Double Loop Holster Question

[bennadatto]

Hello all! I've been lurking around here for a bit, soaking up the volumes of information available. I have a question regarding double loop holsters.

I'm not quite sure on the order of construction. In order to run the holster through the loops, you have to wet the holster. Do you stitch and stain before you run it through the loops, or do you run it through and then stitch and stain?

To me, it would make sense to stitch and stain first, but when you wet the holster (because I use a gel based antique) my stain will run. How can I get around that. Would it help to run the holster through the loops (wet), take it out after it dries, stitch and stain, and then run it back through (dry). Now that I think about it, I don't think that will work either.

HELP!!

[fishguy]

Good sources for how to do a double loop holster are Will Gormley's patterns that they sell at Tandy and other places, and there are also some videos that Chuck Burrows has put out, as well as the ones by Bianchi (if you can find them). To answer your question, Yes, you do need to wet the holster before you put it through the loops, you also need to put the gun (oiled and wrapped in plastic) or fake gun in the holster after it has been put through the loops because it will stretch them a bit more. As for staining and stitching. Yes, you need to sew up the holster before you try to put it through the loops. Usually I stitch it up, clean up the edges, wet the holster, and insert the gun, when I am satisfied with the fit of the gun in the holster, I remove the gun, put the holster through the loops on the skirt, and insert the gun again. At this point I also flatten out the bend where the holster doubles over to form the skirt and turn our the lip of the holster if that is desired.

As for staining, I usually do it before assembly as it is much easier to get an even finish on a flat piece of leather that has not been stretched. However, if you are concerned I suppose you could stain it after assembly and stretching. Something like antiquing could definitely be applied after that point.

[Tac]

If you use an oil based dye, rather than a gel type stain, the color will be water resistant and withstand the wet molding process. If you don't wet mold the holster it will not retain its shape and the shape of the gun, and will look very generic and un-finished (in my opinion... not that it means much).

If you wet mold the holster first (without stain or dye) then add your color, it will cause you to miss areas of the holster that most will never notice, but a trained eye will pick up on. Also, those areas will become more obvious as the holster wears and breaks in, since it will shift around in the "skirt" that the loops are formed from, and may expose un-stained areas of the leather.

One thing to consider with stains vs. dyes is that a stain is a very thin layer of color that, when scratched or scuffed will show the bare leather under the stain. Where as dye penetrates deeper into the fiber and wears much better over time. For articles such as holsters and gun belts, where the items will be used, dyes are a better choice. Stains work great on decoritive items or items that have alot of carving or stamping, but are not very practicle for "working gear".

"Your milage may vary"...