Want To Change The Looks Of This Holster. Advice?

[JCagle]

I recently purchased this holster and gun belt set up. I know, I know, I want to make one sometime, but this was cheap and will serve the purpose for the time being. I am not very happy with the color it came in. I was wondering if it would be possible to darken this rig? If so, how? Also, any ideas for any custom touches to add to spruce it up? Ive seen some with brass studs and the like. Where can I get stuff like that? Below are a couple attached pics of my holster and belt, and a pic of one that is the color I would like to achieve. Thanks, Jared

And, I would like to get them this color--vvvvvvv

[Luke Hatley]

Neats foot oil and sunshine... then Burnish with denmin or canvas cloth will darken it .

or if you wanted to you could dye dk brown ..... with an air brush.

[JCagle]

Would some darkening oil work if I cannot get it to get darker with the above methods?

[Luke Hatley]

i beleive it would...But i would have to run a test on some veg tan leather

if it were me.

[GrampaJoel]

If the rig is not already oiled to heavily, why not try some stiff coffee to dye it with?

[katsass]

I'll go along with GrampawJoel. It doesn't appear to be heavily oiled and a dunking in STRONG, dark coffee.............drying in sunlight and a wipe down with neatsfoot oil should do what you want. Mike

Edited March 21, 2011 by katsass

[JCagle]

Rubbed it down with some neatsfoot oil a couple times and it has been setting in the sun a couple days. It has darkened just a hair. I am thinking about trying the coffee trick. Should I dunk the whole belt and holster completely in coffee, or just wipe it on with a sponge. Also, after the coffee is applied, do I wipe it off, let completely dry, then apply neatsfootoil, or dip it and let the coffee dry itself? Also, If I plan to distress the rig a bit should I do it now, or after the coffee job? Thanks for all the help, Jared

[Relly]

Rubbed it down with some neatsfoot oil a couple times and it has been setting in the sun a couple days. It has darkened just a hair. I am thinking about trying the coffee trick. Should I dunk the whole belt and holster completely in coffee, or just wipe it on with a sponge. Also, after the coffee is applied, do I wipe it off, let completely dry, then apply neatsfootoil, or dip it and let the coffee dry itself? Also, If I plan to distress the rig a bit should I do it now, or after the coffee job? Thanks for all the help, Jared

If the holster hasn't darkened much, I suspect that it did not absorb much oil. So - and this is the dangerous part - maybe soem deglazing compound will take the finish off it. Then you could add back a new finish. My advice could totally ruin your gear. Or you would be able to dye it. You should not use too much neetsfoot oil - it makes the leather hard and brittle instead of supple. One light coat is all that I use.

Then again, I always use test strips of leather for experimenting with new finishes.

Good luck!

[JCagle]

If the holster hasn't darkened much, I suspect that it did not absorb much oil. So - and this is the dangerous part - maybe soem deglazing compound will take the finish off it. Then you could add back a new finish. My advice could totally ruin your gear. Or you would be able to dye it. You should not use too much neetsfoot oil - it makes the leather hard and brittle instead of supple. One light coat is all that I use.

Then again, I always use test strips of leather for experimenting with new finishes.

Good luck!

Hmm, Ive rubbed it down with quite abit of oil. Maybe Ill just leave it as is. What should I treat it with to make it not dry out?

[Relly]

Hmm, Ive rubbed it down with quite abit of oil. Maybe Ill just leave it as is. What should I treat it with to make it not dry out?

My opinion as a new artisan is that all leather will dry out eventually - adding oils and conditioners just slows down that process. A piece of cased leather dries out in ten minutes. A properly conditioned and sealed piece could go for months and possibly years - but I would not know that for sure. Keeping leather in good condition means oiling and cleaning it eventually. I can tell you that a leather bracelet without proper finishing gets dirty and nasty fairly quick (I work in a home improvement warehouse, and I am hard on my dainty accessories).

When I am making something,

I use a light coat of neatsfoot on the leather after I have dyed the leather. One coat, no more. A light coat will dry like water, only more slowly - that is, the leather darkens initially and then becomes the color of "dry": After applying a layer of finish, and sometimes polish, I add a thick layer of mink oil. I let that layer sit on the leather for hours and then rub it off. The mink oil may do nothing - in fact, it's probably a dirt magnet - but if there are any cracks in my seal, that's going to get minked. Since I use natural oils in the bracelet, and a somewhat porous finish (fiebing leather sheen) and then the mink oil last, my work should last quite a while before needing touchup. My plan is creating a flexible and durable seal. I add hardware last of all.

The best tool for applying oils is an air brush. I do not own one, so hand rubbing with a rag is what I do.

If you oil something too much, it may rot - so go easy on the conditioners and oils. If it smells like petroleum, be wary. Gasoline may break down leather. I would never use "Johnson's paste wax". Even mink oil, which I do use, I only use as a top coat after all the other finishes that I apply.

Good luck.

Relly