Loose leather...can it be fixed?

boing · November 11, 2001, 07:35 PM

I currently carry my Sig in an open-top Glaco belt-slide, but it's gotten very loose over the last few months, with hardly any retention left at all. I'm going to a different gun and rig in a couple months, but I'd still like to tighten up this holster if I can.

Can it be done in a quickie, home-brewed fashion? Somebody suggested I soak the leather in water, then let it dry at room temperature. That doesn't sound like a very good idea, but then I dunno...maybe it's brilliant.

Any suggestions?

Jim V · November 11, 2001, 09:27 PM

If Glaco can't help you, you can always try the vacuum food saver trick. I've seen it used at gun shows where a seller of holsters will fit a generic holster to a certain pistol. Dampen the holster with warm water, insert the pistol, place rig and gun in the plastic bag, hook the package to the vacuum sealer and let 'er rip.

fastforty · November 12, 2001, 01:39 AM

Ummmmmmm........

First, how is the holster gonna dry out enough to hold the shape, if it's sealed inside of a plastic bag?

Second, I once glued a liner around the top of the holster for my Blackhawk, to tighten up the fit. Even though Elmer's was applied very thin (I know, why not rubber cement?

), by morning it had soaked through said liner & trashed the bluing on the cylinder. Since then, gun goes in a bag before it goes in the holster for boning.

If your holster has been treated properly, it should repel water. Call the factory & see what advise they offer.

Holster Resource · November 13, 2001, 10:58 AM

Boing, I think that I would check back with the manufacturer on that. Odds are your holster was already treated with water to form to the gun when it was made. The water treatment doesn't work well the second time around. Also like fastforty said, if the holster was properly treated it is going to repel water on the outside (but you can probably get it to take water by working it in - it will eventually get in through the backside). If the stitching is working loose, you could try restitching it with upholstry thread, but I doubt this is the case.

I make my own holsters and use water to form some of my holsters. What the water does is it takes the lanolin out of the leather. The lanolin is what makes leather soft. What happens when you take really hot showers? Your skin gets dryed out, right? Same thing with leather. (This is why hot water works better with this process - the hotter the better.) The bad thing is once the lanolin is gone, it's gone. Resoaking it might get some that was left, but if it was done right the first time, there shouldn't be much left. I hope to have some detailed instructions of this process when the HRC gets up and running, but one tip I will give you is to put your firearm in cling wrap or a balloon before you put it in a wet holster for an extended time. I do this on all firearms, glocks included. Why take a chance?

I would be interested in knowing what kind of wear this holster has been through to make it wear so bad. Maybe you just got a bad holster. What kind of life has it had? Maybe it has been through a lot and deserves to be retired. You know, I am still looking for reviews on holsters for my new site, the Holster Resource Center. A review of this holster would be great. Email me for details on the format if you are interested. Thanks!

************************************
Ronnie L. Shelor
NRA Certified Instructor
Webmaster, Shawnee Hunt Club
Webmaster, Holster Resource Center
************************************
“A man who has attained mastery of an art
reveals it in his every action” - Samurai Maxim
************************************

November 11, 2001, 07:35 PM	#1
boing Senior Member Join Date: December 24, 1998 Location: WNC Posts: 1,072	Loose leather...can it be fixed? I currently carry my Sig in an open-top Glaco belt-slide, but it's gotten very loose over the last few months, with hardly any retention left at all. I'm going to a different gun and rig in a couple months, but I'd still like to tighten up this holster if I can. Can it be done in a quickie, home-brewed fashion? Somebody suggested I soak the leather in water, then let it dry at room temperature. That doesn't sound like a very good idea, but then I dunno...maybe it's brilliant. Any suggestions?

November 11, 2001, 09:27 PM	#2
Jim V Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 1999 Location: SE Michigan - USA Posts: 4,038	If Glaco can't help you, you can always try the vacuum food saver trick. I've seen it used at gun shows where a seller of holsters will fit a generic holster to a certain pistol. Dampen the holster with warm water, insert the pistol, place rig and gun in the plastic bag, hook the package to the vacuum sealer and let 'er rip. __________________ *MOLON LABE* If it ain't metal, single stack & single action, it ain't a 1911 no matter what it looks like. 1911 Forum THE TUBBY CURMUDGEON

November 12, 2001, 01:39 AM	#3
fastforty Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 1999 Location: In a kornfield in kalifornia Posts: 1,161	Ummmmmmm........ First, how is the holster gonna dry out enough to hold the shape, if it's sealed inside of a plastic bag? Second, I once glued a liner around the top of the holster for my Blackhawk, to tighten up the fit. Even though Elmer's was applied very thin (I know, why not rubber cement? ), by morning it had soaked through said liner & trashed the bluing on the cylinder. Since then, gun goes in a bag before it goes in the holster for boning. If your holster has been treated properly, it should repel water. Call the factory & see what advise they offer. __________________ When Banjos are outlawed, only Outlaws will have Banjos The Bible is my lawbook. I turn the other cheek when applicable, and spend the rest of my days resisting evil at every front, until I have breathed my last breath.

November 13, 2001, 10:58 AM	#4
Holster Resource Junior Member Join Date: October 19, 2001 Posts: 4	Boing, I think that I would check back with the manufacturer on that. Odds are your holster was already treated with water to form to the gun when it was made. The water treatment doesn't work well the second time around. Also like fastforty said, if the holster was properly treated it is going to repel water on the outside (but you can probably get it to take water by working it in - it will eventually get in through the backside). If the stitching is working loose, you could try restitching it with upholstry thread, but I doubt this is the case. I make my own holsters and use water to form some of my holsters. What the water does is it takes the lanolin out of the leather. The lanolin is what makes leather soft. What happens when you take really hot showers? Your skin gets dryed out, right? Same thing with leather. (This is why hot water works better with this process - the hotter the better.) The bad thing is once the lanolin is gone, it's gone. Resoaking it might get some that was left, but if it was done right the first time, there shouldn't be much left. I hope to have some detailed instructions of this process when the HRC gets up and running, but one tip I will give you is to put your firearm in cling wrap or a balloon before you put it in a wet holster for an extended time. I do this on all firearms, glocks included. Why take a chance? I would be interested in knowing what kind of wear this holster has been through to make it wear so bad. Maybe you just got a bad holster. What kind of life has it had? Maybe it has been through a lot and deserves to be retired. You know, I am still looking for reviews on holsters for my new site, the Holster Resource Center. A review of this holster would be great. Email me for details on the format if you are interested. Thanks! ********************************** Ronnie L. Shelor NRA Certified Instructor Webmaster, Shawnee Hunt Club Webmaster, Holster Resource Center ******************************** “A man who has attained mastery of an art reveals it in his every action” - Samurai Maxim **********************************