Holster War Story

[Orv Reichert]

Did you ever wonder why the earlier â??hardâ?? holsters are kind of hard to find while the later ones are everywhere?


During the winter of 45-46, Europe experienced one of the severest winters in history. Starvation was everywhere. People were freezing. There was almost no infrastructure still existing except for the occupying powers. Barter was the basic currency. Cigarettes and Candy were used like coins.


A friend, Horst Egon Graf, was aged 16 and just discharged from the Wehrmacht. He tells me that he often acquired the â??hardâ?? type Luger and P38 holsters and used them for half-soling his familyâ??s shoes during that period. He said that you could take a holster and a few cigarettes to the shoemaker and he would take the holsters apart and make new heels and soles for your shoes!


Orv Reichert