Bear Grease

SteelChickenShooter · December 12, 2012, 07:54 PM

Any adverse side effects to rubbing the Bear Grease brand leather dressing inside a "Hunter" brand holster? Right or wrong, my thinking is along the line of "ball glove" dressing- you know, something to make new, stiff leather more supple. And I like to darken the color of the unfinished edges as well as the inside. There is the problem. I don't and will not always wear this holster, so it will not break-in like normal. It will sit unused all year long until a few weeks for deer hunting comes along. The firearm is a stainless Ruger with a Hogue rubber grip upgrade. What do you guys say about spreading the conditioner inside the stiff, new leather holster? My guess is that it would be Ok. Since it's stainless steel, I'd expect any sort of oil or wax substance could readily be wiped off.
Your Toughts?

edfrompa · December 14, 2012, 07:05 PM

Don't use any grease or oil. Put your pistol in a plastic bag and then place it in your holster. Leave it their overnight, and when you are not wearing your holster. This should break in your holster normally.

BarryLee · December 15, 2012, 12:30 AM

Actually you want your holster to maintain a firm shape to properly hold the gun. There have been instances where a “supple” holster resulted in unintended discharge of the gun. There was a post on this forum where the holster bent or buckled or something and activated the trigger.

johnwilliamson062 · December 15, 2012, 01:20 AM

Isn't bear grease(and all fat based oils/greases) corrosive?

redneck · December 15, 2012, 07:28 AM

I agree that you don't want to soften the holster, it needs to be stiff for retention. The above mentioned trick with the plastic bag should help the fit.

You can use this stuff from Tandy Leather to darken the edges, just have to be careful applying it.

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/e.../2225-122.aspx

Kreyzhorse · December 15, 2012, 09:22 AM

You do not want your holster soft and supple. The stiffness of the holster is what you need for proper retention.

Your holster will loosen up. Put your gun in it and let it sit for a few days. You can also wear it around the house for a few days too and that will help speed up the process.

Do not put any type of leather conditioner on your holster. While it might make it softer, it breaks down the fibers in the leather. This is not something you want.

SteelChickenShooter · December 15, 2012, 02:02 PM

Yeah, that Edge Kote looks good. All I want is to have the new dry holster look a little more worn and used than it is. I know about wearing a holster around the house for a while. I do that with other products but this Ruger is too big for doing that.
Bear is a tradename leather dressing grease and it's used for softening, preserving, and water-proofing hunting and work boots.
When first inserted, the Ruger was too long so the strap could not close. The holster was so stiff, the rear sights snagged. I had to flex the holster top quite a bit to make room for the rear sights to clear. After that I could shove that big 44 deeper to make the strap snap closed.
I like the idea of wrapping the revolver. I'll wrap some plastic around the back end so that rear sight can push the leather away leaving some sort of small gap. Thanks for the tips.

**4V50 Gary** · December 15, 2012, 02:52 PM

SteelChickenShooter - thanks for the info on Bear Grease. I read that as grease from a bear like that used in the old days of muzzle loading guns.

December 12, 2012, 07:54 PM	#1
SteelChickenShooter Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Posts: 863	Bear Grease Any adverse side effects to rubbing the Bear Grease brand leather dressing inside a "Hunter" brand holster? Right or wrong, my thinking is along the line of "ball glove" dressing- you know, something to make new, stiff leather more supple. And I like to darken the color of the unfinished edges as well as the inside. There is the problem. I don't and will not always wear this holster, so it will not break-in like normal. It will sit unused all year long until a few weeks for deer hunting comes along. The firearm is a stainless Ruger with a Hogue rubber grip upgrade. What do you guys say about spreading the conditioner inside the stiff, new leather holster? My guess is that it would be Ok. Since it's stainless steel, I'd expect any sort of oil or wax substance could readily be wiped off. Your Toughts?

December 15, 2012, 12:30 AM	#3
BarryLee Senior Member Join Date: July 29, 2010 Location: The ATL (OTP) Posts: 3,946	Actually you want your holster to maintain a firm shape to properly hold the gun. There have been instances where a “supple” holster resulted in unintended discharge of the gun. There was a post on this forum where the holster bent or buckled or something and activated the trigger. __________________ A major source of objection to a free economy is precisely that it ... gives people what they want instead of what a particular group thinks they ought to want. Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself. - Milton Friedman

December 15, 2012, 07:28 AM	#5
redneck Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2001 Location: Ohio Posts: 364	I agree that you don't want to soften the holster, it needs to be stiff for retention. The above mentioned trick with the plastic bag should help the fit. You can use this stuff from Tandy Leather to darken the edges, just have to be careful applying it. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/e.../2225-122.aspx __________________ Fix it right the first time... Use Baling Wire !

December 15, 2012, 09:22 AM	#6
Kreyzhorse Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2006 Location: NKY Posts: 12,463	You do not want your holster soft and supple. The stiffness of the holster is what you need for proper retention. Your holster will loosen up. Put your gun in it and let it sit for a few days. You can also wear it around the house for a few days too and that will help speed up the process. Do not put any type of leather conditioner on your holster. While it might make it softer, it breaks down the fibers in the leather. This is not something you want. __________________ "He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson

December 15, 2012, 02:52 PM	#8
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,829	SteelChickenShooter - thanks for the info on Bear Grease. I read that as grease from a bear like that used in the old days of muzzle loading guns. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

December 14, 2012, 07:05 PM	#2
edfrompa Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 1999 Posts: 335	Don't use any grease or oil. Put your pistol in a plastic bag and then place it in your holster. Leave it their overnight, and when you are not wearing your holster. This should break in your holster normally.

December 15, 2012, 01:20 AM	#4
johnwilliamson062 Junior member Join Date: May 16, 2008 Posts: 9,995	Isn't bear grease(and all fat based oils/greases) corrosive?

December 15, 2012, 02:02 PM	#7
SteelChickenShooter Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Posts: 863	Yeah, that Edge Kote looks good. All I want is to have the new dry holster look a little more worn and used than it is. I know about wearing a holster around the house for a while. I do that with other products but this Ruger is too big for doing that. Bear is a tradename leather dressing grease and it's used for softening, preserving, and water-proofing hunting and work boots. When first inserted, the Ruger was too long so the strap could not close. The holster was so stiff, the rear sights snagged. I had to flex the holster top quite a bit to make room for the rear sights to clear. After that I could shove that big 44 deeper to make the strap snap closed. I like the idea of wrapping the revolver. I'll wrap some plastic around the back end so that rear sight can push the leather away leaving some sort of small gap. Thanks for the tips.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search