Holster leather care

[Aces and Eights]

Holsters cost more than some guns. What are your tips and tricks or standards you use to keep your holsters and the leather good? Pay 300-500 for a great rig and you see a million adds on the special product that will clean your holster, your house and spay you dog all at the same time. Just send 19.95 and your leather will last longer than Cleopatra's sexual legacy.

Clean it, good saddle soap, and enough, stop? Magic goo to keep it good forever? Nothing?  Super duper good stuff known by only the knowing? Inside never, outside sometimes, etc.

Any leather experts out there? Right now, I just leave the expensive rig with nothing, and maybe that is good???

[gophergrease]

Good leather should not need anything other than saddle soaped  a few times a year. If you are in a very dry climate you may need to give it a light treatment with mink or nedsfoot oil. Best bet is to ask the maker for there recommendations.

[Silver Creek Slim]

Whatcha do it kill a gopher and smear its grease all over it. 

Seriously, I use Neatsfoot oil on my rig when it looks dry. I use Pecards shoe care or milk oil on my boots after I get the dirt off with a wet rag. I try to stay away from saddle soap because it takes the oils off of the leather.

Slim

[Aces and Eights]

Whatcha do it kill a gopher and smear its grease all over it. 

My gophers are shot with a Mach IV, .17 20 grain going 4000+ fps. There is nothing left to smear. 

[Sixshooter_45]

Iv'e always used Dr. Jackson's Legendary Leather Care and have had good luck with it. It is also sold on Circle KB Holster site,http://www.circlekb.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=CKCG/PROD/books/21975-00, and they make some fine holsters.

[Tommy tornado]

Balistol ain't bad for leather either according to the package.  I have used it without an issue.  However I don't use a ton of it.  Just a bit on a soft cloth.

[litl rooster]

[

Good leather should not need anything other than saddle soaped  a few times a year. If you are in a very dry climate you may need to give it a light treatment with mink or nedsfoot oil. Best bet is to ask the maker for there recommendations.

I agee with the saddle soap, paste or bar type with a damp sponge (I use a sea sponge) Sunlight will darken leather faster than water just like our skin.  During the rainy wet snowy months I use a light coat of Ray Holes saddle butter on all my leather ...all... being the key word. It is all natural and repells the excess water..I've got more $$$ tied up in my saddles and tack than I do gun leather and have to depend on it daily. This is what I do.  Neetsfoot according to some will rot your stiching out, I have no facts to back that up neither do the nay sayers. It is important to put a light coat on new leather but may darken it.  If you are tring to lighten the color try using some bleach in the water it will help.

[Badlands Walker]

I let mine go & not clean them at all.  I figure the older they look, the better they look.  Just my .02 cents.

[The Arapaho Kid]

For my leather goods (including my bullwhip) I use Pecard Leather Dressing.  This comes from Green Bay, Wisconsin.  It's a thick, pasty material and it takes a lot of rubbing to get it into the leather, but it is the best stuff you can put on your leather.  It protects and waterproofs.  I recommend this to anyone.

[jiminy criquet]

I like to keep it simple.  For smooth cowhide its saddle soap to clean, and mink oil to protect.  For buffalo hide you just leave it be, as I haven't seen anything that works worth a d*mn on that stuff.  For suede....lord only knows...they make all manner of silicone sprays, and a brush.

[The Arapaho Kid]

I like to keep it simple.  For smooth cowhide its saddle soap to clean, and mink oil to protect.  For buffalo hide you just leave it be, as I haven't seen anything that works worth a d*mn on that stuff.  For suede....lord only knows...they make all manner of silicone sprays, and a brush.

For suede.....a small wire brush will take care of a lot of dirt marks.  Don't know anything about silicone sprays for this.

[Drifter]

I use some Ballistol a few times a year.  Spray some on my boots and use a rag to work it in.  My holsters and rig the same.  If there's a chance of rain on shoot day, I make sure I apply more, as Ballistol is a farly good waterproofer.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I don't like to put oils on my hosters as they are usually one thickness of leather and will loose their shape with too much neatsfoot oil or such. A simple sadle soap seems to work best.

[Slowhand Bob]

I have been using neetsfoot oil for some thirty odd years and trust it through experience.  My guess would be that many of the museum pieces that appear in the great book PACKING IRON used neetsfoot oil in their construction (100+ yrs ago).  I do understand different people having different preferences in products but do not understand the reason for making statements that can be generally disproven as easily as proven concerning products like neetsfoot oil.  The Ballistol I have only been using about three years now and consider it to early for me to recommend but so far no problem.  If the wrag I use for wiping the leather down feels in the least oily, I think it has too much.

[laffalotlouie]

Whatcha do it kill a gopher and smear its grease all over it. 

My gophers are shot with a Mach IV, .17 20 grain going 4000+ fps. There is nothing left to smear. 

Aces,

But they do leave a nice grease spot when taken that way.

Laff-a-lot Louie

[Camille Eonich]

I've been told by leather workers that neatsfoot oil would soften the leather.  I don't want my holsters soft.   I have also been told not to use mink oil on leather because it will rot the leather and the threads.

[Rap Scallion]

Along with all of this great advice, keep this in mind.  Leather is a product that starts degeneration the minute it comes off that critter.  No amount of snake oil or TLC will stop that, slow it down a bit, but when leather starts coming apart it's time to think about a new rig. 

Leather is a great medium to work in and provides a nice way of carrying pistols and a lots of other cowboy things, but it is a terminal product, and it is gonna come to an end somewhere along the trail.

[LazyK Pejay]

I don't think I will live long enough for it to be a problem

LazyK Pejay

[Steel Horse Bailey]

This advice is from a friend who crafts saddles for a living; several of his customers are World Champs at "Reiner" and a couple other events.

The traditional method (that doesn't use neatsfoot oil for those who don't like the stuff) is to use Olive Oil about once a year unless you wear it a lot and it gets weathered.  Age softens and tends to darken leather when about ANY oil is used.  At least the first time it's used.

He also says that Lexol is very good (but doesn't go well on your salad!).