Leathercraft Tool

Good Morning Ben & Pat,

     The "D" ring is there, just in case you'd like to put a little pad lock.  It's a good thing, if there are kids in the house, but for anybody else, it's not much of a deterrent.    Several years ago, when I had a gun in the house, I kept a small lock on it.  If nothing else, it made me feel a little safer, while my son was small.

    Ben, you are absolutely right about chrome tanned leather, guns & knives.   The lining I have in this rug is suede micro-fiber.  With all the knives I make, I always suggest that they don't store the knives in the case, even though, the linings are veg tanned.   The reason being, that even though the veg tan won't hurt the knives, the Finish , & the trapped humidity, might.  I always, apply Bee's Wax, on the insides of my knife cases, & holsters, just to separate, the guns/knives from the leather,,,  but, it's never a good idea, to store the guns/knives inside the leather, for any extended length of time. 

    Also, while we're on the subject,  I know it's the "Norm" to line the inside of Gun Rugs with shearling/  sheep skin.  The problem is, according to a few old gunsmiths is that the sheepskin, actually absorbs moisture, & holds it in.   One gunsmith showed me an old civil war Colt that had been ruined, because, it had rusted inside a sheepskin lined gun rug, where it had been stored for many years.   He suggested to switch to synthetic lining, which didn't absorb so much moisture.  The suggestion was, like knives, if the guns are going to be stored, for extended periods of time, they should be outside of anything that could trap in moisture.   

    Any different ideas on this matter??   What have been your experiences?   I know that personally, the pistol I used to store in a gun rug, the bluing, showed wear, in the areas where it contacted the sheepskin lining, after being stored for a few years.    Let me know what You think. 

Ed the"BearMan"