BRILL - a - Like

[boykinlp]

I recently acquired a couple of "new to me" holsters. The first one is this Left Hand Brill style holster. To me, it looks and feels vintage and high quality. It doesn't have any maker's mark on it, but I found it interesting. Here are some pictures:
Larry

 

[boykinlp]

And one more picture:
Larry

 

[Kansasgunner]

That is a very handsome holster! I’m inclined to think that is an early Brill made by Charles Kluge. Hopefully Red or Turnerriver will see this and offer their opinions.

 

[boykinlp]

That is a very handsome holster! I’m inclined to think that is an early Brill made by Charles Kluge. Hopefully Red or Turnerriver will see this and offer their opinions.

Tim, that is exactly what I am hoping! Fingers Crossed!!
Larry

 

[sceva]

I am probably wrong but I thought on Brill's the cuff always ran up at an angle; that one looks a little straight across to me. Nice though and I hope I am proved wrong.

 

[rednichols]

I recently acquired a couple of "new to me" holsters. The first one is this Left Hand Brill style holster. To me, it looks and feels vintage and high quality. It doesn't have any maker's mark on it, but I found it interesting. Here are some pictures:
Larry

Then you don't follow my blog: this is a Kluge scabbard. Charles Kluge of Kluge Bros was the innovator who created the style for Captain Hughes in 1905; it was long thought it was N.J. Rabensburg but period news articles put us straight on that. Rabensburg likely was at Kluge Bros saddlery as a saddle cub at that time.

Kluge made the scabbards, in the familiar basketweave and in that particular carving style, too, from then until 1912 when A.W. Brill bought out the Kluge Bros saddlery. From then on they were the same scabbards but with the A.W. Brill stamp in the center of the leather cuff. The welt stack of these Kluge scabbards are always quite straight, the cuffs are wide, the tip ends of the cuffs are sewn to the fender in just that way, and there is just one welt inside the welt stack.

It was in 1932 that Rabensburg joined Brill to eventually replace Charles Kluge who would die a decade later. Rabensburg changed the style of the holster and including that carving; added a second and even third welt, contoured the main welt stack, changed the hand sewing of the cuff ends, added a stitch to the open end of the welt stack.

All known scabbards constructed just that way that have the owners intitials can be traced to Kluge's reign during the owner's service in the Rangers.

 

[Onomea]

A-ha! An original pre-Brill Kluge scabbard, then! Very cool find.

 

[StrawHat]

Looks very nice! I have a Kluge made Sunday Scabbard for a 1911, also for a left handed person.

Kevin

 

[boykinlp]

Then you don't follow my blog: this is a Kluge scabbard. Charles Kluge of Kluge Bros was the innovator who created the style for Captain Hughes in 1906; it was long thought it was N.J. Rabensburg but period news articles put us straight on that. Rabensburg likely was at Kluge Bros saddlery as a saddle cub at that time.

Kluge made the scabbards, in the familiar basketweave and in that particular carving style, too, from then until 1912 when A.W. Brill bought out the Kluge Bros saddlery. From then on they were the same scabbards but with the A.W. Brill stamp in the center of the leather cuff. The welt stack of these Kluge scabbards are always quite straight, the cuffs are wide, the tip ends of the cuffs are sewn to the fender in just that way, and there is just one welt inside the welt stack.

It was in 1932 that Rabensburg joined Brill to eventually replace Charles Kluge who would die a decade later. Rabensburg changed the style of the holster and including that carving; added a second and even third welt, contoured the main welt stack, changed the hand sewing of the cuff ends, added a stitch to the open end of the welt stack.

All known scabbards constructed just that way that have the owners intitials can be traced to Kluge's reign during the owner's service in the Rangers.

You are right, Red. I don’t follow your blog (too old to learn a new internet gizmo ), but I do pay a lot of attention to your posts here! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have given this scabbard a second thought. In fact, because of insomnia, I was browsing the internet at about 2:15am the other night when this one popped up . I gave it a close look and jumped on it! The only thing that had me slightly worried was the welt at the toe. But, since I hadn’t seen one of these in person, and only a few here, I wasn’t 100% sure. Kansasgunner eased my mind considerably, but I did want THE expert’s reassurance that I had made the correct call! Now I have that.

It has turned out even better than I expected. When I got it, I could immediately tell it was quality made and vintage. Now I know it was made between 1906 and 1912. It is in great shape, and I am really pleased that it is carved. Now that I own it, I want EVERYONE to know what it is so it will be valued like a Brill. Thanks for all the information.
Larry

 

[boykinlp]

Looks very nice! I have a Kluge made Sunday Scabbard for a 1911, also for a left handed person.

Kevin

Kevin, I thought Red determined that that your terrific holster was made by Sessums . I may be misremembering though.
Larry

 

[StrawHat]

Kevin, I thought Red determined that that your terrific holster was made by Sessums . I may be misremembering though.
Larry

Now that you mention it, my memory is slightly weakening also!

I will double check and get back to you.

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

Kevin, I thought Red determined that that your terrific holster was made by Sessums . I may be misremembering though.
Larry

Larry,

Your memory is better than mine! It is by Sessums. Found the post and the ID based on the stitching on the obverse.

Thank you for jogging my memory.

Kevin

 

[boykinlp]

Red has shown us many manufacturers of Brill-a-like holsters. This holster recently sold on eBay. It is a Brill-a-like made by Lonestar Shoe Service Austin Texas. I found this holster very interesting for a few reasons. First, it was made by a shoe service company. Second, it looks pretty quality made. Third, from the looks of the holster, the owner really liked this holster, and wore it a lot. Fourth, the construction of the holster at the toe. Fifth, the stitching on the back of the holster.

I tried to find out some information on the Lonestar Shoe Service of Austin, Texas with no luck. So I have no clue how large an outfit they were, but in my mind, I see a small one. To me, they looked like they knew what they were doing. It looks well constructed, and I believe the stitching on the back was all done by hand. I am sure Red will correct me if I am mistaken. I also hope he will tell me about the construction at the toe. I asked the seller for a picture of the welt, but was late in asking so got no reply.

Did anyone here get it? I was interested but kinda forgot about it.
Larry

 

[bruce5781]

I dropped out at $127

Regards,
Bruce

 

[boykinlp]

I dropped out at $127

Regards,
Bruce

Bruce,
You didn't miss it by much. It seems like you and I talking about another Brill like this that we missed out on. What did you think about the Lonestar SS holster? It definitely wasn't a Brill made holster like the seller was claiming!
Larry

 

[rednichols]

Red has shown us many manufacturers of Brill-a-like holsters. This holster recently sold on eBay. It is a Brill-a-like made by Lonestar Shoe Service Austin Texas. I found this holster very interesting for a few reasons. First, it was made by a shoe service company. Second, it looks pretty quality made. Third, from the looks of the holster, the owner really liked this holster, and wore it a lot. Fourth, the construction of the holster at the toe. Fifth, the stitching on the back of the holster.

I tried to find out some information on the Lonestar Shoe Service of Austin, Texas with no luck. So I have no clue how large an outfit they were, but in my mind, I see a small one. To me, they looked like they knew what they were doing. It looks well constructed, and I believe the stitching on the back was all done by hand. I am sure Red will correct me if I am mistaken. I also hope he will tell me about the construction at the toe. I asked the seller for a picture of the welt, but was late in asking so got no reply.

Did anyone here get it? I was interested but kinda forgot about it.
Larry

Yes indeed, the Lonestar is a Brillalike but not a Brill. Made very much to the formula that as many as three dozen different Texas saddleries used to make the Sunday scabbard. That muzzle stitching IS Sunday scabbard; Kluge used a straight hand lockstitch to execute it and Rabensburg used a hand chainstitch:

 

[bruce5781]

Bruce,

You didn't miss it by much. It seems like you and I talking about another Brill like this that we missed out on. What did you think about the Lonestar SS holster? It definitely wasn't a Brill made holster like the seller was claiming!

Larry

Larry,
I viewed it as a curiosity more than anything else. I purchased a holster a week before from this same seller built in Tyler, TX and can find out nothing about it.

Regards
Bruce

 

[rednichols]

Red has shown us many manufacturers of Brill-a-like holsters. This holster recently sold on eBay. It is a Brill-a-like made by Lonestar Shoe Service Austin Texas. I found this holster very interesting for a few reasons. First, it was made by a shoe service company. Second, it looks pretty quality made. Third, from the looks of the holster, the owner really liked this holster, and wore it a lot. Fourth, the construction of the holster at the toe. Fifth, the stitching on the back of the holster.

I tried to find out some information on the Lonestar Shoe Service of Austin, Texas with no luck. So I have no clue how large an outfit they were, but in my mind, I see a small one. To me, they looked like they knew what they were doing. It looks well constructed, and I believe the stitching on the back was all done by hand. I am sure Red will correct me if I am mistaken. I also hope he will tell me about the construction at the toe. I asked the seller for a picture of the welt, but was late in asking so got no reply.

Did anyone here get it? I was interested but kinda forgot about it.
Larry

This one by Lone Star is in my files, too; for the auto:



It is more 'Sessums' than 'Brill' in its exaggerated styling.

 

[boykinlp]

This one by Lone Star is in my files, too; for the auto:

View attachment 582818

It is more 'Sessums' than 'Brill' in its exaggerated styling.

What surprises me is when what I would guess was a very small concern makes a quality item. I know I shouldn't feel that way, and don't know why I do, because I have seen many small or single person businesses that make top quality products. It means more to them. I guess I am seeing a guy in a small shop cobbling together shoes, replacing soles, and the like, and then in his spare time going "I think I will make a holster." I need to realize that back then there were tons of folks doing that.
Larry

 

[crazyphil]

Here is one that is kinda Brilly. The maker called it a Brill-Persons.
And the matching belt. Both cherished gifts from my friend Red Nichols.
He also gave me the proto-type when he made a replica of Tom
Threepersons original holster. I auctioned that one here on the forum
and gave the four hundred that it fetched to the forum.

 

[Papa Lee]

W.L Woods Holster

A W.L. Woods Gainesville Tex. holster. Woods was a saddle maker who was active from 1924-1935. It is somewhat Kluge or Brill-like in style and construction and the tooling on the front is fairly unique. It fits a S&W M&P with a 5" barrel and is lined inside back and skirt. It does have 2 holes in the front that someone may have used for a leg tie-down string.

 

[rednichols]

A W.L. Woods Gainesville Tex. holster. Woods was a saddle maker who was active from 1924-1935. It is somewhat Kluge or Brill-like in style and construction and the tooling on the front is fairly unique. It fits a S&W M&P with a 5" barrel and is lined inside back and skirt. It does have 2 holes in the front that someone may have used for a leg tie-down string.

Gorgeous. Indeed it is a true 'brillalike', the term I use for them, although Kluge, Brill, Rabensburg and Sessums used the 'ranger' construction only on the short barrels; and nearly always with a strap.

Notice the leather lip at the muzzle that has been sewn to the fender behind it; always found on a brillalike because it's always found on a Brill .

This one for the short barrel is by Rabensburg:





The same construction was used on all the autos although not always with a strap.

 

[Papa Lee]

Speaking of Sessums

This is a Sessums stamped holster for a 1911 that someone decided to "improve" by trimming up the back and the toe. Pretty much ruined it as a Brill-a-like, although it is still functional.

 

[Papa Lee]

An A.W. Brill made by Rabensburg and Kluge?

Similar to the Brill photos that rednichols posted and one of several Brills that I own is interesting to me because it has the Rabensburg double J stitching on the back but does not have the Rabensburg chain stitching on the toe (or muzzle, if you prefer).

So, was it a collaboration between Rabensburg and Kluge?

 

[rednichols]

Similar to the Brill photos that rednichols posted and one of several Brills that I own is interesting to me because it has the Rabensburg double J stitching on the back but does not have the Rabensburg chain stitching on the toe (or muzzle, if you prefer).

So, was it a collaboration between Rabensburg and Kluge?

I may have made too much of the hand chain stitching that's found on 'late' Brills vs the straight hand sewing on 'early' Brills. Just an observation of mine that they're nearly always found that way. But I do have other images of late Brills with the straight sewing. Sure, it would've been unavoidable that the two men cooperated in the same shop . I've gone so far as to wonder if Kluge just kept making them his way after N.J. joined the operation, or was compelled by circumstances or force of personality vis a vis N.J. and/or A.W. to make them the 'late' way. The two men's time there overlapped by roughly a decade.

I've gone back to my image files for sunday scabbards of both eras, and have one or two of the Kluge style with the chain stitch and all others as straight stitch; and several of the Rabensburg style with the straight vs the chain. Wouldn't it be something if THIS was the way to identify 'transitional' Brills from Kluge to Rabensburg? More study needed.

 

[turnerriver]

Another Brill-a-like I bought at a SWCA symposium a couple years ago.

Regards,