Everything, Leather
Aged Leather Holster
Sep
I do like experimenting with leather projects in my free time. Sometimes it can take a little kick in the butt for me to get a project started at home after a long day’s work in the leather workshop. What this does for me, creating things that aren’t for sale and just for fun, it gives me a bit more artistic freedom. It allows me to challenge myself with new leatherworking techniques and processes. My latest thing has been to keep creating the same leather gun holster over and over, but each time my goal is to improve some things about it.
I have come a long way since I first wrote this post. If you would like to see the current holsters I make in the shop, and possibly buy one for yourself – check out all holster options here.
On this holster I wanted to improve my stamping ability, as well as leather dyeing techniques, and the ageing process. I’ve made three holsters so far and each time the stamps come out just a little better than the last time. I picked a simple pattern to re-create and certainly helps a lot. When dyeing, I decided to try a spray gun technique and layer on different amounts of light dye overlapped with darker dyes. I think I still have a ways to go to get the effect I was aiming for. As for ageing, there’s a lot of fun ways to do that to a leather item. You can use hot water, sandpaper, nails, concrete, oils, and much more to make the piece look like it has had a full life. I think my next project will be an aged looking gun belt to match the holster, then…repeat!
If you’re making something out of leather at home, let me know in the comments below, and feel free to ask any questions.
Cheers!
Mr. Lentz
Have a beautiful 1936 Japanese Nambu pistol. Had to settle for a reproduction holster because of cost for an original. I like the “aging” of you cowboy holster and would like to achieve similar results for this new reproduction holster to give it a “1936” or “WWII” look. Your suggestions? Thanks and stay safe.
Hi Brenton, it’s hard to say for your specific holster and type of leather used in it. In mine I use vegetable tanned leather, which is very versatile in how you can alter it. To age the holster, it helps to have some good reference images to work from – a few old holster photos perhaps. From there typically you can beat it up a bit. Rub it into the ground, push rocks and git into it to give subtle impressions. Leaving in the sun usually will darken it slowly. On another holster, I dipped it in boiling water…but it is not recommended unless you want a cracked look. It may also shrink the holster slightly. You may try pouring boiling water over specific areas to create that look instead. Other than that, bend it a bit and smooth sand it around any edges that may normally get ‘bumped’ into things over the years. Good luck!