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The now discontinued "To Catch a Thief" avenger-style holster was one of a range of Berns-Martin holsters made in Australia. It was die-cut from American horsehide then hand-molded/detailed, kiln-dried and hand-finished, it was the epitome of the advanced engineering and construction that evolved since 1985. These were guaranteed to fit directly from the box with no break-in. Their form/fit/function was guaranteed for the working life of their maker: me.
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To learn more about my book with John Witty about the seminal gunleather innovations of 1905 to 1985 (there was no innovation after that period), click on the above image.
Holsterguys the Blog and Holstory the Book
THE MISSION OF HOLSTERGUYS HAS BEEN REFINED.
Originally Holsterguys was meant to be a sharing point by several authors as new information was unearthed about the 250 men and women of 'holstory' -- those people in America who contributed the innovation on which all gunleather made today is based.
The primary source of information is in our book "Holstory -- Gunleather of the 20th Century" which uses more than 200 pages of information and 400 color images of the innovations that appeared during the period 1905 to 1985. What few innovative works that existed before 1905 included only the holsters of the King Ranch of Texas; and all innovation in gunleather ceased in 1985 as the last of gunleather's innovators turned their imaginations from leather to synthetics.
TODAY'S MISSION FOR HOLSTERGUYS.
Once upon a time there was an intention to produce a second edition of Holstory. We even had a name for it: Second Ed :-).
Instead, now a series of blog entries for Holsterguys the Blog have been finalized as updates for the original book.
In the time since Holstory was released in 2018 our research continued vigorously and the historical information relating to it literally doubled in size. What to do with it all?
Well, what this doubling in size did was confirm all the details set out in Holstory and fill in all the blanks that remained at publication.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN, IN THE END?
It means that there is no plan for a Second Edition of Holstory, and it means that Holsterguys will become far more static. The blog entries are now meant only to inform the existing content of "Holstory -- Gunleather of the 20th Century". Additions will be few and far between.
There is more misinformation about gunleather and its people on the 'net than there are true facts about it. Some of it is even perpetuated by inexperienced makers. But Holstory and this supplemental blog will keep you (and them) on the straight and narrow :-)
Red Nichols
Queensland
Australia