Moldy Holsters
 

I have just finished an interesting experiment with moldy holsters. I dug thru my holsters and found two with pretty extensive white powdery mold. There has been much discussion on how to remove and prevent the growth of this. How to tell if it is indeed, mold.
I determined this to be mold in two ways. It was striated in some pattern. Various ones and places but you could tell from looking that it looked like the bottom of a petri culture. Also it was dry. Not oily at all. Powdery.

I decided to see what sunlight would do first. I didn't even wipe the holsters off. Dry air and direct sun completely erasd all traces of mold. It simply disappeared over two days.
I am now going to try to freeze them. Unfortunately common household freezers do not get all that cold. 18 to 22 degrees perhaps. I do not know if this relatively warm freeze will actually kill the mold spoors and prevent a reoccurance. I suspect it might take a colder temperature to do the job. Like 0 degrees. Most Ice cream freezers require 0 degrees to keep ice cream stable. Might have to find one of those if this does not work.

One other thing to try is to use a food saver and suck away all the air and leave the holster in a sealed bag hoping to kill the mold. Mold needs air and water.

Will keep you posted on further developments. Jerry Burney

Jerry
Good idea. Keep us posted on the results of your tests. Do you have any way to get rid of the musty smell that some holsters get after being kept in a basement?
Morris

Jerry, this would mean the mold comes back? As your house gets well below freezing while you are gone for the winter?


Ed

Ed, I take these with me to Yuma where it never freezes! I would like to talk with a biologist to ask if the mold would be killed and at what temp. Jerry

Dry ice might get you down cold enough to kill the little buggers.

Pipeman, Hey that a great idea! I will get some tomorrow. Thanks! Jerry Burney

Maybe this is a dumb question, but is there a chance that extreme cold could damage the leather?

Luke

I'd be very careful to be sure that the leather never comes in contact with the holster as it will burn leather just as it will food products.

George, Yes you are right...I will put it in a small cooler and keep the ice away. I had planed to put the holster in a heavy duty food saver bag and suck all the air out of it, with a machine of course. Those two things should give the mold something to think about!
Hope it works. Jerry Burney

Jerry,
Just checking back to see how this turned out.
I'm sure others here would like to know.

Jerry,

Thinking about your approach, aren't you concerned that the little molecules of water trapped between the fibers of the leather will form ice crystals?

Also, have a holster to send you for work...are you in Ariz or CO?

Tom A

Tom, Heck, I don't know!Ihave them in the dry ice right now...I will see what they look like tomorrow. I am not too worried about molecular ice crystals. They would be too small to expand much don't you think?

I am in AZ Tom, Alway's willing to accomodate the first client I ever had! Send it right along.
Jerry Burney

Jerry, you are in colorado :D at least yesterday you were ;)

Ed, Just rolled in the drive, Sorry we missed you! Drove right by your house.
Back in out mountain paradise! Jerry

Sounds good, I just didn't want Tom to send a holster to arizona ;)


Also, take a look at the arty I posted yesterday ;)

oh, and maybe I can come up there this week? Not sure yet, as I am leaving for a contract in New Hampshire thursday or friday, so even unsure if I have time...

My Airborne Pal,

The holster will be put in the USPS Sunday.

It is a nice type 1 Navy that some yukka-putz, many, many years ago, coated with some tar/sole-edge dressing compound. Pls do what you can to de-phuque this old sailor.

And I am very proud to have been your first client; I would bet I am pretty close to being your best client also.

YAP,

Tom A

Tom,

If you really want to send the holster to AZ, I am still here. It's HOT and I am lovin' it. Jerry's wife Ellie told me she had a fire in their fireplace!

Jack Hiles
Mesa AZ