Posted: 3/13/2006 5:29:11 PM EDT
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Hello all, I got one of them 1911 leather flap holsters that's marked USMC. You know the GI kind. What do you do with the leather. Do I put saddle soap on it? It's really hard and nearly impossible to draw the pistol out of. And what do you do with leather shoelace at the bottom. I know it's made to go around your leg, but I've never see a picture of a GI with it tied around his leg, they usually braided it or something but I don't know how you braid when there's just 2 strings. Thanks in advance for the advice!!!! |
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The best way to "break-in" the holster is to just USE it. Any oils you put on it are really bad for holsters and darken the leather. What you can do is buy a bottle of Lexol at Wal-Mart and most shoe shops. Shake the DICKENS out of the bottle, since it settles badly. Apply a coat and let it soak in. Let stand over night, and buff off with a cloth. If it's still too hard, apply another light coat. Lexol will gently soften the leather and make it more flexible, so don't over do it. Lexol also has the advantage that when it drys, the leather goes back to it's original color, unlike oils which permanently darken it. For the leg tie, the traditional GI thing to do is tie it in a "hangman's knot" with a long wrapped section. Here's a picture of mine:   The "noose" part goes through the toe of the holster, the leather is wrapped around the "shank" part, and the ends are done so when you pull it tight, the ends are about equal length. |
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Here's a picture on how it's tied: www.realknots.com/knots/noose.htm |