HOLSTORY IS HERE!

[rednichols]

The cover is beautiful.

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I've learned from turnerriver, that it is Dave who has featured The Book in this thread. Dave, I am so honored that The Book has received this treatment. We are hoping that the guts of it will justify the attention, for collectors; it is largely handsome pictures of special gunleather from turnerriver and two dozen more people including forum members, and detailed biographies of the men and women behind them. They are all listed on the Acknowledgments page; likely you won't recognize their real names there so I will let them 'out' themselves if they choose.

The pair of Triple Locks on the cover are owned by a forum member and he took the image himself! When I learned -- through the forum -- of his acquisition I contacted him and when he sent along this and other images, I knew it was 'the one'. Inside the holster is Ed McGivern's that Elmer traded him out of with a long-action K22 and a gold coin; the other revolver has a provenance, too, though I don't know the person. On the page in the centerfold that features both revolvers, there is a second image that is the list of all his guns in 1972; a magnifying glass will show you the details there.

The holster set if from 1931/2, so the .38 cal there would have been for his new (in 1930) 38/44 and his hot loadings that led to the .357 in 1935. I believe from the images that the springs are 'sprung'; and if I've deduced correctly, then perhaps having to do with heat treating or lack thereof. On the evidence these were made while both Berns and Martin were still in the Navy; so would have taken some skill or the right connections by one of the three men to get the springs ideally heat treated in that situation.

The Centerfold chapter (yes, it's really in the center of The Book) contains Jerry Campbell's revolvers thanks to a forum member; Keith's Triple Locks with Kearsarge grips and McGivern sights; and for the first time ever, all four of Tom Threepersons' guns, all of which finally resurfaced late 2016 at the exact moment that his holster did (which I ALSO located through a post on this forum).

 

[bruce5781]

"They are all listed on the Acknowledgments page; likely you won't recognize their real names there so I will let them 'out' themselves if they choose."

This one is my nightstand rig.

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[-db-]

I recognize these :

http://smith-wessonforum.com/139626525-post20.html

 

[Doc Barranti]

Further to that -- in a lot that was part of the Keith auction, is one of the Clark forward draws; I doubt there is (a) another in the world or (b) that the buyer knows what it is. There is also a rare Berns-Martin shoulder holster in the lot . . .

View attachment 363769

Wonder if anyone can spot one or both? BTW, that shoulder holster with the E.K. stamped into its middle is one I made for him while at Bianchi; swivels where it connects to the harness. Lawrences, Gaylords and Sloans are also hiding in that lot.

The winner of that lot is a good friend of mine, and he knew exactly what he was getting (except maybe the fact that you made the shoulder rig). He's a sly one who knows what to chase!

 

[rednichols]

The winner of that lot is a good friend of mine, and he knew exactly what he was getting (except maybe the fact that you made the shoulder rig). He's a sly one who knows what to chase!

Doc, I would really appreciate your putting the two of us together, for photos of each of his catches; not ever to be shared by me without his express permission (which is what John and I did for those that appeared in The Book). Would you? Their provenance is relevant to our research .

 

[rednichols]

I recognize these :

http://smith-wessonforum.com/139626525-post20.html

Yes! And you would have noticed the photo credit to you, on the copyright page; 'iv' for the readers. Yours was the ideal/perfect 'roundup' pic for that position in The Book, thanks so much .

 

[beetledude]

The cover is beautiful.

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They are all listed on the Acknowledgments page; likely you won't recognize their real names there so I will let them 'out' themselves if they choose.

guilty!

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I'm thrilled to have a couple holsters in the book with pictures enhanced by my son who's into photography. I don't want my real name posted here, but I got a kick out of the book because my first name is wrong in the beginning of it! LOL! But I like it because the name is actually my late big brother's name instead and that gave me a real good feeling seeing that.
My favorite chapters: Brills, Berns-Martin, and the western fast draw era.
I'm glad the fast draw holsters were appreciated so thoroughly as they aren't practical uses like defense, police, etc. but a sub culture within the holster world.

 

[rednichols]

I'm thrilled to have a couple holsters in the book with pictures enhanced by my son who's into photography. I don't want my real name posted here, but I got a kick out of the book because my first name is wrong in the beginning of it! LOL! But I like it because the name is actually my late big brother's name instead and that gave me a real good feeling seeing that.
My favorite chapters: Brills, Berns-Martin, and the western fast draw era.
I'm glad the fast draw holsters were appreciated so thoroughly as they aren't practical uses like defense, police, etc. but a sub culture within the holster world.

We misspelled Wyat? Looks OK to me. Seriously, PM me with correct spelling and then there won't be more of 'em during interviews with, say, the Nobel committee .

 

[Massad Ayoob]

Loved the book, Red. Entertaining AND most informative!

 

[boykinlp]

I ordered mine last night and it did NOT get delivered today! I really look forward to reading it. "Packing Iron" has always been a favorite of mine, but I think this one will replace it.
Larry

 

[rednichols]

guilty!

The owner of the guns and the holsters on the cover AND took the picture itself! The Book project really took off when we circulated a mockup of the cover, with this image in it, around to all the folks needed to pull this one off. Turnerriver and I owe a big debt to all of you, and especially to 'whatsisname' here.

 

[rednichols]

Loved the book, Red. Entertaining AND most informative!

Thank you so much, Mas.

Mas is the reason there are more than 1000 footnotes in The Book; an early draft to him of quite a different approach to a holster book contained an historical approximation (which I will define as 'close but still completely wrong'); and I knew then that for The Book, only thorough research and matching footnotes would be suitable. One of my team disliked the notion of footnoting as distracting but I made a 'captains call' and included them; to his credit he wanted the index and I didn't; so I included it and am very, very pleased that it is there (p.s. the indexing system in the software wouldn't look at the captions; so makers in the Honorable Mention chapter at the end don't necessarily appear in the index).

I find the result, with footnotes, to be quite like a pro reads a patent: look at the patent's drawings (images) first, then the patent's claims (footnotes) then the patent's specification (story text).

The database is added to quite often; the research process has not stopped.

 

[crazyphil]

So, Elmer had a Triple Lock Target .44 and an Outdoorsman .38 for this rig with loops for BOTH calibers. I never knew that about the rig until this book. Then he scored another .44 along the way somewhere. I wonder how those holsters were stitched on the belt. Seems like the force of constantly pushing the gun out the front would be hard on stitching.
I think those guns and rig now reside not far from me. What a ton of history wrapped up un them.

It was particularly interesting to me to read that the B-M holsters
were stitched to the belt. I'm just vain enough to think that I
had invented that concept. Long time ago I fastened the Slim
Jim and the home made knife sheath to the cartridge belt with
Chicago screws. Photo below.

 

[rednichols]

It was particularly interesting to me to read that the B-M holsters
were stitched to the belt. I'm just vain enough to think that I
had invented that concept. Long time ago I fastened the Slim
Jim and the home made knife sheath to the cartridge belt with
Chicago screws. Photo below.

If you read The Book a bit more closely, you'll notice mention that the holster was sewn to the belt BEFORE the lining and even the springs were inserted! Detail pics below -- these holsters don't even have belt loops (also mentioned in The Book):





So your invention might be safe.

 

[tipoc]

Stands alongside a few other books that have chronicled the development of the holster. None though, follows the evolution of the 20th century holster and gun leather as well as this one. A significant contribution.

I'm looking forward to reading the reviews in the gun mags and online.

Thanks Red for letting me help a bit.



tipoc (Raul)

 

[rednichols]

Stands alongside a few other books that have chronicled the development of the holster. None though, follows the evolution of the 20th century holster and gun leather as well as this one. A significant contribution.

I'm looking forward to reading the reviews in the gun mags and online.

Thanks Red for letting me help a bit.



tipoc (Raul)

It's a special honor to have tipoc's images in The Book because their contents could not have been assembled for pics by anyone else -- original Nelsons. Often copied, never duplicated.

 

[boykinlp]

Have the new books come in yet? Thanks.
Larry

 

[turnerriver]

Any day now- they are printed and should be here shortly. Rest assured that the orders will be mailed the morning after I receive them.
Regards,
turnerriver

 

[boykinlp]

Got mine in the mail today. Just had time to quickly flip through it. Pictures are terrific. Will start studying it in more detail tomorrow. Great work Red and John!