Finished Holster - need Advise

[particle]

I'll try to post pictures tonight. Meanwhile, I need advise.

I decided to airbrush the stain on my holster this time because I only have Light Brown and British Tan and I wanted a lighter finish, with darker edges. I'm using Fiebing's leather dye, and some old stuff that came in an old Tandy Leather kit that my sister-in-law let me borrow. Procedurally, I glued, stitched, molded, boned, then airbrushed the oil-based dye, then sprayed it with Fiebings Leather Sheen in a rattle can.

Does the act of dying the leather with a wool dauber aid in stiffening the leather? If I simply airbrush it on, I assume it doesn't penetrate deeply enough to cause much of a reaction in the hide, and will thus have minimal effect on the leather.

If I want a lighter, more natural finish, what should I do to achieve that, while ensuring stiffness of the final product?

Also, how do you avoid the "squeak, squeak" of a cheap pair of shoes when you wear the pancake holster on a belt? How do you keep the belt and holster leather from squeaking against each other?

[iwannabeacowboy]

Hello

You can try thinning your dye to lighten it up. You can try Neats foot Oil on your clean leather and take it outside for a suntan. That will give you the most natural look. For the squeak try rubbing some bees wax on the loop or slots of your holster. Then again I've only been leather working about a year.

Charlie

[jbird]

The act of dying if dipped draws out the moister and hardens it but it's not the way I do it you don't want to dry out any thing that's bad after wet forming if it's not stiff enough for you then re wet and cook it a very advanced method pm chuck burrows for further details on that I find he is a solid mind when it comes to hardning.

For a natrual look oil it and sun tan to disered darkness.

As for squeak this is not a cheap sound but a sound of fine leather spanking new it will wear with time and go away.

Josh

[MADMAX22]

There was a thread a while back about the squeaking you are talking of. Had alot of info but ya gotta search for it.

Other then that the guys covered any advice I would give ya.

[particle]

Okay, so here it is. Unfortunately, the leather still hasn't stiffened up, and it's already been sealed with Fiebings Leather Sheen...

[dickf]

First things first...

It looks really good! I like the color, and am fond of how it has sort of a sunburst effect. Also, your stitching looks great. It's a bit shiney for my taste, but I know some guys like it that way. Since you have that airbrush, you may try running some resolene through it and see what you think (should be a little more mellow).

Regarding stiffness, what brand and weight of leather are you using? I've found that some brands of different tannage stiffen up differently, even in the same weight. If that holster is made of 6-7oz, you can't really expect the rigidity that a 7-8 or even 8-9 would give. That's why most guys use different weights for different styles.

My final note: your molding has great sharp lines and looks nice and deep, except at the trigger guard. I think if you bring that detail to the trigger guard, you'll add to the continuity of the whole thing (not to mention retention).

Well done!

[particle]

Thanks for the response - I'm pretty proud of this one, and was hoping to actually be able to wear this one! (it's my 4th try...)

I agree - I like a dull finish. When I run out of this rattle-can stuff, I'll try the resolene since so many people seem to favor it. This stuff I'm using is just too shiny.

For the stiffness, I'm using Oak Leaf Brand Double Shoulders 8 to 9 oz from Tandy. The previous two holsters I've cut from this hide came out much more stiff. Of course, I applied several coats of dye with a wool dauber, which I assume contributed to the resulting stiffness of the leather. Since I only airbrushed this latest holster, I assume I didn't get nearly as much penetration, thus the holster isn't as stiff as the previous ones.

This Oak Leaf hide stinks, by the way. It doesn't smell like a normal piece of leather - not that the smell has anything to do with why this latest holster is softer than the others.

And thanks for the compliments on the molding. This 8/9 oz hide is a pain in the rear to manipulate!

Edited October 20, 2009 by particle

[Lobo]

8-9 oz. leather is a bit more difficult to work with, but delivers a remarkably superior result for many applications.

Nice job on the forming and finishing. As to the squeeks, try a little baby powder or talcum powder on the belt attacment areas. That usually takes care of that. If it persists, try a little neutral shoe polish on the belt attachment areas, applied liberally, excess buffed off all surfaces.

Best regards.