsters that I made over 30 years ago that are still in use today, and recently had the pleasure of a visit with an old friend still carrying his Colt Combat Commander in a holster that I made in 1978, still working just fine and looking pretty good.

I have not identified any negative effects in using the isopropyl alcohol solution with dyes, only benefits in speeding the production process and achieving a good color saturation with even penetration.

Best regards.