Dirty Harry Shoulder Holster

[wilshire1412]

Interesting post going on here. I have two of these that I obtained about 15 years ago, give or take a couple of years. One is for a 6 1/2 in. 29 and I know I bought it from Cathey enterprise, I had to wait a good bit after I ordered it and it does look quite nice. The other holster is for a 4 in. N frame although I think a 5 would maybe fit as well, I do not know where this holster was made as I received it in a trade. Both holsters are not marked in any way that I can tell, so I would assume that these are unlicensed copies. I did get a speedloader holder that is marked Cattle Baron along with the shorter holster, so I don't know if they were both from the same manufacturer or not. Here are some photos...

 

[ANGST]

Originally posted by Lawman Leather
Hello:

My name is JERRY ARDOLINO, the Original trademark owner and Original manufacturer of The ORIGINAL DIRTY HARRY® Shoulder Holster for the public for the S & W Model 29, 6 ½” .44 Magnum; a fact well-documented over the last few decades by JERRY AHERN in SOLDIER of FORTUNE, Elmer Keith, in GUNS & AMMO, October, 1978; SKEETER SKELTON in SHOOTING TIMES; BOB ZWIRZ in GUN WORLD, January, 1980 and scores of other notable gun writers. I am the successor to the Bucheimer-Clark Holster Company of California and own the Original Pattern from them used to make the holsters for the films as well as a holster cut from the leather at that time for the films—a holster which I wore to carry my “backup” S & W Model 29, .44 Magnum when I was a Chicago Cop working the West Side projects and high-crime Lakefront areas of Chicago back in the late-Seventies. The holsters that Bucheimer-Clark originally made were, requested and ordered by ELLIS MERCANTILE (prop house), later called: ELLIS PROPS & GRAPHICS and now out of business. I am also owner of the FIRST die ever made to produce that holster as well as, the ORIGINAL Bucheimer-Clark dies used to make the Harness. They hang alongside the Original film/hard-use/working, real-world holster, in my office in Las Vegas, Nevada. The ORIGINAL DIRTY HARRY® is still produced by LAWMAN LEATHER GOODS™. Only whereas, I—LAWMAN LEATHER GOODS™ (Sole Proprietor) used to produce it for 744 different handguns; we, (LAWMAN LEATHER GOODS CORPORATION™) now produce The ORIGINAL DIRTY HARRY® for EVERY Handgun, EVERY Caliber, EVERY Barrel Length ever manufactured, in the history of firearms. We do this through the VEX™ Program, a program which, I invented and developed over the last 2 ½ years. We are the ONLY Holster Company in the world to have this technology. This means that we now can produce a holster for over many thousands of handgun models without dies. Patterns and disposable dies are produced by VEX™. Another company would have to spend a couple of million dollars and wait years for the dies to be made, in order to achieve this

Is it just me or does that read like a Nigerian 419 e-mail ?

 

[Deputy]

Originally posted by ANGST:

Is it just me or does that read like a Nigerian 419 e-mail ?

It's not just you. And note there is no street address...just a PO box. I suggest people be VERY careful. I also Googled Lawman Leather Goods and there is no location shown on the map. Just "22.20 miles from Boulder City, NV" and a phone number. Anyone see any warning signs yet? Any flashing lights going off?

Dep

 

[Arisin Wind]

I'm going to go out on a limb. I think this a reincarnation of Lawman Leather - back in business. Probably started this year. There aren't many hits when you Google them. They are mentioned as an attendee at the upcoming 2009 SHOT show but not previous shows. My guess is they just started making these holsters again.

You Google Jerry Ardolino and you get results about him being a Chicago cop and his exploits in a book he wrote. From what I've read online he seems like a colorful character right of of an old Mickey Spillane novel.

Their website leaves a lot to be desired. The sole picture of the holster is low resolution and doesn't show the whole set-up. You can not order online, only through phone, mail or fax. If you use a credit card they say they will charge you as soon as the order is placed. Most places charge you when the item ships.

Jerry comes across as the ultimate salesman. He brags some and has an "in your face" approach.

Anyway, that's my take on the situation.

 

[Deputy]

I agree with Arisin. And I will go a bit further. Look up Ted Blocker holsters. They have a website. They have a standard phone number. They have a TOLL FREE phone number. They have a fax number. And they have a REAL ADDRESS. You can order online or call them up and talk to them. They have advertisements in gun magazines and an excellent reputation for building quality holsters. I INVITED them to this thread and asked them if they could build a replica of the holster used in the Dirty Harry movies. They agreed and they made some modification to it to increase wearability. Their version of the holster is NOT being "mass produced" on an assembly line. It is built when they get enough orders to justify building them. Let me quote from their website:
"Ted Blocker Holsters 4500 square foot manufacturing facility and showroom is located in Tigard, Oregon, approximately 12 miles south of Portland. Our showroom is open Mon-Fri 8am-5pm. Skilled craftsmen use only the best top-grain vegetable tanned leather. All holsters are hand oiled or dip dyed in the Tigard facility. Refinished or “painted” split leather is not acceptable for Ted Blocker Holsters. Every holster is molded to fit the gun, and over 350 gun models are available. All edges are sanded, beveled, buffed and finished with an edge coat. Attention to detail and customer service is what makes Ted Blocker Holsters stand out above the rest."

For me, the choice is easy.

Dep

 

[Ranger325]

So, has anyone ordered one of these from 'Jerry' and the new-Lawman Leather Co.??
"Do 'ya feel lucky.............."

Regards,

 

[Deputy]

Originally posted by Ranger325:
So, has anyone ordered one of these from 'Jerry' and the new-Lawman Leather Co.??
"Do 'ya feel lucky.............."

Regards,

ROFLMAO!!! Holy smokes Ranger...I just sprayed Coke all over my keyboard reading that!!!!

 

[Deputy]

I just wanted to apologize to Ted Blocker holsters and the forum for taking so long to get my order placed. I had some money problems and had to hold off for a while on big purchases. I'm all set now and will be placing my order immediately.

Dep

 

[Ranger325]

All is forgiven Dep............as long as you post pics when your new leather arrives!!

 

[mc5aw]

Though I am classified as a forum lurker with minimal post count, I would like to chime in here. I ordered a Dirty Harry-style holster from Blocker earlier in the year, and was put on a "will call" waiting list. The woman I spoke with on the phone was extremely polite and helpful, and assured me that she would ring me when more units were in the production stage. Some months later I received a phone message from the same woman at Blocker inquiring if I still wanted a DH holster, as the new batch was almost ready. When I returned her call, I was treated with the same courtesy and professionalism as with my initial call. Soon after, I received my DH holster, and it was exactly as described. It is a high quality item, and is very close to the original from the films.

Based upon this experience, I would recommend Blocker to any prospective buyers, as the company's custom service is top notch just like its products. As for Mr. Ardolino, judging from the arrogant and adversarial tone of his posts, I would not ask him for the time of day, let alone commit hundreds of dollars for one of his "official" products.

Caveat emptor. Back to lurking.

 

[Deputy]

Ranger: Yep...I will post pics and a review just like Arisin Wind did. I already have a Miami Vice shoulder holster system from Blocker that is fantastic. I have to order a different holster for it because I sold my Bren 10. Have to get one for a 1911A1.

mc5aw: You need to come out of lurk mode more often.

Your opinion and feedback are valuable to the forum and we enjoy hearing it. I suspect you talked to Shelley. She's a very nice lady and a a real treat to talk to as well as to do business with.

Dep

 

[Arisin Wind]

I received the following e-mail from Mr Jerry Ardolino. He asked I post it.

Hello:

Since, the "forum" seems to be, in essence, a closed-minded chat room. And in light of the fact that, members therein seem not too interested in facts; I thought I would send you the following link:

http://www.downrange.tv/artman2/publish/ahern/8.shtml

It leads to the column of noted gunwriter, Jerry Ahern (GUN WORLD, COMBAT HANDUNDS) on the Outdoor Channel's web site. In it, he lays out the facts; real history regarding "Jerry Ardolino" and the "Dirty Harry."

As far as a "reincarnation" is concerned, I've really tried to explain to all in a simple manner. But, let's try it again: Lawman Leather Goods was and has been a sole-proprietorship since 1975. Lawman Leather Goods CORPORATION funded in 2007 and was incorporated in 2008. The web site was launched last week so, Search Engines for Google will not have picked it up. As far as "no street address", we are in Las Vegas--high crime. And even though we are in a prime one-minute-from-the-strip location; security in Las Vegas is a huge issue. Since we are in the firearms industry, NO we don't like to advertise our high-security building location. Many firms in the industry use a P.O. box for the same reason.

Yes, I have produced the THE ORIGINAL DIRTY HARRY(R) holster in my shop all through the nineties and into 2008. And No, I did not wish to put advertising out or web publicity from 1990 to mid-2008 due to the volume I would have to produce in the shop. I was making holsters for old clients, cop friends and doing small contracts; plenty of money was taken in. I had other business interests as well and my book publishing firm to contend with. I was constantly getting bothered by my daughter, ( a pre-med student and raised around firearms) and my son (ex-Navy and a gun enthusiast) to once again, beef-up the company. It was at that time, 2005, I started to work on the program enabling production for a huge range of models. The two kids finally urged me enough in 2007 to expand the company; some business associates also wanted on-board really badly; and we incorporated the EXISTING Lawman Leather Goods in mid-2008.

As far as phones, we have them. They're listed in the site: www.LawmanLeatherGoods.com

The low-res photo? As I said to you in a previous e-mail: it's selling so, no need to change it at this point.

And, the Ted Blocker Holster Company has been sent a Warning to cease using, even casually, the name and to not produce the counterfeit harness and holster copy.

Yes, we charge a person's card 1. to know the card is valid; 2. because we have such a huge range of availability, we technically, have make each holster for the person as we do get some unusual requests for models. We do not yet offer a web-based order system as we are having SSL issue worked out.

You posted your take on the issue. Maybe, for the sake of truth and in the spirit of a true "forum" atmosphere; you'd like to post this e-mail. You have my permission to do so in it's entirety.

As for the members who've made derogatory comments and seem afraid to use their real names; you have mine: Jerry Ardolino, Original Manufacturer and Original Trademark owner of The Original Dirty Harry(R) Shoulder Holster.

Sincerely,

JERRY ARDOLINO
Vice-President of Operations / Director of Operations-Manufacturing
LAWMAN LEATHER GOODS CORPORATION

 

[Deputy]

Arisin: You already know my feelings about this situation. I think others on this forum are smart enough to read through the lines and sort out the BS from the truth. And the FACT is Ted Blocker NEVER used the Dirty Harry name to advertise their version of the holster. As a matter of fact, Shelley asked the guys on the forum to come up with a new name for the holster. And none of us used that specific name either. As for the silliness about not listing an address for fear of criminals in Las Vegas...according to Google they are 22.2 miles from Boulder City, NOT Las Vegas. I took my honeymoon in Las Vegas. There are a TON of gun stores in Vegas that list their addresses and directions on how to get to them. Those stores have all kinds of nifty stuff for sale and rent. I rented a Thompson Full auto submachinegun while there. I'm sure anyone who is a gun dealer has adequate security measures in place, or they are just stoopid and asking to be robbed. There are so many holes and weak excuses in the Lawman Leather Goods story it's not even funny. If his Dirty Harry holster is selling so well (according to him, so no need to show anyone a good picture of it), then why is he so worried about Ted Blocker making a version of the CLINT EASTWOOD holster for sale?

I wonder if Warner Brothers has licensed Lawman Leather Goods to use the Dirty Harry name? I don't see anything in his long-winded descriptions saying they have that license. At any rate, Lawman Leather Goods has accomplished one thing. They have pretty much soured anyone from buying anything they produce. Let Mr. Ardolino put that in his resume and brag about it at the Shot Show to the gun-buying community. Way to go Mr. Ardolino.

Dep


P.S. One hint to folks who aren't in law enforcement....REAL LEOs hate lawyers and never use legalese talk. REAL LEOs don't brag about being rogue cops who resist or subvert the system and do everything they can to cause problems for their fellow officers. Even Dirty Harry admitted that the system, as flawed as it is, must be worked from within (watch Magnum Force to see it).

 

[mc5aw]

After clicking the link and reading Mr. Ahern's brief narrative of Mr. Ardolino, I'd be interested in hearing opinions/thoughts from current/former LEOs on this forum. Having not read the Ardolino book, I cannot give a full review on the man's career, but I can say that the phrase "rogue cop" comes to mind immediately from the Ahern piece (as Deputy previously mentioned). I'm not left with a picture of a responsible peace officer, but rather some self-important badge wearing bully, dreaming of living in the wild west. When I think of past/present LEOs who are role models and individuals to be respected, I think of Clint Smith and Mas Ayoob, among others, including several prominent contributors on this aite. I could be wrong on my impression of Mr. Ardolino, but it's quite obvious that public opinion is not something he's particularly interested in. I wish him luck in his top secret Las Vegas location, manufacturing the holsters that sell themselves.

 

[mc5aw]

Mr. Ardolino ... With all due respect, what exactly is your point? Your posts are becoming more confrontaional, and any good will and credibility you might be trying to develop is quickly wasting away. If you consider this forum to be closed minded and unreachable as you alluded to earlier, then it is illogical for you to continue posting here. If you are looking to establish yourself within a sizable on-line community for commerce purposes, a bit more tact might be warranted. The mindset you needed to kick in doors as a police officer is quite unecessary in a cyber forum. And understand this, unlike out on the streets where a strong physical presence can be used to one's benefit and advantage, you're a faceless name on a computer screen here, no more or less than anyone else.

To command respect, one must first give respect.

 

[Deputy]

Originally posted by mc5aw:
Mr. Ardolino ... With all due respect, what exactly is your point? Your posts are becoming more confrontaional, and any good will and credibility you might be trying to develop is quickly wasting away. If you consider this forum to be closed minded and unreachable as you alluded to earlier, then it is illogical for you to continue posting here. If you are looking to establish yourself within a sizable on-line community for commerce purposes, a bit more tact might be warranted. The mindset you needed to kick in doors as a police officer is quite unecessary in a cyber forum. And understand this, unlike out on the streets where a strong physical presence can be used to one's benefit and advantage, you're a faceless name on a computer screen here, no more or less than anyone else.

To command respect, one must first give respect.

Well said sir!!! I couldn't have put it any better than that. After reading the last post from Mr Ardolino, I will no longer bother responding to or about him. He's obviously a "legend in his own mind", to quote Harry Callahan referring to another cop who thought he was God's gift to the world. I will have to invest in some hip boots, though. The amount of poop being shovelled around is really getting deep. I do find it highly amusing that Mr. Ardolino is trying his best to pry out information about me and my qualifications and background. Sorry Charlie, but that ain't gonna happen. If you would have asked me nicely, I would have gladly told you. But as mc5aw has so accurately alluded to, you can say or be anyone you want on the internet. I won't insult anyone's intelligence by listing my qualificatiuons and not be able to prove them. And I got over that my **** is bigger than yours mentality in grade school anyway.

Dep

 

[Arisin Wind]

Getting back to holsters, Jerry, regarding your Lawman holster, I can't see the backside of your holster on your site. Is the belt retaining strap the wide or narrow version? Does it have a cross strap that helps secure the belt strap? I've seen it both ways in pictures people have posted. Do you make any other types of holsters? How about accessories?

 

[parabellum]

The guy has been removed from the forum for essentially spamming the forum, and becoming demanding and overbearing in the wake of his posts being removed.
I don't care what the man makes or who makes the original whatever. We're not going to tolerate people like that.

 

[cal_gunner]

Originally posted by parabellum:
The guy has been removed from the forum.

I am glad to hear that he is gone...

When I ran a domain registration lookup it lists
lawmanleathergoods.com
Avenida do Infante 50
Funchal, Madeira 9004-521
PT
Phone: 1-902-749-5331


(This is an address in Portugal & the Phone number is the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia)

 

[Deputy]

My thanks to Parabellum for keeping an eye on things. It's what keeps this forum so great.

I hadn't noticed, but this is one of the largest and longest-lasting threads on the forum. I'm proud of the guys that have posted to it, and also grateful to all who have contributed their time and effort to it. Something we all need to remember and practice is a motto called "caveat emptor"...buyer beware. I don't know if the person who was removed was a legitimate businessman or not. But just from what was posted by him, I went into full worry mode. I hope people think before sending money to anyone. Especially someone who treats potential customers so disdainfully. Let's chalk this up as a learning experience and move on.

Dep