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Old 07-23-2017, 08:33 AM
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I am new to this forum, and I hope I am not violating any rules by posting this. I normally do not bash anyone, but I wanted to bring something up that happened to me this week.

I purchased my last two Bianchi holsters, an X15 and a 5BHL, in 1982. As far as I was concerned, they made the finest holsters available to me at the time. And as they are still doing great 18 years later, and they get used a lot, it appears I wasn't too far off in that opinion back then.

Just this week I purchased a new Bianchi Cyclone Model 111 holster and when it arrived, I noticed it just seemed different.

Unfortunately, like so many other American-made products, the one I received is no longer Made in the USA and the quality is not what it used to be.

The stitching is thinner than my older holsters, is now nylon instead of waxed cotton, and the problem is it is no longer pretty much countersunk into the suede lining on the inside.

On the one I received, the stitching sits up on top of the suede inside and it creates a very rough area wherever it is - especially where the belt loop is attached to the main body, where there is a lot of it - and which appears that will certainly affect the finish of your prized firearm. I was bitterly disappointed.

This one is going back, and I wanted to caution others on this fine forum. I love vintage Smith & Wesson revolvers, and there is no way I would subject the finish of one to the abrasion that would be caused at least during the break in period of one of these holsters, if not forever.

Just letting everyone know. I was hugely disappointed, and consider myself very fortunate to purchase two nice vintage ones off a large internet site that will work just fine. They will not affect the finish on my pieces at all. I know this because my other ones are doing great many years after I purchased them.

The way you know is the vintage ones have thread that appear yellowish. Time will have made the once-white thread a light tinge of yellow. On the new ones, it is brown and thinner, and you can tell just by looking at the stitching outside the holster.

Again, not trying to bash their company, but "it is what it is" and the truth is the truth. For both we as consumers, and they as the producers of consumer products.

I am not sure if Safariland made this decision, and it was probably a non-firearm shooting project manager trying to make him or herself look good by cheapening the materials used in a product they were now in charge of, but keeping the practices of the old company after purchasing it would have kept this from being an issue.

Just thought I'd let you know.

Last edited by jmclfrsh; 07-23-2017 at 08:38 AM.
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Old 07-23-2017, 11:34 AM
crazyphil crazyphil is offline
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I'm not certain but I believe if they are made in Mexico they have to
say in the printing that they are made in Mexico. You could watch
ebay for an older 111 Cyclone that was not made in Mexico. They
would probably be old enough to have the old stitching that you
prefer. I have a Cyclone that's about ten years old that was apparantly
made in the USA and has the type of stitching you say you like.
Maybe Red Nichols will be along to add something. I think he designed
the 111 Cyclone for Bianchi so he would know how it should be made.
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Old 07-23-2017, 12:41 PM
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John Bianchi sold Bianchi Holsters to Safariland years ago and yes they are now made in Mexico and quality is not what it was. John Bianchi Frontier Leather is his new company and while specializing in Western styles, he does offer some Concealment styles and reasonable prices Made in the USA!
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Old 07-23-2017, 04:02 PM
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Try Lobo Leather (you can pay more but not better workmanship)
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Old 07-23-2017, 04:25 PM
05CarbonDRZ 05CarbonDRZ is offline
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Welcome to 2017,Anything to cut a Buck.
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Old 07-23-2017, 04:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmclfrsh View Post
I purchased my last two Bianchi holsters, an X15 and a 5BHL, in 1982. As far as I was concerned, they made the finest holsters available to me at the time. And as they are still doing great 18 years later, and they get used a lot, it appears I wasn't too far off in that opinion back then.

Just this week I purchased a new Bianchi Cyclone Model 111 holster and when it arrived, I noticed it just seemed different.

Unfortunately, like so many other American-made products, the one I received is no longer Made in the USA and the quality is not what it used to be.
Several years ago, I purchased two Bianchi holsters for some single-action revolvers I had. I remembered their quality from identical Bianchis I had during the seventies.

When the holsters arrived, the difference between then and now was obvious to me. Now, I'm no leather guru like others here, but these were just sub par for me. The leather seemed to have some sort of high gloss shine to it (they were tan holsters) which is a major turnoff for me. The suede lining seemed thin (for lack of a better word). And yes, they were made in Mexico.

Now that's not a knock on Mexican leather work. I've seen some gorgeous stuff from there, especially some vintage work. But it was custom work, not factory made.

Eh, well...I returned both of them and got my money back. Started using El Paso Saddlery and that was that. Adios, Bianchi.
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Old 07-23-2017, 05:20 PM
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Interesting. I have no doubt that the holster you have is substandard compared with 'our' Bianchi holsters before 1990 (I was the company's chief of design and head of quality control). Nevertheless we made the switch to nylon thread in the '70s! And the thread it replaced was waxed linen and not cotton (ick).

Today we ALL use nylon thread for the stitching on holsters, not least because lots of us no longer use the old harness machines :-).

Now -- within that subset of nylons and other synthetics, there are various 'cords' (think of it as diameter) and of course colours (the linen colour you're thinking of is its natural colour and nylon's natural colour is quite similar). Personally I use brown, and in a 'cord' that is much smaller than the five cord linen, because I don't emulate the past; it's not 1917 it's 2017 and the lighter-weight threads are many times stronger than linen and pull into the leather more tightly.

A 'good' (whatever that is) machine will pull the stitching quite tightly into the leather, so I'd agree that if the thread is loose on top of the lining then that defines 'bad' stitching :-).
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Old 07-23-2017, 08:23 PM
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Hecho en Mexico. Nothing wrong with Mexican-made products in general, but when the manufacturing decision is made for the purpose of mass production at minimum cost so that the products can be sold on the basis of a long-standing trade name with excellent reputation we might expect some attempt to meet earlier standards.

I have nothing but respect for Mr. Bianchi. He created a company from nothing and grew it into an international presence in every respect. I wish Mr. Bianchi well in his well-deserved retirement. I suspect that Mr. Bianchi is less than completely pleased by the current state of business affairs conducted with his name attached.
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