Frayed Edges On Holster?

[hestes]

Hey, everyone....I'm back with another question. I have noticed that on the holster I wear the most, the edges around the top of the holster where my gun rubs the most are starting to kind of fray and lose that nice burnished edge on the inside. Am I doing something wrong when I burnish them? Here is a picture of what I'm talking about.

I use a dremel to sand the edges to even them out, but then I use a wooden burnishing tool to burnish by hand using Bob Park's method...but obviously, I missing something. I doubt his edges start to look like mine.

Thanks in advance for any ideas you have!

[Curley Fryes]

Frayed of what? Sorry, I couldn't help myself. What did you finish the edges with?

[hestes]

lol. I guess I set myself up for that one. Nicely played.

I lightly dampen the edges then use the bar glycerin soap, followed by yellow saddle soap. I follow this process pretty closely. Instead of canvas, I have been using a wooden burnishing hand tool. Then I finish the entire holster with tan-kote.

[PappyUSA]

I've never got a very “durable” edge using saddle soap. I never sand the edge on a holster. I cut them an bevel the edge with a keen edger and burnish while the dye is still damp on dyed holsters. For stuff that I don't dye I like to use trag or sometimes saliva (on very small pieces when no-ones looking) for a tuff burnished edge and then go over it with bees wax.

[hestes]

I've never got a very “durable” edge using saddle soap. I never sand the edge on a holster. I cut them an bevel the edge with a keen edger and burnish while the dye is still damp on dyed holsters. For stuff that I don't dye I like to use trag or sometimes saliva (on very small pieces when no-ones looking) for a tuff burnished edge and then go over it with bees wax.

Thanks, Pappy. I read that Bob Parks doesn't use gum trag because it doesn't allow oil based dyes to penetrate the leather. Has anyone else noticed that? I was using the process he posted as a place to start since I had no idea what I was doing when I decided to give it a shot. I may have to experiment with that some.

[PappyUSA]

When I use trag it's "after" staining. Never use trag if you have to dye or stain over it. Also if you have to wet mold be sure to bees wax over the trag before wetting because trag wont stand up to too much water without something to protect it from the water. BTW bees wax also makes a good looking edge but it's not a tuff as a trag, oil dye, or saliva edge.

Edited September 17, 2013 by PappyUSA

[hestes]

Thanks for the tips! I will give that a try and dye my edges before I try the gum trag.

Thanks!

[Red Cent]

I missed something here. Back to the fraid....uh frayed edges. I lightly edge, sand round, rub on the edges of the holster with a disc of 50% parafin and 50% beeswax. To burnish, I use the John Bianchi way. Circular felt pad on a bolt in a drill press. Load it with same concoction. A Dremel will do it albeit slowly.

If you want a hard holster lip, submerge the edge of the holster in hot water. Let it get pretty wet. Use a hair dryer (not really close) to dry. The hotter the water, the hotter the hair dryer, the harder the leather. They made armor this way way back when.

[katsass]

Grumpy here; from what I can tell the burnishing does suffer, however you need to look to the reason that it is scuffing along that edge. The pic isn't all that good and neither are my old peepers, but I tend to think that the mouth Of the holster was not properly wet molded. I can't tell what the holster is designed to fit but it is obvious to me that something is bumping into that edge as the weapon is holstered. If it's collapsing you need to either use a bit more heat in your molding or overlay an outer piece around the mouth and mold it well or fuller. As to burnishing, I have used only glycerin soap or saliva (got a little tired of licking dead cow skin though) but use any non-human moisture with care. JMHO. A pic of some of my burnishing is included. It's on a lined, hand-stitched belt. Mike P.S. I used gum trag some time ago -- one time. I tossed that bottle as far as I could and never looked for it or another.

Edited September 18, 2013 by katsass

[hestes]

Hey, Katsass. You might be on to something there. I may be trying to mold the area around the trigger guard too tight! I like that to be a tight fit, but I may need to try letting it fit a little less snug. Thanks! Sometimes we just need another set of eyes and a little more experience to point out the obvious.

I am going to experiment with some of the other methods of burnishing edges to see what I like best. Thanks for all the help peeps!

[chiefjason]

For a temporary fix, hit the spot with neutral shoe polish. It will lay down some of the fraying, and make it a bit slick. If it's too tight, it will help the gun slide by a little easier. Not a permanent fix though. I made my personal holster out of a piece that just did not cut it to sell. I've touched a spot up on it a time or two. But my issue was a small soft spot in the leather near the top edge.

[dickf]

It looks like your trying to burnish the mouth after it's molded, which isn't going to get you where you want. Try burnishing the mouth area (and toe area) before gluing. After it's glued and stitched up, but before molding, burnish the rest of the holster then mold and finish. Depending on what type of finish I'm after, I'll sometimes use beeswax which really helps lay everything down and create that one-piece look and feel.