ITALIAN HOLSTER MAKERS

C

crazyphil

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Many of our best holster makers, past and present, were and
are descended from Italian roots: Alessi, Bianchi, Delfatti,
Barranti, and Taurisano, just to mention a few that comes to
mind. Maybe you have a favorite holster made by someone
with Italian heritage? Maybe you would like to show it on this
thread?

There are some pretty good quality leather coming out of the
old country (Italy) now as well:

Left: Vega holster with my Charter 2000 Undercover. Vega
also made the IWB holsters that James Bond wears in
Skyfall, Spectre, and Casino Royale.

Center: Old World Leather with my Beretta model 92
wearing Hogue's camo-lamo stocks.

Right: Made in Italy for my Blackhawk Speed Classic also
with my Charter 2000 Undercover wearing Altamont's
silver-black finger groove stocks.
 

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Italian leather

If you've been to Italy, you know that Italians are superb leather craftsmen. Likewise, virtually all of the shoemakers or shoe repair stores I remember from my childhood were owned by Italians. It is understandable that many of our better holster manufacturers, such as those mentioned, have Italian roots.
 
I have not been to Italy, but I do know that many superb leather
craftsmen were/are Italian and of Italian descent. When I was a young
lad I shined shoes in a small shoe shop. The owner was Greek, but
the other small shoe shop in town was owned by an Italian gentleman.
 
C. I. Tibiletti of Victoria, Texas made some beautiful holsters. Here's one.
Regards,
turnerriver
image.jpg
 
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"MADE IN ITALY" RADAR with M 29-2 in:
 

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Italian holster makers are entirely a late 20th century phenomenon, beginning with Bianchi around 1960 and others taking up the cudgel. That's more likely to be business acumen than anything else.

When we talk about the saddlers who made holsters 1860 to 1960 (and Heiser is as good an example as any), they are almost entirely Germanics. I've an obscure reference book called "Old Cowboy Saddles and Spurs", 6th edition, that lists by my calculation 6400 saddle makers from that era. And the maker that turnerriver mentions is the only recognisably Italian name amongst them.

Yes, I'm sorry to say I looked through every bloody one of them, because some have brief summaries that tell me who ELSE they worked for (Myres, Menea, etc.).

It's the Spanish who are known for their saddlery (which is where holsters come from) and they 'handed' this down to Mexico (which is where the U.S. got its technology to build holsters from). The Italians of old are known for fine leathers, such as shoes and clothing. The Italian holster makers of today are simply cloning the American products (I think Uncle Mike's has an Italian-made leather line? That would be an economic choice not a quality choice).
 
Uncle Mike used to import and sell leather products (holsters)
made by Old World Leather. Don't know if they still do or not.
I have had other Old World Leather products, in addition to
the one shown above, and are high quality in my opinion.

The Vega holsters, like my sample shown on the left above,
are sold by Charter and perhaps other?

Less famous than Heiser, C. H. Werner, was an old saddler of
German descent who did business as Alpine Saddlery (Alpine,Texas)
made the holster that Bill Jordan wore through WWII and was the
prototype for his Border Patrol holster.
 
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It's impossible to find high quality US tanned leather anymore. Leather that is allegedly tanned in the US is actually tanned on factory ships in international waters off the west coast - where they can just dump the waste chemicals and avoid any EPA entanglements - but the process doesn't result in high quality leather. I avoid it for both the quality and environmental issues.

The custom boot makers I know either source their leather from Mexico or from Italy as do the folks who re-sole my boots rom time to time.

The difference is striking. US made leather soles in western boots will last me about 12-18 months tops, versus 3-4 years for Italian leather soles.
 
THE PILGRIM said:
Salvatore Lucchese was well known as a Texas Boot and Shoe Maker.
Did he ever make any Holsters?
Inquiring minds want to know!
Click to expand...
I'd like to know myself!...They are the only boots (other than custom made) that actually fit me correctly...They make belts, but not gunbelts...:confused:...Ben
 
I bought a Vega holster earlier this year for a Beretta, a pancake holster, and it seemed like the leather was thinner and stiffer then other holsters I have made in the U.S.A. Regardless, the fit is good and I do like the holster.
 
I don't know if he has Italian roots, but what are your thoughts on Alfonso's of Hollywood holsters? I have a nice basketweave holster coming for my 686.
 
I went to a gun show in Eugene, Or. last year, and one of my wants was a holster for my Star BM, which I took with me. Lo and Behold! I found an Old World Leather holster that was a perfect fit, only black and well worn. No problem, as I knew that Uncle Mikes distributed that holster. I wrote the number off the back of the holster and when I got home discovered that Old World Leather is no longer distributed by Uncle Mikes, which sold out to someone else and is no longer located in Oregon. I had an old Bianci pancake holster for a model 39 S&W that fit except the snap. I had a saddle maker put another snap on it to fit the Star, but not the same complete feeling of accomplishment as finding the correct holster.
 
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