This Will Probably Turn Your Stomach

[renegadelizard]

Hey all..disturbing topic here, but my wife and her best friend are getting matching guns next week, and obviously they want matching holsters as well...not just any holster..if you guys are familiar with Thirty-One, the purse company, you know that they have an affinity for the color pink..since they both work there, its only (un) natural that they want pink holsters...hot pink...grrr.....anyway, i though maybe Angelus rose dye, but i dont tink that will give me the color they want...then i though acrylic hot pink paint, but im not sure how hardy it is, then i was thinking cover it with some hot pink ostrich print SLC has...my question with the overlay is this though...will it mold well?...I was thinking pancake holster, cut the front panel, glue on overlay, mark and stitch, wet and mold...will this process work or will the glue stiffen it up too much to mold?...any ideas?

[Shooter McGavin]

Exotics will mold almost as well as the cow leather backing they are bonded to, assuming the bond is done well.

However, with their printed leather ostrich, I think you will loose the "quills" once you get it wet. Maybe not, but certainly something to ask them about.

[Sixer]

Overlay or inlay would be the way I would go. The glue shouldn't make a difference. See pic below...

Oh, and don't forget to turn in your "Man Card" when finished

[SooperJake]

Heh..I misread matching and read it as Machine...lol

Jake

[electrathon]

Fiebings red dye diluted with alchol makes a nearly florescent pink. I made a couple things this color, did not document the color though as people would have had proof I did it.

Aaron

[TwinOaks]

There is nothing wrong with making pink things. If a customer wants one, they're going to get it from somewhere. There is especially nothing wrong with making pink items when She Who Gives Porch-passes says she wants it in pink.

Just be sure to wear a suitable disguise and rubber gloves.

As to how to get the color....I haven't the foggiest idea. I avoid pink like the plague.

[David C Gindrup]

My company makes hot pink kydex holsters

full kydex OWB holsters and Hybrid ( Kydex and leather) in both IWB and OWB

[Sylvia]

i though maybe Angelus rose dye, but i dont tink that will give me the color they want...

Hi.

I happen to have a picture of something I dyed with Angelus Rose. The original leather was white chrome tanned.... and this is the result.

I've not tried it yet on vegtan... so I would test it first.

[SooperJake]

Seiwa of Japan makes a pink or two

http://www.goodsjapan.jp/category/page=2/catId=4053915

Or stop at your local Wally world and check Rit, the clothing dye. It works on wood veneer.

[mdmorgan]

Hot pink? Sounds to me like you should think about some Kydex. (I know, dirty word.)

Edited July 25, 2012 by mdmorgan

[renegadelizard]

Thanks all...I guess my first pass will be to try the dye...if that doesnt work, ill order up some of the hot pink ostritch and do somekind of flambouyant reinforcement piece on it, that way if i lose the quill marks, ill still have a good two tone look......i really want to avoid using kydex,..i make kydex holsters as well, but seeing as how these will be free holsters, i want them to not only be functional, but i want them to be bling..they are going to wear them to an all woman ccw class, and im hoping to snag a few orders, and kydex to me, well, its functional, but not very eye catching, not in the way a good piece of leather is...oh, and if anyone has any tips on boiling leather to harden it, please let me know...i feel the need to make some armor for my battered Mancard....

[mdmorgan]

Thanks all...I guess my first pass will be to try the dye...if that doesnt work, ill order up some of the hot pink ostritch and do somekind of flambouyant reinforcement piece on it, that way if i lose the quill marks, ill still have a good two tone look......i really want to avoid using kydex,..i make kydex holsters as well, but seeing as how these will be free holsters, i want them to not only be functional, but i want them to be bling..they are going to wear them to an all woman ccw class, and im hoping to snag a few orders, and kydex to me, well, its functional, but not very eye catching, not in the way a good piece of leather is...oh, and if anyone has any tips on boiling leather to harden it, please let me know...i feel the need to make some armor for my battered Mancard....

You're right, I only got into Kydex because the market demand is so high. There is nothing like leather.

[shtoink]

I know that RIT dye will dissolve in an alcohol based solvent, it's available in a wider range of colors, and is available in liquid and powder form. It's entirely possible to get the intense pink color you want with a RIT dye and some form of alcohol. We already know that spirit based dyes will work with leather, you just need to account for it drying out.

Who knows, maybe you'll get good enough at it to come up with a color chart after figuring out your process. If you get repeatable results, that might mean a great deal for colors to apply to leather.

*EDIT*

I did some further researching on the subject and it turns out that RIT Dye is terrible when it comes to light fastness. It seems that the colors do not stick around long when exposed to UV light sources and a different type of dye is required for those things that will be seeing plenty of sunlight.

Luckily I found at least one source with 110 colors to choose from. Dharma Trading Co. seems to have the market cornered when it comes to colors to pick from and their ability to stay that color under some harsh conditions. I have no idea if this is the best or only place to choose from, but at least it's an alternative to RIT.

Dharma Trading makes some serious claims, but I figure, if it can hold up to hippies, it should have no problems with holding up to cowboys or bikers...

Edited July 25, 2012 by shtoink

[SandSquid]

Be sure to post up some pictures.. sounds great.

My wife and I have matching holsters for our 1911's. Hers is left handed and mine is right handed, so we walk together with out weapons "outboard" ;-)

[Sylvia]

Luckily I found at least one source with 110 colors to choose from. Dharma Trading Co. seems to have the market cornered when it comes to colors to pick from and their ability to stay that color under some harsh conditions. I have no idea if this is the best or only place to choose from, but at least it's an alternative to RIT.

Dharma Trading makes some serious claims, but I figure, if it can hold up to hippies, it should have no problems with holding up to cowboys or bikers...

I love Dharma's dyes for tie dye (who you calling a hippy?) Their fiber reactive dyes are amazing. I have tie dyee pieces that have lasted for at least 5 years with no fade... and I do line dry in full sun in the summer. One thing you might want to watch for is that some of the darker colors almost require "pasting up" your dye first... that is to say you mix it with a little water and make it into a paste... then dilute with your carrier medium (alcohol or water). Otherwise you might find that some of the pigment will lump and that's not good for dying anything... it leaves darker spots.

I have some of these dyes left over from last summer. I might just try some to see what happens.

[SandSquid]

Dharma Trading makes some serious claims, but I figure, if it can hold up to hippies, it should have no problems with holding up to cowboys or bikers...

We use Dharma's dye's for the tie-dyeing here at Camp and have shirts 5+ years old that are still vibrant.

[Iron Pounder]

Oh, and don't forget to turn in your "Man Card" when finished

Well I think there is alot of money in pink. My daughter (9 years old) walked me over to a small tool set at sears that was all pink tool box, pink hammer and the whole deal. They even had bigger roll around boxes in pink as well. They sell them as fast as they get them our friend that works there says.

[renegadelizard]

Well I think there is alot of money in pink. My daughter (9 years old) walked me over to a small tool set at sears that was all pink tool box, pink hammer and the whole deal. They even had bigger roll around boxes in pink as well. They sell them as fast as they get them our friend that works there says.

I think you might be right...midway usa is now selling pink rangebags and shooting glasses...its everywhere..

[BobbyV]

How did the pink color come out? Anything to report?

-Robert

[Dwight]

I had a young lady all of 4'1" tall tell me that she wanted her spur straps pink, . . . she didn't care what color they came out as just so long as it was pink.

I used some Eco Flo Dusty Rose Pink, . . . and I watered it down just a bit, . . . wish I had taken pictures of them, . . . they were absolutely beautiful, even if I did do them. She was super pleased.

Play with it, . . . do some practice pieces, . . . don't forget to put your finish on it too, . . . it'll work out.

May God bless,

Dwight

PS: I didn't turn in my man card, . . . heck, . . . I even got a hug out of that deal.

[renegadelizard]

i used the Rose dye from Angelus...they turned out pretty well...very very pink..

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=41823&hl=pink&st=0#

[lowlife]

• As far as the dyeing part no clue. just a word to the wise
  

"MOMMA AINT HAPPY, NO BODY HAPPY" lol

Always found this out the hard way

I do alot of woodworking also (been building turkey calls for @ 10-12 years) so I have to do MOMMA projects all the time some of the being what I would call "A WASTE OF MY TIME AND HIGH DOLLAR EXOTIC LUMBER" but in the long run just easier on my life to accept it DO IT and things run alot smoother at my house. I had to make some PINK turkey calls if that tell anything.

[Sanch]

ok first of all PINK is not just "ok" it rocks hello!!!! Save the tatas!!!!! the only crit I have is more a question what gun choice did "momma" make Taurus? caliber? 380? any way you gotta go full blown carved up BBQ rig for both!! and please do tell us which dye you used ( nevermind seen it!) and what the sucess was! I will in the future have to do one for my wifey!

Edited December 31, 2012 by stealfdawg

[renegadelizard]

hey Dawg, check up a few posts...i posted a link to the finished product...i think these were my last hand sewn holsters before i went to the machine...she went with the xd 9mm sub compact...wicked little shooter...fast lock time and great springs...i shoot about 20000-25000 rounds a year, and that little xd runs just as fast as anything ive ever shot...

[longtooth]

Laughing, my granddaughter is getting her Foid card and the weapon she is purchasing is pink. Go figure. LMAO.