Holster Styles & Variations

Curley Cole · February 03, 2009, 01:29:00 PM

Greetings to the fire.

Please allow me a little leeway here pards, I too like Ace regret not persuing the leather crafting back when I FIRST started doing it back in the early '70's, I let it go due to other interests and now my hands aren't up to it due to severe VERY severe arthritis. I also can't finish learning the guitar...but I am keeping spirits up anyways. I lurk this forum all the time, and there are some real craftsmen here, and no matter your degree of skill you are making something you can use..My hat is off to each of you.

That said I would like to submit some of my holsters made by my friend Paul Combest in Kentuckey (RedDog Leather)
This first one is a double crossdraw (all to my request) and I always have him make me an extra strongside at the same time. Anyways it is doublecross on a modified Fair Weather Christian belt with no loops and a cartridge pouch. He already had done the knife sheath.
He patterned the holster and carving from one on the inside cover of Packin Iron.

When I order a rig from Paul (and he has done many for me) I always leave the tooling to his creatitivity. He always comes thru with a good design, and he really knows what I like..

Thanks for your patience with a "lurker" and hope you enjoy some of Paul's work.

good "toolin"
curley

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · February 03, 2009, 01:44:23 PM

Howdy Gents

This is a rig I designed, it has a low riding left strong side holster, that is a straight up and down draw, no cant, with cut away upper bucket for easy in and out, the upper bucket on both holsters are rolled out a little to make reholstering a lot easier, the cross draw is at a 28 degree angle, and belt is 3" wide with lots of bullet loops.

The second rig is one I designed for my hunting Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag., it also has a 28 degree cant and is a cross draw. I made the belt 2" wide, and then made bullet and shotgun slides for the belt, this belt has two purposes, one for hunting and the other as a shotgun shell belt for CAS. The finish is neatsfoot oil and then Neat-lac.

tEN wOLVES

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · February 03, 2009, 02:02:46 PM

Howdy again

This is a rig I made for my Ruger New Model Vaquero's, it's a money belt with full bullet loops, the holsters are made from 23 to 15 ounce saddle skirting, and have open toes, the holsters are at a slight muzzle forward forward cant, the holsters were finished in Neatsfoot oil and the Skidmores leather cream as a final finish.

The next rig is a antiqued money belt and two strong side holsters with straight or no cant, the holsters are lined, the belt is adorned with concho's and the holsters are done in spots, with a basket weave in the center, the holsters have a 3/4 length skirt and a slight drop in the belt loop, this was a natural walnut dye, and finished with Tan-Kote and then Skidmores as a final finish.

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · February 03, 2009, 02:21:40 PM

Howdy All

These are two holsters I made , they are Cheyenne style, with sewed in toe plugs, basket weave centers, and concho's on the loops, there is no cant on the belt, they were done in Chocolate brown from Fiebings spirit dyes, these holsters are also lined, the finish is Neatsfoot oil and then Skidmores as a final finish, The knife sheath is not sewed but is riveted with spots as decorations.

The next rig is a Jesse James, two strong side holsters that can be worn as cross draw also, there is no cant to these holsters, the finish is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and then Skidmores as a final finish, the belt is textured and is 2 1/2" wide.

tEN wOLVES

cowboywc · February 03, 2009, 02:44:14 PM

Howdy TW
You keep this up and you're gonna have more holsters than I do.

Good lookin work. You make me proud.
WC

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · February 03, 2009, 03:47:43 PM

Howdy All

This is a holster I made for a S&W mountain gun, in 44 mag. the owner wanted a holster so he could wear it on a 1 1/2" belt as well as a 2 3/4" wide belt, and he didn't want it sloppy, but he wanted it to look like it had been around for a while, not antiqued but used and well kept, so I made a wide loop for the wider belt and then some slits in the back for the narrower belt to fit through,I also made this holster to rid high and still be easily drawn, by putting a grip forward cant on the holster, then I put a tension screw in around the trigger guard to add to the stability and strength of the holster, the holster was dyed in natural walnut dye, and then a coat of Lexoil conditioner, then a couple coats of Neatsfoot oil, and a finish coat of Skidmores leather cream.

The next holster is for a S&W 38 five shot hammer less 4" barreled revolver, the holster was made in Mexico, at either the end of the 1800's or early 1900's, it is like new and I've had it for 45 years now it is tooled and laced instead of sewed, I don't think it was used much, it was given to me by an old friend, and the gun was made in 1886, the same year my Granddad was born.

tEN wOLVES

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · February 03, 2009, 04:12:48 PM

Howdy All it's me again

This is a Dodge City holster I made, I made two but I'll only show one, the holsters are unlined, they were tooled and then stained in Fiebings walnut stain, mixed with Neatsfoot oil until I got the color I wanted, instead of using rivets on the loop, I chose to go with some real small concho style rivets,the finish is Extra Virgin Olive oil, and then a coat of Skidmores leather cream.

The last picture is of some Cheyenne variant style holster with 3/4 length skirts basket stamped and adorned with nickle plated over brass spots, one is unlined the other two lined.the one in the center has a cut down bucket at the top for easier draw and reholster, and is a cross draw style. All these holsters were finished in Extra Virgin Olive oil, and then Skidmores as a final treatment.

tEN wOLVES

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · February 03, 2009, 04:15:26 PM

Thanks WC, you know I had a great Teacher and Mentor

tEN wOLVES

Dr. Bob · February 03, 2009, 05:58:31 PM

Howdy TW,

Now I have this big wet spot on my shirt from drooling over that holster for the lemon squeezer!! I have the New Departure, but seriously NEED that holster to go with it!!

That all works just perfectly together. Ya done real good!!

The others are most excellent as well, but that one is the grabber for me!

JD Alan · February 03, 2009, 06:48:10 PM

Man oh Man, where to start! PART 1

Curley Cole, your pard has done excellent work, no doubt. I like the fact the the holster-belt color matches the grip color. I do have a question maybe you can help me with.

I've read the term "Fairweather Christian Belt" but I can't seem to nail down what elements make up such a belt. There's probalby more than one answer, but I'd sure like to at least hear a generalization. I know the era it comes from, but that's about it.

Very nice work overall, great color, thanks for Sharing, JD

Dr. Bob · February 03, 2009, 06:53:34 PM

JD,

Check this link out!

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?action=search2

Should be of some help.

JD Alan · February 03, 2009, 07:04:03 PM

Thanks Doc, I will sure do that!

Well, after following that thread out, I want to retract my question about "Fairweather Christian Belts" 'cause I sure don't want to stir up a hornet's nest.

My interest comes from being a pastor for the last 30 years or so. I know what Fairweather Christian means in my vocation, so I was a little curious how it applied to a gun belt.

I will drop it lest I offend, which would not be my intention. Thanks to all, JD

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · February 03, 2009, 07:27:53 PM

Howdy Dr. Bob

Thanks for the kind words Pard, and your right that holster for the lemon squeezer is a peach for sure.

TW

Marshal Will Wingam · February 03, 2009, 11:02:07 PM

Nice leather, Curley. He really does do good work. Thanks for sharing those with us.

Holey Shamoley, 10W! I don't know where to start. Really good work, there. I like your first tooling, too. It has a very authentic look to it. When do you sleep? Got any coffee left after all that?

Thanks for the pics.

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · February 03, 2009, 11:30:35 PM

Howdy Will

Will I finely got around to putting these pictures in this thread, I remember when you started this thread and ask us to post our pictures on this thread, but time has a way of getting away from you, so when the thread came up again , I promised myself to get with it. as far as the coffee goes, there was a lot drank during this time frame for sure, I figured I might as well do the whole nine yards and get it done, and I did.
This is a good topic, because there is so many different variant's to each style holster, that's one of the things I love about leather craft, especially the western side of it, we can change things around just a little and get a totally different look, it just keeps me inspired to do and more, and with all the talent we have here in this forum, the inspiration keeps flowing each day, I look forward to getting on the PC and going to CAS CITY FORUM every day to see whats new and all the information that is being given out on just about every subject there is about leather, can't beat this with a stick.....

Thanks Marshal Will Wingum for a great forum

tEN wOLVES

Curley Cole · February 04, 2009, 01:53:26 AM

http://www.willghormley-maker.com/FrankJames.html

JD

I am not sure how the term really came about but it was used as a discription of the military belt used around the civil war.

Here is a link to Will Ghormleys page of his copy of Frank James rig (you can see the original at the Autry museum I believe)

I used the term to discribe what I wanted as I knew Paul would know what it was that I wanted.

Hope that helps some, if I find more info I will pass it along..

curley
PS 10W reallly sweet rigs..

Curley Cole · February 04, 2009, 01:58:41 AM

After a "quick" search this was the best definition I could find:

Cartridge Belts in the Army
The United States Army continued to issue cartridge pouches, but the men in the front lines invented their own cartridge belt. It was a variant on the Army-issue saber belt, but with leather loops sewn on it sized for the Sharpe's .45-70 cartridge used by the cavalry. It was dubbed the "Fairweather Christian" belt.
In the American southwest, untreated brass cartridges that were wrapped in leather for days on end had a problem with the development of verdigris--a patina of copper sulfite that would develop on the surface of the cartridges as a reaction to the salts used in the curing process of the leather. As a result, some Fairweather Christian belts had canvas loops sewn on the leather belts, and soon the service saw the introduction of solid canvas "prairie" belts and Mills belts.

Hope that helps
curley

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · February 04, 2009, 03:21:07 AM

Howdy Curley

You know with all the posting I did with my stuff today, I missed your post of your two rigs, nice work, your friend is quit a leather worker for sure, I think most of your holsters come from him don't they?, he did a real nice job on the carving on the slim jims, and the finish on all the leather is nice too, thanks for sharing. Sorry I missed your post earlier

I'm happy to hear you're enjoying your retirement Pard.

tEN wOLVES

Johnny McCrae · February 04, 2009, 04:52:19 AM

Howdy TW,

Outstanding! That is a great collection of beautiful leather work! I really love the variety of styles.... all done with excellent workmanship and design.

Many thanks for sharing your talents with us and your wonderful contributions to CAS City.

JD Alan · February 04, 2009, 08:58:21 AM

Man oh Man PART 2 10 Wolves

I was surprised you didn't respond to my comments & questions yesterday about your excellent rigs. I realized this morning it didn't post after I wrote it. That's happened before, MY BAD No Doubt!

Overall everything is excellent. I really appreciate your work, your pictures, and the details you add. They are a great source of inspiration and information. I hope you don't mind a few specific comments and questions.

The first rig has great color & finish. Could you comment on that, and what, if anything do you do to keep the finish from rubbing off the inside of the belt?

The rig you made for the NM Vaqueros looks awesome. Could you clarify the weight of the leather? I didn't realize you could get that kind of color without dye, just Neatsfoot and Skidmores, really great.

The carving and color-finish on the Jesse James rig is really great. I've applied EVOO & Skidmores, but I sure don't get that look with my leather. No dye, correct?

Your work makes me want to head to California and spend a week with WC! I know you've spent a lot of time developing your craft, and it sure shows.

Thanks, JD