Chishols Trail
Published by Rachel Fogerty on Dec 20th 2016
Featured Tippmann Customer
Company:
Chisholm's Trail Leather
Name:
Alan Soellner
Website:
Movie Credits:
- 3:10 to Yuma, with Russell Crowe, Christian Bale (some holsters & gun belts)
- The Assignation of Jesse James, with Brad Pitt (input into some design detail of gun rigs)
- The Four Horsemen, by producer Michael Back (the four main gun rigs of the horsemen)
Major Shop Equipment:
Tippmann Boss Sewing Machine
Tippmann 15 ton Clicker
Adler 205 sewing machine
Standard rivet machine
Baldor edge burnisher
Company Focus:
Here at Chisholm's Trail Old West Leather we produce all of our cowboy leather gear from original examples or period patterns. Many items we make are similar to examples found in the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City, The Gene Autry Museum , Cody Museum and other great collections. Others are from the pages of the landmark book "Packing Iron," by Richard Rattenbury, "Tombstone-The Guns & Gear," photographs from the movie, and other collections of the American Cowboy.
History:
Here at Chisholm's Trail Old West Leather we produce all of our cowboy leather gear from original examples or period patterns. Many items we make are similar to examples found in the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City, The Gene Autry Museum , Cody Museum and other great collections. Others are from the pages of the landmark book "Packing Iron," by Richard Rattenbury, "Tombstone-The Guns & Gear," photographs from the movie, and other collections of the American Cowboy.
Training and Experience:
Alan & Donna have traveled extensively in the old west visiting locations such as the National Cowboy Museum where they were able to examine originals by hand. Recording thickness, construction details, color, tooling, stamping, sewing, and patterns. Alan learned his basic leather working skills from John O'Rourke of Alabama, one of the best leather crafters extant. Sheridan carving skills were learned from K.C. Krueger of Oklahoma City. Volumes of valuable advice and techniques were shared by Will Ghormley of Iowa, who has produced leather for most of the recent westerns in Hollywood.
Memberships:
Single Action Shooting Society (SASS), National Rifle Assoc., Kentucky Long rifle Assoc, S.A.R.
Capabilities:
Chisholm's Trail is ready and able to take on volume work including all Western movie leather. We do offer discounts for volume work.
Chisholms Trail Pics
Update on Chisholm's Trail
Here is the update of things going on at Chisholm's Trail. As you know we were privileged to produce several holsters and cartridge belts for last year's great western movie "3:10 to Yuma," with Russell Crowe. As a result of our quality, we got the nod to make Val Kilmer's holster for the new "Doc Holliday" movie to be filmed sometime this year. He now has three rigs of ours, including a new design for a shoulder holster that is very comfortable to wear and one a pistol can be drawn from without the rig moving.
Our leather was featured for the first time in the Winter 09 issue of the magazine "Guns of the Old West." In this tribute to the classic westerns "Lonesome Dove" and "Comanche Moon," our Colt Patterson holster holds a prominent position on the cover. We will also have an article in the Spring 09 issue of the same magazine as well as on the cover. This focus will be on the recent western "Appaloosa," starring Ed Harris and Vigo Mortensen.
The folks from "Gunfighter Gulch" flew out from California and video taped authentic cowboy gun leather being constructed in our shop. They intend to weave it into a documentary on cowboy fast draw for a TV program later in the year.
A reality program in Arizona wanting authentic cowboy holsters and belts will be using all Chisholm's Trail gun leather for their contestants, allowing our gear to receive first time television visibility. It seems that our focus is becoming increasingly angled toward movies and historical reproductions.
Lately we have been disappointed that many of the leather and hardware companies continue to "discontinue" nice buckles and conchos. As a result we have added a "Buckle and Jewelry" button to our web site and are now having our own authentic buckles "hand cast" from solid brass and white bronze.
Last year we took a couple of weeks to complete some research out west. This resulted in a 6,000 mile trip, entering fourteen states, viewing over 24 major historical museums and historical locations, and took over 1,200 photographs of cowboy leather. Some of our new rigs that came about as a result are authentic reproductions of the holsters and gun belts of Wild Bill Hickock, Billy the Kid, Johnny Ringo, Doc Holliday, Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp, Pat Garrett, and Sitting Bull.
Exciting gun leather projects to come are Geronimo, Quanah Parker, Shane, John Wesley Hardin, and of course more Doc Holliday gear.
Quality goes in before the name goes on. As always Chisholm's Trail gear is constructed using Tippmann sewing machines only.
We feel we owe our growing success from four corporate objectives:
"Honor God, Help People Develop, Pursue Excellence, & Grow Profitably."
*NEW* Chisholm's Trail Pics 7/2009
Note from Bob Tippmann:
I would like to personally thank Alan Soellner for graciously allowing us to use his beautiful knife sheath in our magazine advertising. Currently, we are using it in a Blade Magazine ad. The first run of the ad we did not credit Alan's work, but I would like everyone to know that it is Alan's sheath in the advertisement, and I will make sure we give credit where credit is due.
Bob Tippmann