Finally, one for Larry

[Lane]

OK - before I left town, I was able to get it finished.

Once it dries from the we molding I oiled it thoroughly with Neetsfoot oil, then let it dry for a day. Now it's time to take care of the edges. In my opinion, the quality of a piece is determined by the stitching and the edge finish. I try to put some extra effort on these parts.

We go to the drill press with this nifty little edge slicking tool (I need a new one, this one is worn out...). I've found that the best slicking solution is spit. Seriously. But that's not really practical, so I usually wet the edges with a damp sponge and then start slicking. To get the edges the way I like usually takes about 30 minutes per holster.

With the different profiles in the spindle - some of which I've carved to meet my needs, I can get to most of the surfaces:

Once the edges are nice and smooth and even, I apply a couple of coats of Edge Kote - in this case brown:

...and let it dry. Once it's dry (about a day) I give it a couple of coats of Resolene. I've found I like to use m Resolene cut with water 50/50. The resolene is what gives it a bit of a smell and feel a bit sticky initially. Both go away with a little time.

In these pictures, the finish looks a bit mottled - this is from the grain of the leather soaking up the finish at different rates. After it's completely dried, it should look pretty nice.

When I get back home, I'll box 'er up and off it goes to it's new home.

Lane