Care and Maintenance

Leather Holster Care and Maintenance

Holsters are a wear item. If a holster is being used hard it won’t last forever, but there are some things you can do to prolong its service life.

• Don’t leave your handgun stored in the holster. Let the holster breathe and wipe your pistol down when you are done for the day. If you need to store your holster long term, keep it in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
• If your holster gets dirty, wipe it off with a clean, dry microfiber towel to remove as much dirt as you can, being careful not to scuff the surface of the leather. If further cleaning is needed, try using a damp cloth. If necessary, you can use glycerin soap (very sparingly) and warm water to clean stubborn areas. Use a soft toothbrush to apply the soap and gently wash the affected area to loosen the dirt. Rinse the holster briefly and dab the excess water off with a clean, dry towel before letting it air dry over night. You should never apply heat to the holster to speed up the drying process, but it is ok to put it in front of a fan.
• Check the interior of the holster for dust, dirt and lint. Be sure to blow it out occasionally with some canned air (you know, the stuff you clean out your computer with). Keep the can turned upright so you don’t accidentally spray liquid into the holster. This preventative maintenance is especially important if you have suede lining so it doesn’t become a medium for abrasive materials.
• Never use oil to condition your holster. It isn’t a baseball glove! If you want to bring back the luster of your holster, lightly apply a high quality boot conditioner like Meltonian Leather Balm or Kiwi neutral shoe polish. Buff off the remainder with a clean cotton cloth.

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Belt Care and Maintenance

Our belts will give you several years of service even if you neglect and abuse them, but with a little care and preventative maintenance you can keep them looking good and working well even longer.

• Don’t roll your belt tightly up to store it or travel. Because our belts have stiff liners, rolling them up too tightly stretches the outer surface and loosens the fibers in the leather. This results in unattractive wrinkles and even surface damage if the belt isn’t conditioned properly.
• To store your belt, hang it up from the buckle in a cool, dry place away from sunlight. If you are storing it long term, be sure to check it occasionally to ensure it is not drying out or getting mildew on its surface.
• At least twice a year, apply a very light coat of leather conditioner like “Bick 4” or “Lexol” to your belt to restore and protect it. Don’t go overboard or you will over soften the belt and ruin it for full size pistol carry.
• Check the screws periodically for looseness and apply a removable thread locker before tightening them if necessary.
• If tarnish is building up over time on your brass hardware, remove it from the belt before buffing and polishing it clean with Flitz, or an equivalent metal polish.