Explain this hammer thong

[327fed]

I hope this picture posts. Saw a western holster in a cowboy gear historical book. It has a thong   on the hammer which threads down through the double loops, hangs down 8 or 10 inches with a metal washer at the end. Looks like holster would fall out before it catches. 

 

[JWheeler331]

The washer is not intended to stop and keep the gun in. The washer is just there for possibly decoration or to just keep the long end from every coming up through the loops. 

 

The tension on the leather thong as it runs through the strap loops on the holster is what keeps the thong in place. The leather hammer thong is meant to just have a friction hold on it. Its not meant to be a full stop. 

In most cases they are really not even needed but when used they only require a very small amount of friction to keep them in the holster. 

 

Hope that makes sense. 

 

 

By the way, what book is that? 

They are very rare on actual historical holsters. 

 

[327fed]

Thanks. It was in “Cowboy Gear” by David. R. Stoecklein. My reenactor buddy loaned me some coffee table books from his collection for holster ideas. At least some of the stuff in the book looks authentic. This holster was marked “Moran Brothers. “ I usually just punch 2 holes in front of rear sight and put a thong loop. 

[fredk]

May I add; that doesn't look like an ordinary washer. It looks like a coin or token. Perhaps something the holster owner picked up, maybe considered it his 'lucky' coin and wanted it on the strap

My grandfather had a Chinese coin, which was round with a square hole in the centre, on his watch chain. He picked it up in the Philippines during the US-Spanish War there. He said it was a 'lucky coin' to him

[327fed]

Could have been added later as it is not attached. I would hang that strap in the hay baler if I wore it long. 

[JWheeler331]

10 hours ago, 327fed said:

Could have been added later as it is not attached. I would hang that strap in the hay baler if I wore it long. 

Quite possibly so. You don't see many period holsters with any sort of hammer thong at all. I don't have that book so I am not sure of its Authenticity, or age I should say.  

 

Edit:  Just looked up the book and it states that the gear in there is from 1860-1920. I would venture to say that this holster is prob. from later in that time frame and like mentioned above the hammer thong may have been added even later. 

Edited December 23, 2020 by JWheeler331

[327fed]

The way that thong is tied to the hammer it would be petty slow to deploy. Maybe when you fan it from the hip the tie down cones off. 

[Frodo]

MR Dwight showed me a way to install the hammer thong 

the thong is ran inside the 2 pices of leather that make up the holster. when you need to tighten the thong,  pull the leather tail down 

[327fed]

That’s neat. Thanks. 

[Professor]

On 12/22/2020 at 9:41 PM, fredk said:

May I add; that doesn't look like an ordinary washer. It looks like a coin or token. Perhaps something the holster owner picked up, maybe considered it his 'lucky' coin and wanted it on the strap

My grandfather had a Chinese coin, which was round with a square hole in the centre, on his watch chain. He picked it up in the Philippines during the US-Spanish War there. He said it was a 'lucky coin' to him

Yep. Magnified the washer looks to be either a Chinese coin or a temple prayer token.

With the huge numbers of Chinese railroad workers a few Chinese coins are bound to have shown up in western towns.

Crewmen of Clipper ships would buy kegs full of relic temple tokens and trade them to Indians on the west coast letting them think it was real money.

In Alaska the Tinglit used these washer like coins to construct body armor that was effective against arrows and spears etc.

The various shaped holes allowed the coins to be easily counted and kept separate as only coins of a certain denomination would fit certain matching  pegs on a counting board.

My brother had a glass jar full of Phillipines paper money and a number of coins including some Chinese coins.

These coins if available in quantity would make for some interesting decorations for gun belts and vests.

[327fed]

Thanks. Very educational site. 

[chuck123wapati]

14 hours ago, Professor said:

Yep. Magnified the washer looks to be either a Chinese coin or a temple prayer token.

With the huge numbers of Chinese railroad workers a few Chinese coins are bound to have shown up in western towns.

Crewmen of Clipper ships would buy kegs full of relic temple tokens and trade them to Indians on the west coast letting them think it was real money.

In Alaska the Tinglit used these washer like coins to construct body armor that was effective against arrows and spears etc.

The various shaped holes allowed the coins to be easily counted and kept separate as only coins of a certain denomination would fit certain matching  pegs on a counting board.

My brother had a glass jar full of Phillipines paper money and a number of coins including some Chinese coins.

These coins if available in quantity would make for some interesting decorations for gun belts and vests.

I have a Chinese coin that a friend gave me and very old, i live on the Union pacific line in Wyoming very cool info.