Thanks for the tips everyone!
Sgt.127... good info on striping off old finish and resealing with Fiebing's spray. I was not aware of this product.
LawAndOrder... I think Turnerriver who posts here uses Blackrock leather dressing. He's got some awesome holsters. I've got Pecards but haven't tried Blackrock yet.
Lefty.... WOW! what a great looking McClellan's saddle.. you really did a good job on it!. A small local shop had one for sale a year or so ago... they eventually sold it cheap just to make room for other stuff. Now I wonder what it could have looked like if it had been cleaned up. I don't dare bring home any more stuff. A saddle would have been hard to hide!
Thanks for the clarification between PURE neatsfoot vs. the compound. I was hesitant to use it. I had read that it "broke down the leather fibers".
On military holsters like the m1911A1 and S&W revolvers the final finish is not slick & shinny like some of the really nice Heiser holsters. I don't know if this is a leather tanning difference or just the final coating and sealer. Pecards seems to blend in the scuff marks nicely on these military type finishes.
I usually try and stay away from holsters that have obvious problems and prefer to buy the better examples. Often times I come across something a little different and not in the best shape. It would be good to know what treatments best for them.
Here's a pic of a Railway Express Agency holster with a Ry. Ex. Agy. Colt. The holster is not in the best of shape... it has some cracking and flaking of the leather. I put Pecards on it to condition the leather and hopefully slow down the flaking problem. The photo might not show it, but you can see the dull spots in the finish where the top coating/finish has worn off. At least the wear of both the holster and the gun are fairly consistant and look like they belong together. In my opinion, a brand new (old stock)holster with this gun would look out of place.
I just wonder if maybe a coating of Feibing's would give it a better appearance and shine up the dull spots on this Railway Express holster.
