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The Sheath/Holster Makers Forum This is the place to discuss all forms of sheath and holster making.

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  #1  
Old 07-21-2011, 11:02 AM
GJL GJL is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Hockley, TX
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Any homemade leather sealer/finish recipes?

I am new here, and have really learned a lot from the collective experience of everybody here. I recently made my first few sheaths from oak tanned leather for a few knives and a hatchet so far. After I finished sewing and dying the sheaths, just sealed them by applying a neutral shoe polish and buffing them to a shine. It did seem to waterproof them, but I am not sure if this is a good practice though.

I would like to make my own sealer for the finished sheaths. Anybody have some homemade recipes? I would like the end product to help preserve the leather and waterproof it.

Thanks for the input.
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  #2  
Old 07-31-2011, 12:12 PM
Sandy Morrissey Sandy Morrissey is offline
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Generally home fashioned sealers will be inferior to the professional sealers made by and for the pros. You would save time and aggravation by purchasing products made by Fiebings. ---Sandy---


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Old 08-01-2011, 04:00 PM
RICK LOWE RICK LOWE is offline
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I readily agree with Sandy. If you want a high shine, try Super Sheen. TanKote or BagKote will give a more satin finish. These products are all made by Fiebings and available from Tandy or other leather supply houses.


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Old 08-09-2011, 12:33 AM
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Chuck Burrows Chuck Burrows is offline
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With all due respect to the others there is in fact a good homemade recipe using commonly available ingredients - it is called dubbin and ther are various recipes available on line - basically it is a mix of beef tallow or pure lard, beeswax, and a bit of oil (neatsfoot or extra virgin olive oil).
There are also commercial versions such as Montana Pitch Blend.........


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  #5  
Old 08-09-2011, 09:30 PM
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TexasJack TexasJack is offline
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Pretty unusual to see Sandy and Chuck disagree!

I would not dare to pretend to claim to know a fraction of the knowledge those two have. I do suspect that either Bagkote or dubbin are probably better than using shoe polish.


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  #6  
Old 09-25-2011, 09:41 AM
GrizzlyKnives GrizzlyKnives is offline
 
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I think it really depends on what kind of finish you are going for (appearance) and where the sheath will see most of its use.

If you want a glossy look to your sheaths, there are products for that.

If you want your sheaths to be as impervious to the elements as possible, there are products for that as well.

These products can be made as well as bought.

For gloss, I've read that using a 50/50 mixture of Mop n Glo to water works well. There are a few people that swear by this over at the Leatherworker.net forum.

For a more satin finish that is extremely waterproof, you can make up a mixture of equal parts Neats Foot Oil, Paraffin, and Beeswax. Melt in a double boiler till completely mixed and allow to harden. Then you can use this thick mixture on your sheath, with a hair dryer, to seal and protect it. Ive done this a couple times so far and have had great results. I've noticed, though, that warming the sheath prior to applying the mix, allows it to start penetrating better. The hair dryer just helps melt it into the leather better. Buff off excess with a soft towel and voila!
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  #7  
Old 10-30-2011, 08:07 AM
GJL GJL is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Hockley, TX
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Thanks for the input. I think I'll try to make one as mentioned, using a Dubbin recipe or from beeswax, paraffin and neatsfoot oil and maybe add a little pine pitch to the mix while its melted.
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Old 10-31-2011, 06:15 AM
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Crex Crex is offline
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When it's all said and done......you have to be satisfied with the work you do.......hey, the dog's gonna chew it up no matter what you use!


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