Moldy Holsters

lugerholsterrepair · 05-08-2006, 06:49 PM

I have just finished an interesting experiment with moldy holsters. I dug thru my holsters and found two with pretty extensive white powdery mold. There has been much discussion on how to remove and prevent the growth of this. How to tell if it is indeed, mold.
I determined this to be mold in two ways. It was striated in some pattern. Various ones and places but you could tell from looking that it looked like the bottom of a petri culture. Also it was dry. Not oily at all. Powdery.

I decided to see what sunlight would do first. I didn't even wipe the holsters off. Dry air and direct sun completely erasd all traces of mold. It simply disappeared over two days.
I am now going to try to freeze them. Unfortunately common household freezers do not get all that cold. 18 to 22 degrees perhaps. I do not know if this relatively warm freeze will actually kill the mold spoors and prevent a reoccurance. I suspect it might take a colder temperature to do the job. Like 0 degrees. Most Ice cream freezers require 0 degrees to keep ice cream stable. Might have to find one of those if this does not work.

One other thing to try is to use a food saver and suck away all the air and leave the holster in a sealed bag hoping to kill the mold. Mold needs air and water.

Will keep you posted on further developments. Jerry Burney

Brickie · 05-08-2006, 08:45 PM

Jerry
Good idea. Keep us posted on the results of your tests. Do you have any way to get rid of the musty smell that some holsters get after being kept in a basement?
Morris

Edward Tinker · 05-08-2006, 10:40 PM

Jerry, this would mean the mold comes back? As your house gets well below freezing while you are gone for the winter?

Ed

lugerholsterrepair · 05-09-2006, 01:14 AM

Ed, I take these with me to Yuma where it never freezes! I would like to talk with a biologist to ask if the mold would be killed and at what temp. Jerry

pipeman45 · 05-10-2006, 01:28 AM

Dry ice might get you down cold enough to kill the little buggers.

lugerholsterrepair · 05-10-2006, 01:48 AM

Pipeman, Hey that a great idea! I will get some tomorrow. Thanks! Jerry Burney

Luke · 05-10-2006, 09:55 AM

Maybe this is a dumb question, but is there a chance that extreme cold could damage the leather?

Luke

George Anderson · 05-10-2006, 10:21 AM

I'd be very careful to be sure that the leather never comes in contact with the holster as it will burn leather just as it will food products.

lugerholsterrepair · 05-10-2006, 12:31 PM

George, Yes you are right...I will put it in a small cooler and keep the ice away. I had planed to put the holster in a heavy duty food saver bag and suck all the air out of it, with a machine of course. Those two things should give the mold something to think about!
Hope it works. Jerry Burney

pipeman45 · 05-13-2006, 11:14 AM

Jerry,
Just checking back to see how this turned out.
I'm sure others here would like to know.

Navy · 05-13-2006, 12:11 PM

Jerry,

Thinking about your approach, aren't you concerned that the little molecules of water trapped between the fibers of the leather will form ice crystals?

Also, have a holster to send you for work...are you in Ariz or CO?

Tom A

lugerholsterrepair · 05-13-2006, 08:45 PM

Tom, Heck, I don't know!Ihave them in the dry ice right now...I will see what they look like tomorrow. I am not too worried about molecular ice crystals. They would be too small to expand much don't you think?

I am in AZ Tom, Alway's willing to accomodate the first client I ever had! Send it right along.
Jerry Burney

Edward Tinker · 05-13-2006, 08:52 PM

Jerry, you are in colorado

at least yesterday you were

lugerholsterrepair · 05-13-2006, 09:11 PM

Ed, Just rolled in the drive, Sorry we missed you! Drove right by your house.
Back in out mountain paradise! Jerry

Edward Tinker · 05-13-2006, 09:14 PM

Sounds good, I just didn't want Tom to send a holster to arizona

Also, take a look at the arty I posted yesterday

oh, and maybe I can come up there this week? Not sure yet, as I am leaving for a contract in New Hampshire thursday or friday, so even unsure if I have time...

Navy · 05-13-2006, 09:53 PM

My Airborne Pal,

The holster will be put in the USPS Sunday.

It is a nice type 1 Navy that some yukka-putz, many, many years ago, coated with some tar/sole-edge dressing compound. Pls do what you can to de-phuque this old sailor.

And I am very proud to have been your first client; I would bet I am pretty close to being your best client also.

YAP,

Tom A

hqbmw · 05-14-2006, 03:25 PM

Tom,

If you really want to send the holster to AZ, I am still here. It's HOT and I am lovin' it. Jerry's wife Ellie told me she had a fire in their fireplace!

Jack Hiles
Mesa AZ

05-08-2006, 06:49 PM	#1
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	Moldy Holsters I have just finished an interesting experiment with moldy holsters. I dug thru my holsters and found two with pretty extensive white powdery mold. There has been much discussion on how to remove and prevent the growth of this. How to tell if it is indeed, mold. I determined this to be mold in two ways. It was striated in some pattern. Various ones and places but you could tell from looking that it looked like the bottom of a petri culture. Also it was dry. Not oily at all. Powdery. I decided to see what sunlight would do first. I didn't even wipe the holsters off. Dry air and direct sun completely erasd all traces of mold. It simply disappeared over two days. I am now going to try to freeze them. Unfortunately common household freezers do not get all that cold. 18 to 22 degrees perhaps. I do not know if this relatively warm freeze will actually kill the mold spoors and prevent a reoccurance. I suspect it might take a colder temperature to do the job. Like 0 degrees. Most Ice cream freezers require 0 degrees to keep ice cream stable. Might have to find one of those if this does not work. One other thing to try is to use a food saver and suck away all the air and leave the holster in a sealed bag hoping to kill the mold. Mold needs air and water. Will keep you posted on further developments. Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-08-2006, 10:40 PM	#3
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,935 Thanks: 2,033 Thanked 4,533 Times in 2,093 Posts	Jerry, this would mean the mold comes back? As your house gets well below freezing while you are gone for the winter? Ed __________________ Edward Tinker ************ Co-Author of Police Lugers - Co-Author of Simson Lugers Author of Veteran Bring Backs Vol I, Vol II, Vol III and Vol IV

05-09-2006, 01:14 AM	#4
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	Ed, I take these with me to Yuma where it never freezes! I would like to talk with a biologist to ask if the mold would be killed and at what temp. Jerry __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-10-2006, 01:28 AM	#5
pipeman45 User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Kentucky Posts: 539 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Dry ice might get you down cold enough to kill the little buggers. __________________ Dave

05-10-2006, 01:48 AM	#6
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	Pipeman, Hey that a great idea! I will get some tomorrow. Thanks! Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-08-2006, 08:45 PM	#2
Brickie User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: PA, USA Posts: 20 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Jerry Good idea. Keep us posted on the results of your tests. Do you have any way to get rid of the musty smell that some holsters get after being kept in a basement? Morris

05-10-2006, 09:55 AM	#7
Luke User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: NC - USA Posts: 1,239 Thanks: 0 Thanked 18 Times in 6 Posts	Maybe this is a dumb question, but is there a chance that extreme cold could damage the leather? Luke __________________ "Peace, if possible; truth, at any cost." . . . Martin Luther

05-10-2006, 10:21 AM	#8
George Anderson Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VA Posts: 3,592 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,529 Times in 787 Posts	I'd be very careful to be sure that the leather never comes in contact with the holster as it will burn leather just as it will food products.

05-10-2006, 12:31 PM	#9
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	George, Yes you are right...I will put it in a small cooler and keep the ice away. I had planed to put the holster in a heavy duty food saver bag and suck all the air out of it, with a machine of course. Those two things should give the mold something to think about! Hope it works. Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-13-2006, 11:14 AM	#10
pipeman45 User Join Date: May 2004 Location: Kentucky Posts: 539 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Jerry, Just checking back to see how this turned out. I'm sure others here would like to know. __________________ Dave

05-13-2006, 12:11 PM	#11
Navy RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dc 'burbs in Virginia Posts: 2,482 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 10 Posts	Jerry, Thinking about your approach, aren't you concerned that the little molecules of water trapped between the fibers of the leather will form ice crystals? Also, have a holster to send you for work...are you in Ariz or CO? Tom A

05-13-2006, 08:45 PM	#12
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	Tom, Heck, I don't know!Ihave them in the dry ice right now...I will see what they look like tomorrow. I am not too worried about molecular ice crystals. They would be too small to expand much don't you think? I am in AZ Tom, Alway's willing to accomodate the first client I ever had! Send it right along. Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-13-2006, 08:52 PM	#13
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,935 Thanks: 2,033 Thanked 4,533 Times in 2,093 Posts	Jerry, you are in colorado at least yesterday you were

05-13-2006, 09:11 PM	#14
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	Ed, Just rolled in the drive, Sorry we missed you! Drove right by your house. Back in out mountain paradise! Jerry __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

05-13-2006, 09:14 PM	#15
Edward Tinker Super Moderator Eternal Lifer LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: North of Spokane, WA Posts: 15,935 Thanks: 2,033 Thanked 4,533 Times in 2,093 Posts	Sounds good, I just didn't want Tom to send a holster to arizona Also, take a look at the arty I posted yesterday oh, and maybe I can come up there this week? Not sure yet, as I am leaving for a contract in New Hampshire thursday or friday, so even unsure if I have time...

05-13-2006, 09:53 PM	#16
Navy RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dc 'burbs in Virginia Posts: 2,482 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 10 Posts	My Airborne Pal, The holster will be put in the USPS Sunday. It is a nice type 1 Navy that some yukka-putz, many, many years ago, coated with some tar/sole-edge dressing compound. Pls do what you can to de-phuque this old sailor. And I am very proud to have been your first client; I would bet I am pretty close to being your best client also. YAP, Tom A

05-14-2006, 03:25 PM	#17
hqbmw User Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 228 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Tom, If you really want to send the holster to AZ, I am still here. It's HOT and I am lovin' it. Jerry's wife Ellie told me she had a fire in their fireplace! Jack Hiles Mesa AZ __________________ Jack Hiles Mesa AZ