Artillery Holster Rig Real or Repo ?

[John Sabato]

Judging of the authenticity of an historical artifact takes some lengthy first hand study and evaluation of similar artifacts.

Personally, In FIFTY+ years of interest in German Lugers... I have examined a healthy number of veteran bring back war trophies... to include their holsters, belts, buckles, magazine pouches, and ammunition. I have been privileged to handle some very unique specimens in very expensive collections of well known people. That doesn't make me an expert, but it does make me experienced.

What I feel I have become an expert at, is learning what is important information from the other experienced people I am privileged to meet, and the items I am privileged to examine.

Most all of the active membership here, also participates in the AXIS PISTOLS forum that is owned by Jan C. Still... because there is so much to be learned.

In a dozen years of moderating this forum, and studying good photographs on the auction sites, and photographs that have been emailed to me from all over the world, I probably have looked at a thousand or more holsters... that is experience that you just can't readily fork over to a new enthusiasts in a short checklist... With that said, I will offer this...

One of two things that I specifically look for are the uniformity of the aging of the leather (in this case the front or housing portion of the holster doesn't seem to match the wear and tear and age of the smaller pieces of the kit).

The second thing, as Norm has pointed out, would be the stitching... the sewing on the authentic German holsters just has a certain "look" about it, that the fakes and reproductions can't seem to provide... though they come darn close. I get fooled more than once in a while, but my education here is a cumulative thing... one gets better at it with time.

As you read the posts in the Holster forum, take a close look at the photographs of the holsters that have been declared as genuine by the membership. You will find hints of why they think so... or why they didn't think so... that is where you learn.

Our Lugerforum is the largest collective brain trust in the world...that focuses specifically on the history, engineering, manufacture, use, and collection of the Luger pistol and it's accessories. A day doesn't pass when I don't learn something here I didn't know on the subject.

Any purchase that I would consider making would include sharing what I know about the item I intended to purchase, including the best photographs I could obtain, with the "experts"... and getting their opinions... for FREE.

Virtually all world class researchers and authors of the published references on Lugers, either actively participate here, or quietly sit back in stealth lurking mode, and read the speculations offered here. Their commentaries here have made armchair experts out of "newbies" in a very short time.

...and my last piece of advice is whatever people like Jerry Burney (Lugerholsterrepair) and Bill Lyon say regarding historic German leather is GOLD. Put it in your information bank, and never spend it...



Just my $0.02 --- spend it however you like.