Gi Leather Dressing

[AzRednek]

Located a missing holster today. It spent at least 15 years in an outside storage shed. Reason I’m posting this and I’m not certain which category to put it in. Leather dressing and the best type to use has come up here a few times. This holster along with all my leather goods were dressed with mil-surp leather dressing in the early 80's or late 70's and I can’t say enough good about it. Just wish I knew what it’s commercial equivalent is.

 

I remember this holster in particular coming in a horse trade along with a Ruger Blackhawk 357/9MM conversion. The previous owner had used shoe polish on the holster and I remember ruining a shirt after wearing the holster. I can’t remember what I used to clean it with, most likely laundry or dish detergent to remove the black polish. After it dried I used the GI surplus leather dressing.

 

 

The holster being stored for so many years in an outside metal shed on the floor under a bunch of junk with the temperatures during the summer months exceeded 120. The GI leather dressing definitely did it’s job.

 

 

During the summer I can’t spend more than a few minutes in the shed as the heat is unbearable. In winter months the shed is cold and damp. From the pictures you can see the rivets are tarnished and the white on the leather appears to be mold. Despite it’s poor appearance the leather is soft and supple. The holster should have been a basket case but the dressing preserved it.

 

If anybody has an idea of what the GI leather dressing is made of I’d appreciate hearing it. Best I recall the dressing had a slight stench of tallow, liquified from body heat and I believe the can was dated in the pre-Vietnam era.