Oil Or No Oil?

[Glock21]

So I have read a lot of post about oil, specifically EVOO. I am making a belt strap for a friend of mine to use as a disciplining aid. More of a scare tactic really, I am pretty sure she would never hit her child with it. I went to my local Tandy and got some Feibings red and black Spirit dye and some leather balm with atom wax. My question is should I use some EVOO or any other oil before after or during the process of dyeing and finishing.

Thanks

Jeff

[Luke Hatley]

I really dont think it will make any difference ,Hopefully it will just lay on top of the ice box.............like my dad's did.......

[particle]

I recently acquired the Bianchi western holster DVD series from another forum member. I was surprised by his oiling method, which basically consists of wiping a liberal amount of neatsfoot oil on the holster & belt, letting it soak in, and then doing it again, and again, etc. I can't recall off-hand if he used Prime, or Pure neatsfoot oil. He said you can't oil it too much, as each coat of oil basically acts to seal the pores in the leather. Now, this was for western holsters, not tightly molded daily carry holsters, so maybe that has something to do with it. Most people on this board (in the holster section) say all you need is a single coat on the grain side, and some say not to oil at all. I would tend to lean towards the more cautious side and only apply a single coat to the grain side, but I love the depth of color you get with a good coat of oil. Bianchi also said to NEVER use heat to dry a holster. I always use heat right after forming because the holster isn't firm enough otherwise. Would love to hear some more input from the seasoned pro's.

[Luke Hatley]

Partical that is a wealth of information. BUT JUST HOW MUCH KNOWLEDGE DOES ONE NEED TO MAKE A disciplining aid........

[particle]

Glock21 - I don't know if you have any interest in making holsters (as your username might suggest), but strictly sticking to your current leather project's line of discussion.... I would suggest you pick up some Neatsfoot oil at Tandy the next time you are there. Adding oil to your project will darken the color of the leather (deepening/darkening the dye color), and keep it nice and flexible for many years of disciplining.

[Glock21]

Thank you for all the information and yes one day I will make a holster for my Glock and one for my wifes XD. One more question do I oil before or after dyeing the belt, or for that matter any project?

Glock21 - I don't know if you have any interest in making holsters (as your username might suggest), but strictly sticking to your current leather project's line of discussion.... I would suggest you pick up some Neatsfoot oil at Tandy the next time you are there. Adding oil to your project will darken the color of the leather (deepening/darkening the dye color), and keep it nice and flexible for many years of disciplining.

[particle]

I've seen some people state that oiling prior to dying helps the dye absorb more evenly. Personally, I airbrush my dye, which makes it much easier for me to apply an even coat without a bunch of streaks. For your current project, I might suggest oiling first to see if that helps you get an even coat of dye if you're not airbrushing it on. Then, make sure to use something large that can apply dye over a large, even area - something like a sponge cut to a square, just slightly larger than your strap so you don't waste too much dye, but large enough to cover the entire width of the strap so you can move from one end to the other in a single stroke.

If you're specifically talking about holsters, I'd oil at the very end - just prior to your finish sealer coats. I tried oiling early on, and didn't like how the leather seemed to be oozing oil out as I was forming the holster to the gun. Plus, since I place my holster in the oven immediately after forming (like many makers here), I need to oil it after it's completely dry - so I'd be oiling the holster twice. It's easier to just wait till the end to oil it.

[Glock21]

Thanks! That is a bunchh of great information for a beginner.

I've seen some people state that oiling prior to dying helps the dye absorb more evenly. Personally, I airbrush my dye, which makes it much easier for me to apply an even coat without a bunch of streaks. For your current project, I might suggest oiling first to see if that helps you get an even coat of dye if you're not airbrushing it on. Then, make sure to use something large that can apply dye over a large, even area - something like a sponge cut to a square, just slightly larger than your strap so you don't waste too much dye, but large enough to cover the entire width of the strap so you can move from one end to the other in a single stroke.

If you're specifically talking about holsters, I'd oil at the very end - just prior to your finish sealer coats. I tried oiling early on, and didn't like how the leather seemed to be oozing oil out as I was forming the holster to the gun. Plus, since I place my holster in the oven immediately after forming (like many makers here), I need to oil it after it's completely dry - so I'd be oiling the holster twice. It's easier to just wait till the end to oil it.

[Bobby hdflame]

I recently acquired the Bianchi western holster DVD series from another forum member. I was surprised by his oiling method, which basically consists of wiping a liberal amount of neatsfoot oil on the holster & belt, letting it soak in, and then doing it again, and again, etc. I can't recall off-hand if he used Prime, or Pure neatsfoot oil. He said you can't oil it too much, as each coat of oil basically acts to seal the pores in the leather. Now, this was for western holsters, not tightly molded daily carry holsters, so maybe that has something to do with it. Most people on this board (in the holster section) say all you need is a single coat on the grain side, and some say not to oil at all. I would tend to lean towards the more cautious side and only apply a single coat to the grain side, but I love the depth of color you get with a good coat of oil. Bianchi also said to NEVER use heat to dry a holster. I always use heat right after forming because the holster isn't firm enough otherwise. Would love to hear some more input from the seasoned pro's.

Particle,

I've watched 3 videos by John Bianchi. I thought all 3 were good videos with lot's of info. I also noticed him saying you couldn't put too much oil in the leather. I think you're right about limiting oil on molded holsters. They wouldn't hold the detail if the leather was too soft.

Did you notice the pronunciation of his last name? I had been saying his name wrong for years!

Bobby

[particle]

I'd love to tour his facility and see how in the world he can output that many holsters in a single day. Even before - when it was just him and that other guy, and they were outputting - what was it, 17 holsters a day? That's about all I can do in an entire month, if I'm lucky!

Yep - I'd been saying his name wrong too.

[dbusarow]

For those of us without the videos, is it not

bee ahn kee

??

Dan

[Bobby hdflame]

For those of us without the videos, is it not

bee ahn kee

??

Dan

Hey Dan, I missed something. Not sure which post you're answering to??

Bobby

[particle]

He's referring to the pronunciation of Bianchi.

It's bee-ain-key

ain = like "pain", without the 'p'

[dbusarow]

Thanks particle. So I was also saying it wrong for years.

Dan