The true definition of a Threepersons Style holster

[rednichols]

The Threepersons Style holster has been ill-defined since 1931 when it first appeared in a Myres catalogue.

S.D. Myres, 1931: “No. 614 Tom Threepersons Style, full hand carved, trigger set high for easy draw” . . . No. 640 Tom Threepersons Style holster full hand carved, heavy seamed filler, trigger set high for quick draw”.

H.H. Heiser, 1939: “No. 457 . . . belt loop on back, there is a welt down the side but does not extend clear across bottom, welt permits a snug fit. A small hole is left in bottom to permit any dirt to sift out. Gun sets high exposing trigger guard and trigger. This holster was designed for the FBI of Washington DC who require holster for fast draw. Made for revolvers only”.

Chic Gaylord, 1960: “. . . Tom Threepersons designed a fine holster. He took the old Skintite holster, raised it higher on the belt, and canted it butt forward to a marked degree. This holster, as made by the late Tio Sam Myres, was perhaps the best holster of that era. With minor modification it is the issue holster of the FBI today.”

Sandra Myres, 1961: “Tom Threepersons, a former Canadian Mountie and deputy Marshall in El Paso, designed a holster which is still popular today. Adaptable to both gun belt and shoulder rigging, the Threepersons was designed to allow the trigger of the weapon to set high for easy and fast drawing”.

Charlie Askins 1954: “At any rate Threepersons developed the most famous holster in the Southwest today . . . This harness is simplicity itself. It is made only for revolvers and consists of a holster-well which accepts only the barrel and cylinder of the gun. The secret of the rig is that the weight of the weapon rests on the trigger guard, which strongly bears on the rear seam of the holster . . . The holster-well itself does not touch the barrel, the hammer is free and stands well above the holster. The stock of the gun is likewise far above the leather . . . Beyond this the angel at which the harness swings is another highly important feature. The holster does not hang straight down the leg but is angled to the rear most noticeably.

BATFE, 2009: “Threepersons designed a holster that exposed all of the trigger guard, hammer and grip frame of a Colt Single Action Army . . . The holster rode high and tight on the belt with a rearward cant and the grip frame, hammer and trigger placed above the belt where nothing could interfere with quick gun handling.”.

Bob Arganbright, 1986: “The Threepersons holster . . . trimmed the holster of al unnecessary leather, setting the holster high on the belt with hammer and trigger guard clear of leather and above the belt. The gun butt was tipped slightly forward for a faster draw (the FBI cant).”

Roger Combs, 1984: “The top of the holster was cut low to expose much more of the gun butt than was heretofore popular. The trigger and trigger guard were completely exposed.”

John Bianchi, 1978: “The design was spare, minimising the amount of leather needed to support the gun. The holster top as cut low to expose the gun for quick-draw grasping and early muzzle clearance. The trigger guard was completely exposed . . ..”

Packing Iron, 1993: Neither Tom Threepersons nor his holster are mentioned.

John Bianchi American Legend, 2010: Neither Tom Threepersons nor his holster are mentioned.

Bill Jordan, 1965: Neither Tom Threepersons nor his holster are mentioned (though the style is illustrated).

I'll propose to you all, that if one used any or all of the above as a specification to a factory in China, you would not receive samples that looked or worked anything like a Threepersons holster .

We can explore what a Threepersons holster REALLY is, by examining the several iterations of it that have achieved some fame:

Myres since circa 1930

Brill since circa 1910

Heiser since circa 1940

Lawrence since circa 1950

Wolfram since circa 1960

 

[rednichols]

P.S. The example descriptions, are filled with historical and technical errors 'of omission and commission'. I'll bet crazyphil can find them all, and turnerriver, too, it they were so inclined. Otherwise, quite impossible.

 

[crazyphil]

Good stuff Red. I didn't see that Lawrence before. It is a beauty.
Looks kinda like the same carving style as this one on mine.
Do you know anything about his carver. Or I guess they called
them leather engravers back then?

 

[Eddie Southgate]

No proof he was ever a Mountie . Says "The holster well itself does not touch the barrel " , both of mine appear to touch . Have read he based his holster design off of an England holster , not sure what a Skintight is .

 

[crazyphil]

No proof he was ever a Mountie . Says "The holster well itself does not touch the barrel " , both of mine appear to touch . Have read he based his holster design off of an England holster , not sure what a Skintight is .

Chic Gaylord tells us how to make a Missouri Skintight in his
HANDGUNNER'S GUIDE. I gave it a try and proved to myself
that I am no holster maker.

 

[rednichols]

No proof he was ever a Mountie . Says "The holster well itself does not touch the barrel " , both of mine appear to touch . Have read he based his holster design off of an England holster , not sure what a Skintight is .

Indeed Tom Threepersons, American lawman, was not ever a Mountie. That notion came from the RCMP scout service of his namesake, Tom Three Persons of Alberta, Canada; which was an identity that the lawman assumed to join the Army in 1916. He and especially his wife Lorene continued to promote that legend until early 1928 when the real Tom Three Persons found out.

Which reminds me, even John Bianchi gets that legend wrong (the Canada reference) on his website and catalogue; the rest is 'kinda true':

Tom Threepersons, (1889-1969) was a part Cherokee, legendary and controversial lawman and soldier of fortune of the 1920’s. During his long and colorful career, from Mexico, Texas and Arizona to Canada, Tom Threepersons survived many gunfights both on and off duty. He is credited with designing a streamlined new belt holster that was ahead of its time. The holster rode high on the pants belt with an exposed trigger guard and slight forward cant. This style allowed a quick draw while being concealed by a suit coat. It was originally designed for a Colt single action

 

[Eddie Southgate]

Chic Gaylord tells us how to make a Missouri Skintight in his
HANDGUNNER'S GUIDE. I gave it a try and proved to myself
that I am no holster maker.

You are more of a holster maker than I'll ever be . I've seen those but didn't know that was what they were called. I completely miss any connection between this style holster and a Brill or Threepersons .

 

[rednichols]

Good stuff Red. I didn't see that Lawrence before. It is a beauty.
Looks kinda like the same carving style as this one on mine.
Do you know anything about his carver. Or I guess they called
them leather engravers back then?

He is believed to have been Jim Buffaloe, who later worked for Baker, for Mixon, for G&G, and himself (he invented the bandolier shoulder holster); and for a short time revived the Lawrence brand after its owners G&G closed it. Died early this century.

 

[crazyphil]

You are more of a holster maker than I'll ever be . I've seen those but didn't know that was what they were called. I completely miss any connection between this style holster and a Brill or Threepersons .

Eddie, here's the connection from the Skin Tight to the Threepersons:

After the Civil War veterans would cut the flap off
their Cavalry holsters, to give them quicker access,
but the gun would fall out.

They found that soaking the holster in water and
leaving it in the hot Sun all day, wrapped around
the gun, created a more secure fit.

So, I believe the connection was the beginning of
holsters being form fitted to the gun.

Previous to the Skin Tight, the gun would rattle
around in the flap holster like a bb in a boxcar.

 

[crazyphil]

He is believed to have been Jim Buffaloe, who later worked for Baker, for Mixon, for G&G, and himself (he invented the bandolier shoulder holster); and for a short time revived the Lawrence brand after its owners G&G closed it. Died early this century.

Several years ago I was on the hunt for a Lawrence Special
Agent pigskin holster and, according to my notes, the name
of Jim Buffaloe came up, in connection with the North Carolina
plant, but I don't remember the outcome. At that time I also
became acquainted with Bill Lawrence, George's great-grandson,
who ran the company at the time it was sold to G&G.

 

[rednichols]

Chic Gaylord tells us how to make a Missouri Skintight in his
HANDGUNNER'S GUIDE. I gave it a try and proved to myself
that I am no holster maker.

The Missouri Skintight:



Somehow, in the transition from Myres and Heiser to Chic's day, the understanding that the welt inside the Threepersons as its true 'magic' was lost, and Chic came to think that just exposing the full trigger and guard 'qualified'. But as mentioned, guns had trouble staying in Chic's holsters (as pointed out by Keith) and my expert opinion is that the plain leather wrap around exemplified by the Skintite and other Gaylord holsters, is why: the leather only had to stretch a bit.

Holster makers don't spend much time speaking with each other about their designs .

Early Bianchi holsters (1960s) of the Threepersons style (not a phrase John ever used with me) were not only strapless, but also show the 'crush fit' of the frame inside against the welt. Ditto Myres and Heiser. Bianchi began fitting safety straps by 1970ish and the purpose of the welts was forgotten (never mentioned to me 1970-1988; I was told its purpose was to strengthen the seam, which indeed it does; look down inside a Summer Special sometime and you'll see the exposed stitching).

By 1969 at least Don Hume was using the term Tom Threepersons holster; but not by any other significant maker in the 20th century.

 

[rednichols]

So -- we haven't yet defined, in simple terms, a Threepersons Style holster.

First, it doesn't seem appropriate to use the word 'style' in this case, to mean 'similar'; because Sam Myres used the word 'style' for all his Threepersons holsters. Instead it would seem more correct to say the word 'style' means 'authentic'.

Second, folded at the sightline and the free edges joined with a substantial welt inside from trigger guard to front sight; with the trigger guard resting on that seam; and the welt inside applying substantial pressure against the pistol frame.

Third, "to front sight" means a closed muzzle and the welt extending to there.

Fourth, with the trigger guard and trigger fully exposed.

Fifth, worn on a belt with the loop folded from the body to form it (yes, I know, Sam had a shoulder holster that used the name, too) with the complete grip above the belt itself. Tom's own holster has only most of the grip above the belt; but Sam Myres' and all that followed including the Heiser 457, do.

Other limitations that have been imagined, such as the entire hammer exposed or a low cut front, or a minimal amount of leather used -- don't appear to be relevant. So a Brill is still a Threepersons Style; and indeed Sam called it that (his 666). Ditto the 'high ride': Tom wore the entire belt and holster down his thigh so the pistol did not 'ride high' on him. Even 'rides high on the belt' assumes a lot: where is the belt? Trousers didn't always have loops, and holsters certainly weren't always carried on a trousers belt.

It's a Myres and it's still a Threepersons Style despite the hammer being shielded. Tom took a pen knife to his there, though I reckon it was to clear his unusual rear sight treatment rather than fast draw.

Its backside. The folded loop is typical of a Threepersons Style. The carry angle indicated here, varied a lot in practice and Tom's own holster has only the slightest grip-forward carry angle.

Anything else, then, is a 'modified Threepersons':

This unmarked holster has no welt inside, and has an open muzzle: modified Threepersons.

This Safariland is not folded at the sight line but otherwise has all the elements (even Myres added safety straps): modified Threepersons.

 

[rednichols]

The way Tom wore his Threepersons Style holster (not 'high ride') on a wide scout belt, could be said to 'ride high on the belt' but certainly not 'high on Tom':



Tom's own holster actually carries the bulk of the grip above the belt but not all of it; and only at the slightest carry angle.

And the way the Texas Rangers wore it (on a narrow trousers belt although pants were only just getting loops for a belt when the Brill was created circa 1907):



That holster, from a 1925 pic, is nearly identical to Tom's own holster.

A Threepersons Style for the auto -- well, that adds a whole 'nother layer of complexity to the situation because neither Sam's, nor August's, for the auto fits the definition of exposing the entire trigger guard; although all the rest is a 'fit'. It has been argued that a Bianchi No. 2 is a Threepersons; but at most it is a 'modified Threepersons' not least because it has an open muzzle. And that method was not contemplated for the auto in Tom's time; so it's "something else", just as a cold and the flu appear the same, but are very different in fact.

 

[crazyphil]

How important is the little hole in the muzzle, and what do you call it?
Myres and Heiser both have it. Brill does not. Would lack of it disqualify
the holster as authentic? Probably not if you include Brill in the list.

Indeed the Safariland is not folded at the sightline. In fact it has a welt
all the way down the front.

Now Red, you have caused me to make a checklist and grade all of my
Threeperson appearing holsters. And that is a monumental undertaking.

The Lawrence model 34, that they called their FBI holster, does appear
to be an authentic Threeperson. What say you?

More good stuff. Thank you.

I went back up to your #1 post in this thread and looked at that beautifully
carved Lawrence again. Although you don't show the backside, I believe
it is a model 34? So that answers my question.

 

[rednichols]

How important is the little hole in the muzzle, and what do you call it?
Myres and Heiser both have it. Brill does not. Would lack of it disqualify
the holster as authentic? Probably not if you include Brill in the list.

Indeed the Safariland is not folded at the sightline. In fact it has a welt
all the way down the front.

Now Red, you have caused me to make a checklist and grade all of my
Threeperson appearing holsters. And that is a monumental undertaking.

The Lawrence model 34, that they called their FBI holster, does appear
to be an authentic Threeperson. What say you?

More good stuff. Thank you.

I went back up to your #1 post in this thread and looked at that beautifully
carved Lawrence again. Although you don't show the backside, I believe
it is a model 34? So that answers my question.

Yes, of course, the Lawrence's are Threepersons Style. I see that even when laced the Keith has a welt inside! Unusual in that regard. The little gap in the welt at the fold of the holster: Heiser makes an issue of it, in their catalogues. I dunno that anyone else but Heiser thought anything of it; it appears from time to time in all Threepersons holsters except the Brills because it's a natural result of placing the welt so it doesn't interfere with folding the holster. But Brill went to the trouble to actually round the end of the welts (there are three thre!) to fill that gap.

The back of that beautiful Lawrence, which holster was equally beautifully photographed by its seller:



Oddly it was re-sold not long after and didn't photograph nearly as nicely for that auction.

The earliest I find the 34 is in Lawrence's 1952 catalogue; whilst the Keith 120 in the 1945 catalogue (turnerriver might weigh in on this). Elmer claims to have 'designed' both holsters for the company; but I reckon his contribution was to tell them to add something that would compete with the Myres 614. Both the Myres and the Keith appear with the long safety strap that has been attributed to Elmer.

 

[rednichols]

I'll just mention, that the true Threepersons Style holster can't have been any faster than the earlier ones, as long as the grip is above the belt:

An R.T. Frazier.

These were created to provide more protection for the pistol itself, so covering the hoop of the trigger guard would have seemed the obvious thing to do.

As long as the grip is fully exposed, and the mouth of the holster no higher than the rear sight, and there is no strap that must be unsnapped (sometimes known as a 'retreat strap'), what more would be needed?

In the end the style was made famous as a Threepersons by Sam Myres; but it was created for the Texas Rangers as a concealment holster on a narrow trousers belt; and popularised by the FBI who wore it the same way. Much has been made by other historians about the Threepersons being created for the automobile; seemed logical in retrospect but the evidence it was created for another well-known reason: by then it was no longer p.c. to carry a pistol and ammo exposed (which is ironic given today's milieu).

As we see from Tom's pic, gunmen of the time placed the belt to position the grip just where their gun hand would fall to it.

Little known fact (now I DO sound like Cliff Claven vs. Sheldon Cooper): the Threepersons, best illustrated by the Jordan, provides huge leverage against the stitching in the welt, when lawmen leaned on the pistol grip; as they did. Jordans were also known for breaking ribs when the lawman jumped down into something and caught the holster muzzle: the full-length metal shank that the original Border Holster (Askins) didn't have!

 

[crazyphil]

That R. T. Frazier is very snazzy.

 

[Eddie Southgate]

That R. T. Frazier is very snazzy.

Amen to that .

 

[rednichols]

The first of the Threepersons holsters appears to have been the Brill.

Recently I learned that not only was legendary FBI agent Doc White serving under Capt J.R. Hughes as a Texas Ranger in Austin when the latter commissioned the Brill, but Doc later was teamed with Tom Threepersons at Treasury just before Doc joined the FBI.

I was especially surprised that I appear to be the first historian to have worked that out (Doc's direct link with Tom).

 

[rednichols]

Omigoodness. Now I realise why the effort by some authors, to tie Texas Ranger Lee Trimble into the legend of the Threepersons holster (probably coming from interviews with Bob McNellis Jr, founder of REM Industries DBA El Paso Saddlery): there WAS a Texas Ranger involved -- but it wasn't Lee Trimble. Nor was it Capt. Hughes, despite his endorsements of Myres in later years. And it wasn't 1920.

Yet it did involve the Brill.

It was J.C. 'Doc' White, who was partnered with Threepersons (as mentioned earlier) 1922 whilst both were at Treasury as Prohibition Agents. Doc was a Texas Ranger with Capt Hughes when the Brill was created in 1907 so would have been wearing one ever since; that would have created the opportunity to 'compare notes on holsters' as the legend goes, Tom having his Egland.

This fits with Sheriff Jim Wilson telling me that he knew Trimble for the last ten years of his Trimble's life and he did not ever mention the Brill or Tom in that time. I couldn't see how this Unknown Ranger fit into the story; Tom was pleased that he was not a Ranger; why would he hang out with them?

The story went that each man had invented a holster; the Ranger a Brill, and Tom his own. And Tom went to Myres with his and the Ranger went to Brill with his. Which always was troubling because the Brill already existed at the claimed date of 1920.

Myres ended up making both holsters by 1930 and appears to have hired Arno Brill to do it for him, with a hookup courtesy of Doc, who 'was there'. Sonofagun.