BruceGibson

Now THAT'S amazing work. Well done Kevin!!

Welcome, Todd!

Nice job! The tunnel loop looks like it lines up perfectly with the slot. That also looks like an OD green G17.

I think it looks good. Have you got a shot of the back?

Thank you, Tom. Check out the posts in the topic here: Holster Finish The real long-winded, rambling blabber I wrote covers pretty much everything I did on this one--interior and exterior. Short answer to your question--Fiebing's Leather Balm with Atom Wax.

My wife says I'm long-winded, so I apologize for my rambling posts. I recommend Weaver because I don't buy ten sides at a time, either (the Hermann Oak direct-minimum). I've dealt with them for years, and they've always done a good job. When you order, they'll ask you what it's for--if they don't ask, don't hesitate to tell them what the plan is. Maybe I've been lucky, but I haven't gotten a bad side of Hermann Oak from them yet.

Now that's just cool!

Well done! The ride looks perfect.

I've got the one from Weaver. It works just fine, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.

Heck, I like 'em. And, welcome back to the Forum! It's good to see you!

Microwave, huh? Now you've got my attention...I wanna see/hear more about this deal! Are you back stateside yet?

Dammit! There goes ALL my money.

Much obliged for the kind words, dickf. Dan, the holster you refer to is shown in a post we started back in September. You'll find it here: 1911 Holster-Light Brown Pancake The original subject was the 1911 holster, range scars, dye blotches and all. The holster was made for a friend of mine who's a local sheriff's deputy and veteran of both Iraq conflicts. His troops had pitched-in and bought him a customized 1911 Government (5") when he came home, and he wanted a holster specifically for it. In short, I hated the way the holster turned out. He, on the other hand, loved it. The customer's always right, so he's happily using that rig for his prized 1911. I used that Forum post to by-gawd try and figure out a way to get a consistent, clean/even finish with Fiebing's Light Brown Oil Dye. I don't like using any more harsh/noxious chemical formulations than I absolutely have to, so I'm not a fan of stuff like acetone to deglaze. At some point in the above-post I was playing amateur chemist and remembered a trick Chuck Burrows (a member here) used to deglaze. It was 70% isopropyl alcohol that you can get at any pharmacy or Wal-Mart. I think Chuck uses a spray bottle, but a piece of sheepskin is my preferred application method. Anyway, that worked, so that's what I do now to get an even finish with the lighter dyes. As for the Glock holster in natural, I'd be happy to share how I did that. Y'all just cut me some slack on the butcher-job I did with the border stamp. Here's the holster: Natural, with white stitching is my favorite gunleather color combination. Not only because you eliminate the potential aggravation of dealing with finicky dyes, but because I think it just looks good. The leather is Hermann Oak, which is all I use for holsters. I started with HO, and never played with any other brand, but I hear good things about Wickett/Craig. On holsters that I detail bone/mold, I use the press and squash the snot out of it. On this one, with the border-stamp, it's completely hand-finished because the press would destroy the tooling. Once it was molded/shaped, I detail-boned the back of the holster for retention. It's not visible on the face, but the back is where the trigger guard and finer boning details are done. The leather has been cased, and it's still damp. In fact, you'll get a little burnish with the boning tools when the moisture content's just right. At this point, weather-permitting, I take it outside with the mold-gun still in it, and hang it upside down to dry away from direct sunlight. Here on the Redneck Riviera, that's usually only an hour or two. When it was dry, I brought it back in the shop and applied a LIGHT coat of 100% pure neatsfoot oil. That sentence right there will scare the hell out of at least half the modern-day, high-tech, tactical holster makers I know. It shouldn't. The operative word is, "LIGHT." I'm sure there are other ways (there always are), but my way of applying the neatsfoot is with a piece of t-shirt material. I use sheepskin for heavier saddle-weight leather, but t-shirt for holster-weight. Wipe on a nice, even coat, with the dummy gun in place. The dummy, or mold gun, has been in the holster from the start. Once that's done, I take it back outside, and hang it upside down again for a few hours. You don't want direct sunlight where it burns like a drunk tourist on vacation, but you do want it to spend some time in the sun and open air. That's where the magic happens, and the Hermann Oak veg-tan takes on a nice honey gold, deep color. The final finish, once the holster's spent some time outside hanging around like Jessica Simpson on an MTV Spring Break tour, is aerosol Leather Sheen. I used two or three light coats, back and front, to get a matte finish. I don't like it to be too shiny, but I do want the neatsfoot sealed. I spray the Leather Sheen AFTER I've removed the mold gun. On the INTERIOR, I use Fiebing's Leather Balm with Atom Wax. It's a ridiculous name, but I love the stuff. I apply it with a wool dauber, and use one good heavy coat. I hope that helps--that's every step I used to get the finished product on the holster pictured. The "secret" is a light coat of 100% pure neatsfoot oil (don't use the other crap) and a dose of natural sunlight. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask. And, thanks again for the kind words!

Welcome to the Forum, Scott!

Nice work, Tom. And I swear by Bruce Grant's books. Good stuff!

Nice job, Ed. Love your bags!

I remember! Good to see you Josh. Welcome to the Forum!

Thank you, Dan--you made my day. Which holster are you referring to? Is it the Natural, or the Light Brown? This one's the light brown...

Hi, Brent. Those look like stainless tubular rivets. Can you take a pic of the other side? If they're stainless tubular, you can find them most anywhere. I get mine from Weaver at www.LeatherSupply.com.

Hi, Emma! Welcome to the Forum!

I like 'em all! Well done, Dan!

Very nice, Bruce!

Is this Peter "John 3:16" Hennessy from years of Prorodeo Sports News ads? If so, man it's great to see you!

Well, there goes some more of that Artisan customer service. These folks rock. Seriously.

Welcome to the Forum!