OUR LEATHER
We use only domestic vegetable tanned saddle skirting leather supplied by American tanneries. Our leather is much heavier than most at 8 oz. in thickness, making our holsters stiffer where they need to be, while being somewhat flexible elsewhere for the sake of comfort. Nothing matches the aesthetics of a fine custom leather holster.
Wear
Holster Break-In: As with most quality leather goods, our holsters may require a brief break-in period as they may initially have a snug fit. Holsters are intended to be somewhat rigid, but flexible enough not to cause the wearer discomfort. Flexing the holster may cause the leather to wrinkle or possibly crack. Do NOT tighten your belt down on an empty holster. That will cause it to breakdown and become too loose. For break-in, we suggest simply wearing the holster with an unloaded handgun inserted until the handgun can be drawn with minimum resistance. However, if after several hours of break-in wear, the fit of the handgun is still tighter than desired, place the gun into a plastic baggie. Insert it into the holster and allow it to sit for a day or two. If needed, another baggie can be added until the desired fit is obtained.
Care and Maintenance: Periodically check the tightness of belt loop straps. The screws will need to be tightened frequently the first month. Check daily for the first two weeks of use. Light to medium strength thread locking compounds (like Locktite(r)) can be used to secure the screws. Remove handgun from holster when not in use to ensure proper drying of holster. Do not use oils, leather soap or dressings; this may soften the leather and cause the holster to lose its shape. If your holster becomes water soaked, allow it to air dry at room temperature. DO NOT apply heat. Your holster has been handmade to fit your gun and may be snug at first. No need to worry, it was crafted that way.
Break in your holster gradually by putting your unloaded gun into a plastic bag and insert it into the holster. Leave it for 24 hours to allow the leather to stretch. After 24 hours remove the firearm from the bag and re-holster your unloaded firearm into the holster. Wear the holster on your belt and continuously draw and re-holster the firearm. The leather will continue to break in.
Wallet Break-In: If you are are having trouble getting your cards in and out of your wallet and you would like to speed up the break-in process, you can add extra cards for a short period of time to stretch it out.
Care and Maintenance: Periodically check the tightness of belt loop straps. The screws will need to be tightened frequently the first month. Check daily for the first two weeks of use. Light to medium strength thread locking compounds (like Locktite(r)) can be used to secure the screws. Remove handgun from holster when not in use to ensure proper drying of holster. Do not use oils, leather soap or dressings; this may soften the leather and cause the holster to lose its shape. If your holster becomes water soaked, allow it to air dry at room temperature. DO NOT apply heat. Your holster has been handmade to fit your gun and may be snug at first. No need to worry, it was crafted that way.
Break in your holster gradually by putting your unloaded gun into a plastic bag and insert it into the holster. Leave it for 24 hours to allow the leather to stretch. After 24 hours remove the firearm from the bag and re-holster your unloaded firearm into the holster. Wear the holster on your belt and continuously draw and re-holster the firearm. The leather will continue to break in.
Wallet Break-In: If you are are having trouble getting your cards in and out of your wallet and you would like to speed up the break-in process, you can add extra cards for a short period of time to stretch it out.
- First, put 2 or 3 cards in one pocket of the wallet.
- Then, one at a time, slide additional cards in the pocket behind the other cards.
- Once you have 4 or 5 cards in one pocket, massage the leather with your hands or put it in your pocket for a short period of time.
- In just 5-10 minutes, you should be able to take out the extra cards from the overstuffed pocket and see a slight difference.
Warranty
If your Sweetwater Saddlery LLC Holster, used properly, ever fails to live up to your expectations, return it to us for a replacement, repair or refund.
