OT-Holster Care

ejc · Post by **ejc** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:18 pm

I used to use neatsfoot oil on my holsters to keep them in good shape. A few yeasrs ago I bought an El Paso Saddlery rig and don't want to use neatsfoot oil on it because of a fear that it will darken the leather. I E-mailed EPS to ask what they recommend and it is Snow Proof. LIving in the south you can't find that product on the shelf. Shipping is two to three times the cost of the product and it is for smooth leather only. The belt of my rig is rough side out.

Since I started wearing cowboy boots on a daily basis I have been taking care of them with a delicate boot cream. I'm thinking of just using that product on my holsters.

What do you guys think and what do you use on your holsters?

BlaineCGarverakaTubbyTuba · Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:48 pm

You prolly don't have snoproof, but you'll have a dozen leather balms and waterproofers.........I think all of them are going to darken your leather to one extant or another...... Perhaps your delicate cream is best?

rimrock · Post by **rimrock** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:54 pm

olive oil from the kitchen won't rot the stitching or discolor the leather. I oil my holster by soaking an old sock in the oil, stuffing it into the holster with the holster standing in a paper plate leaning against something.

rangerider7 · Post by **rangerider7** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:13 pm

I like saddle soap the best. I dampen an old white sock ring it out then apply the saddle soap. Let it dry, then buff it off with the other sock.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 8:45 pm

I have used Lexol on my Ozark Saddles and it has performed well. I would think it would work fine for gun leather.

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:37 pm

I was told by a boot shop man to use Lexol on my leather. I've done so and it seems to work fine. No undue discoloration and the leather is not drying out and cracking.

Joe

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 10:37 pm

Mink oil won't change the color like neats foot oil will.

Rusty <><

Levergun · Post by **Levergun** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 10:01 am

Just about anything you put on rough out leather is going to darken the leather. Rough out is difficult to take care of because that is the flesh side and work like a sponge!

Lexol is good, Olive oil is good and used before Neatsfoot oil came out back in the day. Mink oil is good as well. But any oil applied to a rig will darken the leather over time. No matter what you do, the UV sun rays are going to darken your leather anyway. The oil just helps it along.

I only use saddle soap on the initial cleaning of a dirty leather product, but do not treat my leather with it. It is a wax and it will dry out your leather if not applied on a regular basis.

Leather is very durable and as long as you are not getting it wet all the time and it is being used and taken care of from the eliments, you should only have to treat your leather once a year or so.

I thnk the biggest mistake folks make is they use too much oil. I use neatsfoot oil because it penitrates fast! So just a light coat rubbed in to the leather is all you need. Most of the time it will apply dark in color, but if you go easy and light, the oil will spread out in the leather and not change the color much at all.

Again, go light, little bits at a time and do not get excited when it goes on dark. Give a day and let the oil do its job and it will be just fine. As mentioned, olive oil is a good substitute for neatsfoot oil and less expensive.

Pepe Ray · Post by **Pepe Ray** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 10:54 am

This question gets asked a lot.
Levergun's post should be a sticky or by some other means made available for reference.
Leather may not be going out of style but, understanding it and it's maintainence is a dieing art.
The function that a leather item performs dictates the type of care it gets.
For instance a cowboy holster or climbing boots require a beeswax based balm whereas a baseball glove is good with an oil based rub.
Pepe Ray

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:05 am

Will a coat of olive oil work on a brand new rig without hurting anything?
It sounds like an old squeaky door when I put it on and walk around.

Levergun · Post by **Levergun** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:07 am

My Cowboy holsters are not used for cowboy shooting. They are my hunting rigs and I like to use oil becasue it keeps them soft. I can wear them on a hunt all day and not notice they are on.

If you have fancy stiff cowboy shooting rigs, then soft is probably not what you want. Todays cowboy action guys rarely actually shoot and wear leather like it was back in the day. We actually loos sight of what the cowboy actually did and wore because of the movies.

Quick draw back in the day was measured by who was still standing after the shots were fired. Not in splits of seconds by a time piece of today. The holster rigs of today are designed to look good and western and provide a quick draw affect.

So yes, we need two types of leather care for the applications as mentioned.

Levergun · Post by **Levergun** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:12 am

casastahle wrote:Will a coat of olive oil work on a brand new rig without hurting anything?
It sounds like an old squeaky door when I put it on and walk around.

If you have a quality rig, olive oil will work fine. As I said, do it sparingly and take your time. Apply a little and work it into the leather and wait a day before adding more. Also, leather on holster rigs is just like a new pare of cowboy boots and leather hunting boots. You have to break them in. The more you wear it, the better it will form to your person and the light application of oil will make the squeek go away.

Like I said though, if you have rough out on your rig, the oil will permanently darken the rough out!

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:21 am

Thanks,
This rig is for hunting, so I really need to soften it and chase those
annoying squeaks out of it.

Cimarron Red · Post by **Cimarron Red** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:45 pm

My leather guy, Dennis Yoder Custom Leather of Hamburg, Pa.,

http://www.yodercustomleather.com/

recommends Lexol. I've been using it for more than 10 years on my CAS leather. Works well.

ejc · Post by **ejc** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:38 am

Thanks for all the comments. It appears that there are a lot of products that will work satisfactory.

I put some delicate boot cream on my rig last night and it hasn't darkened the leather.

I have two pair of Lizard skin boots that are more likely to dry out and crack that other skins and the delicate boot cream has kept them soft and looking good. I think I will stick with the boot cream for a while.

cshold · Post by **cshold** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:08 am

I did the olive oil thing last evening.
Used the extra extra virgin olive oil.
Used a paint brush and loaded it on the belt and holster.
Worked it into all the nooks and crannies.
Let it soak for about 10 min.
Then wiped it down real good with a 100% cotton towel.

Note: This definitely does darken the leather.
This picture is the look I was going for. (got it

)

[img][img]http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l308/ ... Bisley.jpg[/img][/img]

Levergun · Post by **Levergun** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 10:44 am

Good deal and thanks for the report!!

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:29 pm

So, does one coat the unfinished(rough) side of the leather with Olive Oil, Lexol, or similar leather conditioner? It would seem that the leather would "drink" from that side a bunch better but people don't usually mess with it.

Levergun · Post by **Levergun** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:43 pm

Cash you are right. Watch out for how much you put on the flesh side of the leather. It will drink it up a leach through to the tanned side and ruin you rig. Always oil from the outside in.

The TWS is like a coating. It is not a penitrative type of treatment. It goes on a dries.