Another Beauty by Mr. Eubanks

[crazyphil]

This one under his Idaho Leather banner. On-July 10 at 10:20AM
my friend -db- posted an Idaho Leather holster for sale.
Fortunately for me I happened to be cruising the Acessories for
sale just about 20 minutes later.

There was a very good description and photos of the Idaho
Leather holster, so I knew it was exactly what I wanted. I
didn't need to waste any time on due-diligence because I know
-db- and when he says something you can take it to the bank.

So I posted my "I'll take it". It was in my mailbox today.
(Just 3 days) It's a model 77 basket stamped and rawhide
laced. It also has a sewn-in sight protector. Made for 4"
38/44 (in other words a 4" N Frame). So it fits my model 29
.44 magnum perfectly.

My guess is that it was made by Royal Eubanks in 1954,
shortly after starting Idaho Leather. (He died April 25, 1955)

I have posted about Eubanks, Idaho Leather, etc. here on the
Forum, (probably ad-nauseum), but here is another brief
run down just to put this holster into perspective.

Royal Eubanks started Eubanks Leather in Boise in 1939.
He sold to Pioneer Tent and Awning in 1949 with a 5 year
agreement to not compete.

The Pioneer Company called their holsters Eubanks Pioneer
Leather between 1949 and 1954. They also had their own
holster marked The Pioneer Company before and/or after
buying Eubanks.

In 1954, upon expiration of the non-compete agreement,
Royal Eubanks went back into business as Idaho Leather,
but as I mentioned previously, he died in 1955.

His widow sold the business to a family friend, Bud Wetzel.
Idaho Leather continued in business, operated by Bud's Son
Ben Wetzel. until Ben passed away in December 2016.

Left to Right:
An original Eubanks on a Lawrence cartridge belt with 4"
model 10 and a Marbles knife.
A Eubanks Pioneer Leather with my Colt Agent on the Lawrence
belt and a Buck knife.
A plain Jane by The Pioneer Company on a Mexican cartridge
belt with 4" model 10 and a Schrade knife.
The subject of this post, the Idaho Leather holster with my
4" Model 29 on a Dave Keith belt, Buck knife and my Boonie hat.
Same 4" Model 29 on Dave Keith belt, Buck knife, and Stetson.
(after a dab of Black Rock Leather 'N' Rich.)

 

[crazyphil]

A couple more worth mentioning:
Left
A little Idaho Leather probably made by Ben Wetzel because it is
fairly new. Shown with a 2" Charter Undercover, James belt, Bear knife,
and my Open Road Stetson.

On the right
A black carved Eubanks, on a Sparks belt, with my 4" Model 10,
and a Case knife.

 

[rednichols]

There is more to know about Royal; this info is included in my Chronology for the book Holstory:

1897 B 11 2 Royal L. Eubanks". B. 02 Nov 1897. Findagrave.com.
1910 C 4 Royal L. Eubanks". U.S. Census 1910. Child age 12, Centralia WA. In the household of grandfather Marcus D. Wood who is a harness maker/harness shop (as are several neighbors)
1921 M 8 27 Berith Grace Reed and Royal L. Eubanks". Washington Cty. Marriages. M. 27 Aug 1921 to Berith b. 1904 age 23, Royal is 17 (sic, age 23 going on 24)
1930 1 Eubanks Leather Company History", Vintagegunleather.com. Company is founded Boise ID 1930
1930 3 28 New Cases Filed with the County Clerk". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget, 28 Mar 1930. Berith v. Royal, disputes ownership Eubanks Body & Fender, alleges other women & he will leave state.
1930 C 4 Royal L. Eubanks". U.S. Census 1930. Centralia WA, age 33, married but wife not present; instead 19 y/o actress is lodger. Salesman/radio
1940 C 4 Royal L. Eubanks". U.S. Census 1940. Ada Cty, ID. Upholsterer/furniture repair shop. Wife Mary, son Thomas.
1949 6 Eubanks Leather". RootsWeb.com. Boise ID. Royal Eubanks sells his company 1949 to Pioneer Tent & Awning, a retailer
1954 6 Eubanks Leather". RootsWeb.com. Boise ID. Royal Eubanks re-opens as Idaho Leather 1954 at expiry of 5-year non-compete (Royal dies a year later)
1955 D 4 28 Eubanks Leather". RootsWeb.com. Boise ID. Royal Eubanks d. 28 Apr 1955. See Findagrave (headstone)
1972 1 Eubanks Leather Company History". Vintagegunleather.com. Company closes 1972 (Milt Sparks' employment there ends)

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Nice .........

 

[les.b]

Phil, thanks for the post...that's a beautiful holster. And you are right..... -db- is a true gentleman!!

Red, thanks for the Eubanks chronology!!

Best Regards, Les

 

[Walter Rego]

I have been a fan of the Eubanks holsters and their descendants for many years. I have always maintained that they were every bit as good of quality as a Lawrence from the same era but were probably produced in much smaller numbers without a lot of advertising.In fact I don't recall ever seeing an ad for Eubanks in any of the old gun magazines. If anyone has one please post it.

Also regarding the time of manufacture: I have an oak leaf carved Eubanks Pioneer Leather holster Model 50 which is marked clockwise on the toe around the maker mark: RBH 6 1/2 R357 50 which is pretty easy to decode. The Ruger Blackhawk .357's started to ship in January 1957 so the Eubanks Pioneer Leather maker mark was being used at least into 1957. I am trying to attach a photo but the Manage Attachments function isn't working at the moment.

Edited to add: See the photo of it in post # 30 of this thread: HOLSTER BEAUTY CONTEST?

Have you seen another example of this carving from Eubanks ?

Thank for your informative posts gentlemen.

 

[-db-]

Looks good, Phil, and thanks for the kind words, gents.

 

[crazyphil]

There is more to know about Royal; this info is included in my Chronology for the book Holstory:

1897 B 11 2 Royal L. Eubanks". B. 02 Nov 1897. Findagrave.com.
1910 C 4 Royal L. Eubanks". U.S. Census 1910. Child age 12, Centralia WA. In the household of grandfather Marcus D. Wood who is a harness maker/harness shop (as are several neighbors)
1921 M 8 27 Berith Grace Reed and Royal L. Eubanks". Washington Cty. Marriages. M. 27 Aug 1921 to Berith b. 1904 age 23, Royal is 17 (sic, age 23 going on 24)
1930 1 Eubanks Leather Company History", Vintagegunleather.com. Company is founded Boise ID 1930
1930 3 28 New Cases Filed with the County Clerk". The Chehalis Bee-Nugget, 28 Mar 1930. Berith v. Royal, disputes ownership Eubanks Body & Fender, alleges other women & he will leave state.
1930 C 4 Royal L. Eubanks". U.S. Census 1930. Centralia WA, age 33, married but wife not present; instead 19 y/o actress is lodger. Salesman/radio
1940 C 4 Royal L. Eubanks". U.S. Census 1940. Ada Cty, ID. Upholsterer/furniture repair shop. Wife Mary, son Thomas.
1949 6 Eubanks Leather". RootsWeb.com. Boise ID. Royal Eubanks sells his company 1949 to Pioneer Tent & Awning, a retailer
1954 6 Eubanks Leather". RootsWeb.com. Boise ID. Royal Eubanks re-opens as Idaho Leather 1954 at expiry of 5-year non-compete (Royal dies a year later)
1955 D 4 28 Eubanks Leather". RootsWeb.com. Boise ID. Royal Eubanks d. 28 Apr 1955. See Findagrave (headstone)
1972 1 Eubanks Leather Company History". Vintagegunleather.com. Company closes 1972 (Milt Sparks' employment there ends)

Your Chronology is "kinda right" Red.

Vintage Gunleather is totally confused in their history:
There is no evidence that Eubanks Leather was founded in 1930.
More like 1937-1939. I've never found anything definite.
They say Royal's son re-started the business in 1954. I say
it was Royal himself.
They say Ben Wetzel was third generation. The Wetzels were
not related to the Eubanks. They were family friends.
Eubanks Company did not remain in business until 1972. That
was Eubanks Pioneer Leather, operated by the Pioneer Company
that was in business until 1972.

Much of the remaining Chronology would be better explained
in the National Enquirer.

 

[rednichols]

Your Chronology is "kinda right" Red.

Vintage Gunleather is totally confused in their history:
There is no evidence that Eubanks Leather was founded in 1930.
More like 1937-1939. I've never found anything definite.
They say Royal's son re-started the business in 1954. I say
it was Royal himself.
They say Ben Wetzel was third generation. The Wetzels were
not related to the Eubanks. They were family friends.
Eubanks Company did not remain in business until 1972. That
was Eubanks Pioneer Leather, operated by the Pioneer Company
that was in business until 1972.

Much of the remaining Chronology would be better explained
in the National Enquirer.

Vintage Gunleather's histories are kinda hit and miss, aren't they? Some of them are dead-on accurate, and some of them are way off! But as I pointed out to Lefty Lewis, that their histories appear in my chronology is not to say the facts are proven; but to indicate the source. And then, as you have, the reader is free to say "I don't believe that source".

Yes, Royal and Eubanks and Pioneer are certainly well-mixed in these histories, to the point where it's hard to be sure where one began and another took over. Milt claims to have worked for Royal but that doesn't actually fit with his published interview before his death; so one fits the pieces together as best one can and keeps looking for more information .

Regardless, I keep Royal et al in a category I call 'Indian Jones', a reference to a Big Bang Theory episode ('did you ever realize that if Indiana Jones hadn't appeared in the film, the story would've turned out exactly the same?'). As good as the products are under the various names, the operations had no impact on holstory because they are Heiser clones.

 

[crazyphil]

I just had to add to this thread. A couple of years ago, my friend Red
Nichols sent me an email calling my attention to a very early Eubanks
holster for sale on ebay.

At first glance I didn't get too excited because if I bought it I would need
to buy a gun to fit it. Well, it kinda grew on me, so before the auction
ended I threw in a maximum bid of a hundred bucks. That did it.
I won the auction (for a lot less than the max bid.)

I knew it would be a wall hanger, so I bought a Colt's Cavalry model replica
(with 7.5" barrel). The holster is Cordovan (color), carved and laced. It
is shown in the photo on a Texas Gunslinger belt, a Bear knife, and my
Open Road Stetson (of course).

I think it has become my favorite Eubanks. Hope you like it too.

By the way, the silver Navajo belt buckle is by Nezzi

 

[Walter Rego]

Here is my Eubanks No. 820. It is basketweave stamped rather than floral carved like crazyphil's. I have a couple of 7.5" USFA's that fit in it perfectly.