Revive a leather holster

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Sno-Seal - is lanolin and bees wax.

Nothing petroleum based to break down the fibers.

Just natural conditioner and lubricant.

The Sno-Seal "Bag-N-Bake" treatment will turn a dog's chew like this...

M7-M9-Shoulder-Holster-Beretta-92-9mm-Colt.jpg

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... into Corinthian leather so soft it would give Ricardo Montalban a hard-on.

WP_20180903_13_15_44_Pro-50.jpg
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:D



​
GR
 
Garandimal said:
Sno-Seal - is lanolin and bees wax.

Nothing petroleum based to break down the fibers.

Just natural conditioner and lubricant.

The Sno-Seal "Bag-N-Bake" treatment will turn a dog's chew like this...

... into Corinthian leather so soft it would give Ricardo Montalban a hard-on.

:D



​
GR
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That looks great-but 'soft' leather isn't usually the goal for a design that includes retention or molding.

Larry
 
I've never had pure neatsfoot oil make a holster too soft and I've used it heavier than many claim one should. As Craig said I saw John Bianchi dip an entire rig into warm neatsfoot oil so every since then I've not had any worries about putting it on heavy.

Now saddlers oil is another deal, not sure the difference but it will soften leather a bunch.

Most of my new western rigs with the aged look have a few coats of stained neatsfoot oil until I get the desired color effect I want and they are finished off with Skidmores leather cream.

I use Bag Kote a lot as a final finish as do a lot of professional makers. I believe the protective ingredient in Bag Kote is shellac. It's not acrylic.
 
RAM Saddlery 2.jpg "Just natural conditioner and lubricant."
Back in the day I built everything from belts to saddles, (including holsters). I used nothing but neatsfoot oil. Since it is made from the shins of cows you can't get any more natural than that. I too never had it make my leather goods too soft.
 
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I have used neatsfoot oil, and mink oil; my son gave me a really old dried out shoulder holster, from the 40's or 50's found in a barn, it was dried like halters and or tack get when left in a barn, semi exposed to the elements. Neatsfoot oil is the best to use, but if all you have or can get is mink oil, it will work, you just have to apply a little at a time, and let it soak in good before checking it.
Sno-Seal is great on boots, not sure I'd use it for reconditioning holsters, though, Probably the same thing as mink oil, come ot think of it.
 
CraigC said:
Sno-seal is a waterproofer. It is not a conditioner.
Click to expand...

Good for you.

Animal fats weaken and rot leather. The tannery worked hard to remove the fats and preserve the leather, so it's hard to imagine why you'd put it back on.

SNO-SEAL Beeswax waterproofing lubricates leather and protects against drying and deterioration for longer than greases, oils and animal fats. SNO-SEAL is a natural wax and, unlike other products, will never weaken, decay, or break down the leather or stitching and seams.

Application is only possible because of a temporary solvent that lowers the melt point to 105F and then evaporates completely. That is why Sno-Seal hardens during storage if you leave the lid off the jar.

The magic of Sno-Seal is that AFTER application it has a melt point of 155F so that even on the hottest day it does not migrate through the leather.

Sno-Seal will maintain proper moisture in horses’ hooves and has been used to protect abused skin, allowing it to heal itself more quickly.




GR
 
Garandimal said:
Good for you.

Animal fats weaken and rot leather. The tannery worked hard to remove the fats and preserve the leather, so it's hard to imagine why you'd put it back on.

SNO-SEAL Beeswax waterproofing lubricates leather and protects against drying and deterioration for longer than greases, oils and animal fats. SNO-SEAL is a natural wax and, unlike other products, will never weaken, decay, or break down the leather or stitching and seams.

Application is only possible because of a temporary solvent that lowers the melt point to 105F and then evaporates completely. That is why Sno-Seal hardens during storage if you leave the lid off the jar.

The magic of Sno-Seal is that AFTER application it has a melt point of 155F so that even on the hottest day it does not migrate through the leather.

Sno-Seal will maintain proper moisture in horses’ hooves and has been used to protect abused skin, allowing it to heal itself more quickly.
GR
Click to expand...

Neatsfoot oil has been used successfully for centuries It is made from animal fats (cows) and it does not rot leather. PERIOD
I just treated a saddle I've had for 39 of it's approximate 120 years. It's fine (as are the stitches.)
 
I have no problem using it on my BOOTS as I want them as water repel ant as I can get them. Putting a pore clogging goop on something like a holster or saddle that I spent hours/days tooling and finishing would get you tossed out of my shop on your butt.
There is a place for everything and no universal fix. The closest in leather protection to that is not Sno seal . Not by a long shot. Hype on a product is not gospel but a sales pitch.
 
Rich1939 said:
I have no problem using it on my BOOTS as I want them as water repel ant as I can get them. Putting a pore clogging goop on something like a holster or saddle that I spent hours/days tooling and finishing would get you tossed out of my shop on your butt.
There is a place for everything and no universal fix. The closest in leather protection to that is not Sno seal . Not by a long shot. Hype on a product is not gospel but a sales pitch.
Click to expand...

Have used it on boots and holsters for decades... bag-n-bake.

"pore clogging goop," means you did it wrong.

It goes where the oil goes, and stays long after the oil is gone.

...and it prevents the leather from getting wet.

Simple.




GR
 
I'm not a professional leather restorer, but there are many good ideas here. I have made several special-order, fitted leather holsters. There is no wax or oil, animal or vegetable based, that will allow a piece of leather to be formed into any shape. Hot44 is only asking how to make a dried piece of leather soft enough to use. Having been born and raised on a working cattle ranch in Oklahoma, the only thing my dad ever used was saddle soap. His dad was a muleskinner in France during WWI. Guess what the US Military order was? "the use of saddle soap will be for all leather products". I am not a professional holster restorer, but I have revived a few ' rode-wet-and-put away to dry ' pieces of good leather with saddle soap. Oh, yes. You don't use a lot of water. Just spit on a cloth and go to work.
 
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What do you mean no oil will allow leather to be formed into shape?

Saddle soap is just that, soap. It is not a conditioner and will only further dry leather out.
 
There are leather boots, leather saddles, leather bridles, leather holsters, leather knife sheaths, and leather rifle slings. I maintain all of these leather items. Do I use the same leather treatment on all of these? That would certainly be a very bad idea in my experience.

What I use on a boot, bridle, or rifle sling, is certainly not the same thing I am going to use on a high dollar holster that I have waited months to get. And I have a few of these holsters.
 
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