Lawrence Style # 28 size 528 for K-22

sceva · #1 11-03-2017, 06:35 PM

I just took a chance on a Lawrence # 28 Size 528 off the auction site. For a K-22 and looks to be in nice shape, possibly little or never used. Hope it is as nice when it arrives.

My questions;
Can't find anything on the # 28 holster. Is this possibly a sub-set of the # 27? all I have seen have the floral adornment so possibly that is what makes it a 28 instead of a 27? Does anyone know anything about the # 28 Lawrence holsters?

The floral design; is it carved or tooled / die stamped. I am thinking carved from the somewhat uneven edges and the way the outline tapers in to depth. Whatever it is it's pretty minimal so perhaps the # 28 was a way to offer a little adornment without the cost of full floral carving.

Color, appears a little raw. How can i get it to darken up some. Hoping for a little more russet. It may just be the photos / lighting though.

All speculation for me of course

Photos copied from the auction listing.

sceva · #2 11-03-2017, 09:56 PM

Thanks AJgunner; unfortunately that list gives the Fit numbers ( 528 fits a K-22 6" which agrees with the holster markings.but doesn't help with the Holster style/model numbers. I am trying to find info on a style # 28.

Anyone have a mid-sixties Lawrence Holster catalog? I think that may be the time frame for this one.

rednichols · #3 11-03-2017, 11:15 PM

Turnerriver is our Lawrence expert. Wait for his reply, or PM him directly :-)

rednichols · #4 11-04-2017, 04:00 AM

Coincidentally I was adding Lawrence to my timeline for The Book (I had resisted because Lawrence was never a 'player' despite building perhaps the best Mexican carved buscadero sets ever) and ran across my original 1958 Lawrence catalogue.

Yours is a dead ringer for a product featured at the back of the catalogue, called the No. 4 Lawrence Special Holster and selling to dealers for $18.00 per dozen (you heard right). Marketed as a loss-leader for the dealer "in a lesser quality grain leather, un-oiled". That fits with your pictures (and they match the catalogue image exactly).

I'd say the sparse carving is indeed by hand on yours. There is no mention of any other finish than plain.

Now, colouring: if you will settle for merely darkening it, and gaining a bit of hand-rubbed gloss, it's dead easy. If you want to darken it noticeably, also easy but takes much more care.

Lawrence used heavy coats of neatsfoot oil on their leathers (but not on this model) to ward off the wet weather of the Pacific Northwest (their market area, WA, OR, ID, MT, NCal). Usually done by dipping, so the result could be a very over-oiled, soggy product.

Yours has darkened a bit with sunlight. Rubbing in Fiebing's Tan Kote, a leather dressing, will darken the leather somewhat. Apply it by rubbing into the leather with a shearling pad, but only until you see the finish is drying. Stop, it has a lacquer base that will dull if you continue. You can add more layers if you like with a limit of say, 3; then the finish will build up unevenly and unattractively.

Want it dark: you must use neatsfoot oil (using any form of dye is so hit-and-miss you would readily get a result you don't like). Oiling is easy if you're careful. Neatsfoot oil is readily available (Tandy, online, saddle shops). Soak a sponge in it, rub it in all over. Stop. Let it set for an hour. The oil will migrate throughout the leather and give you an even colour. If you've overdone it then it will stay too dark, forever! So take it easy, and if the result is too light, do it again (carefully). When the colour evens out to what you like, stop, it will darken a bit more when you now also apply the Tan Kote I mentioned above. Leave the oiled leather overnight before applying the Tan Kote.

Don't believe any negative b.s. you may have heard about neatsfoot oil for holsters, although if over oiled you will end up with a soggy product. The oil nourishes the leather and protects it from dry rot; the science is that the oil lubricates the interwoven fibres that give the leather strength against tearing. And holsters of that period, were made from leather that was intended for shoe soles, so quite dry. Every brown leather Bianchi and Safariland and Galco holster you've ever seen was coloured with neatsfoot oil. It even strengthens the stitch holes, and the linen threads used before 1980.

sceva · #5 11-04-2017, 08:03 AM

rednichols; Thanks for the info. It cost me $24.00 so I guess I did OK even if lower quality leather.

turnerriver · #6 11-04-2017, 05:39 PM

The earliest Lawrence catalog I have is dated 1938, the model 27L holster is listed in it. The model 27 is listed, mostly as 27L meaning rawhide laced, in all catalogs through number 114 dated Aug. 1 1972. That is when the model 28 holster first appears. The model 28 belt and model 28 holster were marketed as the Reveille holster and belt and described as
" Traditional Lawrence quality construction with deep embossed matching design on belt and holster ...Sorry, other colors, finishes, special sizes and custom extras are not available for this holster and belt. Belt and holster available oiled. Right hand only ."
The next catalog I have is number 117 dated November 1973, it lists the Reveille model 28 belt and holster but does not list the model 27.
The custom model 27 was apparently dropped in favor of the standardized model 28 which had an embossed design and no other available custom features. The model 28 was listed through catalog number 121, number 125 dated September 1985 didn't list it.
Regards,
turnerriver

sceva · #7 11-04-2017, 09:52 PM

turnrrriver;

Great info; Thanks, I appreciate your researching this.

Embossed huh, That answers the question of carved or die stamped. I thought carved but can see where the edges and details are not as sharp as they would be if cut in.

Holster arrived and it was not nearly as pale looking as the original photos. I don,t think this holster has aver been used I gave it a dressing with Blackrock and it looks great, It has a stain from the snap that appears to be the only flaw and I can live with that. The design is die embossed instead of carved in but looks good.

New photos after a Blackrock Leather & Rich treatment and a photo from the listing where I bought it.

sceva · #8 11-09-2017, 09:12 AM

Boy, the Blackrock is nice

As said before, I originally thought this was a carved holster. It is Embossed but looks pretty good.