Regards, Mike Priwer

I never know that Herretts sold Holsters. What a blast from only 47 years ago. Wonder if anybody on the forum has one.

Charlie

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SWCA # 2294

I've purchased Herrett's grips for my S&W's (and Colt revovers) for 30 years, and always been very pleased with their products.

Two years ago, while on a western sojourn, I visited Herrett's in Twin Falls, Idaho. They are located in a very modest concrete block building in a lower-income section of town, with minimal signage. I had previous illusions of a fancier and much larger operation. Nevertheless, they provide excellent grips at reasonable prices.

gold40

Coincidentally, one of Bill Jordan's exhibitions was shown on the "AMERICAN RIFLEMAN" TV show (3/3), and he was using a light-colored rig that looked very close-not exact- to the ones shown. The gun was, of course, a M19 with Jordan/Herrett stocks.

BTW, another excellent job Mike!

Good shooting.

Very good stuff, Thanks Mike & Homie!
I'd sure like to try a pair of those Algerian Cabretta shooting gloves!

Bill Jordan mentions the Herrett's holsters in his book, "No Second Place Winner."

Now that I see the catalog, it is obvious that a good deal of the leather pictured in the book is from Herrett's.

November, 1969 Shooting Times

September, 1968 Shooting Times

Hume used to list a version of this holster. Just last week, I was surprised to see that Looper still makes it.
--------------------

These were pictures of Bill Jordan wearing the Dan Combs (Oklahoma State Police) designed drop loop holster with the Herrett billet belt shown in the catalog.

I stumbled across this old thread and enjoyed reading it. I mention it
over on the Gun Leather forum. But thought I should bring it back to
life here also. Enjoy.

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In Omnia Paratus

Here are some photos from the Jordan-Herrett's catalog that I mentioned
in my previous post. Thanks to John for moving it here to the gun leather
where it belongs.

Notice that Herrett's call the belt a Smoothline. Chet Hillman, the maker
called it a Trimline.

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In Omnia Paratus

Here’s an example of the Smoothline off duty holster with dual belt loops for strong side or cross draw carry. Particularly impressive is the full logo stamp including Steve Herrett’s likeness on such a small holster.
Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

Old school..................

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dd884
JMHO-YMMV

Turnerriver, serious suggestion: your next book should/could be a catalog of your gi-normous gunleather collection, in full color of course.

For the benefit of Forum readers, its size is not the most impressive part; his gunleather also is in pristine condition, every bit of it.

Think of it as an 'advance auction catalog' for the day you decide to retire in style (I know you're already retired). By then even the catalog might be an antique collectible :-).

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Phil, John, Red:

Tell us more about Chet Hillman.

Lucky Phil is our Hillman expert; what I know I learned from the several articles that Phil sent along to me :-). The Herrett's catalog made a big impression on me as a teen in the mid-'60s and at some point I even made a belt or two then, using the clever 'billet in the outer layer' system. That requires that at least that layer be quite thick, and the thinner lining layer at least be quite stiff; both of which veg leather quite naturally provides vs chrome.

The big disadvantage to longevity for the belt, is that the billet can neither be replaced nor moved; on the other hand one still could stitch down the old one and then stitch another on top of it, in the traditional fashion. In which case the belt would have been converted to what we call a Border belt today, because it was used by the Border Patrol (the prior, similar belt used by the Texas Rangers was either a narrower trousers belt, so called a Ranger belt; or wide yet folded into a hollow money belt and called a Scout belt).

The belts of the 1920s Texas Rangers (there are two); apologies, I use this particular image a lot, which is of the Ranger Captain who replaced Frank Hamer:

ranger hickman 1925 (2).JPG

And the front and backside of a magnificent Scout belt by Heiser; which they officially called a Money belt:

sets (3).jpg

sets (3)a.jpg Whoops, NOT a scout belt; notice that the stitching of the loops is showing on the backside; so it is a single layer of leather in this case.

The Scout belts are one way to help date an old b&w image of a Texas Ranger. The many I've seen withe the Scout belt and the 7-1/2" SAAs are dated for the very late 19th century, and those with the narrow belts for the early 20th century. The use of a Ranger belt in the trousers with a Border belt below it, appears in images dated for the 1950s Texas Rangers. Lone Wolf Gonzaullas:

ranger gonzaullas (2).jpg

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Not the holster, but I can offer pictures of the Herrett Detective stock as shown with the off duty holster in the catalog.

The closed back strap version of the J frame is no longer available from Herrett.
.

P.S. I'll add a picture comparing the closed Detective to a probably uncommon Jordan stock on a J frame.

.

Attached Images

	Herrett J Detective ckr R cr.jpg (103.0 KB, 20 views)
	Herrett Detective K RB d 10-13.jpg (286.9 KB, 16 views)
	Herrett J Detective - Jordan BS b sm.jpg (110.5 KB, 17 views)

A true Scout belt; for which there actually was a specification that called for it to be made from chaparejo leather (chrome-tanned chaps leather that is soft and relatively thin), cut 6" wide and folded to 3" wide with the edges aligned and sewn full length after the looping has been attached only through the one layer. Money and documents were kept inside them, so a slot at one end and the buckle billet not sewn through both layers either, to enable that.

collins (1).jpg This one is a Collins.

collins (4).jpg

Another way to date older images, is machine sewing on saddles and gunleather. And therefor, fleece under the skirts of the saddles which had to be sewn down and therefor by machine. Many references combine to tell us that sewing machines were downright scarce for these kinds of goods until the turn of that century; and on the skirts that was just too far to stitch by hand whereas a simple holster welt area (there were no welts except on Brills and their copies) was readily hand sewn (and the Brills even with their welts).

Heiser offered its customers a choice of hand or machine sewn, by the time their 1909 catalog appeared (I have an original copy) and another reference says Heiser added sewing machines circa 1906 just after Hermann's death. Myres' sewing machines we know appeared in the 'nineteens' (1914 and 1919).

Now all you have to know, is how to tell machine sewing from hand sewing, from a photograph! It's not easy . . . .

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

I am far from expert, but here is a little bit about Chet.
Chester K. Hillman June 21, 1934 - June 8, 2019.
Was born and raised in Twin Falls, Idaho. Enlisted in the
Navy in 1952. Was a patrolman with Idaho State Police
for a dozen or so years.
Took up leather work as a hobby, and like other law enforcement
guys, made holsters and accessories for his fellow officers.
Eventually his hobby grew into a business. He was known for
quality products as exhibited by the gun leather he made for
Herretts shown in this thread.
It's only been a couple of months since his passing.

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In Omnia Paratus