SouthernCross Report post Posted October 27, 2012 I've been tinkering with trying to make some holsters for some of my guns and I'm curious as to how the pros get theirs to maintain there stiffness over time. Do they soak them in something or perhaps spray something on them? I've got one (from Lobo Gunleather) that's so stiff you'd think it was made of kydex or something...it really holds the gun well. So, how do they do that? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
katsass Report post Posted October 27, 2012 (edited) From the grump; The firmness of a holster lays in the grain layer of the leather. When the holster is almost completed, it generally is wet molded. That is, wet down well with water then molded to the actual gun, or an exact copy of the gun for which the holster is made. As the leather air dries, it firms up enough to remove the gun or replica without disturbing the final shape, and then warm air (usually about 135 degrees, but never more than 150 degrees) is allowed to flow over the holster to speed up and complete the drying process. When thoroughly dry, a finish is applied. The quality of the leather, heated air and an even removal of moisture are the critical things in good drying - - and the resultant firmness. I generally use two layers of lighter leather to make my holsters, the two layers of grain, when dried properly, result in an extremely firm holster. Mike Edited October 27, 2012 by katsass Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted October 27, 2012 Getting into the reasons behind what OLD grumpy Mike said....... The leather fibers are, of course, skin cells/fibers. They're just preserved by the tanning process. In veg-tan leather, wetting it re-activates the colagen, which is essentially 'cellular glue'. When it's activated it lets us reposition the fibers, whether that's through molding or tooling and stamping. When it dries, it holds them in place. Using additional heat helps to 'heat set' them in place, and sealing the leather prevents excess moisture from getting into the leather and undoing all the work. It's important to keep in mind that you can mold TOO closely to the gun, so when you start doing it, make sure you don't over do it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
immiketoo Report post Posted October 27, 2012 Dang, I thought it was magic all this time. Good posts mikes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SouthernCross Report post Posted October 27, 2012 Thanks, guys. I'll put my next one in the convection oven Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
