Repro Holster Craftsperson...?

[lugerholsterrepair]

Pete, Since Tom gave you a glowing introduction to my many and varied talents I thought I would take the time to discuss this interesting and dear to my heart subject. Thank you Tom, I do appreciate your trust and confidence. It means a lot to me coming from a person with such extensive knowledge of holsters such as yourself.

Pete, I trust you are speaking about the KNIL 2nd type of holster shown on page 380-381 of Mr. Benders book. This would be a project that would test the abilities of anyone on the planet. What is necessary to start such a thing, if one is serious about creating a museum quality piece, is an original holster. without this or some very specific drawings, it is possible to create a holster that looks the same but in reality will be but a shadow of an original. Even the worst repro company would want to start with an original holster to pattern. I seriously doubt if drawings of the KNIL holster are available. This is all just the tip of the iceburg so to speak. If one were to aquire an original from which to pattern a copy it would still remain a difficult task. To build this holster from scratch would take weeks of intensive careful time consuming labor. All of the metal parts and rivets must be handcrafted to specific dimensions and hand hammered on. There are several snap type closures that may never be properly replicated.The leather, while not form molded like the German holsters, would still need a form built to sustain it while it is being built. I'm not saying that the project could not be done but to do it right would be a monumental undertaking even for a skilled craftsman. To slop one together so that it simply looks like a Dutch KNIL is what a large repro company might do but to tell you the truth, you will never see a repro company build this holster. They could not sell enough of them to make it profitable.It is similar to the Baby Luger holster. Not enough people own one to justify it's production. I have made several German style holsters from scratch, Baby Luger,6" Imperial Navy,and an artillery and all were a labor of love. All were difficult to figure out and build the forms for and make the metal parts. I have spent days just on a few small pieces of a holster. I am sure a large shop could standardize production techniques and make what takes me weeks in a few hours. The Germans obviously did. You must realize that in America today there has been much craftsmanship and technique that is lost to us and might never be found again.The brilliant sheen and color of leather seen on some German Luger holsters comes to mind. It is always surprising to me to see what a determined craftsman can do given enough time and talent, like Viggo"s reproduction of an Ideal Holster Stock. Now that is impressive! But I would venture to say that the reproduction might cost more than an original. Just because it is much harder today to re-invent what was common at the turn of the century.Pete, your quest is a good one but there are many obstacles in your path! Jerry Burney

PS. I took a second and looked at the McKnight leather site recomended by Wes. I think Mr. McKnight's holsters are first rate and he even goes so far as to welcome custom orders. Folks, the difference between what Mr. McKnight does and producing a Dutch KNIL holster is night and day. The cowboy style holster is childishly simple compared to some of the complicated European designs. These use off the shelf metal hardware and I would lay even money that this shop does not have a yard of linen thread much less a spool. While some may condem me for a purist there is more to German turn of the century leather craftsmanship than meets the eye. It has taken me five years of study and the help of too many people to mention here to begin to understand a lot of what goes into the proper manufacture and repair of Luger holsters. This is not something just any leather shop can pick up on by looking at a photo in a book. I cannot begin to discribe the holsters that have come to me that the local shoe repairman got hold of.I would dearly love to hear what Mr. Mcknight would say about a custom order for a Dutch KNIL! Warm Regards to all...Jerry