Another Look At The Threepersons-Style

[Lobo]

I have been making the Threepersons-style holsters for many years. About 18 months ago I commissioned a very talented man to recreate the carving pattern on Tom Threepersons' original holster. Since that time orders have been steady.

I have always thought that floral and Sheridan-style carving were best displayed with a natural oiled tan finish. Some customers like an antique finish. Some like the black-inked background.

I recently receive an order for the carved Threepersons-style holster in cordovan brown. I was somewhat concerned that the dark finish would not properly display the carving work, but when it was finished I found it to be a real eye-catcher!

Here it is. 8-oz. Hermann Oak lined with 3-oz. calfskin, dyed, lightly oiled, sealed with acrylic and final finish of Bag Kote. It carries a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 magnum 4".

Edited August 4, 2010 by Lobo

[steelhawk]

Lobo, that is a great looking holster. Excellent work.

[particle]

Very nice. If you apply the antique for those customers that request it, at what point do you apply it?

[gregintenn]

I love it! You wouldn't want to share that floral pattern with us would you?

[Joeg]

I have been making the Threepersons-style holsters for many years. About 18 months ago I commissioned a very talented man to recreate the carving pattern on Tom Threepersons' original holster. Since that time orders have been steady.

I have always thought that floral and Sheridan-style carving were best displayed with a natural oiled tan finish. Some customers like an antique finish. Some like the black-inked background.

I recently receive an order for the carved Threepersons-style holster in cordovan brown. I was somewhat concerned that the dark finish would not properly display the carving work, but when it was finished I found it to be a real eye-catcher!

Here it is. 8-oz. Hermann Oak lined with 3-oz. calfskin, dyed, lightly oiled, sealed with acrylic and final finish of Bag Kote. It carries a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 magnum 4".

Great looking holster. Nice Work. Ditto on the sharing the pattern reply.

[Denster]

Lobo. That is just a flat out wow!!!!!!

[Dwight]

You did a great job on that one Lobo, . . . thanks for sharing, . . . it's always a treat to see your leather work.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Lobo]

Thanks for the kind words.

The holster pattern was developed by me as a close replication of Tom Threepersons' original holster, made by S.D. Myres Saddlery c. 1920. Much interesting history there, which a Google search of "Tom Threepersons" will turn up. The holster itself is not particularly difficult to make, being of envelope-style construction with folded belt loop and welted-seam design.

The artistry of the carving is another matter entirely. The carving pattern was developed, at my request and based upon a photograph of Tom's original holster, by a very talented artist who performs the carving work for me. I respect the fact that the results of his work are his property, not mine to share. If you are interested in making contact with him I will forward your contact information to him and he may respond to those he wishes to discuss mutual interests with. I consider myself to be a pretty fair craftsman, but he is an artist in leather carving deserving the highest respect.

Best regards.

[Lobo]

Very nice. If you apply the antique for those customers that request it, at what point do you apply it?

I have had good results applying the antique after the first (light) application of neatsfoot oil, then oiling again with a moderate application, followed by sealing and final finish. The carved leather will absorb neatsfoot oil very readily, much like the flesh side of leather, so moderation is called for during these applications to avoid excess.

[Larry]

Beautiful work Lobo, as usual...

I also did a Tom Threepeson and I tried to get it as close to what they say is the original, but who really knows. I copied the picture of his holster off the internet. Then I sized it in a Graphics Software Program then traced the design as close as I could.

I was so interested in the Threeperson story that I had to do one. He was quite a man and the holster design he came up with was used by lawmen until just recently.

Anyway here it is. No where near the quality that you have in your holster. I've only been doing this for about a year and have only done 5 or 6 holsters. The second photo shows how much I need to work or my knife work, but I'm learning and I love it. It obvious the person that did your holster carving is a real artist. I can only hope that someday I'll be half as good. Larry

[abn]

A very classy holster for a classic revolver. Nicely done!

[gregintenn]

Larry, I think your holster looks great as well. You wouldn't be able to post a pattern for te floral design on yours would you?

[katsass]

I have been making the Threepersons-style holsters for many years. About 18 months ago I commissioned a very talented man to recreate the carving pattern on Tom Threepersons' original holster. Since that time orders have been steady.

I have always thought that floral and Sheridan-style carving were best displayed with a natural oiled tan finish. Some customers like an antique finish. Some like the black-inked background.

I recently receive an order for the carved Threepersons-style holster in cordovan brown. I was somewhat concerned that the dark finish would not properly display the carving work, but when it was finished I found it to be a real eye-catcher!

Here it is. 8-oz. Hermann Oak lined with 3-oz. calfskin, dyed, lightly oiled, sealed with acrylic and final finish of Bag Kote. It carries a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 magnum 4".

As always Lobo, your work is great, and an inspiration for many. Mike

[Larry]

I'm not only newto leatherwork, but I'm also new to forums. I realized today what I haddone.

Lobo, I apologize. This post is about your work and I should not have posted anything exceptwhat I said about the beautiful work you did. I hope you and the othermembers did not take any offense. It was a rookie mistake and I feel bad. I feel especiallybad since Lobo helped me several times with problems that only his experience could solve.

Maybe themoderator can delete my post, if so I would appreciate it.

If some one cantell me how to get the floral design on the forum, I'll start another post and try toget it out there.

Again, Lobo, I apologize. Larry

[gregintenn]

Lobo, Again, I can't say enough about how much I like that holster. Of all of your work I've seen, that has to be my personal favorite. I have a question for you. I've never lined a holster, and I was wondering how much extra work that entailed and how much extra you charged for the lining.

Edited August 5, 2010 by gregintenn

[Lobo]

I'm not only newto leatherwork, but I'm also new to forums. I realized today what I haddone.

Lobo, I apologize. This post is about your work and I should not have posted anything exceptwhat I said about the beautiful work you did. I hope you and the othermembers did not take any offense. It was a rookie mistake and I feel bad. I feel especiallybad since Lobo helped me several times with problems that only his experience could solve.

Maybe themoderator can delete my post, if so I would appreciate it.

If some one cantell me how to get the floral design on the forum, I'll start another post and try toget it out there.

Again, Lobo, I apologize. Larry

Larry: Please don't feel bad. No harm, no foul. I enjoy seeing what other people are doing as well.

[Lobo]

Lobo, Again, I can't say enough about how much I like that holster. Of all of your work I've seen, that has to be my personal favorite. I have a question for you. I've never lined a holster, and I was wondering how much extra work that entailed and how much extra you charged for the lining.

Lining a holster is not difficult. I lay out my lining material and stretch it on a flat surface. Then I apply cement to the holster's flesh side (Fiebing's Tanners Bond works well), lay the holster out on the lining material, and press them firmly together as the cement cures (a weighted board works well). I cut the lining materal about 1/2" away from the holster edges. All edges that will not be sewn during holster assembly need to be sewn now. After stitching in the edges you can cut the lining closely to the edges. Then it is assembly and stitching as usual.

On a typical holster I estimate that installing a lining adds about 15 minutes. Material cost will vary from perhaps $1 to $3, depending on what you are using.

I charge an additional $18.00 for lining most holster models.

[BigRiverLeather]

That's a beautiful holster Ray. I can see why the orders have been coming in for that one.

A couple of questions if you don't mind -

What is your method of dyeing - dip, dauber or spray? When I've used cordovan it sure seems to come out much darker than that. I've been dip dyeing.

You said you use Bag Kote as a finish after the acrylic. IIRC Bag Kote can be very hard to come by, correct?

Is Tan Kote nearly the same?

One more, does the Bag Kote mellow the high gloss that Acrylic leaves or is there another purpose it serves for you?

[Lobo]

That's a beautiful holster Ray. I can see why the orders have been coming in for that one.

A couple of questions if you don't mind -

What is your method of dyeing - dip, dauber or spray? When I've used cordovan it sure seems to come out much darker than that. I've been dip dyeing.

You said you use Bag Kote as a finish after the acrylic. IIRC Bag Kote can be very hard to come by, correct?

Is Tan Kote nearly the same?

One more, does the Bag Kote mellow the high gloss that Acrylic leaves or is there another purpose it serves for you?

I dye using an immersion method, submerging the holster in the dye solution. This provides very good penetration so that surface scratches and abrasion seldom penetrate beneath the dyed surface.

While I refer to the results in the color shown as "cordovan brown", I do not use cordovan-color dye. Because I use neatsfoot oil as part of the finishing process, applied after dying, I have found that lighter browns are significantly darkened by the neatsfoot oil. I settled on a dye mixture that produces the color shown after oiling. I know that many others argue against neatsfoot oil, but I continue to use it to replace some of the natural moisture that is lost in the tanning process, and further diminished by wet-forming, etc. In my opinion, veg-tanned leather that has been cased and formed ends up very dry and can be somewhat brittle, sometimes resulting in cracking at stress points subjected to flexing during use. I am probably re-igniting the old arguments about neatsfoot oil, but I know what has worked for me over the past 38 years and I will continue doing that.

Bag Kote is produced by Fiebing's and many suppliers carry it. Bag Kote costs about $12 or so per quart, and a quart will finish a couple of hundred items easily. It is similar to Tan Kote in the finish produced. I've used Bag Kote for years and I like the mellow sheen that it provides.

The acrylic sealant that I use is a mixture that I have been producing by combining a couple of other products that, when used together, will effectively penetrate and seal both the outer surface and the flesh sides very well. As some things seem to happen, this mixture was discovered by accident, but the results have been very satisfying so I keep making the same accident happen! This can be used to produce a high gloss finish, but that is not what I wish to accomplish. Bag Kote provides the final finish that I prefer, and it also contains waxes that help to resist minor scratches and abrasion better than the acrylics, in my experience. Regular maintenance needs can be taken care of using nothing more than neutral shoe polish, which is easy for the customer to obtain and use.

Best regards.

[Mike Craw]

Hey Lobo!

What a great looking result you got with your fininshing. I really appreaciate your willingness to share your finishing techniques with the rest of us. I don't know about anyone else around here, but whether it's my wood projects or my leather projects, I love the process of designing and constructing but I'd rather have a root-canal than put finish on them!!

I have re-read your description of the finishing steps you use, and I have two questions. First, when you say "antique" I assume you mean liquid antique and not paste? And you apply it after the initial light coat of neatsfoot oil. Do you let the oil absorb and dry or do you antique directly after the oil coat starts to even out?

Thanks again for being willing to school those of us who are interested. I've been making holsters since 1981, and I can't say I've really been happy with the finish on any of them!

Mike

[BruceGibson]

Very nice! I do love carving/florals on holsters.