Brown Holsters
 

How late did brown holsters continue to be issued? Were they meant for special branches? Did all issues eventually go to black?

Trying to further my education........

See below

I've had brown military issued holsters like this dated 1941 and 1942. I think that there was no rigid requirement for one unit or the other to have black or brown holsters. Enlisted equipment is almost always black i.e. Mauser ammo pouches and equipment belts. It could have had more to do with rank or duties. They also run the gamut from light brown like this through many shades of darker brown to black.

Nice holster Geo. I have heard that most issue holsters for the Army were black, and brown for the Luftwaffe. And officers for both services had to buy their own holsters, belts, sidearms. Many chose brown, based on color photos from the period.

color
 

I'm not really a luger holster expert by any means, but this one is definitely a shade of bergundy inside and out. Not a die job.

Strap stitches on this one need a little of Jerry's magic, but otherwise, pretty nice.

looks neat!
 

That holster would look great with one of the reddish receivers that occured on some 1939 P.08's... don't'cha'think! Best to all, til....lat'r....GT;)

Steve, The Germans had some amazing dye colors and Burgandy/Cordovan was one of them. Very nice holster!

Jerry Burney

Thanks Jerry,
I'll be sending it off to you one of these days.
Steve

Steve, I am knee deep in holsters! My main thing is repairs but I am trying to make a couple of Imperial Navy 7" holsters and 3 or 4 Carbine cases in my spare time. These things take an incredible amount of time to do....
15 years ago I thought ..how many Luger holsters that need repair can there be? Apparently the supply is unlimited.
I can't wait to get to work each and every morning....

Jerry Burney

Repairs
 

Jerry,
Does that mean you are not accepting more work? Please don't say that. No one else does what you do...at least not as well,in my opinion.
Steve

Steve..No, I am currently accepting holsters. I had to shut it off several years ago but that was due to a small medical procedure that disabled me for some months.

Up and running.

Thanks, Jerry Burney

Here are some photos of a 1939 dated cordovan holster I recently picked up.

Sweet! Cordovan holsters fall into that WHAT? catagory..not black, not brown now who the heck used them according to color? It just prooves there were some loosening of protocol when it came to leather equiptment color.
Since most branches of the German Armed Forces had their own mandates there is apparently no hard & fast rule about color. I suspect there was also a leniency for Officers that Enlisted Soldiers were not allowed.
That being said...we have the fine example shown above of George's cordovan/burgandy holster. It is in an Army configuration, WaA marked as Military accepted in 1939. This MUST have been an accepted color for general issue at this time. It is NOT an Officer private purchase holster.
Does anyone out there have a cordovan holster dated 1940 or later? I know there are plenty of tan ones...

Jerry Burney