Training leather holsters…

[Wambli Ska]

I’ve gathered a nice collection of classic leather over the last few years. I do hate the very time consuming process of basically waiting for a holster to break in so in order to make them usable immediately they pretty much all get this treatment.

Because they want to make things easier for new owners EPS and other makers are now over softening their leather with oils. Sucks because you get a damned holster that won’t stay open or keep a shape, but it’s easy to holster a gun

So we start with a dunk in warm water for about 5-10 mins until the excess oils these damn makers are LIBERALLY applying to the leather float to the top and the leather is a solid color which means the water has soaked completely through. Then I shake off the excess water.

This one is a new EPS old stock that came in it’s original bag, flat as a pancake!

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You can literally see the film of oil floating in the water.

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At this point it’s too pliable to do much with so I let it dry over a towel for a bit before I start. Learning how much is trial and error. After a while shove in tha gun and start molding whatever features I need into the leather.

For this holster just a small amount if moulding under the cylinder and a nice “funnel to help in drawing and holstering is all I want.

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Then I shove the appropriate belt through, roll it so the belt channel takes its appropriate shape and let it dry. I take the gun in-out a few times and dry any moisture off it. In a few hours when it’s holding the shape I want I’ll take the gun out so it dries from the inside too.

I’ll show the end product tomorrow when it’s done drying.

[Elk Creek]

Nice tutorial! The only thing I would add is once dry buff it with Leather Balm with atom wax. It will protect it and add some softness. I use it on all my leather.

[Wambli Ska]

Great stuff!

[Jayhawker]

Handy bit of information...