Pancake Holster for a 1 1/8 inch barrel .22 Long Rifle

[Rick_Jorgenson]

Orders for the .22 Long Rifle Model has picked up recently. It's good to see people are carrying them 

Another gun Holster order that has increased in the last couple weeks is the 4 inch Ranger.

This is one of the Long Rifle orders. It stood out from the others so I thought I'd post it to help Uncle_Lee's morning coffee drinking.

Personally I've never been a fan of the Brown Leather w/Brown Thread but lately I have been liking it 

It might be a "phase" I'm going through! lol! Less is more sometimes! 

Questions, Comments, Constructive Criticism are always welcome!  Thanks for looking!

Rick

BTW...
The Grips are from RevisionCV.com 
While shooting a Long Rifle Model the extra length helps keep me on target and less muzzle flip. YMMV 

[bearcatter]

Maybe some customers are "old school" caring for holsters. When I first started shooting in the late Seventies, most holsters were a dark tan with white stitching. I don't remember there being much offered in leather care products. Neat's Foot, mink oil, or shoe polish. Most everything colored the stitching anyway. I used Kiwi Neutral polish, and it still tinted the stitching. These days I like Lexol.

[OV-1D]

  Rick I've said this before I think you sure have a flare for your leatherworks and now picture taking backdrops . YOU D MAN !!!!!

[Uncle_Lee]

It is good to be back to beautiful leather to go with the coffee.
Sip, sip, Ahhhhhh

[Rick_Jorgenson]

Maybe some customers are "old school" caring for holsters. When I first started shooting in the late Seventies, most holsters were a dark tan with white stitching. I don't remember there being much offered in leather care products. Neat's Foot, mink oil, or shoe polish. Most everything colored the stitching anyway. I used Kiwi Neutral polish, and it still tinted the stitching. These days I like Lexol.

I believe there were less options available years ago, unless you knew one of the few "makers" at that time (John Bianchi, Bruce Nelson, etc)

Those guys were so busy you might not even get to order from them if you were not LEO, a top trainer or on a shooting team. JMHO

[Rick_Jorgenson]

  Rick I've said this before I think you sure have a flare for your leatherworks and now picture taking backdrops . YOU D MAN !!!!!

Thank you OV 

That metal lizard is the easiest pet we have to take care of!

[Rick_Jorgenson]

It is good to be back to beautiful leather to go with the coffee.
Sip, sip, Ahhhhhh

Thank you Uncle_Lee 

[heyjoe]

i never knew you had to care for holsters. the salty look was prized here. i have some that are 30 years old, saw a lot of wear and are still good. i always figured use them  until they wear out then get a new one

[Rick_Jorgenson]

i never knew you had to care for holsters. the salty look was prized here. i have some that are 30 years old, saw a lot of wear and are still good. i always figured use them  until they wear out then get a new one

If used regularly they don't need much care. It you want the outside to look "good" a little attention with some polish can dress it up.

It seems when stored for extended periods or left in "unfavorable" conditions, they need some additional attention, maybe some light conditioner.

Most people over work Gun Leather with lotions and potions thinking it's like their old baseball glove. 

If the leather is cracked, it's time to get a new one.  JMHO YMMV

[bearcatter]

All of my leather holsters are stored in zip locks, in 50 cal ammo cans. That keeps them nice.

[Rick_Jorgenson]

All of my leather holsters are stored in zip locks, in 50 cal ammo cans. That keeps them nice.

Since that is working for you, keep it up 

I wouldn't recommend this method of storage but only because I don't have a data/testing of whats right or wrong with it.

Knowing that you use Lexol my first thought is that the leather being in that much of a sealed environment that the Lexol will penetrate further and all through the leather softening it, softening a Holster is not desired (again, I don't have data to verify that is happening.)

I prefer my Holsters dry and ridged. This keeps the friction retention working properly.  I live North of Phoenix AZ and it's a "Dry Desert Climate".

My Holsters are in a Cordura Duffle Bag in my garage and none of them have ever had leather conditioner, oils, yak butter, otter oil gland miracle leather potion, mink juice or anything used on them since the day they were finished.

People tend to "over treat" their leather gear (my observation of those that have admitted to me they have done it) thinking that they "need to soften this stiff leather Holster"  and have basically ruined their Holster...  Aghhh! palm hits forehead 

I go through great lengths to make my Holsters with the firmest leather possible and additional steps to firm it more while wet-forming it to the dummy gun. 

This must be why it makes me so crazy to see and hear people "treating" their leather gear 

When I order leather from Wicket & Craig Tannery I have additional steps done to the hides for holsters. I buy the premium part of the hide, the "Back" only. This is the stiffest part of a hide.
Ref: https://wickett-craig.com

The softer 1/3rd (belly) is removed. I buy thicker hides and have them "leveled" to 8oz (aprox. 1/8th to 9/64's inch) then the hide is dampened and pressed to make it denser and stiffer.

Then the backside that was leveled is refinished with color and pasted. Pasting is a water based material that is put on the leveled side then run through rollers pressing the fibers making the leather stiffer when dry.

Holsters and leather gear does have a lifespan. It will "wear out" or become less "safe" to use. It is difficult to give up an old favorite that has been with you in good times and "not so good" times.

My advise on leather care is limited to MY experience only and what has worked for me from almost 50 years of working with leather from tooling western belts for the girls on the ranch to building saddles in saddle shops and going to dozens of leather working classes at leather trade shows over 30 plus years.

I still don't know everything! lol! For every "rule" of what works and what doesn't, during any leather related conversation I have with leather pro's or non-pro's 75% of them have a story of not following the rules and it worked great!

JMHO YMMV

[bearcatter]

All of my leather holsters are stored in zip locks, in 50 cal ammo cans. That keeps them nice.

Since that is working for you, keep it up 

I wouldn't recommend this method of storage but only because I don't have a data/testing of whats right or wrong with it.

Knowing that you use Lexol my first thought is that the leather being in that much of a sealed environment that the Lexol will penetrate further and all through the leather softening it, softening a Holster is not desired (again, I don't have data to verify that is happening.)

People tend to "over treat" their leather gear (my observation of those that have admitted to me they have done it) thinking that they "need to soften this stiff leather Holster"  and have basically ruined their Holster...  Aghhh! palm hits forehead 

My Lexol is light and seldom.I fold up a paper towel and use a corner to wipe it on. Just enough to see, and then I buff it with a shoebrush. About once a year. Less now that I'm barely shooting. With my method, it's more of a wax than a conditioner. Mainly just makes the holster easy to wipe off. Even my 12 year old Bearcat holsters are as clean as new. 

I don't follow the instructions.They say to apply it with a cloth (too much), let it soak in for several minutes (I don't), and wipe off the excess (I don't have any).

I did apply it by the instructions once, to a too stiff NOS Hume Guardian pocket holster. I bought two at the same time and the other one was okay.

The worst offender for people's over treatment seems to be Neat's Foot Oil. "Hey, it works on baseball gloves!" I've seen gloves as limp as a 90 year old man. ..   

[RogueTS1]

My Holsters are in a Cordura Duffle Bag in my garage and none of them have ever had leather conditioner, oils, yak butter, otter oil gland miracle leather potion, mink juice or anything used on them since the day they were finished.

We store all of ours in or clipped to a cardboard box in a climate controlled closet of the house. Only treatment they ever get is "Rough Treatment". When new an hour or so of shoving their pistol in and out of them until they feel correct ------> then nothing ever again. 

[Rick_Jorgenson]

All of my leather holsters are stored in zip locks, in 50 cal ammo cans. That keeps them nice.

Since that is working for you, keep it up 

I wouldn't recommend this method of storage but only because I don't have a data/testing of whats right or wrong with it.

Knowing that you use Lexol my first thought is that the leather being in that much of a sealed environment that the Lexol will penetrate further and all through the leather softening it, softening a Holster is not desired (again, I don't have data to verify that is happening.)

People tend to "over treat" their leather gear (my observation of those that have admitted to me they have done it) thinking that they "need to soften this stiff leather Holster"  and have basically ruined their Holster...  Aghhh! palm hits forehead 

My Lexol is light and seldom.I fold up a paper towel and use a corner to wipe it on. Just enough to see, and then I buff it with a shoebrush. About once a year. Less now that I'm barely shooting. With my method, it's more of a wax than a conditioner. Mainly just makes the holster easy to wipe off. Even my 12 year old Bearcat holsters are as clean as new. 

I don't follow the instructions.They say to apply it with a cloth (too much), let it soak in for several minutes (I don't), and wipe off the excess (I don't have any).

I did apply it by the instructions once, to a too stiff NOS Hume Guardian pocket holster. I bought two at the same time and the other one was okay.

The worst offender for people's over treatment seems to be Neat's Foot Oil. "Hey, it works on baseball gloves!" I've seen gloves as limp as a 90 year old man. ..   

Then you're doing it right!

This is not an exact science  But leather can be damaged from to much "love and care" applied! 

I learn from my mistakes and other peoples mistakes. Try to extrapolate the data to take a wild a$$ guess of how to do it right! lol!

[Rick_Jorgenson]

My Holsters are in a Cordura Duffle Bag in my garage and none of them have ever had leather conditioner, oils, yak butter, otter oil gland miracle leather potion, mink juice or anything used on them since the day they were finished.

We store all of ours in or clipped to a cardboard box in a climate controlled closet of the house. Only treatment they ever get is "Rough Treatment". When new an hour or so of shoving their pistol in and out of them until they feel correct ------> then nothing ever again. 

You're on my program of leather care! lol!!  So far it works on every holster I own 

[heyjoe]

My Holsters are in a Cordura Duffle Bag in my garage and none of them have ever had leather conditioner, oils, yak butter, otter oil gland miracle leather potion, mink juice or anything used on them since the day they were finished.

We store all of ours in or clipped to a cardboard box in a climate controlled closet of the house. Only treatment they ever get is "Rough Treatment". When new an hour or so of shoving their pistol in and out of them until they feel correct ------> then nothing ever again. 

i am of the same school of thought except no climate controlled  closet.