First holsters try

[Navy Six]

Hope the picture is attached correctly(my first attempt at that too). Anyway, this is my first attempt at holster making. Yes, I copied the general design from a commercial offering but these are shortened and for a pair of Walkers. Really enjoyed the process and can tell already how I could improve on the next pair.

[Captainkirk]

Those came out excellent!

[Miguel Loco]

Those look great! I really enjoy making holsters too. It's a lot of fun. The more you work with leather, you start to realize why it was so widely used. It's an amazing material. Looking forward to seeing more of your work!

[Hawg]

Those Look good.

[Zulch]

Very nice job Navy Six 

[Marshal Will]

Looking good! Now you're hooked. Holsters can be loads of fun and you never have too many. Nice work on those.

[mike116]

Good work Navy Six.   What black dye did you use?

[Navy Six]

Mike, I used two coats of Fiebing's Pro Dye Black applied heavily with a wool dauber. After drying, two coats of Skidmores all of which I had to(?) apply before the spots and conchos. Just gum tragacanth on the edges.
This was a lot of fun and I believe I will try a few more. I tried to work slowly and kept in mind something I heard Purdy Gear say some years ago when asked about her work, "I sweat the details". Now I know how much work you guys put in on each job!!

[mike116]

You won't go wrong following advice from Karla (of Purdy Gear).
She was/is the best.
I ask about the black dye because sometimes the black will rub off onto clothing.    Usually USMC black dye from Feibings is what I hear complaints about.   Feibings Pro dye has also been mentioned in discussions about color bleeding.    Vinagroon is one way to avoid it but I use Tandy black waterstain when I do black pieces.     It never rubs off or bleeds even with sweaty people.   

[Marshal Will]

For what's worth, I always use vinegaroon. I like the deep black it does compared with any dye I've used. Also, dye can fade out over time where vinegaroon doesn't loose it's rich look.

[Miguel Loco]

For what's worth, I always use vinegaroon. I like the deep black it does compared with any dye I've used. Also, dye can fade out over time where vinegaroon doesn't loose it's rich look.

So how do you make your vinegaroon?

[mike116]

For me Vinagroon is a pain to make and takes up too much space to store.   I got rid of my "pickle tank" years ago.   I only do a couple black pieces a year so it's not worth the trouble for me.

[Marshal Will]

For what's worth, I always use vinegaroon. I like the deep black it does compared with any dye I've used. Also, dye can fade out over time where vinegaroon doesn't loose it's rich look.

So how do you make your vinegaroon?

I take one of those large 0000 steel wool pads and clean the oils out of it with brake cleaner. Then shake out as much of the excess cleaner that I can and I burn off the rest. I put that in a quart of white vinegar. It off gasses so leave the lid loose so it can breathe. In 3 or 4 days it is generally usable. It takes a little while for all the steel wool to disappear but the batch is good for a year or two. It always looks nasty but that doesn't  hurt how it works. The stuff is so effective that you don't need to dunk the piece. Just wipe on a heavy coat. I do both sides. I neutralize the piece with a very mild baking soda rinse. Then I rinse it in plain water. Too much baking soda will burn the leather and make it brittle.

[Hawg]

I take one of those large 0000 steel wool pads and clean the oils out of it with brake cleaner. Then shake out as much of the excess cleaner that I can and I burn off the rest.

The steel wool doesn't burn?

[Marshal Will]

I take one of those large 0000 steel wool pads and clean the oils out of it with brake cleaner. Then shake out as much of the excess cleaner that I can and I burn off the rest.

The steel wool doesn't burn?

It does a little but the steel wool still does the trick. I just don't let it burn away. Maybe the oxidized steel still combines with the vinegar properly. I suppose you could let the cleaner evaporate away and give it a try. The main thing is to get the oils off. In fact, next time I make some, I'll do that to see. It's not like it's an expensive outlay if it doesn't work.