...........It is hard for me to enjoy vintage S&Ws with out including some of the items that folks bought to go with them be it ammo, holsters or other accessories.

Chances are very good if you bought, used, or carried a S&W in the 1970s you spent some money with one of these two companies. They both produced outstanding products that are still very serviceable today.

There are many very good leather makers that are members of this fine forum, Eaglestroker, Lobo, Gregintenn, Snubbyfan,Lefty, of Bell Charter Oak,Bamabiker, and Dave Keith to name a few. I am sure that some of these Gentlemen were influenced at least to a small degree by these companies.

Plastic sucks! Long live these folks who carry on the tradition of leather holsters!

Bianchi & Safariland.

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LEX ET ORDO

I was surprised you had no shoulder holsters in your photo.


I also like Alessi, DeSantis, Don Hume, and Galco products.

When it comes to price, simplicity, and excellent retention the Glock Sport/Combat holster deserves a mention. I don't feel that it hugs the body well enough to be a true concealment holster under every circumstance, however it is fine for it's intended purpose.

I love me some old leather!

I thought Safariland bought out Bianchi, or part of the line. I'm still wearing a Bianchi belt. I'll wear it until I get too fat or it can't hold in the blubber.

Its not the best that concern me, it was my wasting money on the lower lines (like the S&W brand). They just never seemed to carry right. Always some little defect that made me sorry I spent money on them.

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Dick Burg

Bianchi's a name I well remember even though I never owned a handgun til '08.

An LGS was having a closing doors sale & I picked up this 19L for my Ruger KP90. The package was old & yellowed but nothing wrong with the holster.

If we can get rid of The Hero of Ruby Ridge maybe I'll have a use for it someday.

I think I heard that in later years they moved production offshore?

Anyway...

Those brands have definitely been the standard for me, although I also like El Paso Saddlery, and they do some custom work that Bianchi and Safarland won't. In any event, the last Safariland catalog I saw had mainly synthetic police gear with complicated release systems.

I think Bianchi's No. 5BHL and the equivalent Safarilamd Model 29L are two of the best holsters yet for general use. They are not meant as concealment rigs, though.

I've had no problem with their linings, and my guns' finishes weren't worn from carrying. I do normally wear stainless guns.

For those who miss Safariland's Model 29, El Paso Saddlery has an almost duplicate version.

I think that I have a black, aluminum, Bianchi flashlight around here somewhere....the kind that holds 6 D-cells. Somewhat similar to the Mag-Lite.

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'Merica!

And I bought a deluxe Kel-lite from Safariland about 1980. It has a three-way switch, the only Kel-Lite I ever saw that did.

Unlike the Mag-Lite, the switch doesn't have a little rubber cover that pops off. My Mag-Lite experience hasn't been too good.

Fixed that.

Back in the day we knew those LAPD guys didn't really need that 6 cell flashlight to see in the daytime...

Agree that Bianchi and Safariland were the major mfgs in holsters and had some great products. I have a nice selection of holsters, ammo pouches etc from that period. How about Bucheimer? In fact I have a question re one of their holsters I havn't been able to ID from any of the charts posted on S&W. Black lined holster, model # B.01.004.L.69P. If I was to take a wild guess it's for a short barreled auto in 9mm or 45. My guess it's from the 80s mfg in MD. I'll update with a photo.

What about S&W branded leather?

Years ago I bought a misc. box of "stuff" at an auction and it wasn't until years later when I picked up a 686 and remembered a holster or two in the box did I dig into it and found a S&W leather holster just made for it.

I assume they farmed out the production but the fit and finish is pretty nice.

Everybody's got a box full - Old leather that is.
Most every gun store I've ever gone in has a "junk" holster box. I've made some good scores there. Couple of Bianchis, no Safariland tho.
Here's a couple of my old leather favs.

H.H.Heiser w/M66-4 & G.Lawrence w/M19-3

Great thread, lawandorder. I like Bianchi products as well and think they're collectible. I've been in touch recently with Red, Bianchi's head of product development way back in the day. He's working on a book on holster design and development.
Here's the young man himself on the front of his 1963 catalog.

Inside guest appearance by a natty Jeff Cooper.

Two Bianchi 9R shoulder holsters I've kept-one marked prototype and one with an interesting sticker inside.
Again, great thread-thanks for starting it.




Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

B01-004 should be a black Concealer model holster, size code 69 is for a S&W 469 .9 mm pistol, not sure about the L or P. per a 1985 catalog.
Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

On duty, we in SoCal used Tex Shoemaker, Safety Speed Holster, and, of course Hoyt, while they were in Costa Mesa.

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Half a league, onward...

Turnerriver I'v been looking high and low thru the Bucheimer catalogs and couldn't find an 80s catalog. I figured it might be for a S&W auto by the size/outline but great to know now that's for a S&W 469 9mm. I have another 80s Bucheimer plain black lined Consealor for a S&W M19 2.5 with a speedloader pouch attached to the font top of the holster with a brass belt loop on it, havn't seen another like this one.

Yeah I gotta agree, there's just something about good leather that plastic can't compare to. I have had good luck with both Galco and Safariland. Plus I never heard anyone say how good plastic smells!

I spent the better part of a day once with Neal Perkins, the founder of Safariland, back in the mid-'80's. This was when they were still in Monrovia, CA. Toured his factory and bought a holster for a 6 1/2" Model 29 from him. He was a fascinating guy to visit with, one of the best examples of American drive and ingenuity I ever met.

Shown here is a Safety Speed ..... I think they were from CA.

Just south of us in St. Louis was a maker called Brauer Brothers that were very popular in these parts.

At one time I had several Bianchi holsters. Sold and traded them off, sometimes before I knew better, just let them go with a gun in a sale/trade.

Today, the only thing I have left from then, is a book...

"Blue Steel and Gunleather" by John Bianchi.

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John 3:16 .

For the money, I've never been disappointed with Don Hume leather. It doesn't hold the prestige of some other brands, but it looks good and works.

I have a Mixon Leathercraft S 34 that came with my Security Six.

Nothing fancy but it seems to be a good duty holster. Are they any good? Are they still in business?

I haven't even seen it in a while. Pics., Its the one on the bottom. The top on is a custom one off for behind the back carry. Not safe and not comfy. I've been thinking about how to convert it.

Attached Images

Karma 028.jpg (67.6 KB, 79 views)

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Dum vivo cano

In the early part of my LEO career we either had to go to an out of town police supply house or order from a catalog as there were no stores in this area that carried police holsters. What we used back then were mostly Safariland and Bianchi. We didn't see retention holsters until some of the holster makers started getting lawsuits about lost guns. I prefer a retention holster for a duty belt but not necessarily for concealed carry. A couple of years ago I found a treasure trove of NOS holsters in an antique store. I kept what I wanted and sold the rest here.

The big 3 when I came on the job in 1970 were, Safariland, Bianchi, and Don Hume. All made top quality products which could take the daily LEO abuse, and hold up. No plastic, no gizmos, just well made leather.

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Martin Co,FLA(finally made it)

My first LE holster was a Bianchi "Hurricane" black basket weave for my 4" Model 27. I still have and use several 19L and S3 Pistol Pockets.

I love the older Bianchi stuff. Too bad both Bianchi and Safariland shipped their jobs to Mexico.

Oh yes, Bianchi,back in the day!

great photographs

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

John Bianchi started making holsters at his kitchen table while working as a police officer. By the time he retired from Bianchi International some 40,000,000 products had been produced and delivered. While building and running the company Mr. Bianchi also served in the USAF Reserve, attaining the rank of brigadier general.

Safariland was another big player during the same time period. Many innovations along the way, some of the best research and development work in the business, and lots of new designs and materials.

Don Hume Leather Goods has always been an excellent source for first class products and craftsmanship.

Tex Shumaker always turned out top-of-the-line products, very well regarded.

Bucheimer-Clark produced a broad line of products, from very basic to very highly developed innovations.

El Paso Saddlery has always had a world class reputation for quality.

"Tio Sam" at S.D. Myres Saddlery Company was an absolute master of the craft.

Bruce Nelson is a legend in the business. Many of his designs continue in production in some of the finest shops in the business. His "Professional Model" became the basis for the Avenger-style designs (probably influenced by Bianchi's advertising of the "Askins Avenger" line that was very similar in design).

Roy Baker is generally credited with creating the pancake-style holster design. "Roy's Original Pancakes" seemed to be everywhere for decades. There are very few holster makers, large or small, that do not offer variations on Roy Baker's work.

Hank Sloan produced a holster line that was unique. Used to see a lot of his holsters at the FBI training facility at Quantico, VA.

Jackass Leather grew to fame with a horizontal shoulder holster design featured on the popular TV series "Miami Vice". The company eventually became Galco International, producing a broad range of quality products and a number of unique designs.

Some of the bigger names achieved huge market shares by providing "floor plans" for distributors and dealers, shipping out large lots of products (usually with display and promotional materials) on credit. This allowed dealers to maintain a large selection of products at minimal expense for inventory, paying it off over an extended period of time with cash flows from sales.

Others concentrated on national markets by advertising in popular magazines, frequently utilizing endorsements from well known figures in the shooting world and law enforcement. This continues today, and you may have noticed that magazine articles featuring certain products are almost always published in issues that contain promotional advertising from the same companies (firearms, ammunition, holsters, optics, etc). Many "product tests" are actually little more than paid endorsements for advertisers.

Then there are the smaller shops. Many are one-man operations with limited production, however some have become highly sought after and waiting periods of a year or more are not unheard of. Some are truly artists working in leather as a medium, turning out beautiful works one at a time on a custom basis for the most discriminating customers.

It is an interesting business. With the growing trend toward "shall issue" concealed carry permit laws and millions of citizens now lawfully carrying defensive sidearms there is more demand than ever for holsters and accessories.

Let's not forget Lawrence...another great name in the holster industry. They were still in business in the 1970s...

Lawrence was In business a long time...Elmer Keith was a well known user of their goods.

I still have this Western rig purchased from Lawrence in the late '70s:

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Trust, but verify - R. Reagan

The Bianchi 5 BH/5 BHL series for revolvers. No pistoleros should be without one of these.


The very similar, but made for semi autos, Bianchi 19/19L. I sold this one to a forum member when I sold my S&W 469.


My personal favorite, the Bianchi Shadow 8L. I have one each for a snubbie J & K frame and for a 4" K frame.


The Bianchi Askins Avenger, along with my old Browning HP .40 S&W. I gave this to our son for his birthday two years ago tomorrow. I never warmed up to the caliber.


Nobodies favorite holster design, this one is a Galco small-of-the-back marked "Glock 17/19". I like this for hiking, when no heavy pack is involved. This design conceals well under a medium weight shirt. This holster and my Glock 32 are part of my fly fishing gear.

I love these leather threads. Get to look at some great holsters and learn about the makers as well.

Oh lawandorder, thanks for the mention. It's nice to be recognized with those other guys.

Lobo-

Thanks for this excellent summary. I've used holsters by all of these men/companies. I've generally been very satisfied.

You left out Chic Gaylord and that Lefty at our vendor site still makes his versions of some Gaylord designs. (Bell Charter Oak Holsters.)

Also, judging purely from his catalog, Ken Null has made some brilliant designs. Many seem to be spinoffs of Gaylord styles. I've never seen one in person, nor have I met the maker. Is he still around?

I'm especially sentimental about Bianchi's Shadow. I used to have a security job with a boss who posted me in a drug store that had been held up several times and had bullet holes in the wall above the pharmacy. BUT...they didn't want the guard to be armed! This was a lose-lose situation. After careful consideration of the various risks, I began wearing a S&W M-64 in a Shadow under my short uniform jacket and started looking for another job. No one, inc. cops, ever spotted that gun in the Bianchi Shadow.

After I found that better job, I sold the M-64, replacing it with a M-66-3 that became my most-carried gun, ever. I'm going to take it out tonight and see if it needs any oil and thank it for its service. I'm pretty sentimental about it.

Has anyone got any photos of Null products, or accounts of them?

I wrote to Jack O'Connor at, "Outdoor Life" about the time that Bianchi and Safarilamd were becoming popular and asked about them. Jack was a rifle nut and only so-so into handguns. He couldn't help with those brands, but recommended Lawrence. He hunted at times with Prince Abdorezza Pahlavi, brother of the Shah of Iran, and sent him a Lawrence holster for a 9mm Colt Commander, which was among His Royal Highness's favored pistols. This was, of course, before the Islamic revolution in Iran. I used Jack's spelling for the Prince's name; I have also seen it in print as Abdul Reza.

I met John Bianchi's daughters at an NRA convention in San Antonio and they left a very favorable impression. They seemed to have been well raised. One, Hope Bianchi Sjerson, later worked at Bianchi.

Link to Ken Null's website...........

K.L. Null Holsters Home Page

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LEX ET ORDO

Two of my favorites...

Floral carved Hunter holster sporting a 1911 .38 Super (looks better than Hunter's current ones)




Tex Shoemaker with 2.5" 1917 Colt .45

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C & L

Thanks for posting. I have one like that I bought in 1965 when I bought my Python. Larry

I just picked up a S&W 38 Special model 15-3 with a Triple K San Diego marked Holster, 196 1 4. Can anyone tell me about this holster? Looks like some of those posted here, just can't seem to find anything on the web about it.

Here's a Don Hume IWB and the basket weave doesn't show a makers mark, only 2LH stamped on the back.


Pretty sure this single action rig is home-made.

You win. That is one spectacular rig, to me the best shown so far in this old thread. It just reeks of quality.

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Dick Burg

It's sad to see every Bianchi & Safariland package now say made in mexico.

As far as I know, G&G still makes everything in North Carolina

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I miss my 4546 the most.

Eubanks was pretty popular also - they turned into Idaho Leather then went away.
Idaho Leather w/ MKII Target


Another G.Lawrence (5$ in the junk box) w/ Colt Huntsman


Still partial to the older Hunter holsters even if they're not lined.
Hunter w/ M63


Bianchi w/ M60

Well, an old thread, but still an interesting one nonetheless. Ken Null Worked for and apprenticed to Paris Theodore. Theodore worked for and apprenticed to Chic Gaylord. There, an explanation for similarity in model design features, and a very kind way to say so.

Over decades, I have observed with amusement, the claims to designs by both holster makers and observers. The latter, often relying upon catalogs as ironclad provenance. Since I avoid such debates, having suffered through so many, I leave this to all of you experts to chew on. As an aside, the Shah Of Iran, and his bodyguards, were regular visitors to Gaylord's shop, during the 1960's and later.

Cheers;
Lefty

Great early photo of Col Cooper-- he looks quite a bit different than in his later "pistolcraft guru" days. And is that a goatee he's sporting?

.....................A Holster Maker with ties to some of the greats gone by.........

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LEX ET ORDO

How about Milt Sparks? Still around making excellent holsters.
I used Hunter, Safariland, Bianchi in the 70's. Switched to Milt Sparks in the 80's.

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Carl NRA Endowment Life Member

I've been using Safariland for my duty holster and belt for almost 30 years now.

My preference in field holsters is the Bianchi 111 or El Paso Saddlery Tom Threepersons while I tend to use Don Hume for OWB concealed carry off-duty.

Like others I was saddened to see Bianchi/Safariland production move south of the border.

Another name that grew through the 70's building a great business in law enforcement and for the less public side of the law was Lou Alessi. A fine gentlemen and incredible artist of leather holsters.

The 1960-1970 era was an extrordinary decade in the evolution of concealment holster design. Much of it fueled by two influences. The first, fashion. Yup, had nothin' to do with firearms, had all to do with apparel.

Everything changed. Or, began to change with wardrobes and holsters and the way we concealed and carried a weapon changed as well. Remember bell bottom jeans? As a young narc I packed an ankle rig, a 4 inch M&P revolver and a M36 tucked IWB. In a suit, usually just the 2 Chiefs Special revolvers.

Today, move ahead 40+ years, nobody dresses formally much. Back in the day, you went to business in a suit or jacket and tie at least. Now, you walk into a lawyers office, doctors office, bank, court, funeral parlor or elsewhere, and people are dressed like they're going on vacation to the shore. Clothing trends have become more informal in all venues.

Although I do not care much for this trend of wardrobe informality (especially when folks show up at a wake or funeral in shorts and flip flops which I find disrespectful) it is nonetheless, the way things are, like it or not.

But I digress. Form follows function, or rather, fashion. The absurdly enormous kydex, kydex and leather combinations sold today,that approach the size of a dinner plate stuck in your gang bangers droopy trousers or shorts that are really half a pair of pants that I can fit both legs in one leg and come down to my calf, aren't much of a challenge to make a concealment holster for. Hell son, I could holster a Howitzer in them.

The second influence was my grandmother.

Cheers;
Lefty

Three cheers for you, Lefty!

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

I think I had one Bianchi back in the seventies...the rest were Safariland holsters and belts. And they were all for big bore single actions. All but one had hammer thongs instead of a retention strap with snap. I've looked high and low for one of those with a hammer thong for a 7.5-inch .44 or .45, but no luck so far...although I did pick up another Safariland #43 with strap over the weekend. The price was too good to pass up.