New Brill

[boykinlp]

I was fortunate to acquire my third Brill Holster. It is in really nice condition. It has the usual lining on the back of the holster and halfway down the back of the inside. All the stitching is intact and tight, and the stitching on the back of the holster identifies it as a NJ Rabensburg version. I was told that it was made to fit a First Series Colt Woodsman with a 4 inch barrel.

Here are some pictures of the new one by itself, and with the others too. The last picture has my early Brill-A-Like scabbard made by Charles Kluge with a single welt around 1906, and the two later ones made by NJ Rabensburg with the thicker welts made after 1932. Because of heavy rain outside, I had to take the pictures inside and the lighting stinks!
Larry

 

[bruce5781]

Very nice. I picked up another Brill a few weeks ago, had to buy 7 holsters to get it, but total price was still only $90.


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[turnerriver]

Fine holsters in really fine condition. Thanks for posting the new one.
Regards,

 

[boykinlp]

Very nice. I picked up another Brill a few weeks ago, had to buy 7 holsters to get it, but total price was still only $90.


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Bruce, have you shown pictures of your new Brill? If not, please do. I always like seeing pictures of new ones.
Larry

 

[Papa Lee]

I'll throw in this one that I picked up in Fredericksburg last year. Not stamped but certainly a Rabensburg Brill for a 6" Colt Police Positive.

 

[boykinlp]

I'll throw in this one that I picked up in Fredericksburg last year. Not stamped but certainly a Rabensburg Brill for a 6" Colt Police Positive.

That is very interesting to me! You're right, it is definitely a NJL Rabensburg Brill. I wonder when it was made? Thanks for sharing, Lee.
Larry

 

[turnerriver]

Here's another unmarked Brill with the same characteristics.

Regards,

 

[Papa Lee]

Brill

Yes John, perhaps a bit more similar to this one.

 

[turnerriver]

Yes John, perhaps a bit more similar to this one.

Yours makes me wonder why the heck he didn't stamp mine ?
All Brills are beautiful in my book.
Regards,

 

[rednichols]

That is very interesting to me! You're right, it is definitely a NJL Rabensburg Brill. I wonder when it was made? Thanks for sharing, Lee.
Larry

We can narrow it down to 1932 - 1961! With '32 being when N.J. joined Brill's operation and '61 being his death.

More interesting is a theory that there were 'transitional' construction Brills during that period because originator Charles Kluge was still there from the year that Rabensburg arrived and then Charles retired and died; about a decade in total. Charles is known to have remained active at Brill during that time, and there are N.J.-configured Brills that have Charles' method of sewing the lip that is a straight saddle stitch, vs N.J's method of hand sewing the lip that is a chain stitch. Perhaps the final N.J. version was made by both men, then, with little details that are inconsistent such as the border of the basketweave and that lip sewing.

 

[Papa Lee]

My first Brill

This is the first Brill that I was able to acquire many years ago and it was the only one I had for some time. An itty bitty beauty with floral carving for the little HFT .22/.32 S&W. (Thanks Red, for your always insightful comments.)

 

[boykinlp]

This is the first Brill that I was able to acquire many years ago and it was the only one I had for some time. An itty bitty beauty with floral carving for the little HFT .22/.32 S&W. (Thanks Red, for your always insightful comments.)

Wow, Lee, that is a beaut, and your pictures are very nice too! I especially like the third one showing the build of the welt. Thanks for sharing.
Larry

 

[StrawHat]

This is the first Brill that I was able to acquire many years ago and it was the only one I had for some time. An itty bitty beauty with floral carving for the little HFT .22/.32 S&W. (Thanks Red, for your always insightful comments.)

That would be sweet for my little 32 Hand Ejector!

Kevin

 

[bruce5781]

Bruce, have you shown pictures of your new Brill? If not, please do. I always like seeing pictures of new ones.

Larry

Larry,
It's just your basic well used 4" N frame holster.

Regards,
Bruce

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[turnerriver]

Larry,
It's just your basic well used EARLY KLUGE MADE 4" N frame holster.


Regards,

 

[boykinlp]

Larry,
It's just your basic well used 4" N frame holster.

Regards,
Bruce

Sorry Bruce, but I gotta disagree with you on that. To me that is a gem. An early Kluge scabbard, marked Brill.....and with the revolver you have in it, it looks like it could have definitely been a Texas Ranger rig! The Sambar Stag grips are spectacular, and look perfect, to me, for that rig. It really looks like it has been there, and done that!! I really like it.
Larry

 

[rednichols]

Sorry Bruce, but I gotta disagree with you on that. To me that is a gem. An early Kluge scabbard, marked Brill.....and with the revolver you have in it, it looks like it could have definitely been a Texas Ranger rig! The Sambar Stag grips are spectacular, and look perfect, to me, for that rig. It really looks like it has been there, and done that!! I really like it.
Larry

Of course . The Rangers were the very reason for the Kluge scabbard of Texas, and all makers of it were in Texas in a big circle around Rangers HQ that was Austin. None have been sighted with any other State marked into them, either.

 

[bruce5781]

That's a beauty, Larry !

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[Eddie Southgate]

 

[arabensburg]

This Fredericksburg holster is a treasure

I'll throw in this one that I picked up in Fredericksburg last year. Not stamped but certainly a Rabensburg Brill for a 6" Colt Police Positive.

This holster unmarked may be very important. It was found in Fredericksburg within the Texas Hill Country 36 miles south of the town of Llano, where N. J. Rabensburg had his base of operations between 1920 and 1932.

This holster is not necessarily an A. W. Brill, but it could be. It depends on whose is doing the marketing. This holster may have been sold directly by N. J. Rabensburg from the N. J. Rabensburg Company in Llano, Texas or via the A. W. Brill Company in Austin with N. J. Rabensburg acting as wholesale supplier.

This holster is a treasure. It was probably not sold between September of 1932 and September of 1935 because it does not carry the A. W. Brill maker mark as expected.

After September 1935, when Rabensburg owns the company, he could make the holster with or without the Brill mark or possibly use the initials of the customer (rare).

This holster was not made in Austin. It has the merits of a Hill Country holster made by Rabensburg during the 1920s or early 1930s in Llano, Texas at the N. J. Rabensburg Company located immediately north of the Llano River bridge on the westside of Ford Street/Bessemer Avenue.