MAKE A GOOD PANCAKE

[crazyphil]

A while back I gave away my one and only Baker Pancake on a
karma deal. Then I started looking for a strapless, which is my
preference for concealed carry.

Baker did make some strapless early on, but one of my Gurus
(Red) told me Baker soon discovered that some guns (steel)
sitting high above the belt would not stay in the holster without
a retention strap.

So I examined my pancakes. I have 5 for my S&W 642-1 and
5 for my Colt's Agent. Here are a few examples, Left to Right:

On the left is my 642 in a Black Hills Shark with about 2/3rds
of the cylinder above the belt. I have not had any problem
with sagitis, probably because the 642 is an alloy so not
heavy enough to sag. A steel gun could be problematic.

2nd from left is a Desantis Speed Scabbard also with my 642,
and about 2/3rds of the cylinder above the belt. Again, no
problem with the alloy gun, but likely with a steel gun.

3rd from left IMHO is a good example of the cylinder location
in relation to the belt. It is a custom gator trim by KD. Sorry,
but I don't think he is still in business. Note that my Colt's Agent
is almost totally at belt level. This is good.

4th from left is another good example. It is a PWL 120TS.
(Price Western Leather). This design also has the cylinder
almost totally at belt level. A good design.

Something worth thinking about when you order a pancake,
especially if you are ordering for a steel gun.

 

[StrawHat]

Not a big fan of the snubbies but I do like the Pancake style holster. Had one for a M28 that worked well.

In your photos, what intrigues me most is the hat. More info please.

Kevin

 

[keith44spl]

Phil,
I carried this for a purty good spell......44 Special snubby

.

 

[crazyphil]

I'm guessing you mean the black (or Navy blue) hat?
The baseball cap doesn't need much explanation.
It is my gangster hat. It's a Barsolino brand. (kinda expensive)
The oldest Italian company specializing in making luxury men's hats.
Bought it at a millinery shop in Seattle about 25 years ago.
(Before I became a poor retiree)

 

[crazyphil]

Hey Dave, there is no LIKE button on your post for some crazy reason,
but I do like the rig. Phil

 

[keith44spl]

Hey Dave, there is no LIKE button on your post for some crazy reason,
but I do like the rig. Phil

I don't know........Must have reached my allotted quota


.

 

[crazyphil]

It magically re-appeared. So I liked it.

 

[AZretired]

For years I carried a M64 snubby in an El Paso Saddlery Street Combat with no issues and the bottom of the cylinder sits about the middle of the belt.

 

[rednichols]

For years I carried a M64 snubby in an El Paso Saddlery Street Combat with no issues and the bottom of the cylinder sits about the middle of the belt.

Apples and oranges. Your holster looks like this and holds far more of the revolver:



Baker's was done Threepersons style without understanding why it worked in non-pancakes (Phil didn't tell the whole story I recounted to him) so very little of the frame was actually inside the holster (couldn't actually find a strapless Baker so we'll have to imagine this one without a strap)(cheerfully cadged from another thread on this forum):

 

[crazyphil]

The pancake style is great for concealment. The belt loops fore and aft
allows the rig to be pulled in snug against the body. The placement of
the cylinder is important. Too low and concealment is affected. Too
high and what I call sagitis is the result. The gun's upper portion & stock
leaning out and printing.

Here are three more to further illustrate the point I have been trying
to make. Left to Right:

Vega pancake. (Vega is another Italian maker. I got mine from Charter)
It is on a "mirage" belt. The cylinder looks to be about 2/3rds above
the belt. The Colt's Agent is an alloy (quite light for it's size) so it doesn't
seem to be a sagging problem.

Black Hills Lizard, Culver lizard belt, again with the cylinder about 2/3rds
above the belt. Again, with the alloy Agent sagging is not a problem.

Simply Rugged Silver Dollar Pancake. Just about perfect. Except I must
have been in a hurry making the photo because the Agent lacks about
1/4 inch from being properly seated in the pancake.

Unfortunately the oxblood holster does not match the Simply Rugged
oxblood belt very well, but that's another story.

BTW the silver dollar belt buckle is my birth year (1935).
Yes, I know, I'm so old I still carry with an empty chamber under
the hammer.

 

[SG-688]

An open top Baker pancake holster

Only auto Bakers but the one on the upper left is an open top / no strap model - for a model 39.
The cut for the grip is not original. The open holsters had wide, tall "wings" as seen on the back side of the model 39 holster.
I probably trimmed that a bit too on this one.
Why can't I remember? Well, it was 40+ years ago.

I dug up a catalog picture with revolvers.

I truly need a proper fedora.

 

[StrawHat]

I'm guessing you mean the black (or Navy blue) hat?
The baseball cap doesn't need much explanation.
It is my gangster hat. It's a Barsolino brand. (kinda expensive)
The oldest Italian company specializing in making luxury men's hats.
Bought it at a millinery shop in Seattle about 25 years ago.
(Before I became a poor retiree)

A Borsolino! Wonderful hat, many of my customers wear them, depending on where I am sharpening that day. I have looked at a wider brimmed fedora. Pricey, but worth it.

Kevin

 

[crazyphil]

Thanks for the photos SG-688. Only open top I have seen previously
was where the owner had cut off the thumb break strap. Notice there
is more leather covering the frame in the open top photo than in the
one with the thumb break strap.

 

[jimmyj]

I use "Lobo" pancakes for all my handguns (revolvers and autos)

 

[crazyphil]

A Borsolino! Wonderful hat, many of my customers wear them, depending on where I am sharpening that day. I have looked at a wider brimmed fedora. Pricey, but worth it.

Kevin

Get it. You won't be sorry.

 

[chief38]

Just my opinion of course.......

My Wife makes the BEST Pancakes - lol!!

Kramer Leather makes the BEST Horsehide Leather OWB holsters.

Holster design has come a long way in the last few decades and so has quality. While most of us (myself included) enjoy the look and nostalgia of the old leather "Pancakes" and while they will surely do the job, IMHO nothing is as good for actual EDC as a newly designed Horsehide OWB Kramer Leather. I know because I've tried tons of the rest! Lately I've sold, given away or simply thrown out dozens of the ones that promised everything and didn't deliver.

Agree or disagree - that has been my personal experience.

 

[crazyphil]

I agree Chief. Kramer makes some nice OWB horsehide holsters.
This one is the Vertical with my Model 29.

 

[Old TexMex]

Phil,
I carried this for a purty good spell......44 Special snubby

.

I carry one like this, that Dave made. It rides high and conceals the 27-2 very well, butt fwd on my left. I don’t like shoulder holster.

 

[Old TexMex]

Like this set up on some occasions.

 

[dirty & hairy]

Kramer Leather makes the BEST Horsehide Leather OWB holsters.

Can't argue with that! I just ordered a Kramer vertical in horsehide last week for a Ruger SP101. Ten weeks of waiting but well worth it.

Regarding pancakes, I'm expecting an 'enhanced' unit from Lobo any day now, this one for a model 60. Been eight weeks to the day today. Intrigued by the design, I'm sure it will not disappoint.

 

[ajgunner]

A couple of my favorites. Just wish I would have bought more of these back in the day.

 

[AZretired]

Apples and oranges. Your holster looks like this and holds far more of the revolver:

View attachment 389862

I agree, that's what makes it such a great holster that has been made basically unchanged for 30-40 years.

 

[crazyphil]

ajgunner your 2nd holster appears to have a horseshoe logo, but I can't
make out the print. Andy Arratoonian does business as Horseshoe Leather.
He is one of the old great makers. Last time I dealt with him he was only
doing holsters for semi-automatics. His business is in England.

 

[dirty & hairy]

Pancake Day

This Lobo Enhanced Pancake was in the mailbox today, eight weeks exactly.

 

[ajgunner]

ajgunner your 2nd holster appears to have a horseshoe logo, but I can't
make out the print. Andy Arratoonian does business as Horseshoe Leather.
He is one of the old great makers. Last time I dealt with him he was only
doing holsters for semi-automatics. His business is in England.

If I remember correctly I ordered those holster from Andy back in the early to mid 80's. I think he quit making revolver holsters sometime in the 90's. I looked up his web page this past week. He recently went public saying he has Parkinson's and is slowing down a bit (in his 80's now) but still making holsters. Now you order one and when he gets to your number to actually make it, he will contact you for payment. One of the little known but classic holster makers of our time. One of the things on my "bucket list" was to drop in on him and watch him work for a few hours. No doubt a true "master" at his craft.