Holster questions......

[dc8ray]

I inhereted 2 Luger holsters from my Dad. I was just wondering if there is anything "special" about them.


1. Marked "Meyer & Abitzsch", "Leipzig Gohus", "1917", with "5.3" on the back of the holster. The holster is in good shape with some scratches. The leather appears to be in real good shape The holster is all black on the ouside, the stiching is black. No signs of dry rotting.


2. Marked "Julis Jensen", "Strassburg", "1917", with

"3 23" stamped on the front of the holster. There is some kind of stamp inside the cover, but I cannot see what it says, as it is blurred. It is black, except the back of the holster is brown. It is scuffed up worse than the first one, with some brown showing through the black on the front of the holster. No signs of dry rotting.


Any info that anyone has would be appreciated. I've been wondering............


Thanks,


Ray

[BILL]

Well, they are both WWI era holsters (not surprised?) and I also have a Meyer and Abitzch from Leipzig that is dated 1915. It is maroon with faded white linen stitching. Yours was originally white also. There was a story that I read (I can't remember the source) that claimed many holsters during WWI which were originally brown were required by certain regiments to be black so they would all match. This is how some originally brown holsters got dyed (along with the stitching). Now this might be someone's way of selling someone a dyed holster, don't know exactly. Mine came with a 1914 military Luger and it is in really good supple condition. I know there are people who just collect holsters and I imagine that they will tell us more about the two that you have described. Do you have the pistols that went with these?

[Marvin]

Bill,


I have heard the same story on dying the holsters black during WWI. In addition, I have heard that this was also done during the Weimar period to brown holsters.


Another story I have heard is that during WWII, a soldier would put boot polish on the white thread to make it black as a form of camo. for the holster to keep the white stitching from showing up. I am like you, are these true or just some sales pitch to sell the holster?


marvin

Hi,

The book by Jan Still IMPERIAL LUGERS discusses a 1916 order that all (luger) holsters be dyed black. There are many early holsters dyed black on front but not dyed on back. There are as many or more that were not dyed at all. There are also quite a few holsters dyed or shoe-polished black by bubba's here in the US to either pretty or sell a holster. The ink stamp that is on the inside top lid may be the army distribution center stamp. They typically look like "BAXIII" and I was informally told this indicates a Bavarian Army depot. The Germans were not a national army during WW1 but were separate armies from different German provinces such as Bavaria. I have seen only one holster that was depot stamped that did not start with a BA. You may also see unit ink stamps such as "JR16" or similar which indicates infantry regiment 16. The 5.3 on your holster back means something like 5th infantry regiment gun 3, or 5th company gun 3.


If your holster is stiff, dry and scuffed it may be unmessed with and that is rare.

[Joe]

The marks reported on these two holsters appear to be Weimar military marks. The Imperial unit marks on Luger holsters were either inside the flap or sometimes found on the back. The Weimar military often marked their holsters on the front, under the overhang of the flap. I have an undated holster, also without manufacturer's name that has a similar mark under the flap.

[MikeP]

I have a couple of WW 1 holsters including an artillery that were dyed on the front leaving the inside and back brown.


In my misspent youth when these holsters were about 5 bucks I brilliantly dyed a few myself.