A Heiser for Christmas

[Onomea]

My wife gave me this lovely Heiser for Christmas. What a gal!

Being a thoughtful and considerate husband, I helped her select it by purchasing it in the classifieds here from Turnerriver, who wrote this description:

"A Heiser model 722 for [772 is correct per post 9 below] the 4 1/2" 1st model Sport Woodsman with a 4 1/2" barrel. It won't accommodate a 2nd model Woodsman. Made in the early 1940's as evidenced by the snap.

This is a hard to find model in excellent original condition. Stiff, heavy leather construction, strong safety strap and snap, full Mexican floral hand carved, will fit a very large belt. Oval Heiser logo, with W 4 1/2 etched by the maker to indicate Woodsman with a 4 1/2" barrel."





The quality of the holster, the leather work, the stitching, and the fit (perfect/tight) are superb.

I am also intrigued by the one piece design, and how the holster folds back on itself. For you holster mavens, what is this style of holster called?





Note how the craftsman did not try to reduce his workload by leaving the covered portion on the front of the holster uncarved.



Also interesting to see the difference in color between the covered and uncovered portions that 80 years makes.

In addition to the writing over the logo, the Woodsman 722 is also identified in the concealed fold of the holster.



It is a truly beautiful holster and is contemporaneous to my 1st series Woodsman Sport. There could not be a more perfect match between gun and holster.

A swell Christmas gift from my wife indeed!

 

[crazyphil]

That is a beauty Onomea. You can enjoy it for many years to come.
For a name I would just call it a Mexican single loop.
As far as the style, I believe the 722 stamp would be more
reliable than the 772 etching.

 

[Onomea]

Just noticed that the number handwritten in the concealed fold above is 772 whereas the stamped number below the logo is 722...



Curious...

Edited to add: I see CrazyPhil noticed the discrepancy before I did, and commented above. Sounds reasonable to me. The 772 is most likely a "typo," I suppose.

Edited to add: See post 9 as well. (Whatever it's number is, I am sure neither I nor any of its owners in the past 80 years, care very much. It is a gorgeous, so very well made holster, and that is what those of us who stick a gun into it care about....)

 

[crazyphil]

I do believe with that 5 petal wild rose on the single loop, and all the swirls
that it's Sheridan style carving. Some of the carvers went from Heiser over
to Colorado Saddlery, and then some went on to Hunter. Hunter holsters,
model 3100, were carved in the Sheridan style.
By the way, I just remembered I had written something about
Heiser numbers in my book RENOWNED GUN LEATHER. If you
have it, it's on page 59. The 7 designates that it is carved, which
we know. The 2nd number 2, designates the action type as a
semi-automatic. As I said in my book, "I was a cryptographer
for the USAF SECURITY SERVICE AND NSA, but I can't crack
that 3rd number in the code.

 

[crazyphil]

Here is a Heiser model 728 for an example. The 7 is for carved finish.
the 2 is because it's for a semi-automatic action type. The 8, I kinda
believe the 3rd number might be for some special feature of the holster,
like in this case maybe the suede lining.

In the case of your holster perhaps it's the retention snap strap.

 

[Onomea]

Phil, that's a beautiful holster! Belt, too. Is the belt a Heiser as well? And, any story behind the buckle?

 

[crazyphil]

Onomea - the belt is by Texas Gunslingers, I think it's "close enough"
for a match to the holster. I was travelling in Arizona one time and bought
the buckle on the Navajo reservation. A gentleman named Nezzi made it.

After giving a little more thought to the 3rd number, I rememebered this
model 718. The seven is because the finish is floral carved. The 1 is
because even numbers are for semi-autos and odd numbers are for
revolvers. The 8 couldn't be for suede as I thought, because this one
is not lined. Maybe the 8 is for the main seam lacing?

 

[mrchick]

What a beautiful holster. It's one of those examples that you would go out and find a pistol for if you didn't have one. Nice gift!

 

[turnerriver]

I'm embarrassed and I apologize for letting this get by me-the correct model number for that holster is 772. The stamped model number 722 is incorrect.
I'm glad you like the holster and your wife is to be congratulated for her fine taste in gun leather.
I'm sorry I let that slip by me, the etched 772 number is the correct one.
Regards,

 

[Onomea]

Thanks, John, for the correction. A Heiser 772 it is!

(Hot damn! Holsters, it is well known, are like stamps: If one is mis-stamped in some small way, the value among collectors increases astronomically! I'm rich, fellas, I'm rich! Just wait'll I tell my wife we've made it to the big time!)

 

[wheelgun610]

...the correct model number for that holster is 772. The stamped model number 722 is incorrect...

I was thinking the same thing. I just couldn't find a reference to a #772. Pretty sure there was also a Heiser #722, but it was completely different style of holster with no skirt.

Mark

 

[turnerriver]

Here are 2 cuts from the Heiser number 30 catalog, the chart in Holstory dates this catalog to 1937. This is the first catalog that model 772 appears in, it was cataloged through number 51 and was omitted in catalog number 52.
The second cut shows model 422, a carved holster of that model would be correctly stamped 722.
I always do get a kick out of a holster that has been mismarked by the maker.

Regards,

 

[crazyphil]

It looks to me like the 772 is for revolvers, which is consistent with Heiser's
practice of the 2nd number being for action type. I don't see a 722 on your
cuts John, but I see the 1722 looks like Onomea's holster.

 

[Onomea]

Phil, it's confusing, but if you look at the four catalog pages carefully, you will see that my holster is pictured top middle of page 7, marked 772, and in the prose description, mid page, above the 772 it says for autos only, not for revolvers.

The 1722 on row of holster pics, rightmost, catalog p. 13 is similar, but is not my holster. (Note also that it says "No. 1722 is the same holster as No. 722 with the following additions Leather Lined and Plug in Bottom." So we now know what a 722 should look like.)

Given the confusion it has caused us, not surprising that Heiser mismarked it!

(Just realized that Turnerriver has posted four pages, the top image being pages 6 and 7, and the bottom image being 12 and 13. Have edited above to reflect this.)

 

[crazyphil]

Heiser's are the masters of confusion.