Ebay holster mold
 

This is an interesting item that pops up from time to time.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MakeTrack=true

It is my belief that these ponderous heavy things cannot be used to make molded holsters and wood was used instead. I have no proof of this but it stands to reason.
Brass does not absorb any moisture which seems required for this operation. It would be impossible to have hundreds of these working at once, and brass was in short supply. Just does not make sense to me.
Jerry Burney

Jerry, as "authentic" as this item looks, even the stamps look period to me, but yet the shape does not seem right. I would think it would be larger than it is on top to help form the "bucket" of the holster. This may be for some other type of holster than Luger?

I am in a lighthearted mood, so I think I will indulge myself in another one of my flights of fantasy.

I think this object might have some validity. If used with a wooden female mold, this heavy metal insert would serve to press down and weight the wet leather into the mold. It would eliminate the need for clamps while turning the exposed edges of the leather to form the sewing flange. Then a flat wood piece could be placed on top of the whole thing and clamped in place while the leather dried. Not a mass production type of operation, but certainly something "Papa Gunter's Sattlery and Yardgoods Shop" could use.

This object is only for the body of the holster. Another set of molds are required to form the "bucket".

End of daydream.

Ron, I think you and I differ on the term "bucket" ...unless I am further mistaken, you are calling what I would call the "LID" the bucket, and I am calling the main body, the part that could hold water once the holster was assembled, the "bucket"...

I do like your daydream! it seems to make sense to me...

Cheers.

Right you are. I was referring to the lid.

Gentlemen all, I believe John is on the money, the shape is wrong for any holster I am familiar with.
Ron, Brass is simply the wrong material for the purpose of molding holsters. Molded holsters must be very wet and take a long time to dry under the best of circumstances. I am familiar with German Winters, spring and Summer. There are times when the humidity level never drys. I have made many molded holsters as well as other molded leather items . Brass would repel moistur so that it would have no choice but to come out the fron, on the back moisture and leather would form a complex metal to leather reaction that would discolor if not blacken the inside of the leather holster. This happens with leather and brass surprisingly fast even on dry leather. Verdegris forms. With the conditions necessary to dry a
hardshell luger holster the metal makeup of brass, the zink and copper would leach out onto the leather. I open many Luger holsters in a week. In most all cases the leather inside is beige, creamy white or clear to some extent. I do not ever recall opening a holster that seemed to have any severe discoloration from exposure to brass and water.
Ron your method of molding is essentially correct but I can be certain brass molds were not employed by German Saddlers. It just dosen't pencil out.
Jerry Burney

IMHO this item on ebay doesn't have the right color to be brass. It appears to be metal but not brass.
Tom

I'm guessing zinc, probably coated with enamel.

I tend to agree with Jerry. I think these metal molds are fakes assembled by someone who has never molded any leather and decided metal was the ticket. This one looks like some kind of white metal but we have also seen the brass one, complete with famous makers names. Shoemakers use leather mods although they tack on metal frames. Jerry make holsters and I would tend to go with his estimate, although Ron is pretty sharp about these things also

I never lock horns with Jerry over Luger leather. He has already forgotten more than I will ever learn.

Ron, Heck I don't even know for sure myself...All I know is from experience and logic tells me brass or zink or any other metal is a poor method.
I have searched for years to find a source of period photo's of Saddlers at work. So far I have found only one and they were making PPK holsters or some such. Just cutting them out on a table. There must be some photo's of Luger holster making...Wish I knew where! I would hate to see this go down as a mystery never solved!


Did you get your new Navy holster yet?


Jerry Burney

Not yet...hope it turns out to be what I expect.

HH Heiser holster mold now on e-Bay...made out of aluminum :

http://cgi.ebay.com/Original-Heiser-...QQcmdZViewItem

Pete, somehow the complete url is not showing up on the Forum when you post.
Maybe a moderator can explain why..It shows at first but then condenses to one that is un useable when posted to the message board.
Jerry Burney

.........

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...0%3D%26fvi%3D1

Looks like you cannot use an e-Bay search result link...only the actual auction item number link...had not noticed that before.