SooperJake

Seiwa of Japan makes a pink or two http://www.goodsjapan.jp/category/page=2/catId=4053915 Or stop at your local Wally world and check Rit, the clothing dye. It works on wood veneer.

Would it also be true,then, that casing for tooling is done only from the grain side, because you want to glue the leather down to cardboard to keep it from stretching? These damn books need to be rewritten. On one page they say to wet the leather from both sides, and two pages later they tell you to glue the leather down and wet from the grain side, which I have to assume can make the cardboard soggy? Has anyone tried tooling on a rubberized surface vs. glueing the leather down? Something like drawer lining or rubberized router mat material comes to mind. Not the original threads purpose, I know, but it is all about casing and my confusion. Jake

This leather lines kydex holster looks pretty nice..Loctite 300...but there is no detail about how it is holding up. http://www.kydexforum.com/thread-857.html

Heh..I misread matching and read it as Machine...lol Jake

Any idea what it is, JW? Jake

The coating I saw and am referencing is a kind of grey almost rubbery looking or maybe like latex paint. There was still a slight nap on the flesh side, and I figured the coating was meant to hide some of this. I didn'y buy one, despite finding a very nice looking piece, because I was unsure of how it would wet mold, and the answer I got at the store was not reassuring enough. Can gum tragacanth be grey? and, will a thinner lining stick to the back with contact cement, or does the trag need to be removed? Thanks, Jake

I was at Tandy the other day and looked at their 8-9oz Premium Double Shoulders. There is a coating on the back of them and the folks working their really couldn't elaberate on what it was, or how it effected working with it. Does anyone have any recent experience with these hides and can you shed some light on this subject? How does it wet mold, for instance? Thanks, Jake

No pun intended but I go the impression that casing for wet molding a holster was much less wet than for tooling. Perhaps I haven't waited long enough after wetting after all, or not enough moisture. I typically dunked it in lightly soaped water for 5 to 10 seconds then let the leather return to a natural color. I will re-read Bob's artickle too. Time to experiment....hop hop hop... Thanks Jake

Share a little about your casing procedure if you would... and thanks! Jake That should get you headed in the right direction, but remember to experiment on some scrap to get your oven temp/time right. ETA : If you're not using a vacuum sealer, you can do the whole boning bit inside of a regular (ziploc) bag....just be sure you properly case the leather. Mike

watched again...I definitely have been dragging the tools more than Eric does in his video. Maybe that's it. Press more drag less. Leather still has to be part of the problem.

Okay, I'm happy with placing the stitch line, and my hand sewing is progressing nicely. What baffles me now is wet molding. Specifically burnish marks. I get great retention, the gun is well centered, and so on. But, one swipe with a boning tool or highly polished antler tine and my leather darkens and shines like polish. I figure it is a casing issue? Quality of the leather? This is raw leather with no dye. Too wet, too dry, didn't wait long enough after wetting, waited too long, not enough soap in the water, didn't hold my tongue right, did it on a Sunday instead of a Thursday? What the hell is the trick? I've watched Eric's video half a dozen times. I watched Bianchi's a couple times. Read and reread about casing. HELP! Jake

Do you happen to have a picture of the back of these, Dave? Jake

For visual consistency I'd tighten up the middle section, and a little bit along the barrel. Retention is most paramount, followed by aesthetics. At least that's what I have learned from this forum and elsewhere. I've been studying lots of websites for just this sort of thing. You can find website links on people's posts here in the holster section of the forum. Jake

Has anyone tried lining the kydex to protect the finish? A 2 oz leather would work wouldn't it? Jake

It has been my experience that gum tragacanth comes right off in a slimy mess when it gets wet. Not even remotely waterproof. Take a look at this product line. It may fit the bill for you. http://www.aquaseal.com/ Jake

finally some wisdom hath spewed forth.. thank you all. Jake

I just received my stamps from Grey Ghost this week and I'll give you a few tips. If you have any sort of design, like an outline or silhouette of something, say a penguin, you'll be better off if it is only the outline of a penguin, not a penguin in silhouette. My stamps offer much more resistance than I expected because there is possibly too much flat surface area in the design. I'll have to experiment with casing to see if I can improve the impression depth, and I'm going to make a very sturdy table for all punching/hammering to be done on. Also, be mindful of your font style and size. I have two words on the stamp of different font sizes ,and the smaller word on the 1 1/4" stamp, if struck too shallow, is hard to read. I approved the design on Saturday morning and the stamps arrived on Monday. How's that for fast service!? They are made of Delrin, by the way. Jake

I'm curious as to how many of you get your holster stitch lines right on the first try, especially along the trigger guard? How many tries does your typical holster pattern require before it is "perfect"? Also, do you establish a base pattern style and then modify for the specific gun, or start each pattern from scratch? Thanks, Jake

I assumed it was like shining shoes, the brush appearing to be some sort of similar horse hair type brush .I'm just shocked no one else on the forum had an idea. Jake

I don't think USMC black ever stops rubbing off. My first ( and probably last sing USMC dye) black dyed holster was done with it and it rubbed off readily two weeks later. Not until I applied a top coat did it stop. Thanks for the reply, Dwight. Jake

interesting..iwb /owb combo? Jake

http://www.sdtradingco.com/buckles/PaulsTips.htm These guys claim to have them, Mike. I've never order from them though. Jake