Restoring Holster - Value Thereof

[Luke]

I recently bought an Imperial rig with a holster which appears to have been with the gun since WW-I. The holster is in good physical condition, but the surface/finish is pretty rough.

I would like to improve the appearance and protect the leather from further deterioration, BUT I don't want to do anything which would decrease the value of the holster or negatively affect the collectability thereof.

In the opinion of other collectors, would any kind of restoration degrade the value in a manner analogous to that when a Luger is reblued?

Thanks for your help.

Luke
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/holster_front.jpg
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/holster_back.jpg

[lugerholsterrepair]

Luke, It depends on what you mean by rough. Dents, scratches, scuffs, chemical burns, wrinkling, discoloration, peeling, cracking and some others that don't immediately come to mind. Post a photo on the Forum and I will look it over.
To answer your question, probably not much. Once leather goes forward it rarely goes back. Reversing damage, particularly to the outer surface layer, is rarely possible. There is considerable controversy concerning the treatment of vintage holsters.
Many people use various commercial liquids or pastes and the consensus is not to use those that have any petroleum base. Oils are bad in my opinion. NEVER use Neats Foot Oil. It is meant to break down leather fibers to break in shoe soles which will not last that long anyway.
Many holsters sent to me for repair have Pecard's on them and it is a sticky goo that I do not recommend. It is meant primarily as a water repellant on leather gear meant to be used in harsh weather and for that purpose I am sure it is the best. For vintage holsters I think it is the worst.
There is a line of thought that it is best to use nothing on vintage holsters and concentrate on ideal storage. I am a proponant of this theory to some extent. I think storage in a cool dark place with no pressure on the leather is going to help preserve your holster.
On new leather parts I make and dye, I use a product out of Great Britain that is sold in Jaguar and Rolls Royce dealerships for use on their leather automobile seats, Connoly's Hide Food. It seems to be a blend of Lanolin that is very gentle on leather, dries to a pleasant shine when buffed, has little darkening charecteristics and does not smell. It is not a panacea but from using many things over the years I think it does no harm and that is the most important consideration for me.
You mention value and
how treatment or repair will affect it. On some holsters there is no logical choice but to repair or replace parts. A holster with missing parts has little value anyway. Replacing them enhances value in my opinion if the replacement cannot be readily detected as a repair. If it looks original it is a good thing. The mistake I have seen here in my repair shop is shoe repair people getting ahold of a vintage holster . They tend to repair and not restore. They use the wrong thread and put holes where they cannot be taken out. Hope this helps, Jerry Burney

[Luke]

HI Jerry,

Thanks for the comments. I edited my original posting and added two links to pictures of the front and back of the holster. The damage is mostly scuffs, dents, scratches, and some minor cracking. The cracking is primarily on the strap and the rear section of the top.

After posting on Jan's forum I did find a very clear "1916" on the inside of the top cover. Have not been able to find a maker's mark.

Luke

[tudorbug]

Luke:

There are probably various sources for Connolly Hide Food. I never fail to check eBay and there are several jars offered there.

Try search under "connolly hide food" and you'll find them. I just bid on one, after reading Jerry's thoughtful post.

Hope this is small help.

David

[Edward Tinker]

I have used connolly hide food, after jerry talked about it. Most of my holsters I leave alone, but a couple were beat up and dried out and I thought it best to help them, then just leave them alone. I applied the hide food and I felt it made a huge difference in feel and looks.

In my opinion, I would be tempted to leave yours alone, but it wouldn't hurt it much by applying hide food to it, although it does darken the leather.

Ed

[Luke]

Jerry, David, Ed . . . .

Thanks for the info. Ordered a jar of the Connolly Hide Food through the Internet this morning.

Since this holster is pretty dry in some spots I might try a light application of the hide food. From the comments I am assuming that such a treatment will not decrease the value of the holster.

Luke

[lugerholsterrepair]

Luke, Took a look at your holster. It is actually in pretty good condition. There is some surface cracking but it is rare not to see some of this on WW1 holsters. I would not hesitate to lightly coat this holster with Hide Food. Let it sit for an hour or so and rub it down with a soft cotton cloth. Lightly stuff the body with newspaper to prevent collapsing the leather and causing more crackling. If there is any HF residue in the holes or seams lightly toothbrush them out.
Before you apply the HF lightly brush the seams to get off any dust or dirt.
Good Luck, Jerry Burney

[Luke]

Jerry -

Received my jar of Connolly Hide Care this morning and applied a light coating, as per your directions above, to the holster. Since the holster had some dry spots and was rather dull all over, this made a dramatic difference in the appearance, and I am sure that it will help to preserve the leather.

Thank you. Your advice and support are a great benefit to members of the Forum.

Regards,
Luke

[Ponyman]

Luke, could we persuade you to post a couple of post-treatment pics?