S.D. Myres Winchester Carbine Scabbard 1920-1930: Photos

[rangerider7]

You guys know I like leather items. I just obtained this S.D. Myres saddle scabbard for Winchester 20 inch barreled carbines. It is by far the best I have ever seen, much less owned. It is all hand tooled on both sides with black die background and with full length leather wrap. If you want you can look at this site for a history of Myres. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txnol ... s_SamD.htm

[kimwcook]

That's really cool, RR7. I love nice leather. There's nothing like it.

[CEMENTHEAD]

That's a beauty!! WoW! ............congrats on the score. Thanks, Tom

[JerryB]

That is a beauty, does it show any wear or sweat stains, will you use it?

[Pathfinder09]

Beautiful leather! There are some fine makers that come out of El Paso.

[deerwhacker444]

Is it "usable" or is it a museum piece.? Does it have collector value? If so, why..? (other than the beautiful leather work)

[rangerider7]

It is definitely usable. It is soft and pliable but I would not. This is a highly collectible item. It is top of the line item and about 80 years old. S.D. Myres products are one of the most desirable makers of saddles, holsters, cartridge belts, scabbards etc. The workmanship is of an artist in leather. It could easily qualify for an item to be in a museum. His older ornate Colt SAA holster rigs go for thousands of dollars.

MYRES, SAMUEL DALE (1871-1953). Samuel Dale (Tio Sam) Myres, saddlemaker, businessman, and civic leader, son of David Rittenhouse and Mary Jane (Dale) Myres, was born on November 22, 1871, in Johnson County, Texas, near the Cordova Bend of the Brazos River. He became a skilled frontiersman by riding, roping, and fence building to help his father and neighboring ranchers, and by the age of fifteen he often served as a scout and guide for families seeking land. He attended school for only three terms but retained a lifelong interest in history and mathematics. When his mother's health failed and his responsibility for his younger siblings increased he left school and did not return. A knee injury caused by a fall from a horse prevented him from going west to become a cowboy in the cattle boom of the 1880s, and he worked for three years as an apprentice to T. R. James and Sons, Saddlers, in Cleburne. He later left James, traveled for several years doing piecework, and settled in Weatherford in 1893. There he began to develop his talent for drawing and carving his own designs and making holsters.

In 1894 Myres married Drusa Rogers, with whom he had three children; one of them, Samuel Dale, Jr., became a historian and author. In March 1897 the family moved to Sweetwater, and in 1898 Myres purchased his own saddlery and harness business. Extensive advertising, plant innovations, and attention to fine materials and workmanship contributed to his growing reputation and business from 1898 to 1902. In addition to the forty-dollar saddles he made for working cowmen, he designed and made saddles for movie stars, western show performers, and the Texas Rangers.qv In 1914 he produced the widely publicized "Miller $10,000 Saddle," with its intricate design, fifteen pounds of silver and gold, and more than 300 precious stones. His works were distinguished by an oak-leaf design and western images patterned after the work of Charles Russell. In World War Iqv Myres turned to war production and made McClellan saddles for the cavalry. In 1920 he received a certificate of merit and a citation from the government for his war efforts.

Myres served as mayor of Sweetwater from 1908 to 1911 and as a member of the school board in 1914-15. As mayor he was instrumental in bringing the Santa Fe Railroad through the town, helping to keep Sweetwater the Nolan county seat, and overseeing annexation of new subdivisions, street improvements, and the building of a new city hall and fire station. In 1919 the saddlery burned, and in 1920 Myres opened a new factory in El Paso. By this time he had divorced his wife and married Eva Forkner, a young woman suffering from tuberculosis, who died in 1928. Lessened demand for horse equipment during the 1920s, a generous divorce settlement for Drusa, large medical bills for Eva's illness, and the 1920s depression put Myres deeply in debt. Between 1934 and 1936 his son William and nephew Dace Myres joined the firm, and the three partners turned to volume production of quality holsters and gunbelts, which became as famous as the company's saddles. The Sweetwater store, which had been partially rebuilt, was sold in 1937 to pay debts. The business was solvent by 1941, and by 1950 the S. D. Myres Saddle Company was known as "Cowboy Headquarters for the Southwest."

Myres was raised a Presbyterian but joined the Mormon Church when he married Eva. He taught Bible classes and, though tolerant of other religions, devoted much time and effort to proselytizing. He was also a Mason. He supported the El Paso Chamber of Commerce and the Kids Rodeo of El Paso, for which he repeatedly donated the championship saddle. During World War II,qv when he let his beard and hair grow long, Myres bore a striking resemblance to Uncle Sam; hence his nickname, Tio (Uncle) Sam. He died on July 2, 1953, in El Paso.

[deerwhacker444]

Interesting history lesson. I see why his stuff is valuable.

[rafter-7]

Nice find RR I know nothing about leather but its cond. is second to none!! I do know that much.

The big one up in my neck of the woods is Miles City saddlery out of Montana thier stuff cammonds a hefty premium

good for you!!

^
7

[fatoldfool]

Wow, that is NICE! I have a S.D. Myres black tooled leather Jordan style holster (probably for 4" S&W, not sure) with the block to kick the butt out for ease of draw. The gent I acquired it from thinks he has a matching belt in his attic.

[Ysabel Kid]

Holy Mackeral! That is goregous!!!

[Modoc ED]

Are the two straps that go with it tooled too? Got a pic of them.

[Birdman]

Man, that is nice. Without a doubt it has had an easier live than me. I look alot worse for the wear than that and I'm 50.

[rangerider7]

Modoc ED, no straps came with it. I would have liked to see them too.

[Modoc ED]

I'd bet that you could get El Paso Saddelry to make up a pair of matching straps for you. No, they woudln't be authentic but would certainly set the scabbard off for display purposes. A small card (business card size) next to the scabbard saying the straps were not original to the scabbard would keep you in the clear as to your description of the scabbard and it's origins.

When in high school, I worked for the Smithsonian Museum one summer in Washington, D. C. and that is what they did for items that were not original to an item they were displaying when they wanted to present an article as it would have been in the past.

That's a really nice looking scabbard.

[rangerider7]

Modoc ED, I just looked at an old catalog of S.D. Myres. In the photograph of a simular tooled scabbard, the straps are untooled.

[Modoc ED]

Modoc ED, I just looked at an old catalog of S.D. Myres. In the photograph of a simular tooled scabbard, the straps are untooled.

Interesting. Well then. Perhaps you already have a pair of straps on hand that you could display with the scabbard.

[Wind]

Hey there RR7 - Was getting some more stuff unpacked today and ran across your scabbard in a 1944 S.D. Myres catalog. I'd be willing to bet two nickels you paid more for it than it cost new??!! Best regards. Wind

[Chas.]

S. D. Myers was who fabricated Tom Threeperson's famous holster that was widely accepted and used by many LEO's.

[Wind]

Hey there Chas. - I hope RR7 will forgive me for getting into his post again. The catalog was still out so.... Best regards. Wind