Finishing Inside Of An Unlined Holster?

[Tallbald]

Hi everyone. I've made several holsters of various styles while I work to improve my technique and skills. To date, none have been lined. My leather comes from an importer next county over who brings the veg tanned hides in from I think the southern countries. Their customers are some of the tool belt makers and the backs of the hides are OK for the purpose. The price and service is really good, so I buy locally. My trouble is that with handling for cutting, tooling and stitching the knap of the backside roughens up and becomes "hairy" if you will. Is there some way to smooth the rough side before final finishing? I use only vinagaroon to blacken followed by baking soda wash and clear water before drying followed by neatsfoot oil and a beeswax concoction , or I will spirit dye the edge (thank you for the help on that technique) and oil finish followed by the same wax. The look and feel though of the inside is really unattractive to me. Is there a technique to smooth the inside I should try? Thanks as always, Don.

[WinterBear]

Hi Don.

Try this thread: leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=37013&st=0&p=228743

You can also use the search feature and look up past topic on "stringy", "flesh side", and "underside of leather", maybe also "gum back" and "moss back".

Also, poke around in the Gun Holsters subforum, and talk to the folks who make a lot of holsters. They'll be able to let you know what else they've found that works to finish the back/inside without the holster losing grip on the gun.

[thecapgunkid]

There really is no way to smooth over the flesh side ( unfinished) if really grainy and ..."hairy"...as you put it. Moreover, the dust coming off it will actually help dirty and wear your gun. You 45 auto wild bunch guys don't want that stuff in your action.

In a cynical moment most of us will tell you you get what you pay for, and even a casual journey through dvd's and tapes by Masters such as Bianchi, Hurst and Dusty Johnson will certify that they use only the best materials and, of course, price accordingly.

However, that is not to say that the Masters of old always had access to the best materials. Yet still made product.

The only way to get a good finish on the flesh side is to start with your selection. If the leather hide has so much of the loose flesh, then remember that there is a reason pigs don't fly so don't buy 'em goggles. You might also want to stage your patterns on the underside so you can pick and choose and avoid the raw finish.

Of course, this will de-value your square footage which, by-the-by, drives up your cost.

If the flesh side has manageable or very little grain, then the only thing that ever worked for me ( whether or not I dyed the project) was to use a glass slicker on it when it was still wet from casing or cutting. This can be risky if you carved the flower side, so try to do it before carving.

Dusty Johnson's saddle making video is pretty clear on how he uses a Tan-cote type product on the surface after it is dry. This works whether or not you dyed the flesh side. You might also wanna use two coats. It will seal for a long time, but all leather wears out regardless of what you do.

Hope this helps, and...

Don't shoot your eye out, kid.

The Capgun Kid

Hi everyone. I've made several holsters of various styles while I work to improve my technique and skills. To date, none have been lined. My leather comes from an importer next county over who brings the veg tanned hides in from I think the southern countries. Their customers are some of the tool belt makers and the backs of the hides are OK for the purpose. The price and service is really good, so I buy locally. My trouble is that with handling for cutting, tooling and stitching the knap of the backside roughens up and becomes "hairy" if you will. Is there some way to smooth the rough side before final finishing? I use only vinagaroon to blacken followed by baking soda wash and clear water before drying followed by neatsfoot oil and a beeswax concoction , or I will spirit dye the edge (thank you for the help on that technique) and oil finish followed by the same wax. The look and feel though of the inside is really unattractive to me. Is there a technique to smooth the inside I should try? Thanks as always, Don.

[ouchmyfinger]

Hi everyone. I've made several holsters of various styles while I work to improve my technique and skills. To date, none have been lined. My leather comes from an importer next county over who brings the veg tanned hides in from I think the southern countries. Their customers are some of the tool belt makers and the backs of the hides are OK for the purpose. The price and service is really good, so I buy locally. My trouble is that with handling for cutting, tooling and stitching the knap of the backside roughens up and becomes "hairy" if you will. Is there some way to smooth the rough side before final finishing? I use only vinagaroon to blacken followed by baking soda wash and clear water before drying followed by neatsfoot oil and a beeswax concoction , or I will spirit dye the edge (thank you for the help on that technique) and oil finish followed by the same wax. The look and feel though of the inside is really unattractive to me. Is there a technique to smooth the inside I should try? Thanks as always, Don.

there was an article in the leatherworker journal either last issue or the one before i believe. it was a saddle maker making a rough out saddle. that is dealing with the side of the leather your talking about so he goes over it with saddle soap and a glass slicker and smooths it out. i have done it and it turns out great. you may want to research your materials though and make sure it is not going to be an issue with the gun finish, i doubt it will but i don't want to not say to do your research and then something bad happen when it is done and dry is seems smooth and like it would be the answer.

also the leather you start with is going to be a big factor, you may want to shell out for some nicer stuff with less junk on the back, this will keep your customers happy and probably end up with more cash in your pocket

hope this helped, try and find that article. ill look n see what issue it was when i get a chance

[Dwight]

If you are using beeswax and neatsfoot oil, . . . use it on the inside too.

Wrap a cloth tight to a 3/8 dowel, . . . smear the wax/oil on the rag, . . . rub it in, . . . let it dry, . . . buff it.

It'll work on the inside as well as it does on the outside.

You can also clean up the flesh side a bit with sandpaper stapled to a small piece of 2 x 4, . . . and literally "sand" the back side of the leather. That should be your very first step.

May God bless,

Dwight

[markush]

Since starting the thread referenced by winterbear I have made a couple of holsters using the Gum Tragacanth on the interiors. I will say it is working out pretty good so far. I'm using Hermann Oak but we use the same vinegaroon process and I know the extra "hair" you speak of after that process. Here is a pic of the hairiest piece of belly leather I could find. A portion is slicked up with only the Gum Trag and a bone folder to show you that this stuff would smooth out anything!

Edited March 23, 2012 by markush

[Tallbald]

Wow you folks! I really appreciate the teaching and will integrate the ideas into my next project. Thank you again. Don.

[Sylvia]

@Mark Thank you for posting the picture to PROVE that the inside an be slicked. I was beginning to think this was another of those "buy better leather or line it" threads. The only thing I would do differently is skive and sand before slicking but it's nice to know others out there that have methods similar to mine.

Edited March 24, 2012 by Sylvia

[JackRabbit]

If you can visit a shop with a skiving machine , buy the leather a bit thick and ask them to skive it to wanted thickness .

The machine leaves a "clean shave" with no loose hairs.

( I can do that due the harness racing factory in my hometown . Bought my leather from there over 20 yrs now)

The Dwight's wax+oil -trick works , too .

I'd like to add :

After add wax - scrub in - buff it ...put the holster in a fridge for a while ; the coldnesss stiffens the wax .

About 10 minutes , take out and buff again .

Repeat until satisfied.

JR

[ChuckBurrows]

after using the Gum Trag add a coat of two of Leather Balm with Atom Wax it will really lock it into place - IIRC that's what Dusty uses.

Other makers I've known use thinned down Carpenter's glue to make a pasted back.....