Bianchi flap holster differences

[contender]

I've been moving,, so I've been into some of my stored stuff. I had most of my Bianchi flap holsters all out tonight and noticed something. On 2 of my Old Army holsters,, the Bianchi embossed markings on the back were totally different.
I may have seen this before,, or it's been discussed before,, but I don't recall it.
Any thoughts???

 

[flatgate]

I'll have to take a look at the couple I have!

flatgate

 

[El Numero Uno]

The one on the left is the more common marking; don't believe I can recall seeing the a Bianchi like the one on the right.
Moving is a Rosie O'Donnell, but at least you find stuff you haven't seen in a while. Then you lose it again. That is the result of having too much stuff.

 

[rugerguy]

do you recall the 'vintage' ( when you got them??) seems the one on the rights is the later, newer style of script (the squiggly hanging off the front R and the last R) ala the 50 th. anniversary ),,,,,obviously a 'die change' ,one way or the other, the one on the left is the more common, mostly used ones from what we recall....when they first came out with these, our shop had about alll the variations ,RH & LH, had the display rack and all...wish I had them back now ,they were "cheap" then ( and hard to sell, NO _ONE cared for the "flaps" ,even trimmed a few off, for customers...go figure

 

[contender]

My memory of when I got these holsters is NOT gonna solve this. I have several Bianchi flap holsters,, but the one on the right is the only one I have with this marking.
The script of the word Ruger is interesting in that it incorporates the longer legs on the "R" and does appear to be a much later vintage. All the markings use the SR logo,, even in the small eagle in the center. (The pics were hard to take.)
Note that the stitching is almost identical on these two holsters,, and it compares quite well to all the others I have.
So,, I'm still wondering here,,,!

 

[chet15]

Holster on the left made by Bianchi. Holster on the right by Cathey. The Cathey's were made about mid-production during the flapholster era.
Bianchi made about 170,000 holsters of which if I remember correctly less than 10% were left hand. Cathey only made about 10,000 holsters for Ruger...but didn't make them in all advertised models that I am aware of.
Chet15

 

[Rumrunner]

Didn't Cathey also make the black holsters like yours?

 

[contender]

I was thinking the Cathey holsters also carried their makers mark? In any event,, THANKS Chad!

 

[circlergrugers]

Was the packaging (shipping box) that they came in the same for Bianchi as well as the Cathey's??

 

[contender]

Unfortunately,, mine don't have the shipping boxes,,,!
Anybody else?

 

[chet15]

I was thinking the Cathey holsters also carried their makers mark? In any event,, THANKS Chad!

No, no name identifying as Cathey. I imagine that may have created some issues with Ruger's advertising as all of that said Bianchi.
The earliest Bianchi boxes were plain brown cardboard with only RH6 or whatever written in black magic marker on the end. Then Ruger started boxing them in the white cardboard with typical sticker found on the end.
The one thing about collecting holsters, you will want to be sure the holster on the inside of the box is what is labeled on the outside. Had several that we thought were a "hole-filler" for our collection only to find that the holster inside wasn't what it was supposed to be.
There are also different variations of Bianchi marking. Some will say "6-1/2" & 7-1/2" Blackhawk" or "5-1/2" & 6-1/2" Single-Six" where others say the individual barrel lengths only. Then when you throw in the righty's and the lefty's it gives a collector a whole world of things to look for.
Chet15

 

[contender]

Thanks,,! I knew about the barrel length variations as well as mis-packaged ones. Still chasing several of the "lefty" ones but not seriously. I just happened to notice the different markings on this one,, and wondered.
Now for the rest of the story as Paul Harvey used to say!

After the info about the Cathey holster came up,,, it triggered my faded memory. I went into my memorbilia book list,, and looked up my holsters. I found where I had it down as a Cathey holster,,,,DUHHH!!!!!!Faded memory from getting older sux!