Old holsters - any ideas as to age?

[jmace57]

I was given some old holsters this weekend. Most of them are not anything special, but saw these two and wondered if these could be.

The first is a Heiser (Denver) holster. The lighing in the picture makes it look worse than it really is. It looks like a big stain on the front and it's not that bad.

The second is unmarked, but obviously of the same general design.

The man whose collection these were from was a big collector of Civil War and SAA pistols. Does anyone have any thoughts about these? The only thing I know for sure is that the man who acquired these has been dead for 40 years. Other than that I have no idea as to the age. Thanks all.

 

[rayban]

Maybe the makers mark style can help date them:
http://www.vintagegunleather.com/company-marks/hhheiser_history3.html

They are keepers, that's for sure....if I had them, I would be looking for guns that fit

 

[jmace57]

Thanks for that link. I realize that on the back of the holster I can see a faint stamped stylized S A and below that a 5 1/2 - so I guess it's for a 5 1/2 inch SAA, which would make sense based on the rest of the collection I got it from. Also the link showed me where to look for the hidden logo (at the bottom of the holster under the "skirt"). It has the H H Heiser logo of the type used from 1919 to 1950 and is stamped 410. The type of button on the snap was used from the 1890s to the 1930s.

So I guess that means it was made sometime between 1919 and 1939.

There are absolutely no marks on the second holster.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[jmace57]

Follow up - I just found the markings on the second holster. It is also a Heiser. Stamped 408. (Underneath the "skirt" behind the laces.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Those vintage holsters are cool. I have an old Sam Myers that I picked up out of a box in a pawn shop. Fits my K frame 38 perfectly.

 

[Iggy]

Heiser holsters have reached collector status. Don't throw it away.

 

[AJumbo]

All of Heiser's leatherwork is collectible, particularly his saddles and horse tack. Those are a couple of nice examples of basic Heiser "working" holsters, the kind that got used for real and didn't always get babied, so take care of them; there aren't any more being made.