Many folks have grail guns. What do you do after you get it? Search for your grail holster of course. After months of my begging a local Texas Lawman collector broght this to show me and agreed to sell it. I admit that I have only ever seen one other Wolf & Klar attributed holster--and that was for a Colt SAA. According to the scant info that I was able to get, W&K holsters are unmarked but very identifiable. ANY info about W&K holsters would be much appreciated. The gun shown with the holster is a March, 1927 (second shipment) 5" factory nickel Wolf & Klar model with the typical jigged bone stocks.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

Most unusual. Both gun and holster very cool.

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In Omnia Paratus

I do it backwards. I'm stockpiling old holsters and other accessories and will worry about the guns, which tend to be easier to find in many cases, later.

Regarding your holster, what distinguishes it as a W&K item?

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SWHF #448

That is really an interesting holster. I don't know if I like it; but, I definitely would want to have one.

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Dr. B

Where is Turnerriver when you need him?

Very nice holster regardless of who made it.

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On the Oak Savannah

About the distinguishing characteristics... I should have mentioned earlier. The lighter areas are embroidery--probably done with cactus thread. From info I have gathered, this thread was dyed some color, but I'm not sure what. In studying the history of Texas gun leather, this holster looks to have some kinship with the Vaquero (Mexican cowboy) dress rodeo holsters. From what I've been told, W&K had their holsters made to their specs in Mexico so the crossover or transition from the Mexican style to a Texas style was natural. The workmanship on this holster is outstanding. It would appear that the 'embroidery' (if you could call it that) was done before assembly--much like carving is done. Then the smoother liner was added and covered the inside of the thread. The single loop design is very typical of Texas holsters. I would guess that this rig dates to the 1920's. So, yes, I trhink the style is pretty unique, and, having had one, I won't misse one sitting on somebody's table even if they don't know what it is.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

That's a very cool old holster!

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Tim
SWCA #2697

James is a most fortunate grandson

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Sure you did

I'm not sure what it is--sorry. However, that is a mighty nice rig there. Just imagine the history if that ol' one could talk.

Come to think of it, even without the history known, this set up still 'talks'.

Congrats on your purchase and best is solving the puzzle.

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Rather be outdoors

I'm not an expert, but I believe the holster would be what was
called "pitiado", embroidery using cactus thread. Probably from
around 1920 as you said.

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In Omnia Paratus

Lordy mercy, Randy. That is fantastic. Talking about a unicorn here....
The best combination. God Bless Texas!

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Halfway and one more step

Not embroidered. Appears to be laced; not just at the seam, but everywhere else, too. Is it being said that the lace is made up of thread and not leather? Piteado is very different, yet indeed is commonly found on Mexican holsters.

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Beautiful, Randy. I would have jumped on it.

Regards,
Bruce

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Regards,
Bruce

The seam is laced with leather, but quinn says the decor is cactus thread.
He has a better, closer, view than we do. Decor with cactus thread is
called pitiado. The cactus thread can be dyed, and in this case the
maker tried to match the leather color.

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In Omnia Paratus

Randy we could fill a large book with all of the unanswered questions about the firm of Wolf & Klar. Over many years, have heard them described as a jewelry store, a pawn shop, a sporting goods wholesaler, and others.

From the amount of firearms, of various brands, that letter
to this firm we know they did a brisk business in gun sales, and I imagine they sold a lot of related items such as grips, holsters,other items. I have heard of them even selling LE Badges.

I have never seen any object marked with the Wolf & Klar name other than a letterhead piece of stationary, and that was so long ago I can not remember what all it said.

There are rumors swirling about some S&W Collector being on the trail of the company records. I sure hope they are found. A company that had this much impact of the history of firearms sure deserves a scholarly book with the real story.

If we keep it in prospective nearly every community in America had someone, or several someones engaged in leather work. The production and repair of leather items of all sorts have been an integral part of life for centuries. Sadly we are drifting away from that craft.

In the same vein as there is an auto parts store in every small town now, there existed the same in leather craftsmen then. Many did not mark their work, and we will never know who built certain holsters.

For every marked holster I have seen, I have seen hundreds that were unmarked.

As Scott put it so well, whoever made it you have a very nice period holster.

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LEX ET ORDO

A number of interesting comments have been posted along with some questions of detail. Supposedly there is an illustration in a W&K catalog showing this decorative design on the company's holster. Also, if you look at the loop, it is in the form of a "W". I have to admit W&K did not seem big on branding. Event their signature carved longhorn grips bear only a Roman numberal on the back.

I am attaching some closeup photos of the "embroidery" or lacing work. I am thinking lacing is a more correct term. The decorative lines, if they are thread, are very thick...
The holster edge is definitely rawhide, though.

Thanks for all the observatons.

EDIT: I have just been told by a very knowledgeable source that the decoration is definitely NOT cactus thread but is in fact leather/rawhide.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

That is different . Kinda funky cool whatever it is .

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Grumpy Old Man With a Gun

That's a better view. Looks like the decor is also leather laced with one
under and one over pattern. Very interesting.

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In Omnia Paratus

With the close-up pics, the outer edge lacing and the decorative center portion both appear to be rawhide.

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On the Oak Savannah

I have one like it. It came with a M&P 38 that lettered to Wolf & Klar with Wolf & Klar grips. I was told the hosters are in the Wolf & Klar catalog but I have never seen one

Riley, can you please, please post a picture of your holster or email it to me so I can post it? Would love to see your W&K M&P, too. What date does your M&P letter to? Thanks.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

Those go together like peas and carrots! Both are awesome!

Let's add another layer to this discussion: the lacing is "rawhide" if it is as now as hard as plastic, and "leather" if it's soft.

That's because rawhide is the intermediate step on the way to tanning. The hides arrive from the field with hair on one side and meat on the other; that all has to come off. The hides have all that removed in a pit containing enzymes, etc., that eat away all but the skin (that's why, when your dishwashing soap makes your nose itch, you know it's from the enzymes in the soap attacking the lining of the nose). What comes out of that we call a 'raw hide'. As such it is not 'leather', which is tanned until the material is inert, because wet rawhide will still rot and is edible.

When one buys rawhide one gets what is quite like a warped sheet of rigid plastic. To work with it, it's wetted again to become as soft as wet leather would be. Once the rawhide is placed -- say, as a drumhead -- it dries and hardens into position (it would have to have been split thinner while wet, because a cowhide is typically more than 1/4" thick).

So is your lacing hard, or soft? I suspect the latter, from the wrinkling :-).

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Red Nichols The Holstorian

Red: the lacing, both the decorative and the edge, are relatively soft. Overall, the holster is quite supple. As it has been in at least 2 collections before me, I am sure it has been treated--Blackrock or equivalent. Whether or not the lacing qualifies as "rawhide", I can't say. The edge lacing is very tight similar to the way true rawhide looks when it was wrapped wet and shrunk into place.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

Well you may be fortunate as member bmg60 has an original Wolf & Klar catalog, 1 of 2 that I know of. in 2009 Jim was gracious enough to make copies of a few pages for me when I displayed my W&K guns at the Tucson SWCA symposium. Is there anything that Jim & Judy doesn't have?


Dan

Riley31 was gracious enough to forward me a link to his much earlier thread with photos of his April, 1928 M&P shipped to W&K with steerhead grips and W&K holster.


M&P 38 4th change Wolf & Klar

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Randy
Provenance nerd

That link shows a holster that is so similar in construction, that I'm going to call it a match, given that both revolvers are from W&K (admit I'd not heard of the company before your thread). Well done, mighty hard to come up with plausible matches for source with unmarked holsters. You owe riley a 'many thanks'!

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Red Nichols The Holstorian