The History of the The Hermann H. Heiser Mfg. & Selling Co.
The H. H. Heiser Company probably the most widely distributed manufacturer of holsters and other leather goods critical to those who built American from the late 1850’s through to just after World War 2. In the almost 100 years that the Heiser Holster company was independently in business it can be fairly said that they equipped more Lawmen, Outlaws, Bounty Hunters, Soldiers and Sportsmen than any other manufacturer ever in the history of our country. The H. H. Heiser Company’s boast was “No man ever lived long enough to wear out a Heiser Holster!” and during their century of production we doubt that statement was ever disproven and is only reinforced by the amazing number of samples still seen today from museums to men and women still working the trail.
We at the re-established H. H .Heiser Company are dedicated to keeping with that tradition and provide a holster that will survive at least one lifetime of use if not multiple more. We also believe in another Heiser Company saying that “Life Is Too Short to Take Chances” so we promise to provide you with the best quality, most reliable holsters available any where from any source. At this time we are building any previous models made by Heiser from either pictures, previous models sent to us for replication or from extensive photographic archives. We will evaluate any custom holster requests on a case by case basis.
The following is a recount of the History of H. H. Heiser from an early 1920’s catalog...
Since the spring of 1858 when the firm that is now soliciting your patronage began their career, experience has been the teacher, for at that time, Mr. Hermannn H. Heiser, the founder, who came from the East, knew but very little of the exacting demands that were made by gunmen, sheriffs and the pioneer trail blazers of the early days in regard to their pistol holsters as well as cartridge belts and other equipment, for the “Wild and Wooly West” was new to him, notwithstanding the fact that he had just driven a team of eight oxen across the plains, and he was surprised to learn that ninety per cent of the population of this primitive section had to depend on weapons for defense and the ability to draw them quickly from holsters and scabbards in order to protect both lives and property.
These were the days of the Vigilance Committee, who compelled a deep respect for law and order in absence of courts of justice, by stringing up offenders who were caught red handed, even if it was only a matter of theft, to the nearest tree or pole and after shooting the body full of lead, it would be permitted to hang for a certain specified period as a warning to others. It often happened that the man who had the best fitting quick draw type of pistol holster was enabled to “get the drop” upon his adversary, thus preventing bloodshed; notwithstanding the fact that the bad man might have been by far the best shot.
This same need of proper equipment exists today among secret service operatives, police, detectives, sportsmen and soldiers, and our mission in endeavoring to supply the JUST RIGHT KIND is consequently of life-saving nature.
The suggestions made by patrons from time to time in regard to holsters, belts, etc., were carefully noted so that these details could be used in recommendations to others when they were asked for, and it was also then that Hermann H. Heiser reached the conclusion that all goods of this character should be made up to special order if every customer was to be satisfied, since nearly everyone had their own peculiar way of handling a gun, some shooting from the hip, others at full arms length, some were right handed, others left handed and many were competent enough in cases of exceptional hazard to use a weapon in each hand simultaneously.
While the manufacture of these holsters and scabbards of the different kinds was carried on in a small way and was of a purely local nature, the reputation of the pioneer Hermann H. Heiser as a maker of “real Western Stuff” began to spread with the recurrent cases of gold fever in California and some parts of the Rocky Mountains. Occasional orders from distant points gradually developed into a nice mail order business until our sales of today are represented by shipments to all parts of the world, in addition to which a large modern factory employing upwards of thirty skilled mechanics is largely engaged in the manufacture of this, OUR HOBBY AND CHOSEN SPECIALTY.
Many of the largest and finest sporting goods supply houses in the United States carry a stock of Heiser holsters in the belief that a fine weapon should be entitled to a holster or carrying case of comparative quality and workmanship. To protect you, our valued patrons, against “the just as good substitutions, we are using either our H. H. H. trade mark or the Heiser-Denver brand.
NONE GENUINE WITHOUT EITHER COUNTERSIGN.
The most popular and most practical of all ideas acquired in over fifty years of service have been assembled in the preceding pages so that you might easily select the exact pattern best adapted to your requirements.
IT PAYS TO HITCH TO THE HOUSE OF HEISER