Need help making a holster

[wes]

Well, I am now all "booked up"! I received The Art of Hand Sewing Leather by Stohlman and How to make Holsters Book by Stohlman in the mail today.

I will spend quite a bit of time this weekend reading those two books and then you will most probably see me in the various sections of this forum asking questions and soliciting advice.

By the way, this is an absolutely wonderful forum. From the very first welcome, through all of the expert advice given to me, this has been a very enjoyable experience. Thanks to you all.

I will make a wager right now that my first major mistake will be stretching the leather too much and destroying its inner fiber structure, destroying its firmness and rigidity after it has dried. Is this a hazard or possibility?

[Gregory B. Moody]

I will take that wager... no chance of that happening.... there is a reason leather is chosen to make holsters out of... LOL

I will make a wager right now that my first major mistake will be stretching the leather too much and destroying its inner fiber structure, destroying its firmness and rigidity after it has dried. Is this a hazard or possibility?

[wes]

The holster is dipped in water with some dishwasher similar liquid to allow more even penetration and then allowed to dry until the moisture is basically inside but starting to dry on the outside. The pressure is raised to 20 tons and then released.

Lindsay, is there a particular commercial dishwasher similar liquid that you would recommend over all of the other brands. I read Bianchi's book cover to cover last night and enjoyed it very much. I am a collector of rare European pistols and revolvers. As a peripheral interest I have accumulated quite a few original European and American holsters circa 1900 in excellent condition for these handguns. Bianchi's passion for collecting old holsters struck a chord with me. I have several holsters for which I gave impressive sums.

Pictured below are a couple of examples of my collection:

1. Biffar, Chicago

2. an Austrian holster for a 1901 commercial Austrian Steyr Mannlicher

Edited September 2, 2006 by wes

[Johanna]

Wes,

I often think simplicity is elegance. I like the clean lines of the holster you selected to make as your first project, and I like these collector pieces, too.

I'm not an expert on antique leathers, but your Austrian holster appears to be dry. You may want to consider oiling it to prevent or slow down the dreaded "dry-rot". What happens is that the leather gets brittle, usually around the stitch lines, then comes undone, and then the item falls apart. Sometimes the leather will darken with an oiling, so if you do not want to risk that, try it in an inconspicous place first. There are many products available to condition leather, and many people swear by Lexol products. I like Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator, personally. Maybe someone with more experience doing leather reconditioning or restoration will recommend something else.

When you apply conditioner, put it on your rag or sheepskin, not the item, and rub it in, then buff with a clean soft cloth. Some leather is thirsty, and you may have to repeat in a few days to get the desired moisture content back into it. Too much oil will damage the leather, so don't soak it- just go slow and use your eyes and hands to tell when the leather feels right.

Wes, the only concern I have is that the hide you selected is going to be too thin for the project. Is there any way you could exchange it for a 8/9 oz weight? By the way, double shoulders are the "prime" part of the hide. You could also buy a side (less $ per sq. ft.) and cut straps, then use the lower third for your project. All hides will vary, so when you select a hide, flip it over. If there is a weak spot in the part you have decided to place your pattern, you will have a problem. You will be dyeing your holster black, so you don't need to worry about color variations (like if a hide became sunburnt on display) and might even be able to negotiate a discount. 5/6 is going to mold well, but not have the stiffness you will want, in my opinion, for this project. What do you professionals think??

Johanna

[wes]

Johanna,

The treatment that I use on my holsters is Renaissance wax. The picture that I posted is of the holster whenever I first acquired it. Since that time I have treated it a couple of times with Renaissance wax and it is a shade richer than that which appears in the picture. And since you mention it, a little bit of time has passed since I have treated my holsters and will do so again this weekend. I live in the Rockies at an elevation of 9500 ft and the area has a very low percentage of humidity; between 10% and 25%. This is wonderful for metal objects but I do need to pay attention to my leather goods.

I trust that you are absolutely right about the gage of my hide. If, after completing my holster, it is too flimsy, then I shall purchase another hide of greater weight and will have benefitted by my experience. I am most probably a great fool for not obtaining a different hide immediately.

[Gregory B. Moody]

"The treatment that I use on my holsters is Renaissance wax."..Wes

Ooops...

My best guess right now ... with just a little checking on the internet....and years of dealing with trying to keep leather from drying out is that you are using that for the look which it gives you as compared to understanding the lubrication needs of your holsters....

What you are needing is to replace the oils which the animal's body would have been giving to the skin on a constant basis when they were still together. Basically you are needing something close to (or actual) Lanolin. The Lexol products Johanna mentioned are great... carnauba cream would be great.... Intensive Care Hand lotion would be great....

In other words the chances are you are needing a liquid at this point to penetrate and try to stop the drying which has been going on. From what I have read about your wax it will not provide what you are needing.

Holsters are nice in one respect ... you can access both sides of the leather...and you need to do that.

Since you already have that weight leather why don't you consider putting two layers together for this project... not what I would normally suggest for a first project but you will learn more about molding leather doing that... just mold the first one... then contact cement the next layer to it molding as you wrap it... and many people don't know it but contact cement is regularly used on wet leather... in the shoe repair industry... and two layers will be stiffer than the same thickness in just one layer.... the plywood effect....

You could treat it like a lined holster and place them facing opposite directions... would give you a smooth inside with never any production of leather ' dust'....

Greg

[Billsotx]

Going ahead with the light leather will give you some good experience and possibly a proto-type you can improve on. Go for it. It's just leather.

I think you'll settle on 7-9 oz depending on the style. I'd like to see your pattern hence know the style. You said you weren't going to use a pull through snap so in my mind you're not making the holster in the photo. You mentioned thumb break which are geneally used on horizontal and upside down rigs. The thumb breaks I've seen in muzzle down shoulder holsters do not allow a firing grip to be obtained at initial presentation. If the holster requires regriping and juggling the pistol during presentation it would be my choice.

I think wax is a finish not a product to restore. I vote for Lexol but I've not ust Dr. Jackson's products, however, I've heard they are top notch. Either will probably work.

[wes]

Another product that I use along with the wax is Connolly Hide Food. I had originally started using this stuff on the seats of my old autos: MGA, Austin Healey, etc. I most probably should have mentioned the Hide Food and not even brought up the name of the Renaissance wax. The Hide Food has lanolin, natural oils, but minimal petroleum based oils. I only put this stuff on whenever I think of it, which is not often enough. I believe that a year has passed since I last treated my holsters.

I have several old holsters that were as stiff as an old board whenever I acquired them. The Hide Food put the oils and moisture back into them after a while and they are now pliable. Seems that the holsters that were in need of the most attention were those made of pigskin.

I am extremely impressed that you people know your stuff and make suggestions with kindness and tact. Sorry that I did not mention the Hide Food initially.

[Billsotx]

I don't know anything about restoring leather, but experience tells me if I had an old piece I wanted to keep around, I would put Lexol Conditioner & Preservative on it. I've never tried Lexol NF. I should have said that before. LEXOL - is a brand name, sorry about that. (NF - that's probably a neatsfoot product, but I don't know that for a fact.)

[Johanna]

Lexol is probably the top brand in the US for equestrian and car upholstery leather care, and they cater to the market. Funny, people don't seem to want to care for those everyday leathers, like their shoes, but then again, most people can't tell the difference between the real thing and the synthetic substitutes available these days. It just hit me that I haven't even oiled my photo album in probably six years. And I made it. aarrgghhh!

From the Lexol webpage:

HOW TO CLEAN WITH LEXOL starts off:

"Keep this thought in mind: leather is skin."

Johanna