My New A W Brill Holster by Charles W Kluge or the "Mystery Man"
Well, I won the bid on Saturday, February 12, 2022 for an A W Brill holster (dark brown basket weave pattern) probably made by Charles W Kluge or possibly the "Mystery Man". If I were bidding against one of my fellow Smith and Wesson Forum members, then I apologize for my enthusiasm.
It will arrive on February 19th and then I too can look more closely (with a magnifying eye glass) at the stitching patterns since I now have both a N J Rabensburg holster and an earlier design, which both carry the A W Brill marker mark; and I still have in my possession, the A W Brill maker stamp (going to the Texas Ranger Museum and Hall of Fame in Waco, Texas), which was used reportedly on both.
I am still waiting to find a N J Rabensburg A W Brill marked holster with a basket weave pattern, which, of course, will have the liner attached. My earlier purchase was made without a liner, which is unusual and may be the only one as such to date.
The ultimate holster for me is to find and purchase a N J Rabensburg holster either marked or unmarked but prior to Rabensburg's move to Austin and before his official association with the A W Brill Company. For some reason, this holster remains elusive. I am excluding those N J Rabensburg made holsters for Captain Hughes and other peace officers on after 1906 and on or prior to 1911. These holsters are visible in photographs of the period but at some distance without any detailed closeups.
I have also been canvassing other holsters, which gets my heart rate into the danger zone. I am also intrigued with vintage and antique Mexican holsters, which appears to be the basis for the many of the western holster designs. You cannot live in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona or southern California and not see the relationship. I think the early holster industry had it beginnings in the southern tier and then made its way north.
I will continue to strive for answers and bend an ear or two if the accepted playbill needs a rethought or a little adjustment.
Submitted by Neale Rabensburg
Last edited by arabensburg; 02-14-2022 at 11:17 AM.
|