Shoe polish and mink oil...?
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Highland Ranger
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I'll need to ask why . . . . using it on the holster?
No, not using it on a holster. I've made a set of leather grips for my pistol. Part of my brainstorming was deciding whether or not I needed a noncorrosive-type backing on them as they sit against the frame.
If not, I'm just polishing them up with brown leather shoe polish (gives a great color), and then soaking them up with mink oil.
This is all work in progress, trial and error, etc. So, I jut wanted to check and see if I need to adjust my plans. I am making a holster too, but just tossing ideas around for other items.
On the subject of holster, I am curious if I should line the holster with anything, or leave it raw/dye/treat it.
If not, I'm just polishing them up with brown leather shoe polish (gives a great color), and then soaking them up with mink oil.
This is all work in progress, trial and error, etc. So, I jut wanted to check and see if I need to adjust my plans. I am making a holster too, but just tossing ideas around for other items.
On the subject of holster, I am curious if I should line the holster with anything, or leave it raw/dye/treat it.
Preacherman
Member
Well, if you're using mink oil, why not go the whole hog and trim them in mink fur? 
My husband is allergic to cats, and while not a cat, the mink has plenty of hair. Then again, if he's allergic to the grips, that'll keep him away from my guns
enfield, I've always just used shoe polish on my boots. Dad never used mink on his boots, so we never did on ours. Mink oil is something my husband picked up from his dad, so he uses it on his boots all the time. So, that's where the idea of mink oil came from. I don't necessarily need it I guess, as I don't plan on shooting underwater or anything like that
The leather is 7/8oz so it's fairly sturdy, especially doubled up.
Sure thing. On the DIY Leather Holster thread I have my initial pair pictured there, mainly critiquing my horrid punching and stitching job This first set will be pretty rough, but I picked up a few things that I will do differently for the next set, which will hopefully come out prettier These first ones will be my beater/R&D set. I'm still figuring out what tools I can use here at the house that'll give me the cuts I need on the leather. I've never worked with it before so I gotta get my jive down.
Once I get my grips squared away and all the big bugs out of the woodwork, I'm going to make a set for the SA GI. I'm hoping to eventually start putting in grip patterns. That will take more practice, not to mention little by little collecting tools to do the job easier and nicer. The thing I have on my side is time. My husband is fixin' to leave on deployment again, so I should be able to punch out all kinds of goodies in my "spare time"
The main reason I started grips (already had holster materials on the way) is a while back looking for a set for my Cheetah 86 (which came with walnut grips, pretty nice), I pretty much found nothing except for Beretta's cheap chincy plastic ones. I was hoping for some nice comfy workhorse rubber grips, but no avail.
This first set will be pretty rough, but I picked up a few things that I will do differently for the next set, which will hopefully come out prettier These first ones will be my beater/R&D set. I'm still figuring out what tools I can use here at the house that'll give me the cuts I need on the leather. I've never worked with it before so I gotta get my jive down.Once I get my grips squared away and all the big bugs out of the woodwork, I'm going to make a set for the SA GI. I'm hoping to eventually start putting in grip patterns. That will take more practice, not to mention little by little collecting tools to do the job easier and nicer. The thing I have on my side is time. My husband is fixin' to leave on deployment again, so I should be able to punch out all kinds of goodies in my "spare time"
The main reason I started grips (already had holster materials on the way) is a while back looking for a set for my Cheetah 86 (which came with walnut grips, pretty nice), I pretty much found nothing except for Beretta's cheap chincy plastic ones. I was hoping for some nice comfy workhorse rubber grips, but no avail.
I'd recomend against mink oil for leather. A friend that was in shoe repair told me that it tends to rot the stitching, and isn't that good for the leather. She recomended "sno-seal", it's a beeswax product, and seems to be pretty neutral on leather and stitching, and does make my boots (Red wing Loggers) last noticably longer.
A friend that makes holsters for a living uses Neatsfoot oil on them when done. Not a regular soaking or anything, but enough to treat the leather and help preserve it from moisture and drying out. I've used neatsfoot on holsters and have no complaints. Guess I used it maybe every 5 years or so. Not enough to make them too soft. The lining question has folks on both sides. Some say it protects the gun finish, some say it holds as much grit as the flesh side of the holster body and doesn't make any real differnce. I've had both lined and unlined, I don't get excited about lined either way.
Most leather workers use a leather dye to color the leather. I thnk it holds up better than polish. Do you ahve a local tandy Leather store, or a saddle shop around?
There was a guy in Arizona years ago that made suede covered 1911 grips. Seemed pretty popular, and felt pretty good.
A friend that makes holsters for a living uses Neatsfoot oil on them when done. Not a regular soaking or anything, but enough to treat the leather and help preserve it from moisture and drying out. I've used neatsfoot on holsters and have no complaints. Guess I used it maybe every 5 years or so. Not enough to make them too soft. The lining question has folks on both sides. Some say it protects the gun finish, some say it holds as much grit as the flesh side of the holster body and doesn't make any real differnce. I've had both lined and unlined, I don't get excited about lined either way.
Most leather workers use a leather dye to color the leather. I thnk it holds up better than polish. Do you ahve a local tandy Leather store, or a saddle shop around?
There was a guy in Arizona years ago that made suede covered 1911 grips. Seemed pretty popular, and felt pretty good.
Most people that are allergic to cats are actually allergic to cat dander, which is dried-up flakes of cat spit that gets on their fur from licking themselves constantly. So whether the hide is furry or not shouldn't matter with regards to allergies.
I've read good things about Neatsfoot oil. I've also heard that Lexol is good for conditioning leather too, yes? no? We do have Lexol Conditioner (and Cleaner) in the house since the truck has leather seats, they get a little love now and again too.
I'm leaning away from the mink oil for the most part. If polish and oil conditioner works fine, no need for mink on the grips. The grips pictured in the DIY thread, one was treated with a layer or two of Kiwi brown shoe polish. The thread was prewaxed (part of the kit).
For the holster lining, I didn't really want to put anything in there, mainly cause it was more work If the raw fuzzy side of the leather is fine, then that's what I'll stick with. I've heard that suede is bad for some gun finishes, as the suede is chrome tanned. It will also collect dirt dust and grime and start acting like sandpaper. I guess for grips though that would be fine
The issue I haven't addressed yet on the holster is the dye/color. I figured I'd get it all together the way I like it before I go adding another element to the mix.
That's true. We have a black lab and he sheds like crazy and my husband is fine with him in the house. The hair comment was more for comical effect than anything else
I'm leaning away from the mink oil for the most part. If polish and oil conditioner works fine, no need for mink on the grips. The grips pictured in the DIY thread, one was treated with a layer or two of Kiwi brown shoe polish. The thread was prewaxed (part of the kit).
For the holster lining, I didn't really want to put anything in there, mainly cause it was more work
If the raw fuzzy side of the leather is fine, then that's what I'll stick with. I've heard that suede is bad for some gun finishes, as the suede is chrome tanned. It will also collect dirt dust and grime and start acting like sandpaper. I guess for grips though that would be fine The issue I haven't addressed yet on the holster is the dye/color. I figured I'd get it all together the way I like it before I go adding another element to the mix.
That's true. We have a black lab and he sheds like crazy and my husband is fine with him in the house. The hair comment was more for comical effect than anything else
Some leather looks good just with a neatsfoot oil finish. A dyed finish will probably hold up better than polish. ( I added something to my previous post above) Beware that dye tends to be darker than it looks in the bottle. Take a scrap of your holster material if you can when buying dye, and maybe some Q-tips.
I've used Lexol for treatment later on, but would probably tend toward the neatsfoot for a new holster.
Some Barges glue will help hold the seam and welt in place while you stitch it. A burnishing tool (looks like a plastic bobbin) makes the edges look nice, they cost a couple dollars maybe. An "overstitch" tool, helps lay out evenly spaced stitches. It is a handle with a smalll spiked wheel. I make my holes to stitch with a small awl,(sold as a "scratch awl")A small cake of beeswax from the leather tools supplier is handy too. The pre-waxed stuff can lose some of it's coating fron handling, particularly the second half of your run.
I've used Lexol for treatment later on, but would probably tend toward the neatsfoot for a new holster.
Some Barges glue will help hold the seam and welt in place while you stitch it. A burnishing tool (looks like a plastic bobbin) makes the edges look nice, they cost a couple dollars maybe. An "overstitch" tool, helps lay out evenly spaced stitches. It is a handle with a smalll spiked wheel. I make my holes to stitch with a small awl,(sold as a "scratch awl")A small cake of beeswax from the leather tools supplier is handy too. The pre-waxed stuff can lose some of it's coating fron handling, particularly the second half of your run.
The nearest Tandy is in Tacoma, which is about 3-4 hours away from here. I'll order online if I couldn't find anything locally, which is normally the case here in the island.
I have been reading some leather/holster threads on pistolsmith.com. The general concensus there was the Feibings (sp?) dye was overrated and bled a lot. The dye that was liked was ProDye. They also liked Barge for gluing pieces together. I've been using rubber cement from Ace and it's worked alright. If it starts giving my trouble, I'll look for Barge.
The thread I used was prewaxed. I got the Hand Stitching Kit from Tandy and it came with the stitching book, groover, overstitch wheel, waxed thread, awl & 4 blades, needles and hunk of beeswax. I did notice my thread would lose wax, so I'd recoat with beeswax, especially the higher stressed areas at the needle eye and thread end.
I'll try out my dye options with the scrap leather I have. I'm pretty much tossing all those errant pieces into a box, you never know when you can use it, but testing out tools and colors is perfect.
I have been reading some leather/holster threads on pistolsmith.com. The general concensus there was the Feibings (sp?) dye was overrated and bled a lot. The dye that was liked was ProDye. They also liked Barge for gluing pieces together. I've been using rubber cement from Ace and it's worked alright. If it starts giving my trouble, I'll look for Barge.
The thread I used was prewaxed. I got the Hand Stitching Kit from Tandy and it came with the stitching book, groover, overstitch wheel, waxed thread, awl & 4 blades, needles and hunk of beeswax. I did notice my thread would lose wax, so I'd recoat with beeswax, especially the higher stressed areas at the needle eye and thread end.
I'll try out my dye options with the scrap leather I have. I'm pretty much tossing all those errant pieces into a box, you never know when you can use it, but testing out tools and colors is perfect.
Good luck. Get us a picture or two when you're done.
Oh, almost forgot, a skiving tool(?) is handy. Maybe I'm not using the right word, but it's like a tiny 2 tined fork that removes a very thin piece from the "square" edge left when you cut the leather. The space between the tines is sharp and cuts the little square edge off. Helps make a nice edge along with the burnishing tool. A buddy puts a 1/4" x 3 or 4" bolt through his burnishing tool and runs it in his drill press. Makes a very nice edge finish.
Oh, almost forgot, a skiving tool(?) is handy. Maybe I'm not using the right word, but it's like a tiny 2 tined fork that removes a very thin piece from the "square" edge left when you cut the leather. The space between the tines is sharp and cuts the little square edge off. Helps make a nice edge along with the burnishing tool. A buddy puts a 1/4" x 3 or 4" bolt through his burnishing tool and runs it in his drill press. Makes a very nice edge finish.
Standing Wolf
Member in memoriam
Leather isn't a good thing to place in prolonged contact with steel: the acids it's tanned with can ruin bluing and stain stainless steel.
I guess that depends on the climate. I've had several pistols in holsters for about as long as I've owned them, (up to 25 years) and haven't had any rust from the leather. This has been in Northern Az and Wyoming. Pretty dry climate.
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