Odd WWI (?) Holster...

Pete Ebbink · 09-15-2005, 01:23 PM

...on e-Bay :

http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-WWI-GERMAN-...QQcmdZViewItem

Navy · 09-15-2005, 01:41 PM

That looks to be made of pressed paper...or some other material and appears to have been cut for fast draw.

lugerholsterrepair · 09-15-2005, 05:02 PM

This appears to be of Bulgarian origin. The cut down would be normal for these holsters and not a GI cutaway. It is possible this holster is not a Luger holster. The magazine pouch does not have the cut out for the magazine pull on a Luger mag.
From the pretty good photo's I think it is all leather. On many period leather items, particularly small pieces, you can see a similar impression on the back. This is formed when the leather is fed into a leather splitter to make the leather thinner. The rollers on the machine that cuts the leather, splits it to a thinner thickness, has to grab one side in order to push it into the cutter blade. I suspect this is the pattern on the surface leather made by the roller. Normally this is found on the suede side of the leather but this hide may have been mistakenly put into the splitter upside down. Jerry Burney

Ron Smith · 09-15-2005, 11:12 PM

It's a hide from a rare "Bulgarian Knurled Bovine". Very similar to a "Nauga".

Herb · 09-16-2005, 01:02 PM

Ron, I've seen some pretty fancy things made from the hide of those Naugas. It apparently is fairly easy to dye different colors too. I think that they were native to Sumatra though, but some may have been found in Bulgaria also.

http://www.nauga.com/history.html

Lugerdoc · 09-17-2005, 05:11 PM

I agree that the pattern is similar to the Bulgarian PO8 holster, but the width of the bottom is way too wide for a PO8. I think that rather this may be for a M1903 FN pistol in 9mmBL. which was popular with the central Europeans (Russian, Serbia, Latvia, etc). TH

George Anderson · 09-18-2005, 12:40 AM

A nice closeup photo of the detail of the mouth of the magazine pouch will give you a good idea as to what type of pistol the holster was intended for.

Pete Ebbink · 10-16-2005, 12:55 PM

Saving these photos before they disappear from e-Bay :

09-15-2005, 01:23 PM	#1
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Odd WWI (?) Holster... ...on e-Bay : http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-WWI-GERMAN-...QQcmdZViewItem

09-15-2005, 05:02 PM	#3
lugerholsterrepair Moderator Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Arizona/Colorado Posts: 7,772 Thanks: 4,940 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,434 Posts	This appears to be of Bulgarian origin. The cut down would be normal for these holsters and not a GI cutaway. It is possible this holster is not a Luger holster. The magazine pouch does not have the cut out for the magazine pull on a Luger mag. From the pretty good photo's I think it is all leather. On many period leather items, particularly small pieces, you can see a similar impression on the back. This is formed when the leather is fed into a leather splitter to make the leather thinner. The rollers on the machine that cuts the leather, splits it to a thinner thickness, has to grab one side in order to push it into the cutter blade. I suspect this is the pattern on the surface leather made by the roller. Normally this is found on the suede side of the leather but this hide may have been mistakenly put into the splitter upside down. Jerry Burney __________________ Jerry Burney 11491 S. Guadalupe Drive Yuma AZ 85367-6182 l[email protected] 928 342-7583 (CO & AZ) Year Round 719 207-3331 (cell) "For those who Fight For It, Life has a flavor the protected will never know."

09-15-2005, 11:12 PM	#4
Ron Smith User Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Orygun Posts: 4,243 Thanks: 118 Thanked 245 Times in 150 Posts	It's a hide from a rare "Bulgarian Knurled Bovine". Very similar to a "Nauga". __________________ I Still Need DWM side plate #49... if anyone runs across a nice one. What ~Rudyard Kipling~ said...

09-16-2005, 01:02 PM	#5
Herb User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Utah, in the land of the Sleeping Rainbow Posts: 1,457 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Ron, I've seen some pretty fancy things made from the hide of those Naugas. It apparently is fairly easy to dye different colors too. I think that they were native to Sumatra though, but some may have been found in Bulgaria also. http://www.nauga.com/history.html __________________ Utah, where gun control means a steady trigger pull

09-17-2005, 05:11 PM	#6
Lugerdoc Patron LugerForum Patron Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: POB 398 St.Charles,MO. 63302 Posts: 5,089 Thanks: 6 Thanked 736 Times in 483 Posts	I agree that the pattern is similar to the Bulgarian PO8 holster, but the width of the bottom is way too wide for a PO8. I think that rather this may be for a M1903 FN pistol in 9mmBL. which was popular with the central Europeans (Russian, Serbia, Latvia, etc). TH __________________ Tom Heller POB 398 ST.Charles, MO. 63302 Tel 636-447-3006 [email protected]

09-15-2005, 01:41 PM	#2
Navy RIP Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Dc 'burbs in Virginia Posts: 2,482 Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 10 Posts	That looks to be made of pressed paper...or some other material and appears to have been cut for fast draw.

09-18-2005, 12:40 AM	#7
George Anderson Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: VA Posts: 3,592 Thanks: 1,773 Thanked 2,529 Times in 787 Posts	A nice closeup photo of the detail of the mouth of the magazine pouch will give you a good idea as to what type of pistol the holster was intended for.

10-16-2005, 12:55 PM	#8
Pete Ebbink User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: The USA Posts: 5,919 Thanks: 0 Thanked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Saving these photos before they disappear from e-Bay :