Restored Post 35: Cap Hardy and the Heiser Boys
Updated: Nov 24, 2022
A more complete history of holster maker Cap Hardy than had been available before I began my research for the book Holstory. Most of his holsters instead were Heiser products! Marked with his own stamp that was identically sized to the Heiser oval.
He had only a token mention in Holstory's First Edition but is thoroughly covered in the Second. His 1930 catalog even used Heiser's own images as his own products. 19th century founder Hermann Heiser was not in the gunleather business; after his 1904 death it was his sons who pushed into it by their 1909 catalog and who also produced 'private label' products for Hardy and others.

For me his place in holstory is not the Hardy-Cooper shoulder holster, so-called only by Jeff himself, nor even that he was a holster maker/reseller at all. A noted marksman, it was he who was Captain of the Colorado National Guard during the notorious quelling of the Colorado Coalfields Wars rebellion in 1913, which wars were next door to Susie Threepersons before her marriage to Tom himself. He had moved to Denver just the year prior.
"Holstory -- Gunleather of the Twentieth Century -- the Second Edition" is available at www.holstory.com and is posted to you from inside the USA by the printer itself.