HOLSTER BEAUTY CONTEST?

[wheelgun610]

Those Chas Bluemel holsters ain't too shabby. Here's one I grabbed a couple years ago.

Mark

 

[Dvus]

Just picked up my first custom carry holster from Wicho Customs in Oklahoma City. And the custom stocks to match, also from Wicho. I love the look and feel of Stingray! Picture is flipped because I used the forward facing camera on my phone. It's actually right handed.

 

[beretta09]

3" barrel Custom Holster

Looked to the Forum got a recommendation and found
Lance Nixon to make custom holster for 3" SW model 65/66.
[email protected]
PERFECT great craftmanship. See picture.
Engraving by Gerry Beathard, Texas

 

[mrchick]

Just picked up my first custom carry holster from Wicho Customs in Oklahoma City. And the custom stocks to match, also from Wicho. I love the look and feel of Stingray! Picture is flipped because I used the forward facing camera on my phone. It's actually right handed.

Fixed the pic for you. Beautiful holster!

 

[Wyatt Burp]

A Texas might find this one rather appealing...

 

[rednichols]

Here's another one of mine that I happen to have a decent shot of. This is an unmarked example of the Texas Ranger / Brill style which is a perfect fit for my ca. '37 HD. I got this one from turnerriver - probably 12 or 15 years ago.

Mark

P.S., You can click on the photo for a larger version.

Fabulous holster, handsome pic! The particular pattern used for the Mexican carving suggests it is one of the earliest, unmarked Brill-brand holsters. I have images of several different Brills with the pattern including a Brill-marked holster that is attributed to Butch Cassidy (unlikely because he was supposedly dead by Brill's opening in 1912); and the construction details are the same as the earliest Brill-marked holsters.

 

[The_Truth]

Not the best pic of the holster because the pic is of the gun, but here's my 29-3 Lew Horton Overrun and its russet El Paso Saddlery custom crossdraw.

29-3

 

[Eddie Southgate]

There is a lot of purty holsters but I can't help to notice I don't see many
signs of wear or use on them. I have a lot of Lawrence & Bianchi belts and
holsters. They are well taken care of but will not be mistaken for new. I
have had to have several repaired and stitching redone. I guess the fancy
holsters are for display. What do you actually carry your gun in?

I only own two holsters that are not used as every day carry ,pretty or not . The only reason they are not getting used is they are for 4" barrel guns and I currently do not own any other than my m34 which does have a nice Heiser . Pretty , clean and not beat looking does not have to mean unused .

Eddie

 

[wheelgun610]

.... The particular pattern used for the Mexican carving suggests it is one of the earliest, unmarked Brill-brand holsters....

Thanks Red. If more photos (with higher detail) would allow a more positive ID, let me know. And advise me of anything specific I should look for and focus on. A private message would be fine.

Mark

 

[Chubbo]

Regretful Omission

Only having one my choice was easy.
If I had more it would still be easy as this came from a friend.

Paul;
I've been reviewing the great pictures shown in this thread, and noticed my previous comment, and compliment to you, about your only qualified entry into this thread. I offered a George Lawrence holster, that I rescued, and modified, for comparison to your holster's style, etc. I neglected to mention the beautiful engraved, S&W Mod. 27 3.5" revolver that you showed with it. That 3.5" 27, has just the right amount of tasteful engraving, to suit me, and is wearing beautiful, grips. Are they elephant Ivory? My compliments on that elegant combination. I admit that the S&W 3.5" 27, is my favorite Revolver, and the Geo. Lawrence Co, is my favorite holster maker. Your revolver of this combination, is also 'Elegant', and has just the right amount of 'Pizzazz'. Thanks for tantalizing me with them.
Chubbo

 

[turnerriver]

A couple more Charles Bluemel holsters that I carry some when I'm out in the woods. The model 10-5 was my first Smith & Wesson, a birthday present when I turned 16. The holster is lightly etched S&W K 4.95 on the back.
Regards,
turnerriver

This one fits a Colt Government Model.

 

[rednichols]

Thanks Red. If more photos (with higher detail) would allow a more positive ID, let me know. And advise me of anything specific I should look for and focus on. A private message would be fine.

Mark

With a little bad luck, this phrase will be on my tombstone: "always show the back" .

Turnerriver has supplied me with images front and back of your holster; it's definitely an early Brill although unmarked with the name. I suppose we could theorize that it was made before Brill started operations in 1912, given that the holster was created in 1907 in nearby Lagrange TX; leaving a five-year gap.

August himself was working for W.T. Wroe, one of a few saddlers in Austin, at the turn of the century and Wroe married, in 1909, well-known Ranger Capt. Leander McNelly's widow of 30 years, Carey. And the Ranger who commissioned the design, Capt. Hughes, left Austin early 1907 and was forced out in 1915; so we've every reason to believe that the holster was made before Brill struck out on his own by acquiring Kluge Bros. On the other hand, late Brills were absolutely known to have been made both with, and without the Brill mark at the same time, by the same man: we have an image of N.J. Rabensburg in a 1959 newspaper article showing him making both versions.

Early and late Brills are easy to tell apart. From the front, a late Brill will have a second return stitch at the top of the welt; and will have at least two welts on revolver versions. From the backside the cuff will be attached with twin, mirror-image hand stitching sets with 'fish hooks' at each end:

A late, from the front; notice the additional stitch at the top of the welt, that returns back towards the muzzle.

A late, from the backside; always the exact same number of stitches at left (next to the main fold) and at right varies only by one stitch from one holster to the next.

An early (yours looks like this) with the straight stitch holding down one end of the cuff (c/b machine stitched) next to the welted seam; and a simpler hand stitch next to the main fold of the holster.

Don't miss the significance of how close the cuff stitching on the backside is to the fold that forms the top of the belt loop: these were made for very narrow belts even by today's standards; as narrow as 1". Beginning with Hughes, Texas Rangers were required to wear their holstered SAAs on trousers belts, high on the waist, even if not through pants loops (which were very, very new by 1907). A Brill and its copies are very small, thin, light holsters and not at all what we think of for a 'western' holster.

 

[DevilDog72]

so....

So, I posted on this thread before with my 640 nd in a tan carved holster and thought I would post another J frame in a black carved and laced rig. It is out of Mexico with my 36 nd 3" gun riding in it.

 

[crazyphil]

Left to Right:
Lawrence 34B with S&W model 19 (Herrett's Jordan Trooper stocks)
Heiser 728 with Colt's 1911 Gold Cup (Herrett's double diamond panels)
Myres 614 with S&W model 29 (Herrett's Coco Bolo Custom grips)

 

[Jason Burton]

The winner in my ever-expanding pile of holsters is neither ornate nor particularly fancy; it would be my winner because I've spent a lot of time with it during some memorable events.

That said, here are a few from my collection that I enjoy looking at:

 

[StrawHat]

Here are three working holsters. If I remember the order, the top is a Nightengale copy of the Avenger style for a 1911. The middle is a Bianchi 5BH for a 4" N frame. I used this one so much I had to get it resewn. The little one is a Safariland equivalent of the 5BH for a 3" J frame. This last one is a new replacement for an older similar style that got sold to a fellow LE.

The most used is the N frame as I carry that daily.

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

Here are my fancy holsters for the same handguns. I like the style of A W Brill. These are mere copies. Same order as above.

Kevin

 

[oldiegoldie]

lotsa talent out in the hills. am i correct in thinking most of the stitching is done with sewing machines? looks too perfect to be done by hand.

 

[crazyphil]

lotsa talent out in the hills. am i correct in thinking most of the stitching is done with sewing machines? looks too perfect to be done by hand.

In my semi-professional opinion, your thinking is correct.
Most of them were sewn with a machine.

 

[LEO918]

I got this S.D. Myres for my Birthday a few days ago...