What do you think about Bianchi Cowboy leather?

[brenn]

I am just looking to get started in CAS matches.  I have a double barrel shotgun, lever action marlin .44 and 2 Vaquero .38's, but no cowboy leather.

My plan is to make my own holsters and belts, but I'm also considering starting out with a Bianchi (Safariland/holsters.com) leather rigs for my wife and I.  The reason is, I don't have a lot of spare time to work on leather gear, so it may take me a while, and I can order everything we need from Bianchi, half price, so, for example, about $210 for a 2-gun Bianchi Clearwater rig or $165 for a California Outlaw rig (which I like better anyhow).

Anybody got any thoughts on them?  Any other good holster companies I could get an equal quality 2-gun rig from for $210?

[Mean Bob Mean]

Well, if it's a stop gap measure then sure.  When I was a kid they had a great reputation, cannot say what it is now but I've heard no complaints. 

[brenn]

Basically, what I'm looking at is this, but with 2 holsters:

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[Mean Bob Mean]

That should work very well for SASS shooting.  I use a traditional setup myself, slim jim holsters and a money belt, that I paid very little for and think they are great.  The good thing about you having these asa stop gap is that you may well identify features you'd like on a custom or made at home rig and you can then incorporate those.  I would say you're on the right track pard.

[brenn]

BTW, anybody who joins IDPA before the end of the month gets the discount card from Safarioland/holsters.com that I was talking about.  It's good for a 50% discount on a single order from holsters.com, up to $1,000, so the card isworth up to $500 if you want $1,000 worth of leather gear.  if anybody wants more than $80 worth of Safariland or Bianchi products, it's worth joining IDPA just for the discount card.  It cost me $40 to renew my IDPA membership and I will save $330 using my card to order 2 sets of gunleather.  Then I still have my wife's card to place another order later in the year.  If you are interested, you only have until the end of the month to join.

 

https://www.idpa.com/join-now

[Blackey Cole]

Fwiw, Bianchi western leather is made by Bianchi himself from what I understand as he started it after selling the Bianchi international leather business from what I've recall reading.  I have his videos on making western gun leather and they are top notch and he made several innovative holsters for police when he started out.   I also have his book blue steel and gun leather iirc it's old and hard to find.  He's probablly forgotten more about holster making than most of the makers today know.  He is a top leather crafter.  I found a commercial holster that works for me or I would either be making my own again or buying them from him.