Simply Rugged Holsters™

The Original Comes Home

by Rob Leahy

I purchased a Roy's Original Hidden Thunder holster for my 4" 1955 Target and 29-2 in 1982. This was the first holster that I owned that allowed me to conceal an N frame in the Arizona heat easily and comfortably.

Several years later, I was temporarily without a 4" N frame and loaned my Roy Baker holster to a good friend, Elliott.

He mistakenly believed that it was a permanent loan and a few months later he sold it to one of his brother in laws. I had in the meantime discovered another 29-2 4" and wanted my excellent concealment and field holster back. Elliot was somewhat taken aback, felt terrible, and soon discovered that his scoundrel of a BIL refused to let loose of his new found FAVORITE holster. (I shouldn't be TOO hard on him: he recognized a good deal when he saw it)

In the intervening years, Mr. Baker passed on to his great reward and being pre web days, there was no other pancake rigs available to me. Having no recourse, I designed and built my own. Knowing I didn't have the skill to fashion a thumbreak and not really liking them, I covered the hammer to project my side. Having read enough Cooper and Bianchi by then and having used several other types of holsters, I decided that a covered trigger guard was a superior idea. This was around 1991, I have built several other designs, but always end up “coming home” to this simple pancake. I soon found myself building these for my friends and shooting buddies. I was working in several different retail sporting goods shops and often found myself building Pancake holsters and Pocket Holsters for my customers when nothing off the shelf or in the current catalog would suffice.

I have been blessed and encouraged by several good people that not only prompted me to start building full time, but me but placed orders and kept me going. They often asked me to stretch my meager skills to fulfill their desires, along the way I have had some good tips and lessons from other leather artisans. It has grown from a hobby gone wild, to a one man shop, to the current shop of several artisans working with me to meet the demand for our simple, rugged holsters.
THANK YOU FOLKS!

Thanks, Rob