My Don Hume holsters....

[DevilDog72]

I have been reading a lot about holsters and their makers on this Forum and have seen Don Humes name as a reference on more than one occasion yet very few, if any, pictured and discussed.

I for one really like the designs and sturdy character of the examples I have. The first one is a Bill Jordan design that fits my 19-4 snub perfectly and the other is a duty holster that my 4" 19-8 rides in and has become my favorite woods unit during the winter months. Oh... the speed loader carriers are original Lobo units. They ride on a Comtac kydex re-enforced belt.

 

[ColbyBruce]

Don Hume products are very good

and reasonably priced. I am extremely fond of the JIT slide design.

 

[29aholic]

I actually have a Don Hume saddle

 

[squidsix]

There was a guy selling a couple of trainloads of Don Hume stuff out of a warehouse in VA Beach for a few years. I bought a lot of them. They are great quality. In fact I am wearing one of the suede-backed belts from that collection right now with one of their lined pancake holsters with a 39-2 in it right now.

 

[DevilDog72]

I found it a little odd that a Bill Jordan design Trooper style holster was made for a Mdl 19 snub nose. I wonder if any Troopers actually carried a snub nose for duty?...

 

[bronco45]

On occasion plainclothes officers are pressed into wearing a uniform for a special occasion (celebration, parade, dignitary visit) and their duty weapon when in soft clothes is a snubnose. On those extraordinary occasions officers would wear a Sam Browne and a Jordan type rig.

 

[rednichols]

I actually have a Don Hume saddle

Let's have a pic . Don's background was not in saddle making; he was a holster maker because he was a copper not because he was a saddler. And all three skills are VERY different. But I'm always happy to learn more about a maker.

 

[crazyphil]

I like Hume holsters too. Here are a few, left to right:
Hume's Bill Jordan Border Patrol with S&W model 19.
Hume's Bill Jordan Border Patrol updated with thumb break & model 19.
2 JIT slides with de-horned Taurus 85 and S&W mocel 60.
DAH (Dual Advantage Holster) Strong side or ***) with Colt's Agent.
IWB Inside Waist Band with Beretta M9/92

PS the abbreviation that caused the asterisks was/is
for Small Of Back.

 

[bronco45]

CrazyPhil: I love your "set up" with the Colt Agent and the Spegel grips, great way to excercise your legal right to carry. Never had an Agent but 4 DSes and a couple of Cobras.

 

[crazyphil]

CrazyPhil: I love your "set up" with the Colt Agent and the Spegel grips, great way to excercise your legal right to carry. Never had an Agent but 4 DSes and a couple of Cobras.

Those Spegels are called extended boot grips. I like em too.

 

[britbike1]

Full Flap police

Thought I'd throw in my Don Hume for 5inch M&P.

 

[Valmet]

I've always been a fan of Don Hume stuff- practical, functional, and doesn't break the bank.

 

[ExRanger714]

Back in the 70s I bought from the factory a Hume H216 Border Patrol No. 16 for a 6" K22 S&W. Fits like a glove but a 19 is too tight around the cylinder.

Still in good shape and not for sale.

 

[christak]

I have a Don Hume H721-OT for my model 65-3 3-inch and a JIT Slide for my Walther P99c. Both are excellent quality holsters and quite affordable. Highly recommended!

 

[carelesslove]

I have a Don Hume Duty Rig: Jordan River Holster for S&W M19 4", 36" matching belt, and 6 round ammo loop / sleeve - all in Oxblood color. - and in very good condition. Someday, I'll find someone who still has a 36" waist and make them happy. I have several other Jordan River holsters and they will always be my favorites.

 

[Walkingwolf]

I am also a Don Hume fan, carry my GP100 in Jordan Don Hume basketweave.

 

[DevilDog72]

...an additional Don Hume

I got, new to me, Don Hume Avenger style holster for my 5" 1911. It is lined and has a stitched sight channel. I really like it and have started wearing it the last couple of days.

 

[Jeppo]

Just bought a well worn Don Hume for my 442. Apologies, I shoot photos even worse than guns.

 

[Bert Man]

I have been a Don Hume fan for decades. Back in the 1970s Don Hume leather goods were considered "top drawer" in my LE circles. My department and many others issued all Hume Border Patrol leather. Still carry my M36 and Kahr CM9 in Don Hume 715 IWB holsters today.

 

[crazyphil]

Don Hume was born April 24, 1928. He served in the U.S.
Navy (1948-1952) and was a policeman and deputy sheriff,
after his discharge from the Navy. While in Southern California
Don became acquainted with Bill Jordan. Don started working
with leather as a hobby, but was soon making holsters in his
garage for other cops.

Bill Jordan's original Border Patrol was made by an old German
saddle maker, proprietor of Alpine Saddlery, in Alpine, Texas.
(The old German proprietor was C. H. Werner)

Bill took his holster with him island hopping across the Pacific
as a marine in WWII. When he returned the holster was beat
up, so he stopped in to Myres shop in El Paso and had Sam make
him another holster.

Sam Myres put Bill's Border Patrol in his catalog, and sold a ton
of them. It seemed that cops, all around the country, wanted a
holster "just like Bill Jordan's". Of course everyone who could
sew leather together started making them. Some, not very good
quality.

Meanwhile Bill, as a marine reserve officer, was re-called
to active duty in the Korean War (1950-1953). By the time
Bill returned, Sam Myres had passed away.

Bill registered his name as a trade mark and gave the exclusive
right to the use of the trade mark to Don Hume. By 1960
Don Hume was so busy that he left law enforcement and went
full time into holster making.

In 1962 Hume moved from California to Miami, Oklahoma
and built a large successful business. Don sold his business
to Oklahoma Leather and retired. He passed away July 10, 2017.
Last I heard Oklahoma Leather was maintaining a separate
identity for Don Hume Leather.

 

[Old cop]

These were issued by my agency when the revolver raigned in LE.

 

[-db-]

Early Hume paddle holster for a J-frame, note the La Mesa, CA maker's mark:

 

[squidsix]

If you go on fleabay, there's a seller there called Police Holsters LLC. They have the aforementioned warehouse full of Don Hume stuff in VA Beach. I highly recommend them. Nice folks and free shipping.

 

[policerevolvercollector]

Years ago, I bought a well used discontinued Don Hume level 2 security holster and found that it needed some work on the retention snap etc. On a lark, I sent it to the factory for repair. It returned 2-3 weeks later looking like new. They didn't charge me for the work either. Great customer service!

 

[kthom]

I had the privilege of working with a fine deputy sheriff back in the 70's. He was a small fellow in both body size as well as hand size. He carried a Model 19 with a 2 1/2" barrel, round butt of course. He wore a Sam Browne style duty belt, carved and colored brown to match the typically brown color uniforms that many Sheriff's Depts wore. He had a regular Jordan style holster for that revolver with the strap safety, a rear sight protector, and made specifically for that revolver. It was a nice looking rig. This fellow was meticulous about his appearance. Everything was always in place, polished and shined, with a high dollar felt western style hat and very shined western boots. Since it was a short distance between his belt line and the car seat, that short Model 19 was a very much better fit for him and much more comfortable than a 4" holster would have been. He also used a Tyler Tee grip adapter with the stock magnas that came on the revolver. He was as polite as he was well appointed all around. However, if someone mistook his politeness or small size as an opportunity to challenge him or his authority, he would politely kick their butt and place them in custody, usually without disturbing anything about his uniform or hat! It was always interesting to see him in action.

Word got around all the bars and dance halls that it was not adviseable to do anything but what this gentleman "requested" politely if he was called to any disturbance at these places. We provided back up for each other, having no other possibilities for that to arrive anytime soon. I was always glad to see him come on the scene. He never made things worse after arrival, but he never backed up from trouble either.

I have also seen two or three other different "short" Jordan style holsters being worn by city police officers. One had such a holster made specially for a Model 36 with adjustable sights and two were made for Model 15 snubbies, all carried on black basketweave marked Sam Browne belts. I'm not certain who made any of these holsters, but they worked very well for the purpose and satisfied the uniform requirements. All of these revolvers carried were personally owned revolvers since their departments did not issue a duty weapon as a matter of course back in those days. You had to furnish your own. I've even seen a few single action thumb busters carried on duty. There was no such thing as a weapon qualification requirement in those days, but it was a pretty good bet that most of those old officers could shoot whatever they were carrying well enough to get the job done!

Thanks for listening as I have recalled fond memories from long ago as provoked by this thread. I'm enjoying it immensely!