Tom Threepersons holster

[Lobo]

Tom Threepersons, a Cherokee Indian born Vinita, OK 1889, family moved Alberta, Canada c. 1900. 1910 father killed by rustlers, Tom followed to a saloon and shot both dead. Joined Northwest Mounted Police, served near Calgary, Alberta, killed 3 bank robbers at Calgary. 1912 returned to ranching, "World Champion Cowboy" on rodeo circuit. Took world trip including South America, Europe, Asia, Japan, China, complained about the food! 1916 enlisted to serve under General "Black Jack" Pershing on punitive expedition to Mexico in response to Pancho Villa's raids into the US. Discharged 1920. Served as patrolman and detective in San Antonio and El Paso, TX. 1923 appointed US Customs agent at El Paso. As early as 1925 the SD Myres Saddle Co. advertised the "Threepersons style" holster. Late 1920's offered a movie contract, declined. Ranched in Gila, New Mexico, passed away in 1969.

Offering a little biography here on a remarkable man, one who served as a law enforcement officer and soldier on behalf of two countries during the early 20th century, engaged in numerous battles, and lived to tell the tale.

Tom Threepersons designed a holster and had it made to his specifications by the SD Myres Saddle Company in the early 1920's. Since that time the basic design has evolved into a style that dominated the law enforcement market until late in the 20th Century. High ride, exposed trigger guard, open top, minimal leather. The design has been marketed by Myres, El Paso Saddlery, Don Hume, and a dozen other makers, and evolved into the designs including thumb-break retention by Safariland and Bianchi.

The original is not known to remain in existence. If it had any retention device, it was probably a hammer thong or something similar. Several makers still make this style with a hammer strap and snap. Looking at a "Threepersons" style holster you will see the evolution of law enforcement holsters over a period of at least 70 years.

I have not done justice to the man in question, or to his contributions to our nation. Just wanted to give a little background to the post.

Two or three times per year I have people inquire about a Threepersons-style holster. While I made any number of variations back in the 1970's and 1980's, I had nothing to show them, no photographs or demo pieces. So, I decided to make one up as my personal interpretation of the style, as much for the sake of nostalgia as anything else!

Here are some photos. Basic features of this style: mid-ride, tunnel loop belt attachment, open top, welted seam, blocked and cased construction. In my interpretation of this type I have incorporated a lining of brain-tanned deerskin (don't know when I'll ever get any more, so I'll just hoard my little supply), a retention strap featuring a widened portion over the rear sight as protection against damage (also allows a "ready" position), and hand-boned finished (instead of simple block and casing), with a pre-formed sight channel.

Holster body is Wicketts & Craig 7-8 oz. cowhide, lining estimated at 3 oz. weight (Native American made brain tanned deerskin), seam welted with a piece of 9-10 oz. cowhide, tunnel loop pre-formed to 1.75" width X 0.25" thickness belt, retention strap of 9-10 oz. cowhide (can be rotated forward to permit a "ready" position for quick access, forward cant estimated at 7-8 degrees. Shown with a Smith & Wesson Model 66 and rosewood grips in the "combat" style.

I hope you enjoy seeing this old-fashioned piece as much as I have enjoyed making it! At least now I will have something to show the occasional customer who wants a traditional style!

[TwinOaks]

Beautiful work, there. Thanks for the brief biography, too. It just goes to show there's all kinds of neat info lurking in the most unlikely places.

[2MadJacks]

Wow thanks for sharing. As an Okie I love to hear the history of other Oklahomans, especially the lawmen. Thanks again and you have done very nice work. job well done, James

[ChuckBurrows]

Very nice take and a nice write up but one thing in error - at least one of Tom's original holsters is still in existence along with his mother of pearl handled Colt SAA - yes pearl handled - despite Gen'l Patton's infamous comment, pearl handled guns were very popular in the 1920-30's amongst Texas lawmen, including Tom and Frank Hamer.

Anyway here's a pic of one of Tom's original holsters - S. D. Myres made....it's scanned from the book Peacemakers by R. L Wilson

[Lobo]

Tom Threepersons was a Texas lawman during the early 20th Century, serving in San Antonio and El Paso. In about 1920 Threepersons designed a holster for his own use and had it made by the excellent company S.D. Myres Saddlery.

The Threepersons style became pretty much the standard for American law enforcement and sporting use throughout the 20th Century, and remains in production today in several forms. It evolved from a mid-to-high ride open top strong-side holster to incorporate a hammer thong, later a snap-strap retention, and finally as the familiar thumb-break styles made by every major manufacturer.

I have made many variations on this theme over the years, and lately have become interested in recreating the original style, as well as offering the original Sheridan-style carving. I have enlisted talented carving artists to recreate the original pattern, and will be receiving submissions shortly.

For now, I have made another Threepersons-style in open top, lined with glove leather, and featuring a rotating hammer-retention strap. This one is done in the classic oiled tan finish in 8-oz. Hermann Oaks, 2-oz. lining, welted seam, with pre-formed belt loop to fit a 1.75" belt.

Comments welcome. Old fashioned? Yes. But I'm an old guy! I will try and have a carved sample ready in the next few weeks, as I have numerous customers interested in an authentic reproduction of the original pattern and design.

Photos (not uploaded in order shown, but I'm sure you can figure them out):

1. Front, with Duncan's dummy gun (S&W L-frame 4") and hammer retention strap.

2. Rear, retention strap swivels down and away when not in use.

3. Inverted, with dummy gun held securely (who says you can't make an open top holster that will retain a revolver?).

4. Welted seam detail and pre-formed belt loop.

5. Front, with removable retention strap removed.

Edited June 13, 2009 by Lobo

[carljc72]

I love it. I always enjoy looking at your work.

[Randyc]

Ray,

Great looking holster and a fine tribute to legendary lawman Tom Threepersons and to S.D Myers Saddlery. Are you using a welt on this holster or just sewing the edges together?

I just purchased a Taurus Judge mold gun from Jeff (Boom Stick Holsters) and I have a Colt Python myself. I'm planning out some designs for those two weapons.

Randy

[Lobo]

Ray,

Great looking holster and a fine tribute to legendary lawman Tom Threepersons and to S.D Myers Saddlery. Are you using a welt on this holster or just sewing the edges together?

I just purchased a Taurus Judge mold gun from Jeff (Boom Stick Holsters) and I have a Colt Python myself. I'm planning out some designs for those two weapons.

Randy

Randy:

Thanks for the nice comments. This is a welted seam holster, using a welt of 9-oz. leather, so the sewn edge consists of two layers 8-oz., two layers 2-oz. lining leather, and the 9-oz. welt.

The welt adds stiffness to the holster and also provides some clearance on the interior, making it easier to form to the handgun. This is a traditional style of holster construction and I am trying to follow the traditional method, staying as closely to the original design as possible.

Just received a carving sample from a gentleman in Texas today, so I may have something completed within the next week or two as a true tribute to the designer and original maker.

Best regards.

[Lobo]

Note to moderators: previous posts on this topic have been moved to other categories. I appreciate your attention, but this subject might best appeal to holster makers in general, so I will continue posting here.

Those of you who have followed this topic know that I have been pursuing both the re-creation of a 90-plus year old holster pattern, as well as re-creating the original Sheridan-style carving of the original holster.

Tom Threepersons was a legendary lawman, serving in San Antonio and El Paso, Texas during the early 20th Century. He designed a holster for his own use and had it produced by the excellent company S.D. Myres Saddlery. That design is probably the most copied and most popular belt holster design in history, becoming the standard for American law enforcement, standard issue for the FBI for many years, and evolved into most of the patterns still being marketed today.

Following an earlier post a forum member submitted a photo of an original Threepersons holster, now residing in a private collection. I was absolutely intrigued with the possibility of not only re-creating the original holster pattern, but matching it with the original hand carving pattern.

Where else to look but leatherworker.net? I ran a couple of posts, received multiple replies, and commissioned a couple of very talented people to do some carving in the original style.

This post exhibits two holsters of very similar style, both carved by the same artist, both assembled and finished by me (all mistakes are mine entirely, by the way!). Thought that I would share this with you folks, as prior posts appear to have been popular.

Photos show two similar holsters featuring two different retention devices. One incorporates a strap with snap (allowing simple rotation forward to permit a "ready" position) and one uses a fob-style hammer tab, easily flipped off with the finger.

These holsters are hand-carved in considerable detail. Any attempt to fit a handgun by boning would destroy detail in the carving, so these are "blocked and cased", i.e. wet-formed to the handgun with nothing more than finger pressure and no tools permitted. The resulting fit is sufficient that either holster can be held upside down while retaining the handguns (S&W Model 19 for one and S&W Model 686 for the other).

Materials used included Hermann Oak 8-oz veg-tanned leather for the carved shells, lining is 2-oz. glove leather. Finish includes a "color wash" that I have devised using a water-soluable brown dye that penetrates easily at edges and carved surfaces, but less so on smooth leather, followed by the classic neatsfoot oil treatment, and acrylic finish. These holsters were finished today, so there remains a few light and dark areas where the oil is still "settling in"; those will even out over the next day or two.

One of the weaknesses of the original Threepersons-style holster is the belt loop. Most originals and reproductions had belt loops fitted for very large belts. Mine are pre-formed to fit a specific belt width so that the holster will reliably retain its position on the belt. Originals also featured no retention, then simple hammer thongs. I am making this style with the fob-style hammer tab, rotating snap strap, and with thumb-break.

If you haven't caught on just yet, this is not 21st Century technology! I have pursued this project out of a genuine admiration for the original designer and those holster makers who have made this style a legend in its own right.

For many years I have made holsters for concealed carry. These are not intended to be fashion statements (they aren't even intended to be seen, are they?). When I saw an opportunity to re-create not only a classic holster design, but to include the original carving pattern, I lost all perspective and went into this project at full speed. I have enjoyed every minute of it, and I have several customers waiting in line for these!

Best regards.

Edited June 27, 2009 by Lobo

[Rock76]

VERY nice!