Here's an interesting piece of leather cowboy gear I found recently. I haven't figured out how it works, but I believe it's a rope-holster made by Hayes Manufacturing of Corpus Christie, Texas in the 1960s. This came to me attached to an older shoulder holster harness but the leather didn't match and I knew it was something odd and out of place. All I've been able to find about Hayes is an ad in the April, 1963 issue of Guns magazine and a small write-up a few months later in the September issue.

Note the item at bottom right:





Here is what I have:





Anyone have any idea how this was used?

__________________
SWHF #448

Yes! Tom Hayes wrote a wonderful book on deer hunting and another on rifles. The holster was to carry a length of rope, to hoist and/or drag out a deer or for general rope use in camp.

The coiled rope went in this odd holster, for belt wear. It's pictured in his deer book.

Texas Star, thank you, I will look for his book.

__________________
SWHF #448

It came out in the early 1960's. I'll see later today if I can find my copy and tell you the exact title.

I think Hayes had one of the best deer books out, and his rifle book was also quite sound.

But I don't much like the rope holster loop being held together by just those staples. I think I'd have a shoe repair shop stitch it. The thing kind of reminds me of the flashlight holder that I used to wear on my gun belt at work.

The book is, "Hunting the Whitetailed Deer". First edition was 1960. Mine is the revised 1966 edition and does include a photo of this rope holster on Hayes's hunting belt. Don't know if it was in the first edition.