I was casually looking for a holster for my 6.5" nickel Model 29-2. Saw a listing on E-Bay for a "New Smith and Wesson 19-26 Leather Holster" for a seemingly good price, so on impulse I clicked the "Buy It Now" button. Not an attractive model, but I wasn't looking for a carry holster, just one to use at the range.
It arrived today and was indeed in the original packaging and had obviously never been used. Upon opening it smelled like old musty leather, so I used some leather cleaner and followed up with the aromatic leather conditioner that I use on the leather seats of my Mustang. Smells much better and looks new.
Then (and only then) did I decide to do a little research here on the forum. It appears my impulsiveness bought me a "Wessonhide" synthetic holster instead of real leather. Lesson learned. Do the research
first. Oh well, at least it wasn't an expensive lesson.
I'm sure the seller thought it really
was leather, so I'm not upset. It should still work just fine for the purpose for which I wanted it.
As with all unused holsters, the retention strap needs a little stretching and will not snap over the Model 29. I've got the 6" Model 686 in it for now to help it stretch some. In a couple of days I'll put the 29 in it and leave it for a few days so it will snap properly.
