Jon in GA

I have a pair of Wolverine Wellington-type boots, in some sort of slightly-napped leather (nubuck, I think, though I'm not 100% sure). One of the things I like about them is that due to the nap, etc., they don't show scuffs and scratches easlily. They're getting a little dingy looking, though, and I need to do something to restore the appearance some. What do I do with this? I experimented once on the heel with a little mink oil, and got the result I expected - it slicked everything down, making it look almost like full-grain leather. (Which is interestingly what has happened on the heels, where the hems of my pants rub when I walk.) What sort of conditioner works on this stuff - and do I brush it? Thanks!

Hey, thanks! I'll be borrowing the gun from him soon to make a pattern, so I'll check it with this first to see if it looks like it will fit his.

To be honest, I have no idea. I'm not very familiar with the Ruger lineup.

Thanks for the pointers, guys. Looks like I'm in for some long evenings stitching in front of the tv!

Thanks guys!

Thanks Mike. I'd assume a pretty light coat, so you don't make the leather too soft? I made that mistake on my first holster attempt - oiled the leather to compensate for the drying from the vinagaroon, as I'd seen here on the forums, only missed the part about a "light" coat of oil. I oiled the heck out of it! Holster still works, just didn't mold very well, and I couldn't get the edges to burnish much at all. Lesson learned.

I'm down in the Columbus area. Fairly new to the craft, but having fun with it.

I've been making some holsters, and started to think about trying my hand a making my own belt. A good sturdy holster belt can cost a bit, plus I'd like to make a matching belt/holster/mag pouch set. I've been digging through the forums looking at threads about holster belts. It seems that the general consensus is that you want at LEAST 10-12oz or more of leather, unless you use some sort of stiffener.. Here's my question - I don't have a leather sewing machine, so any stitching I do is by hand. A belt is quite a bit of stitching, so can I just use one layer of really thick leather? I saw in one thread where someone (Katsass, I think?) referenced using heavy (13oz) bridle strips (though he lines his with another layer of very light leather, if I recall correctly) - would one 13oz or so strip make a sturdy enough belt, or does the double layer design add to the stiffness? Thanks!

Hello all. I'm pretty new to leatherwork, and have been making some holsters, mag pouches, etc., with the help from some books on the craft and this forum. I recently finished my first "good" holster (as in, the first one I'm actually proud of and don't mind showing people!), for a Kahr CW9, and will post some pics soon. I do have a question, though. What do you all use on the inside of your holsters, if anything? A little background: I made a pancake style OWB based on the pattern pack sold by Springfield Leather. I vinagarooned the leather after construction and molding. The leather I used was a double shoulder from Sprinfield, which had a nice smooth back, so I didn't think about doing anything to it. After wet molding and vinagarooning, however, the leather roughened up some on the inside. Now, it's not really that bad, and I can live with it, but I would prefer it be a bit smoother. I know I've seen reference to using Gum Trag, and I have some of that, but didn't think to use it. So I guess my question is actually two parts: What do you use on your holster interiors 1) Before stitching and/or 2) after the holster is completed, if it needs a little touch up. Thanks!

Thanks!

Misty - very cool idea. Would you mind sharing how you made this?

I've recently started playing with leatherworking, mainly holsters and the like. I showed my brother my first "good" holster, and he said he'd like me to make him one for Christmas. I'm planning to make a holster and dual mag pouch set for him. I have access to the gun, if needed, but since I'm still new at this, I was wondering if anyone had a pattern for an Avenger or pancake style holster for a Ruger P85 or P89 they'd be willing to share to get me started. I'm leaning towards an Avenger, but have not decided. I've successfully made a couple of my own patterns so far, so I can always try my hand at that also. Thanks!

Well, I've looked under both. We call it a holster, they called it a frog at the time - that actually returned more results for me, but it was still mainly mentions of the things existing, or at best pictures, rather than any actual specifications. They're pretty basic little guys, but they're an odd animal by our standards - they only cover about 1/2 to 2/3 of the revolver - the barrel hangs out the bottom of the frog, exposed. I figured vinagaroon and linen would be the most accurate - thanks for backing that up.

Hello everyone. I'm planning to make a U.S. Navy pistol frog (for a Navy Colt), as authentic as possible. (Similar to this one for Remington Whitney Revolvers). I've done a lot of searching, but cannot find any specs, requirements, or patterns other than the following: it should be black buff or bridle leather, and typically was around 5.5" long. I know the exact design would vary somewhat based on what facility produced the holster, but does anyone know of any other info? What I'm mainly looking for is any leather or stitching specs, and ideally any of the original U.S. Navy specs for the frogs. Thanks. EDIT: I've seen a variety of photos, not that there's many, and can make something pretty close, but I'd like to be as true to the originals as possible.