by John Dowd
Of all the legendary horses, “guns that won the West” and infamous outlaws, perhaps the most innocuous but integral part of the great folklore that made the Wild West what it was may be the humble holster. These leather garments were worn by everyone, because during this fundamental period in the nation’s history, “everybody had a gun.” According to Rick Bachman, owner of Old West Reproductions and who has been making and studying authentic period holsters for over 45 years, saddle makers were the primary crafters of holsters. “It fell right into what they were doing and everybody had a gun,” said Bachman.
Bachman explained that the West could be a lawless place and so every person who could afford it had a holster made, if they didn’t just keep their gun in their belt. And all those holsters meant job security for the saddle-makers. Many gun belts of the time also tried to carry plenty of extra ammunition in loops, which could up the price for a holster. Additionally, according to Bachman,“If you lost your horse, you needed to carry as many cartridges as you could fit in your belt.” Bachman explained that he has “always been a collector and student of the real Old West.” Since he was young he has always had a fascination with how things used to be done and the real way things looked. He loves to see television and movies that are truly period accurate in the full detail and can spot a fake easily.
Bachman himself has made pieces for numerous Hollywood films including Dances with Wolves, Tombstone and more. That authenticity is his passion. “Nobody else does it. Other makers try to tell people this is how it was, and it isn’t. I like showing people that this is what the real West was like,” said Bachman. “I love looking at old photos, thinking about the guys wearing all that stuff. It gives you a sense of where we’ve come from and why we are where we are today.” Bachman believes this tireless pursuit of period authenticity is what keeps his customers happy.
For Bachman, the journey started when he was in his 20s. He had an original period holster he wanted to wear but did not want to damage it. To remedy that, he figured he could make his own, and so tried to replicate the piece. “It was a pretty lame attempt, but it worked. And people seemed to like it,” explained Bachman. After showing it off, other people asked him if he could make them one as well. As he looked at more holsters, he decided to try new patterns and techniques, all the while attempting to get as close to the originals as possible.
Over time he collected more originals, read books, looked at museum originals and leafed through articles and catalogues of the time, constantly searching to better his craft. “My product is very leather specific,” said Bachman, going so far as to even try to find leather processed in ways similar to original pieces. He commented that leather today is far inferior to that of the time. He has observed that, as cattle are slaughtered younger today, the leather has less time to age, mature and form as tight a grain as leather that was made in the late 19th century. Back then cattle were often slaughtered when much older. He tries to get every detail reproduced that he can in his finished product, and would love a chance to work leather just as it was at the time.
Photo by John Dowd.
After some time, a gun writer did a story about one of his holsters in American Hand Gunner Magazine. In the article the writer mentioned that Bachman had a catalogue, which he did not yet. “I got over 500 requests in three weeks!” Bachman said. So, he made the catalogue.
Since then, Bachman has done well. He makes most of his sales online and attends at least two gun shows a year. He does one show in Colorado and one in Wyoming, along with other local ones when he can. He usually ships five to eight orders a week and works in his shop full-time, cranking out pieces. He has over 500 patterns just in holsters and makes everything else from saddle bags to ammunition pouches. He says he provides lots of variety, and specifically wanted to mention that he does numerous concealed, and field carry pieces. His business is located in Florence and his products can be viewed on his website, www.oldwestreproductions.com. He can also be contacted by phone at (406) 273-2615.