Holster Finish?

[UberSquid]

The couple holsters I've made for my own use I just dyed with Eco-Flo all in one acorn brown on horse hide then gone over with several coats of neutral shoe Polish. I've also been using a bees wax paraffin combo for burnishing the edges. I really like the finish I'm getting. It looks better than any of the mass produced stuff I have so I've been slowly making holsters for all my handguns.

The thing is that now I have friends asking if I will do some pieces for them and I want to make sure I'm giving them something quality. Is my Eco-Flo shoe Polish a good finishing method or should I be looking at something else. I know Eco-Flo gets little love on here but I love the depth I'm getting to the grain of the horse hide with it and really have no desire to change stains, I just wonder if I should have put something more on top than shoe Polish and wax

[Haystacker]

I personally like the eco flo dyes. I use an acrylic sealer and then sometimes shoe polish on top of that. Tandy's Sheen products are good but I like and use mop and glo cut 50/50 with water. Hope this helps. And, on a side note, where are the pictures?

best regards,

Jeff

[chiefjason]

I started with Resolene. It works well. I tried mop and glo but can't get it to work over the vinegroon. Not sure if it's the groon or the finish. I've tried cutting it 50/50, 60/40, and straight. Nothing works. The only one I could find is the multi surface, maybe that's the problem. I'm using Super Sheen right now cut 50/50 with water and it's working well too.

[katsass]

The couple holsters I've made for my own use I just dyed with Eco-Flo all in one acorn brown on horse hide then gone over with several coats of neutral shoe Polish. I've also been using a bees wax paraffin combo for burnishing the edges. I really like the finish I'm getting. It looks better than any of the mass produced stuff I have so I've been slowly making holsters for all my handguns.

The thing is that now I have friends asking if I will do some pieces for them and I want to make sure I'm giving them something quality. Is my Eco-Flo shoe Polish a good finishing method or should I be looking at something else. I know Eco-Flo gets little love on here but I love the depth I'm getting to the grain of the horse hide with it and really have no desire to change stains, I just wonder if I should have put something more on top than shoe Polish and wax

From the old grump. I've used Mop & Glo for around 50 years now --- cut 50/50 with water. I have found that application of it with a brush or sponge often will mess with a water based stain. (That's just one reason why I NEVER use them --- it also screws up when wet molding) A cure for that is to use an airbrush or even an old Windex pump sprayer. Just back off of the project and allow it to, sort of, 'mist onto the leather. Two shots (coats) is generally enough --- followed by a LIGHT coat of Kiwi neutral polish. Rub that stuff in by hand (or fingers really) no rag, commercial applicator or anything else. The warmth from your fingers allows the wax to penetrate better IMO. Buff out with a soft cloth. Mike

Edited June 9, 2012 by katsass

[chiefjason]

From the old grump. I've used Mop & Glo for around 50 years now --- cut 50/50 with water. I have found that application of it with a brush or sponge often will mess with a water based stain. (That's just one reason why I NEVER use them --- it also screws up when wet molding) A cure for that is to use an airbrush or even an old Windex pump sprayer. Just back off of the project and allow it to, sort of, 'mist onto the leather. Two shots (coats) is generally enough --- followed by a LIGHT coat of Kiwi neutral polish. Rub that stuff in by hand (or fingers really) no rag, commercial applicator or anything else. The warmth from your fingers allows the wax to penetrate better IMO. Buff out with a soft cloth. Mike

Have you ever used mop & glo over vinagroon? Are you now using the multi surface mop & glo? I'd love to get it to work. May have to try spraying on some scrap leather. For what I am doing, all I need is black. So the groon has been great, except for trying to finish it.

[katsass]

Have you ever used mop & glo over vinagroon? Are you now using the multi surface mop & glo? I'd love to get it to work. May have to try spraying on some scrap leather. For what I am doing, all I need is black. So the groon has been great, except for trying to finish it.

From the grump: Yes, I use it now. Here's a holster I did for a school security officer a while ago --- vinegaroon'd and finished with Mop & Glo multi-surface and hand rubbed Kiwi neutral polish. Just two coats to seal it --- then the Kiwi to polish it out. I don't ever try to get that nasty 'high gloss' on any of my stuff, makes good leather look like plastic. Mike

[chiefjason]

I guess there is hope. Now I need to figure out what I am doing wrong. Thanks! But in the meantime I ordered some black resolene and black atom wax to tinker with. I need to find a sprayer for the mop & glo and try that. I've tried brushing it on with a foam brush, a sponge, and rubbing it in with a rag. None of it worked.

[katsass]

I guess there is hope. Now I need to figure out what I am doing wrong. Thanks! But in the meantime I ordered some black resolene and black atom wax to tinker with. I need to find a sprayer for the mop & glo and try that. I've tried brushing it on with a foam brush, a sponge, and rubbing it in with a rag. None of it worked.

It may be that the leather you are using is heavy and takes up the ferrous (or ferric, I can never get it straight) acetate too well. I use 4/5 or 5/6 oz leather for my holsters. BUT, I use two layers of it. The outer shell may be vinegarooned, but the inner side is not. That gives me two grain sides to work with, providing a smooth interior to my work and, in addition, since the rigidity of a molded holster is formed in the grain area, it gives me two such layers, and a much firmer holster. Remember, all that the Mop&Glo does (for me) is to seal that outer side well, in order to resist moisture .... NOT put on a high gloss finish....... IMO, a super high gloss is a despicable thing to do to good leather, and makes it look like plastic. Mike

[chiefjason]

Mike, I really appreciate all the input. As an FYI here is where my issue is. Most of the holsters I am building are hybrids. One layer of 8-9 oz Hermann Oak leather as a backer and a kydex mold for the gun. These are belt slide holsters and that is why I am concerned about dying and finishing them. I am not deglazing them before grooning. And that may be some of the issue but the groon takes MUCH better that way; it's darker and less blotchy. I also groon both sides of the leather. I groon them, let them set a while, baking soda rinse, clean water rinse, let them dry a bit, then apply neatsfoot oil. Sometimes 2 coats of neatsfoot oil if it looks like it needs it. Let that dry about 24 hours. Then apply the mop & glo. Even with one coat I have problems. If I flex the leather it looks like the mop & glo turns gray where the grain is. Basically, the leather gets this gray spidery look to it. The resolene does not do this. And I'm not comfortable sending something like this out knowing it will likely do that around the belt loop area where the leather flexes. I would take a pic but I doubt it would show up.

Oh well, at least the groon saves me some money. It's not looking like the mop & glo will. I applied some to a discarded holster back with a sprayer yesterday. It did the same thing. Maybe it's me. lol

Here is one of the holsters I'm making for reference.

[katsass]

Chief --- frankly, I just don't know. I don't know beans about kydex except to say that I (personally) don't care much for it. I dye (or 'roon') all my stuff right after cutting. I submerge my leather in vinegaroon and allow it to soak up thoroughly. Rinse immediately in a soda bath and flush well with clear water. Allow to dry, and go to assembly I always test a scrap piece of the same leather I'm using for the rig in the 'roon', and if it doesn't seem to want to take as well as I want, I give it a bath in VERY strong tea, allow to begin to dry a little , then into the vinegar stuff. . When completed, I shoot a coat of neatsfoot oil all over and allow to sit for at least 24 hours.Then the application of my finish. So far, no problems with the stuff. Mike