This is a very rare holster for the English made Kerr’s Patent Revolver. Kerr holsters are rarely encountered for sale, and it is worth noting that most holsters that are offered has being for Kerr, Adams and Tranter percussion revolvers are later period English holsters for late 19^th and early 20^th century large frame Webley Revolvers and are not from the period of the American Civil War.

When we were working on our book The English Connection, finding Kerr holsters to picture in the book to illustrate as examples in Chapter 6, which covers accouterments, was rather difficult. We did find three examples, all of which were slightly different but all of which were either still with their Kerr revolvers or showed the unmistakable impressions in the leather of having been used with Kerr revolvers. The three holsters were showed all used different closure systems for the flap, which suggests that much like holsters today, they were made by a number of different manufacturers and as such different makers used slightly different patterns. During our research we found that there was very little documentation to suggest that revolver holsters were acquired by the Confederate government under contract from England. This suggests that most revolver holsters were locally made in the south. However, it is likely that at least some were imported speculatively and offered for sale, particularly to officers. We know that at least some of the Kerr revolvers to see Confederate service were speculative purchases and it is likely that at least some of those guns were accompanied by English made holsters.

This example of a Kerr Revolver Holster is English made in my opinion. It is made of a single piece of thin leather that is folded and stitched along the edge and has a flap closure. The entire holster is lined in red baize cloth, of the same color and style encountered as the lining in some mid-19^th century English revolver cases. There is a simple belt loop sewn to the rear of the holster that would accommodate a belt as wide as about 2 ½”. The belt loop measures nominally 2 5/8” in height and about 1 ½” in width and is slightly tapered from the top to the bottom. The holster is about 9 ½” in length on the shorter, leading-edge side and slightly less than 13” along the longer, trailing side. The flap is about 4” long at the longest point. There is no closure system remaining, but it appears that the holster used the classic English system of a finial on the face of the flap, which was secured by a strap on the holster body. This is the reverse of how most American flap holsters of the period are constructed, which normally put the closure strap on the flap and the finial on the holster body. There is a area of damaged stitching and finish loss on the face of the holster body where the strap was likely originally located and a small pucker and remnants of stitching on the face of the flap indicate where the closure finial was likely located. A Kerr revolver does fit in the holster perfectly, as if the hostler was made for it…..which it was. The holster is a traditional strong side design, intended to provide butt to the rear carry on the right side and butt forward carry on the left.

The holster remains in about GOOD to NEAR VERY GOOD overall condition with moderate wear and moderate to heavy crazing and flaked finish loss. The holster retains the majority of its stitching, and the seam remains solid and well closed. The stitching in the toe of the holster is mostly worn away and an old, possibly period of use sewn repair has closed the toe of the holster again. As noted, the closure strap and finial are both missing. The belt loop shows moderate to heavy wear and some loss to the stitching. There is also some minor tearing to the leather at the front and rear upper edges of the belt loop, where the loop would be under the most stress during use with the revolver in the holster. The baize lining shows moderate to heavy wear and a moderate amount of loss and moderate shredding and damage, particularly in the portion of the flap that bends. The holster also shows some minor damage to the leather, with some minor tearing at the front upper edge of the hostler body and flap, and some minor tearing along the rear edge of the flap where it bends and functions like a hinge. As would be expected, the holster shows not only the crazing and flaked loss, but numerous scuffs and mars from use and some small areas of discoloration on the flap that look like transfer from paint or something similar. Amazingly, however, despite the obvious wear, the leather remains fairly supple and pliant and the holster is still in solid enough condition to use for display with a revolver, although I would probably not leave a revolver in it if the holster was mounted on a belt as this might cause undue wear to the 160+ year old leather.

Overall, this is a nice, solid  and authentic example of a rare Kerr Revolver holster that is almost certainly an English made. The holster has a really honest, if somewhat well-worn and salty appearance and it does not take much imagination to picture this holster on a Confederate officer’s belt and carrying a Kerr revolver on his hip. I’ve only had a couple of Kerr Revolver Holsters to offer for sale over the last couple of decades and this is an accessory missing from most Civil War revolver collections. Don’t miss your chance to own a rare holster for a Kerr Revolver at a very fair price.

ON HOLD/LAYAWAY