Colt Hammerless

Here's Springfield's website: http://springfieldleather.com/ Click on where it says "Got Questions" on the top of that page and it will take you to a form where you can directly contact Kevin (the owner of the company.) He's pretty good at answering questions quickly. Paul

You may want to contact Springfield Leather Co. They sell Hermann Oak, and I am pretty certain they ship internationally. Paul

Just commented on these in your gallery too. Hard to believe that's you're first attempt! That's actually a really good concealed carry rig, because I spent so much time looking at the holster itself, I didn't realize there was a gun in it! Paul

"Holstering" is W&C speak for "plating" the leather, in which they press the leather (between rollers I believe) to compress the fibers more, which gives the leather a firmer temper. It seems most holster makers have this done, so they started calling it "holstering." In speaking with their sales manager Matt Bressler, I found that they even press it to different psi according to what the customer wants. I remember him saying that one of their big customers has them press it to 6000 psi. Another thing he told me is that if you get pre-dyed leather, some of it is struck completely through, and some is not. If you want it struck through (so that you don't need to dye edges) simply ask and they'll make sure you get one that is. Paul

I know the shoulders you're talking about. I'm working with one of those 35 dollar HO shoulders, and a B grade HO shoulder right now. The 35 dollar one is actually a little bit cleaner than the B grade I got (more fat marks on the . Although the B grade was easier to cut as it seems to have a softer temper. I'm anxious to see how it molds. Paul

I got some sample swatches from RJF some time back, but have yet to use their leather. They have some nice colors. Good to hear it's working well for you Haystacker. How rigid would you say it is after wet molding compared to HO and W&C? Chiefjason, I don't know whose leather you're thinking of using, but a dollar or more per square extra seems a bit much. I think W&C charges something like 15 cents more for drum dyed skirting. I think it's actually cheaper to have them do it than to dye it yourself, so you may actually save time AND a little money. I'm thinking that I may switch to drum dyed some day, although I like some of the colors that Angelus has and don't know if I'd want to give that up. I'll probably at least use drum dyed black though. Paul

Welcome, from another Paul T. in Arizona!

The orange tinting is what makes Saddle Tan different than the other tans. Put some neatsfoot oil on the piece, and that will darken it so as to be a bit more brownish-tan, while still having a hint of orange. Paul

Shooter, I absolutely love that bullfrog holster and mag pouches for the shorty 1911!! I don't know how many times I've looked at it! What color did the supplier call that bullfrog? Paul

George B, You mention the possibility of the dry climate causing the leather to shrink. Do you oil the holster after wet forming? If not, maybe oiling would keep it from drying so much that it would change the fit. Just a shot in the dark. Paul

That sounds like the best positioning for the snap. Probably the easiest to purposefully remove as well. Thanks. Paul

I've been considering doing the same attachment method as you have on the mag pouch. I've been concerned about having the snap on the bottom, as in my mind it could potentially unsnap when ripping that mag out in an emergency, and figured this would definitely be an area where a one-way snap would be critical. You've obviously thought the same way. I'm curious what direction you have the snap positioned to unsnap. I would think having it so that you have to unsnap from the bottom, or from the side would be good. Love your work as always. I've seen some of the snap loop designs that have the rear wing too far back to pull the grip in, and agree with where you have it. Paul

drof99, you can probably sand the edges to remove the gum trag, then dye it, then gum trag it and re-burnish in order to salvage this project. You probably don't need to sand much. If you want to continue using gum trag, definitely do as everyone else said and dye the edge first. Paul

Sounds like what you're referring to is a "Summer Special" style as originally designed by Bruce Nelson.

That thing is gorgeous! What finish did you use. Will the acylics like Resolene, or Angelus 600 series work? Paul

Thanks Benlily1. I didn't think it was just me. It's been like that for a few months now. There's actually been posts on their FB page since it started acting up, but I haven't seen it mentioned on there. I'm not a member of FB, or I would have said something on there. I'll have to try to find a phone number for them. Paul

Here's a place I found while searching the net a few days ago: http://www.leatherheadprojects.com/angelus-products.html They have Angelus dyes in quart size bottles for only $15. They also carry them in other sizes. I did a "trial run" in their shopping cart, and it looks like they charge a flat rate of $10.95 for shipping. Of course if you buy more than a gallon, I'm sure there's the $25 hazmat fee as well. They also carry other Angelus products. I haven't bought from them, but those are pretty good prices, and I haven't seen anyone else carrying quart size bottles. Paul

I've been trying for some time to view Thoroughbred's website, and keep getting a page that says "This Domain is for Sale." Before I call and ask them about their site, I'd like to know if it's just me, or if it's doing the same thing for everyone else as well. Thanks in advance. Paul

Another member who uses Angelus dyes and sings their praises is dickf. You'll usually find him hanging out in the holster section. I've used a bit of them, and like them so far. You should be able to get them in California since that's where they're from. You can order directly from them in various sizes. I'm deciding on what colors to get in order to dip dye my holsters, and will probably order directly from them. I find I dislike the smell of Fiebing's Pro Oil dyes more than Angelus, but the Angelus dyes are definitely strong, just different. Paul

I figured it must not, otherwise you'd be buying an awful large amount of finish. Good to hear. A dip dying and dip finishing video would be awesome! Paul

Another brand of dye? Hmmmmm.......interesting! Please keep us posted! By the way dickf, I seem to recall that you also dip your work in your finish (Angelus 600.) Do you need different containers of finish for each color? Paul

I'm looking for an oil to use on my holsters after they have been wet formed that won't darken the leather much, if at all. I've heard that Bee Natural No.1 Saddle Oil will accomplish this, but it's rather pricey. In Angelus' description of their No. 101 Leather Oil, they say it's for production work on holsters, saddles, tack, etc. where "a consistent color is neccessary". I'm not sure what they mean by that, but they mention that their pure neatsfoot oil will darken leather, and there's no mention of this with the 101 oil. There's also a No. 102 Leather Oil, that sounds like it's simply a thinner version of 101. Has anybody had any experience with these? It's about a quarter the price of the Bee Natural, so I'm hoping this will accomplish what I'm trying to do. Paul

What Shooter said. The 3.5 inch 1911. Don't know why nobody makes a dummy for this (at least that I've been able to find.)

Dickf, that's a really interesting demo of the the two finishes. About 10 days ago I made a couple of samples to try Mop-n-Glo compared to Angelus 600. I took two chunks of Craftsman grade Hermann Oak (both pieces from the same hide) and dyed them with Fiebing's Pro Oil Black. After letting them dry for 24 hours, I gave each a good coat of neatsfoot oil. Several days later, I finished both pieces, one with Angelus 600 and the other Mop-n-Glo. I applied them both the same way, cut 50/50 with water, and sprayed on with an airbrush. I did the same number of coats per piece (four if memory serves.) I was going to keep them cinched down against my workout shorts with a belt while I worked out in order to do an accelerated test on them to see how they help up. But, I forgot about them for a while, until I saw your pics and video yesterday. So, I went out and started pouring water on them. With both pieces the water just beaded on the surface. I left several drops of water on them for over an hour. Both pieces still had the water beading on the surface, with very very minor "staining". I put that in quotes because it seemed more like a residue of the water that was still on the surface, not really sure if it was actually penetrating the finish. I did notice that the Angelus 600 coated piece had less water beading on the surface and more "staining" than the Mop-n-Glo coated piece. I also don't have any cracking with the Mop-n-Glo either, even when bending the piece. I'm not sure why you and I are having such vastly different results. Could it be because my pieces had cured longer? Maybe it's because I treated the pieces with neatsfoot oil, and that helped with water resistence. I'm not ready to use Mop-n-Glo as a finish yet, but I'm definitely going to test it further. Paul