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Old 10-03-2017, 12:41 AM
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Default Heiser and Keyston companies -- fusion

Doing my research on the various folk who were part of the evolution of holsters -- it really all happened 1900-1980, tops -- I'm sometimes being reminded these were real people, with real problems.

Case in point, a little-known -- OK, completely unknown -- member of the Keyston family, a wealthy San Francisco family of harness makers whose English founders started out making buggy whips in the 19th century:  A.J. Keyston.

Keyston Bros, as the company was known, merged first with Heiser in 1955 and closer to 1960 acquired a company called Lichtenberger-Ferguson.  Even in WWII, LF was making saddles for the war effort and A.J. owned the joint. And I have deduced that Keyston hooked up with both Heiser and Lichtenberger to get production capacity for capgun holsters; big business for Keyston in the 1950s, driven by Fred Keyston, by 1962 the last surviving son of the Keyston brothers themselves.

He was hard to find in the records, because nothing seemed to fit.  But someone who was 'kinda right' died in '44 and is buried in HI.  Yet that sounded like a war death.  The rest of the Keyston family is buried in the S.F. area, but not A.J.  And how could Keyston Bros. have announced its acquisition, when one of the grandsons - A.J. - already owned it?

The answer is tragic:  Keyston Bros. acquired Lichtenberger-Ferguson from A.J.'s widow. 

He's buried at Punch Bowl cemetery in HI because he was killed in the landing by Marines Third Division in 1944 at the Battle of Guam.  Day 2 of the landing.

He was in the landing because he joined the Marines late in 1943. 

And he joined the Marines late in '43 because his 4 year old son had just drowned in a friend's pool, a month earlier.  

It's as if he chose 'suicide by Jap' over living with his son's death.

I 'knew' I had the 'right' A.J. Keyston but couldn't really come up with a plausible explanation of how a successful manufacturer in 1943 -- he's in the news then because he's helped the FBI capture an inspector who asked for a bribe -- suddenly become a casualty in the War in the Pacific?  

His wife continued the business and lived until 1990 -- and they had 34 great grand children (the drowned boy had a brother).  What a lot that young man (mid-30s) missed out on, and perhaps not accidentally.
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Old 10-04-2017, 07:27 AM
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Red, living after the death of one's child is overwhelming, going off to war could seem like the right thing to do. Your focus on the people behind the holsters makes for interesting reading.
Regards,
turnerriver
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Old 10-04-2017, 06:22 PM
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What I'd like to see is some of his pictures of disassembled holsters he talks about. I've never seen anyone tell us the first thing he does is take them apart. Now that we've heard about it, I want to see them. Not all, mind you, but it wouldn't be bad if he did that. Once he's destroyed them (for scientific purposes), they could live a second life educating us.
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Old 10-04-2017, 07:46 PM
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Originally Posted by turnerriver View Post
Red, living after the death of one's child is overwhelming, going off to war could seem like the right thing to do. Your focus on the people behind the holsters makes for interesting reading.
Regards,
turnerriver
I had noticed on your forum bio that you speak from experience about such a loss. And I'm so sorry.

My exposition on A.J. is only theory. I always look for cause and effect.

On a happier note, I've developed an updated Brill. Maybe crazyphil will share pics because I'm on travel and away from my computer files. Hint hint, Phil :-)
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Old 10-05-2017, 03:51 AM
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Yes Red, I will post some photos and describe your updated features,
as much as possible, when I receive the updated Brill. I'm looking
forward to it with great anticipation.

John, I also read about your loss, and am very sorry.
I have been worrying about you post hurricane too.
Hope the recovery is coming along satisfactorily.
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Old 10-05-2017, 04:13 AM
crazyphil crazyphil is offline
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Red, on a related note, I was taking photos yesterday for a Christmas
calendar. Here is one of your Tom Threeperson's proto-type #1:
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File Type: jpg SAM_0562.jpg (113.3 KB, 17 views)
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Old 10-05-2017, 06:01 AM
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Sonofagun, realised that the notebook I have with me is the camera I used to take the pics of what I call a Brill-Persons. Inside are some unique features that endow it with the threepersons wedge effect that is missing on original Brills for autos (which Myres called a Threepersons anyway). Its construction is improved, too, without giving up its traditional styling. The Brillpersons are not for sale, I make them only for mates as a gift, the joy of being an industrial artist rather than a businessman.


20171003_124953.jpg

20171003_125028.jpg

20171003_125044.jpg
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Old 10-05-2017, 07:50 AM
Kansasgunner Kansasgunner is offline
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That is a very handsome holster Red. I wish you were selling them. I have a Colt Government 1911 that would love to be covered in one!
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