I have wanted a holster in a floral pattern for quite some time. This showed up on eBay @ $64 shipped:













I realize that this is a highly copied design. But, does anyone here recognize the maker?

The seller says it is fits a 4" K Frame. I have just the gun in mind! How hard would it be to clean/restore? Was $64 a good deal "as is"?

Best,
Charles

Update.....

I cleaned it and used some Black Rock on it.



It takes a 4" K frame w/ adjustable sights perfectly. Here it is w/ a Combat Masterpiece that was carried by the Blackfeet Indian Tribal Police in Montana:

I do not know the maker, but, restoration is possible. I bought a carved holster on E-bay as well for $12.00 USD. I could not tell what color it was. I wish I had taken before as well as after picks, it was mostly grey with some brown, black and white. I started by just scrubbing it with warm water and dish soap, let her dry then worked it over good with a little warm water and saddle soap... let dry and then worked over with mink oil...



...what ya think?

I looked pretty hard at that one before you bid on it. With a good cleaning and treatment, it should be spectacular. Take a look at the various threads on cleaning and restoring--lots of folks swear by Black Rock products.

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de minimus non curat lex

FWIW my money is on home made. I have never seen a quality factory or known maker holster with hollow rivets down the seam like that has! And the sewing on the loop finished with a knot!!! Obviously the guy didn't know how to lock stitch!

If you thought it was worth what you paid then it was a good price.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

The rivets could well have been added later. And the knot on the
loop thread likewise. Threads are missing and it could have been
an attempt to stop the threads coming loose. Carving is too good
for a homemade amateur. I am betting it will clean up beautifully.
Show us the "after" pictures.

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In Omnia Paratus

DevilDog72 that is a gorgeous rehab. Where do you get the mink oil?

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In Omnia Paratus

Charles, I looked at that one too.... you know I like carved and floral tooled leather. It just wasn't I size I need right now. It looks like the rear top of the holster might cover the rear sight (??) of your gun.

I think it will clean up nicely! I've tried different methods and cleaners. Saddle soap followed by a good day or so to dry has worked on some of them.... sometimes just a damp cloth.

One thing I've done is to apply a nice coat of brown shoe polish - the paste wax type.... especially if the stitching is a dark color, and the leather is tough enough to take a brisk brushing with a shoe brush. The dark stain in the paste polish will help cover some of the scuffs.

Brown, neutral and black paste polish does wonders and it helps "waterproof" the leather a bit.

Be sure to post some pics!

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Linda
SWCA #1965, SWHF #245

Thanks,
I bought it years ago. Use it on all my leather goods....I think it was Wall Mart or Bass Pro Shops.
As I think of it I need to get more as I am almost out.

If it were me, I'd pop those added rivets out, restitch the loop into position then glue and restitch the welt, sand and burnish the welt, THEN redress the leather. I know a guy ... But then, you probably do, too :-)

I have seen another of those holsters on this forum, and tried to find it for you and yet it wasn't in the threads I inspected. I do believe it was in a turnerriver post, so I suggest you PM him, and perhaps his example is marked.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

I'm going with the quality of the carving is such to be unlikely to be home made, unless a very skilled hobbyist. My guess would be a saddlemaker who made the occasional holster.

For holsters in worse shape ( but not as pretty), I would do a light cleaning, and apply nuetral shoe polish.

The assumption that the "quality of the carving" is indicative of a "professionally" made holster is bogus. There are literally thousands of leather working hobbyists that could produce leather work of at least the quality of this holster. The assumption that "amateurs" (All it means is not engaging in an activity for remuneration!) is inferior to work performed by "professionals" (All this means is they are paid to do the work, not that they are "expert" at it.) is an erroneous assumption. Much "amateur" work is actually superior in quality to "professional" work, and not just in leather work!

Contrary to several of you I do not see that the "quality" of the carving on OP's holster is particularly outstanding! I have seen many beginners, with sufficient instruction and patience, turn out a first job that would be superior to this item. And what is the green thing inside the holster?

In Gunsmithing school one of our instructors stated it very clearly. What makes an "expert" in any trade is the ability to cover up their mistakes when they are made, not that they do not make mistakes! Some of you may have been exposed to this individual and know who I am talking about.

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Gunsmithing since 1961

Alk8944 A professional who makes holsters all the time for customers
would surely get more practice than the hobbyist who does it occasionally
for him or herself. Practice tends to make closer to perfect. As the the
quality of the carving on OPs holster I guess opinions vary.

Hey Red when you pop those rivets out what would you do with the holes?

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In Omnia Paratus

It looks like it has some great potential once it gets some TLC..

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John 14:6, Luke 21:11

And here I am thinking a professional is hobbyist that does it for a living.
Huh, what do I know.
There are hobbyist that are just gifted and can do leather work as good as anyone. It's like drawing, painting, singing, etc. and so many other things. Some are just great at what they do even though they do not do it for a career/profession.
To the OP, because of the condition and no maker's mark you may have paid a little too much (MHO) but it should be fun bringing it back and will look nice when finished.

Likely dampen the leather there and tap them with a light hammer to close them up a bit; then when dry, reglue the seam and stitch right across the holes.

The carving is at least as good as a Myres of the 30s to 50s, and because, as I mentioned, I do believe I've seen another that is identical, likely it is a production holster. The rear sight protector is otherwise unknown until it began to appear on Ball, Wolfram and then Bianchi holsters around 1960. Remember it was at that time that adjustable sights began to be holster guns.

As for professionals, I take the view that this term does not imply only payment; it implies a high level of rigour in the design and build areas, which includes materials and processes. Discipline that makes an excellent result predictable in performance and durability. And original work as to styling and construction. Cutting open the OP's holster and copying it, then building a handsomer version wouldn't necessarily be a sign of a pro; and yet a shoemaker couldn't do it: different equipment, different skills.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

And for one more spin on pro vs am .

A Professional ( in the production context more than design or R&D) has to consider speed of production as a factor of making a profit. Indeed this can relate to skill levels from many repititions and specialized tools and equipment.

An Amateur has few constraints on his time or labor. He is seeking a particular result, and the time he spends is enjoyable to him in its own right.

So at least sometimes a carefully , skilled amateur can meet or exceed a "normal Pro". ( Normal in the context of some measure of volume to sell at customary prices as opposed to an artisan working on bespoke product.)

As for the "C5" marking on the holster, a quick internet search yielded this:

Home Page

I know it is highly unlikely unless it was a prototype

Best,
Charles

"Artisan" is exactly the word I was thinking of, to distinguish from "professional" in the sense of a design discipline. Spanish carved saddles, of which I've seen only pics, are works of art that only the finest saddle maker could judge as also well thought-out.

Having said that, the closest holsters that I've seen to that, were hanging in Alfonso's of Hollywood's shop when I visited there in 2015. Anderson's were magnificent, less so the Bohlins.

I'm not aware of any living makers who could be classed as artisans. Myself, I'm an industrial designer; my delight is in construction, styling, and performance only.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

The cant on this one reminds me of the Heiser "FBI" holsters. It has a forward angle close to those.....

Maybe you should send a photo to C5 and ask if they made it and what
they can tell you?
"A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his
hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands
and his brain and his heart is an artist." - Louis Nizer
Whether a profession or a hobby some are artists.

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In Omnia Paratus

Do what rednichols suggests in posts #9 and #15. One possible exception:
If it were mine, rather than re-stitch, I would get some buckskin and lace
it. Those old floral carved holsters with lacing look great. Or maybe stitch
and lace? If you don't know how to lace, there are videos on the internet
that show you how. It's not rocket science.
I believe you have a great little project holster here. The results could
be beautiful. We would like to see it "after".
P.S. I wonder if C5 could be code for Colt with 5" barrel?

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In Omnia Paratus

BTT w/ before & after pics

The interior wear marks from the adjustable rear sight, for example, suggest its for a larger revolver frame than the K. I would keep trying. Trooper, Python, N frame, New Service, etc. Smith rears leave quite different marks from the Colts, too. That little tab is meant to provide flexible protection from an impact so a bigger gun would place the rear sight more in alignment w that tab.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Just looked at your post cleaning photos. It looks much better. I still
think the re-stitching and/or lacing would make it much nicer.

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In Omnia Paratus