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S.D. Myers Catalogs
1930 Catalog
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Article created: 5 September 2011Article modified: 1 September 2023
S.D. Myres Catalogs and Tom Threepersons
The S.D. Myres Luger holster pictured in Luger Holsters and Their Accessories
© 1992 by E. Bender on page 605 is the only published example of a S.D. Myres holster made for a Luger and describes the holster as being for a Mauser 9mm Parabellum: Etched on the rear, bottom, is the pistol designation: “Mauser 9 MM Parabellum”. The marking was added using a ink pen rather than “etched”, being aftermarket applied by the purchaser identifying the holstered pistol. The number “1182” located near the S.D. Myres holster logo could be interpreted to be N82(X) vs 1182.
As of this writing only two other S.D. Myres logo marked holsters have been identified as made for a Luger for a total of three, and all for a P.08 style, 4-inch barrel Luger only and are pictured herein. One other similar style holster, except without a S.D. Myres logo is also pictured and compared against the Bender example. As a matter of note with Texas being the “Lone Star” state could account for the lack of holster offerings for Lugers as the catalog features holsters mostly for revolvers (six-shooters) and interestingly in the 1935 catalog for the Colt Woodsman.
The identity of the model or of any S.D. Myres holster is difficult to determine, as unlike other period holster manufacturers such as H.H. Heiser and G.W. Lawrence, their holsters model numbers or styles are prominently stamped on each holster to match their catalog offerings, whereas the S.D. Myres holsters, at least the ones pictured herein, are devoid of any such identifying marks to correspond with their catalogs, which oddly do list holster model numbers or styles. While the style of a holster in hand could be compared against holsters pictured in the catalogs, although without a style number the comparison would be inclusive.
The lack of model numbers or holster styles on S.D. Myres holsters makes the Bender example suspect with its purported model number of 1182 or N82, especially being aftermarket applied. The S.D. Myres catalogs in the collection from 1924 through 1968 were scoured for pictured holsters with model number (styles) text descriptions with 1182 or N82 and none were found as only three-digit model or style numbers are used.
Pictured are holsters designated as for automatic pistols similar to the Luger pistol holsters featured herein, unfortunately for comparison, only the front of holsters are shown. Pictured are three S.D. Myers holsters in the collection compared against the Bender example pictured on page 605 of Luger Holsters and Their Accessories.
Note that the rear of each holster has different shaped, fold-over belt loops and the overall shape of the holsters are different suggests that they are unique, special order holsters for P.08, 4-inch barrels, 9mm or 30 Cal, with or with-out grip safeties. In conclusion any S.D. Myres Luger holster is extremely rare.
The S.D. Myres catalogs
Pictured is a rare 1930 S.D. Myres, 15 page catalog…which features gun leather and cases and other equipment designed by the best Border Officers--men who for years have lived in an atmosphere where danger constantly lurked and necessity taught them the value of QUICK GUN ACTION. Nothing contributes more to speed than a holster which will properly fit the gun, hold the same in position, and react to the slightest "pull". To expert advice we have added the most skilled workmanship, the best grade of material and have embellished the same in the finest hand-carved finish.[1]
The catalog features Tom Threepersons style holsters; pistol holsters, and other leather items. The center pages include: "Gunplay" by Eugene Cunningham; The History Making Trap shooter; G.W. Linnenkohl--many years user of S.D. Myres Leather -U.S. Immigration Border Patrol officer. Pictured are two Tom Threepersons designed holsters in the collection.
Tom Threepersons served with the El Paso Police Department during Prohibition, at a time when gunfights occurred for over 230 nights straight. The Southwest was still quite wild and unchanged; however, one major change was being instituted: peace officers switched from horses to horsepower. What worked well in the saddle, six gun-leather-wise, did not work in the cramped quarters of an automobile.
Threepersons designed a holster that exposed all of the trigger guard, hammer, and grip frame of a Colt Single Action Army, which at that time still remained the handgun of choice by many peace officers and certainly most Texas Rangers. The holster rode high and tight on the belt with a rearward cant and the grip frame, hammer and trigger placed above the belt where nothing could interfere with quick gun handling.[2]
Pictured are two such Tom Threepersons designed holsters made by S.D. Myres for a 4-inch barrel medium framed revolver with target or fixed sights. The first holster, part of the LOB collection is pictured on page 13 of a “1944” S.D. Myres catalog as style No. 614 and the second LOB example, with a retention strap, is also pictured on page 13 as style No. 640. The retention strap is in front or behind the hammer, and catches on the sight block. It should be noted that the page 13 title states: THIS STYLE HOLSTER MADE FOR S.W. & COLT REVOLVERS ONLY. For more information on Tom Threepersons click here.
The S.D. Myres two-line rectangular cartouche logo on the first holster, which appears to be older than the second example, is small, being ¾ inch x ¼ inch with the lower text of EL PASO without TEX whereas the second example holster two-line rectangular cartouche logo is slightly larger being 1¼ inch x ⅜-inch with the lower text of EL PASO, TEX. Per the Vintage Gun Leather web site: S.D. Myres Saddle Company History and Maker Marks the first holster, smaller size logo was used in the time frame of 1920 – 1969. There is no reference to the larger logo of the second holster.
In Luger Holsters and Their Accessories, © 1992 Bender states on page 602, essentially, that the S.D. Myres Saddlery business was located, continuously, without interruption, at 526 E. Overland, El Paso, for thirty-three years from 1920 to 1953. Unfortunately, the 1930 catalog makes no mention of a street address, however, the purported 1944 S.D. Myres catalog does contain several green color mail order forms with a 526 E. OVERLAND street address. The Bender statement that the 526 Overland address, i.e., was the sole location of S.D. Myres from 1920 to 1953 is questioned, with the identity of an unknown, or at least unpublished S.D. Myers catalog, pictured herein, identified as variation 1, which is basically similar to the “1944” version, identified as variation 2, except for a slightly different design front cover and a completely different rear cover picturing and, until now, unseen picture of “Tio” (Uncle Sam) Myres.
The catalog is slightly larger by a few pages, with the numbered pages, not agreeing with the purported subject variation 2 “1944” publication and features some different variations of S.D. Myres holsters and some different Tom Three persons style holsters. The most significant aspect of the catalog is the still attached, in this case, blue color order forms, which have a slightly different layout and street address of 5030 ALAMEDA BLVD.
The dating of the S.D. Myres catalogs pictured on page 604 of Luger Holsters and Their Accessories is apparently based on dated testimonials in those catalogs. The 1938 catalog with a page 3 H.H. Carmichael testimonial dated August 2, 1938 and the “1944” variation 2 catalog with a page 1 Homer Garrison Jr. testimonial dated February, 9, 1944. The problem of using the referenced testimonials is that the same 1944 Garrison testimonial appears in two different S.D. Myres catalogs, the unknown printing date variation 1 catalog on page 1 and the purported “1944” variation 2 catalog on page 4, i.e., both catalogs cannot be 1944. Although, identically dated testimonials can be obviously used in successive catalogs.
Unless a catalog is mailed with a U.S. Post Office date stamp, it is difficult to determine a printing date and testimonials are not reliable, other dating methods are needed. There are a couple of reasons that err toward war time publication of the LOB variation 1 catalog and the post war printing of the variation 2 catalog, of which the front cover on the variation catalog is identical to the Bender catalog, identified as 1944. In the case of the LOB variation 1 and 2 catalogs, although they cannot be specifically dated, they can be identified as to what date they are not, by statements contained in the two subject catalogs.
One of the main reasons that errs toward war time publication of the LOB variation 1 Myres catalog is pictured below: 1) Page 28 BUY BONDS and 2), page 10, featuring holster No.114, RETURNING BOYS SAY: You will need this Holster on the Battle Front. Get Yours before Going Across. Now, they may still have been advertising “Buy Bonds” after the war, but the statement: Get Yours Before Going Across certainly puts this catalog in the thick of the war, 1944 to be exact. Whereas the post war catalog, identified by Bender as 1944 refers to the same No.114 holster, except on page 5, and for civilian use, with a different, higher post war price schedule and there are not any BUY BONDS statements in the post war catalog. To top things off the 1944 war issue catalog used poorer paper. Another complicating factor in identifying the printing date is the fact that successive issues can use the same cover subject, as for example, Abercrombie and Fitch catalogs used the identical cover on four consecutive years of catalogs: 1909, 1910, 1911 and 1912, therefore the Bender 1944 printing date, of the page 604 pictured catalog, without examination of the contents, could be different from the LOB variation 2 catalog, both sharing the identical cover.