Inside holster

[Pappy Hayes]

Just wondering, do you use something to color the inside of the holster or leave it plain? What do you use to color it?

[Cliff Fendley]

Whatever I use to color the outside.

[Trailrider]

On an unlined holster, I just apply the same dye as to the outside.  On a lined holster (I use topgrain cowhide) I may use the same color or, if I am doing a "rollover the top" I may use a different color, such as red or green or even blue, as requested by the customer.  I generally dye the lining before installing it.

[rickk]

Everyone has a preference here. I generally dye the inside as well.

Because it is so rough, the inside will want way more dye than the outside to get the same color density. I don't try for the same color density. I just go over it once and consider the inside done.  Near the edge I will go over it a second time to darken it in case it shows there.

It is sometimes hard to not show the inside 100%, so I do the inside so that it will, at a casual glance, look like the outside. It isn't as dark, it is lighter, but it will pass for having been done. When you look at an edge for instance, sometimes you can see the inside too. If you don't dye the inside, it will look white.

The only reason to not do the inside that I am aware of is to avoid dye bleeding onto your pants or body parts or whatever.

After the dye is dry, I used acrylic sealer. Depending on the look desired, on the top side I either put a couple light loadings of diluted with water sealer (for a non-glossy finish), or I put several coats of diluted acrylic sear to build up a gloss. The back side however gets several coat of very lightly diluted acrylic sealer. I don't care about gloss on the back, I just want to keep the dye put. The sealer helps smooth the inside grain leather a bit as well.

I know I am not sounding definitive here, but I tend to play it by ear and do what I think each individual piece needs to work well.

That's how I do it, and I know darn well that everyone does it different.

Rick

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

  I use my natural dyes, and get good color, and only have to oil it down and I'm done, submerging my leather has been the best thing I've done, I get great color and depth and it gets deep into the leather, and another plus, is , that it doesn't rub off.


                                        tEN wOLVES 

[SGT John Chapman]

Any black military gear was dyed on the face and just around the edge...the back side was dyed in a border as thick as the edge.......usually...

[Skeeter Lewis]

Most holsters originally were left russet. The only holster with a dyed interior in Packing Iron that I can see is a black rig.

When I suntan leather, the inside gets the effect as well - it loses that naked look. It looks a few years old that way. Skeet

[ChuckBurrows]

Any black military gear was dyed on the face and just around the edge...the back side was dyed in a border as thick as the edge.......usually...

with all due respect that depends - some military gear was dyed both sides not just one - all depends on time and place......see Packing Iron for more info one when and where..
Much of the commercial leather was not dyed at all just oiled and over time gained the color we see today due to the oxidation of the oil..............