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lugerholsterrepair · 05-03-2003, 01:04 PM

Brian,Congratulations on your first holster! I am of two minds about it. It is interesting because of it's era and the Cavalry markings. Unit markings are always desirable. It is in fairly rough shape but there are collectors of many different pursuasions. If it were handed down by Grandpa and had his story behind it and had meaning in your family I would say it would have more meaning to you. If it is a purchased piece you must decide if this is the quality of holster you would like to collect. Depending on how much was asked for it I would probably not buy this piece for my long term collection. That's just me and please do not take any statement I make personally. Like I say, there are many types of collectors.
I would be nervous about this one for several reasons. The mold is not a good sign. Mold attacks the thread a little more severly than the leather. This makes the thread soft and weak, prone to breakage. Since most collectors use there representative examples for display only, it probably will not affect it in structural terms. It should be removed and the leather treated.

Another consideration is further cost. When I work on collectors holsters I am always concious of cost. It is always a consideration and I try to keep my repair costs low for obvious reasons. One can put too much money into a holster in repairs. Since Luger holsters have escalated in value rather quickly it is wise to repair expensive good quality holsters. It is a bit more questionable to put a great deal of money into a marginal holster. The repair costs on like holsters are the same but you will always be better off with quality to start with when you go to sell the piece. People often ask me to quote a price for repairs before they send them. I am always happy to do this if the photo's allow it. Often though the owner will overlook many important aspects that need attention. It is always better to see the piece in hand to give good advice. Most of the repaired holsters I send back run in the range of $75.00 and up depending on what they need. If it is a simple top stitched back on it could be $35.00. So you need to consider how much more you want to invest in this piece, if anything. Hope this helps, Jerry Burney

05-03-2003, 01:04 PM	#3
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,775 Thanks: 4,995 Thanked 3,133 Times in 1,439 Posts	Brian,Congratulations on your first holster! I am of two minds about it. It is interesting because of it's era and the Cavalry markings. Unit markings are always desirable. It is in fairly rough shape but there are collectors of many different pursuasions. If it were handed down by Grandpa and had his story behind it and had meaning in your family I would say it would have more meaning to you. If it is a purchased piece you must decide if this is the quality of holster you would like to collect. Depending on how much was asked for it I would probably not buy this piece for my long term collection. That's just me and please do not take any statement I make personally. Like I say, there are many types of collectors. I would be nervous about this one for several reasons. The mold is not a good sign. Mold attacks the thread a little more severly than the leather. This makes the thread soft and weak, prone to breakage. Since most collectors use there representative examples for display only, it probably will not affect it in structural terms. It should be removed and the leather treated. Another consideration is further cost. When I work on collectors holsters I am always concious of cost. It is always a consideration and I try to keep my repair costs low for obvious reasons. One can put too much money into a holster in repairs. Since Luger holsters have escalated in value rather quickly it is wise to repair expensive good quality holsters. It is a bit more questionable to put a great deal of money into a marginal holster. The repair costs on like holsters are the same but you will always be better off with quality to start with when you go to sell the piece. People often ask me to quote a price for repairs before they send them. I am always happy to do this if the photo's allow it. Often though the owner will overlook many important aspects that need attention. It is always better to see the piece in hand to give good advice. Most of the repaired holsters I send back run in the range of $75.00 and up depending on what they need. If it is a simple top stitched back on it could be $35.00. So you need to consider how much more you want to invest in this piece, if anything. Hope this helps, Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 lugerholsterrepair@earthlink.net 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."