Holster Treatment Products - Which?

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HoosierQ

HoosierQ

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I make my own holsters. I am getting better at it. I have so far used wax. Wax is good because it does not soften the leather. The wax I use, Sno-Seal is very sticky and it doesn't work so well on the inside...kind of glues the gun in there...not good.

The leather I use is vegtable tanned so it will take anything. My question is two-fold.

a) What do you folks use? Wax (which product), oil, silicone?
b) Does anybody know about Neatsfoot oil and polymer? Does this oil affect polymer frames at all?

The folks at the leather store have lots of ideas but they are not quite as savy about holsters as I would expect...though not ignorant of the subject by any means.
 
What are you wanting to do? If you're referring to a final finish, after dyeing, you could try Tandy Leather Satin Shene, or Renaisance wax.
DO NOT use Neatsfoot oil on holsters. You'll ruin em'.
 
Yes, I am looking to final finish after dying with Feibing's dye. Good to know about Neetsfoot. Oil scares me because I've ruined hiking boots with mink oil.

Are those two product you mention waterproof enough for an IWB holster...or any other stylefor that matter? Do they need to be?

This is where my ignorance gets in the way. I am assuming a) that a holster really needs to be waterproof so as not to soften or deform when wet, and b) that more traditional products such as those you mention don't do the job well enough. That's why I have so far gone overkill with sno-seal. It actually does pretty well on the smooth side of the leather. If you buff the dickens out of it, it shines up pretty well and has a smooth feel. However on the flesh side, it stays sticky...rather like cosmoline really.
 
Use Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil for treatment of new vegetable tanned leather.

Use just enough to get the rich brown leather color. Put it on with a daubber or sponge and let the holster set for a couple of days for the oil to equlize throughout the leather to a uniform color. Apply more oil if needed to reach a uniform oiled leather color, but don't over-oil it until it is dripping wet.

Use Tandy Edge Dressing in brown or black on all exposed edges.

Follow that up with Tandy Satin-Sheen final finish, or whatever it is they call it now.

After that use Kiwi natural (clear) color paste shoe wax for maintenance.

DO NOT use neetsfoot oil, saddle soap, Sno-Seal, or other mineral based oil as it will soften the fitted holster, collect dirt, & stain your clothes.
Neetsfoot has been known to rot the stitching.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=358100&highlight=pure+vegetable+oil

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=373014&highlight=pure+vegetable+oil

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=325146&highlight=pure+vegetable+oil


.
 
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Thanks RCModel and KB. Gonna avoid neetsfoot like the plague.



RCModel: So that is Liquid Crisco oil right...not the stuff like lard? And when you say sno-seal, you're meaning the thin liquid, silicone stuff with the in-bottle dauber not the waxy goo right? 'Cause I was considering giving that a try...may have dodged a bullet here too.

Again I am ignorant on this topic. I have always done knife sheaths which are easier and I've tended to use laquers there.
 
RCModel...One more question. Same treatment on the inside of the holster? Or just he vegetable oil? Or do you just spread it on the outside (smooth, tooled side) and let it soak through?

...guess that was 3.
 
Crisco Pure Vegetable OIL, not lard or shortening!
The "pure" means it contains no salt or acids that could harm the leather, or the gun.

I oil both the inside & outside of a newly completed holster with vegetable oil, giving extra attention to the inside & outside of the welt.
It will soak up a lot of oil, and suck oil out of the holster until it too becomes oiled enough.

On knife sheaths, I pour them full of oil, then dump out the excess before it over-saturates the leather from the inside out.

Sno-Seal oil or liquid, either one, I would not use them on a new holster, or old one either for that matter.

I do kind of like a product called Kiwi Camp Dry Leather Lotion on old holsters.

It is a creamy liquid wax, and after it is rubbed in and dry, can be buffed up to a shiny finish.

It is not suitable for oiling a new just finished holster however, because it is too thick to soak into the fibers deep inside the leather.

BTW: I learned about the Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil from an 80 year old saddle maker. He runs a saddle making school near here and charges megabucks for his saddles.
http://www.bridleandbit.com/story280.htm

He told me his first job was with a custom saddle shop way out west where the real cowboys lived. His job was to fill 4oz glass bottles out of a 55 gallon drum of vegetable cooking oil and put labels on them.

The saddle shop sold it as it's "secret blend of oils" to maintain it's high-dollar leather products! :what:

.
 
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Great stuff RC. Kind of embarassed that I have asked this here a second time. I have a raw holster I just finished stitching up...an IWB for an M&P 9c. I think my molding went real well. I am ready to finish and I am sick of the sticky wax. Crisco oil here I come. I have the other products on hand. I am going to dye Feibing's british tan I think and then give the oil a go.

I also have a celtic patterned sheath for my Western Bowie that will get the same treatment I think.
 
Do some experimenting on scrap leather with oil & then dye, vis dye and then oil first.

I prefer to oil first as the die seems to seal the pores in the leather to some extent.

Your mileage may vary depending on the leather you have, and how many coats of die you have to use.

Not all vegetable tanned leather is created equal.
 
RC

I wil try that. Can't wait to get to the studio tomorrow. I learned a lot today! I will post with my results. Pics too if I can figure that out...never posted a pic before.

Thanks

QB
 
Well, the pure vegetable oil worked and looks great. Tried the scrap test and I may dye afterward but the oil brought out a really rich color. Thanks for the knowledge transfer RC.

QB
 
I put the satin sheen on it Sunday. This is the new "eco-friendly" stuff which is probably not what you use but is what they seem to sell. It went on like Elmer's glue...white. Very quickly went clear. It is kind of rubbery but it wasn't fully dry when I left. This may not be the best stuff but we'll see. I haven't had much luck with the eco-friendly stuff. I need to stick with the "unfriendly" Fiebings products which are just great. I am very pleased none the less.

I could not be happier with the vegatable oil trick. Now I need to find the right top coat...if what I have is not it...and I will be there! Oh yeah, I need to learn how to stitch better. I still use the hole punch which cuts out the little hole. Not a very tight seam. Getting a good awl and a better technique is also high on the list.
 
Thanks Col Kurz...that stuff looks good.

Well the eco-friendly satin sheen finish was a disaster. Fortunately, some shop rags and acetone (a ton of elbow grease) did an amazing job of removing it and getting back the natural leather look and even smell. In fact, the extreme rubbing with the acetone soaked rags seemed to deepen and even the dye even more.

So, no more eco-friendly junk for my projects.
 
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