Need Design Advise

[particle]

In looking at various holster images, it's hard to determine what exactly is key to building a well-designed concealed carry holster. This particular holster suffered from a lack of stiffness in the final product (as mentioned in another thread of mine). That aside, since I plan on making another holster for my 1911, and another for a friend's XD and my dad's revolver, are there any changes that some of you pros might see in my current design that could/should be addressed in future holster attempts?

I would like to spend more time on each step in the future - such as more detail in the boning, soaking them in neatsfoot oil, and dipping them in a light base color of dye as opposed to simply airbrushing it all on. Anything else you would suggest?

Also, I'm a huge fan of the Brigade Holsters (never worn one, but I think they look spectacular), but never did order one because of the extremely long wait. Per this page, it looks like they dip the formed leather into harness oil that's been mixed with their final dye color, then they dip them in some other mixture of milky stuff for added stiffness. Any idea what that is?

http://www.brigadegunleather.com/m-11.html

[Lobo]

Be careful with the use of oils in finishing your holsters. Over-application of neatsfoot oil can result in leather that is limp and useless for the purpose. Also, neatsfoot oil will significantly effect dye coloration, making it much darker.

I use neatsfoot oil on every holster as a means of long-term moisture protections as well as to provide a degree of flexibility to prevent leather cracking. I apply the oil once, and only once, as the first stage in the finishing process (after dyeing, but prior to any other finish application). I use a 1-inch paintbrush to apply a heavy coating to the outer surfaces only (flesh side will absorb the oil much faster, making it more difficult to control the application), as much oil as can be put on the leather without dripping off. The holster is then set aside overnight to permit the oil to "settle" (it does not dry, but will migrate through the leather fibers until it reaches a constant level throughout the leather).

After the leather has fully settled, I apply Fiebing's Bag Kote which produces a deep eggshell luster while sealing the pores of the leather well. After the Bag Kote has fully set, I apply an acrylic sealant to all surfaces.

Experiment on scrap leather with your dyes and oiling before doing a holster. Tan dye will become medium brown with oiling. Light brown dye will become very dark brown with oiling. Dark brown will become nearly black with oiling.

So, enough about oiling.

To achieve maximum stiffness and rigidity in the finished holster I can make a couple of suggestions.

First, following the wet-forming process you might want to try forced drying, the use of heat to speed up evaporation of the water from the leather. This technique was used for hundreds of years to produce leather armor. Excessive heat is to be avoided, as steam can be produced which will swell within the fibers and can destroy all of your forming work. Probably around 125 to 140 degrees maximum should work pretty well. You will be amazed at the difference in the results, compared to air drying. Quite a few holster makers use a drying cabinet for this, which provides better control over the result. For the hobbyist, a hair dryer can be put to good use for the occasional project. I recommend against using the kitchen oven.

Second, you can try using isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol for your wet-forming rather than water. The formed holster will completely dry in only a few hours (when the alcohol odor is gone you know that it is completely dry), and the result will be much more rigid than water-forming produces.

You have produced a very nice product. I'm sure that a little experimentation and additional practice will see your efforts become truly outstanding.

Best regards.

[particle]

Lobo, thank you very much for the thoughtful, in-depth response. I will most definitely put them all to use on my next holster.

[katsass]

Particle, I agree with Lobo on the alcohol molding process. It works well on the pancake style of holster you show. I personally prefer to use two layers of lighter leather to produce the desired thickness (weight) of leather and also produce a smooth interior. This requires that ALL edges be stitched, which is a bit of work for those not accustomed to that amount of needle work, but does produce a nice contrasting stitch line. Water molding on the double thickness of leather is generally all that I have found to be necessary. They stiffen up quite well and retain their shape after complete drying. As for forced drying, I have never had to resort to the procedure, although I learned how to do it many years ago. Where I live, the humidity runs in the single digits most of the time, and things dry quickly and well. As to temp, today is rather cool, it's supposed to hit about 82, but by the end of the week we should see about 90. Where you live can really determine how long it takes things to dry and/or how you do it. I also give my work a shot of oil after dyeing and buffing. Mike

Edited October 21, 2009 by katsass

[TwinOaks]

Ditto the oil comments by Lobo and Katsass. DON'T DIP IT IN OIL. I wet form then force dry in a convection oven to about 140F. For conditioning the leather, I use Aussie leather conditioner instead of neatsfoot oil, and apply it while the leather is very warm to aid in absorbtion. Net result is the same with oil, but for me it's easier to control how much I put on.For the pictured holster, it looks to me that the mouth band could extend a bit further around the curve of the holster (the top of the pistol)and that would provide a bit more stiffness. Here's a tip for boning the leather to the gun- wrap the gun in plastic, drop it in a ziploc, or wax paper (thanks Shorts). This will provide a few thousandths of clearance for the draw without negatively affecting the retention. When the leather is well cased, put the whole thing in a ziploc and bone in the details. The plastic bag will allow you to rub in the detail lines without excessive rub marks on the leather.Overall, it's a nice design, though I think you'd benefit from another 3/8ths inch on the sweat shield, but that may just be the angle of the photo.

[Denster]

As with most crafts there are a lot of good ways to do the same thing. Twin Oaks posted a good and very workable idea regarding boning inside a poly bag. I do essentialy the same thing as I use a vacuum bag for forming and bone the details through the bag. I don't see the necessaty of putting the gun in a bag or wrapping it with anything as I want the tightest fit possible since it will loosen slightly the first time it is worn. When I use real firearms for forming I have them waxed with Johnsons paste wax which protects them nicely. Heating to between 120 and 140 degrees after forming for about 30 minutes will release collagens in the leather, think liquid hide glue, and result in a stiffened holster that will hold it's form a good long while. I dip my dried holsters in warmed neatsfoot oil, about 90deg. Just a quick dip to coat all surfaces not a soak and let the excess run off. It does not negatively affect holster form or stiffness. Other have different ways that work for them. Try different ways and see what works best for you.