Great Western was formed AFTER Colt made the decision Not To Ever make the SAA (which had stopped production in 1940) ever again around 1954. They even bought the left over Colt SAA parts. Once Great Western got going around 1955 there was great increase in Movie and T V Westerns. All great companies have a chance to change their mind so in 1956 COLT reintroduced the SAA at the price of $125.00. The Great Western was just under $100. Needless to say Colt went on and Great Western only lasted until 1964.
My early Great Western 3" SAA barrel made with some Colt Parts. BIANCHI left hand Holster and Original Great Western Horn Grips.
What a great post in response
. And THAT is a well-made Bianchi holster, to the quality standards we had in that time (1970s and 1980s). Later we changed it to a two piece design to improve cutting economy on what was, after all, an economy version of the metal-reinforced, fully lined Model 1890.
Anyway, I post at all because: yes to the 1950s as being THE era for making/selling western gunleather, and yes to the 1960s being the end of it. As we know it was the end of WWII in '45 then the appearance of TV's first westerns for what were called 'junior cowboys and cowgirls' in '49 such as Hoppy, Roy, and the Lone Ranger that created an explosion. Heiser, which by then was owned by Keyston Bros, even commented that 'since the War everyone wants to carry a pistol' in a newspaper interview -- and Keyton Bros was the king of toy sets for kids then.
I have an identical set on my wall, with an unmatched pair of Roy Rogers capguns in it. Each rivet head has Keyston's 'running buffalo' mark stamped into it:
These are sometimes found on Keyston's 'real' gunleather.
It all came to an end with the appearance of the first Bond film in '62, Dr. No. This was met, on TV, with more of the same such as The Avengers to The Saint to the Man from UNCLE and the western era was effectively over. By the end of the '60s the space programming appeared, too; and there was no room left at the inn for cowboys.
So Heiser-Keyston-Lichtenberger, as it was known throughout the 1960s, allowed these 'other' brands to fade away and by 1968 it was just 'Keyston'. No holsters, only saddles.
