more questions on finish techniques.

[knucklehead]

question for the masses that use evoo and skidmores cream for a finish.

i understand that you want to put the oils back into the leather after finish stamping/tooling, wet molding it.
but what i dont understand is using skidmores cream for a finish.

i read the directions on the bottle and it says that it softens the leather back up.
if this is the case how do you keep your holsters to retain their shape after you use this cream?

this is why i use neat lac because i does not soften the leather back up it just seals it.

i would think after reading that skidmores cream says it softens up the leather, that my holster would not retain its shape 100% and i would have to keep a tennis ball in holster when i put them away.

unless i am just thinking too much.

let me know what your experiances are on this question....

thanks

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Knucklehead


       Your thinking too much, sure if you were to keep putting Skidmores Leather Cream on to the excess it would soften the leather too much, but you don't want to do this if you're using it as a finish. after you have wet molded your gun to your holster and THROUGHLY LET IT DRY, it will be plenty Stiff, AND IT SHOULD STAY THAT WAY, you can now put some Lexoil ( as a conditioner ) on the leather not heavy and on  both sides, let that dry now you just need to put on a couple light coats of EVOO and let DRY between coats, then finish with Skidmores..... I have done several holsters this way and NONE of them have lost their shape because of using EVOO or SKIDMORES LEATHER CREAM...
      If you have doubts try it on a piece of scrap leather, the same leather your going to use for your holster, wet it shape it let it dry throughly, put some LEXOIL on, just a little goes a long way, let it dry, then two light coats of EVOO let it dry between coats and after it is throughly dry , put two coats of SKIDMORES ON DRYING BETWEEN COATS, and then buff to a nice shine. if you didn't want to use EVOO, you can also use NEATSFOOT OIL.
     There are are a lot of ways to finish your leather, this is just one, and so far it has been the one I like the best, it looks good and it's all NATURAL. 



                                                       tEN wOLVES

[cowboywc]

TW
You said that very well.
Skidmores is made to soften old dried out leather, but it takes many many repeated coats.
The Bees wax in it makes a real good finish with one or two coats.
WC

[knucklehead]

Thanks everyone for explaining this to me.

i will have to use some olive oil and skidmores cream on my next holster.

gonna have to give it a try