my latest freehand designed pancake style holster

[mliebs8]

I think it turned out very nice, I like the dark color. What color dye is that?

[Jordan]

It is tandy saddle tan dye according to the bottle, my minds eye pictured it a little tanner but it looks almost mahogany, then a coat of acrylic sheen. Two last pics b4 I move on to the next adventure in leatherwork.

Edited December 22, 2007 by Jordan

[Randyc]

Jordan,

Your holster looks real good. Your second row of stitches looks like it was planned all along. I have had problems with Fieblings dyes. It seems like my browns and tans are always way too dark so a lot of my work ends up looking mahogany or starts out brown and ends up black. The man who taught me to make western boots also taught me " if you make a mistake, make it look like you planned it that way." I enjoy the challenge of holster making. Every pistol is different and fitting that pistol to a particular holster style and customer preference adds to the challenge. Sometimes we are way more critical of our work then the customer will ever be. I guess that's what drives us to improve in our craft. That's one of the things that makes this forum really cool. We can put our projects out there for all to see and get some real helpful advise and often acclaim from some of the masters of our craft. Our own critical eye and that of our peers is what sets us a part from the mass produced cookie-cutter products on the market today.

Keep up the good work!

Randy

[Jordan]

I know what you mean I have been plagued with being my own worst critic for as long as I can remember. My wife keeps telling me " If you hadn't pointed it out I would have never noticed. I did find a belt that matches, one of those customers that insisted at 55 his waist was still the same size as it was way back when. LOL I think I will be giving this to my mom as she has a PPK that was purchased directly in Ulm Neu-Ulm. Just after WWII by my father-in-law I believe after he was repatriated. Kinda a forced retirement from the luftwaffe as he remembers. Jordan

[gunfighter48]

Hi Jordan,

Man that looks great now that it's finished, nice job! I agree about your stitching, looks like it was planned that way. I also use Fieblings medium brown and get the same brown/mahogany look. I mix my dye with alcohol, about 4 - 8 to 1, if I apply two coats of with this mixture it comes out a nice brown. But if I apply 3 or 4 coats I get the brown/mahogany look. Two coats doesn't always get a nice even dye job. My customers seem to like the brown/mahogany color.

John

[rdb]

I like it. For a proto, not too shabby. Certainly better than I picture my first holster.

Ever since I started using oil dyes, mixed with neatsfoot, all my troubles have ended trying to get the color I want. 3 parts neatsfoot, 1 part dye, always gets me close to what I want, and no streaking. Just add dye to oil to darken

[gunfighter48]

I like it. For a proto, not too shabby. Certainly better than I picture my first holster.Ever since I started using oil dyes, mixed with neatsfoot, all my troubles have ended trying to get the color I want. 3 parts neatsfoot, 1 part dye, always gets me close to what I want, and no streaking. Just add dye to oil to darken

You won't want to use neatsfoot on your molded holsters. The holster leather will become too soft and won't hold its shape when you try to mold it.

John

[rdb]

You are right gunfighter. Everyone would agree with you, including me. Take my advice only for unmolded things, I guess.

I never did figger out why that was. A long time ago, in a land far away, I used to melt beeswax, neatsfoot, and dye together, and dip my knife sheaths in the mixture. Then bake at about 170-200f. They always came out retaining the mold, stiff, and had a nice waxy feel. I guess it was the heat that did the trick.

[Jordan]

Yes the heat has something to do with it, can't recall the name some french word me thinks.Jordan