Red Nichols & Holstory vs the Ardolino’s

I think the best part of this book on this website, is that it makes the book worth looking at. It brought it from 70’s style photo prop art & color to 2022.

by James Ardolino

Red Nichols and his cute site, HolsterGuys.com

Red Nichols Holsters… Incompetent At Any Speed. 

“Comments made by Red Nichols about my daughter, about the holsters we make, myths about guns falling out and the holsters being fake.”

UPDATE TO Red Nichols’ Email & to his recent blog post…

At this point Red Nichols, you are very comical and very unprofessional. I have never, in over 20 years in business for myself, heard of someone doing what you’ve done, how you’ve acted or what you’ve said.

You stated in your recent post to your “blog”, that the “Ardolino’s” aren’t doing that well, because of a low number of feedback on the Ebay site where you purchased your holster. This doesn’t represent the “Ardolino’s”, but a seller who sells the products. You also stated, that you received a holster late, that your friend said the seller doesn’t accept returns. Also, as I said before, if the holster wasn’t to your satisfaction, all you had to do was contact the seller and they would have given you a free holster in exchange for the holster you had. Since there was no issue with the holster, again as I said before, you did this with ill intentions which is plain to see. The product wasn’t late. It was shipped within the time frame. Your friend bought it and he shipped it to you in Australia. That’s your problem. You said your friend said the seller didn’t accept returns. With that being said, even though a seller doesn’t accept returns, if the product is bad, Ebay backs up the buyer. Your friend knows that. That seller is my daughter, who is a new business owner, sells 3 major brands, 1 smaller brand and is also coming out with 2 other brands of her own. She is also a manager for a very huge corporation, track athlete, cross country athlete, weight lifter and more. It’s really sad, that a man that is 70 plus, wants to put down a younger person and the products she’s selling; when those products have sold in the tens-of-thousands. It shows the individual you are. If you could go back in time, which you can’t, you could never in your life, accomplish what she already has, or make what she has made and she is just getting started. Your life, at your age, yeah, you’re pretty much done.

In Ebay messages, you started all this, with your sick fixation and mental instability; to try to ruin a brand and product. You also have tried to ruin people attached to it. You failed and in your mind, don’t realize it yet. Just like in your book, you failed. You said what you wanted and then told the seller, not to write nothing that can ruin you, or anyone she knows. Red, you don’t just say what you want and then expect to sit back. You also stated that if she wrote anything back in response to your blog, you would start a suit. Then, you email us, stating that you might do a suit, that you have 1 year to decide. In that email, you also said if you were here, you would do it yourself… yeah right. I’d like to see that. Now, on your blog, you’re back to saying in so many words, that you want to sue again. Listen Red, you said you’re from the school of hard knocks. Tough guys don’t threaten court and real seasoned business men don’t either. Both that are tough in that life, just do. You’re a joke and at this point, there isn’t much more to say. You go from guns falling out, to springs not working, to the temperament of springs, insulting the Ebay seller and others affiliated with the brand, trying to put Jerry Ardolino down, suing, not suing, taking care of it yourself, not getting a return on the holster (which was never even asked for in Ebay messages to the seller), to your friend saying it was late, which it wasn’t, to insulting me and threatening legal action on 3 people (or who know’s who); for any one who has a brain… Red Nichols is a delusional, obsessed, angry person filled with hatred, who obviously doesn’t have any self gratification in his own accomplishments or lack there of in life. That is never good to have in life Red. I say this and at this point, with someone like you, how you write and comprehend; with the aforementioned stated… do what you think you can do. We will do what we Always & Forever do, and that’s win.

Readers DESERVE to ACTUALLY READ a CORRECT book on HOLSTER HISTORY, not HOLSTORY!

According to Red Nichols, he hasn’t even read our site…? These lies and games are catching up with you. 

Again for the slow Red Nichols. Red, are you related to Joe Biden? 1. This is not Jerry’s page and he stated just that, facts. 2. You keep saying they are not safe with the “Spring” however, tens-of-thousands of customers use them, and not ONE has lost their gun. Only you, who comes out of the woodwork, because this is your last chance at actually getting something for all the years you made Bianchi money. We are talking civilians, hunters, police, military, Special Operation’s Groups from all over the World. Not one of them has lost their gun. They do alot more than just sit at a computer and try to put down people and their products, so they can get one last shot, to have a legacy. They actually use these, as we have and still do in this company. 3. No one from any company is giving you a demonstration on the “Spring” we use. You are no one to do that for. They are safe and the tens-of-thousands of customers are proof that they are. Red Nichols, I have a question for you… All the gun writers in the last 45 years, lets say 12 years, are they all nuts? There’s numerous gun writers that requested holsters and wrote reviews and features, and all of them loved them and still carry them. Are they all wrong too? Also Red, in your blog, you have pictures of the “Spring.” Why is it that one picture, the two ends are close and the other, they are spread? Right, quit playing around and mutating it, because you want to look right. You didn’t even trace your steps properly.  4. Mary said in the Ebay message, that if you weren’t happy, you would have left negative feedback. You could have asked for another holster, as maybe for the first time ever, there was something wrong with it; you didn’t. Not doing that with the fact you had someone else order for you, shows us, as I wrote before; that you had ill intentions in the first place. 5. You say Jerry’s facts don’t add up, they do, it’s just you’re to slow. If you look at what’s right here, it shows that you can’t remember and you’re not tracing your steps. You’re loosing it Pal. And we’re going to make you loose more. You keep writing on your blog, then erasing, then mixing up things, then adding more and it’s catching up with you. 6. Red Nichols, YOU ARE NOT A HISTORIAN! Historians are as precise with their findings and make sure to document and or write true things, in the history of time. There’s alot left out. You and the public will soon see that. 7. You said we’re adding to your fame…? Your book sales have spiked. Yeah ok. You really are a piece of work. Is your family actually proud to say they even know you?  RED, you can add, take away from you site, email, go back and take more away and add more; the fact of the matter is, you are pulling at straws. You started a game you can’t control in the end, WE do. Everything you have done on your site has been documented. Quit living in Bianchi’s shadow. Where’s your 50 holster designs? Where’s your 50 patents? For John Witty… where are you? You wrote the book too supposedly. You want to play on a keyboard Red, how about you email Jerry Ardolino yourself, or call him? How about call me? Are you scared? I bet you’ll get tongue tied. I’m here, Jerry is here, so reach out. You’re from the school of hard knocks as you said, remember? This is what you do, that you have done it before, made people learn the hard way in this industry. Remember? You’re a punk. A has been. A legacy in your own mind. Living in Bianchi’s shadow. He’s a goof too. I mean call one of us and discuss what your issue is, like a normal business person. Normal people don’t jump on and do what you’re doing. In fact, I’ll tell you what, you meet me at a gun range here in the States and we’ll test a holster. Lets see if the gun falls out. It won’t. Place your bet, whatever or how much. We’ll meet in Vegas Red. Are you a gambling man Red? We’ll use a S&W N Frame 4″ 44. What do you say?

Red Nichols and his cute little friend John Witty, authors of HOLSTORY Holster Gunleather of the Twentieth Century. Well I think it was really written by John Witty, as it’s hard to believe an individual like Red Nichols can write, as well as actually compose a book. His book I’m not too interested in, as later on you will all find out why his book is puffery (Red seems to like that word. Again, more on that later.).

Back in October of 2021, I had a call from one of my dealers who sells holsters that they get from us. The call I received, as well as the emails I received, stated that Red Nichols accused us and that dealer, of selling fake holsters, holsters where guns fall out etc. In those messages written by Red Nichols, he told this dealer, that they should remove these holsters from the market, that they are not the real thing. This dealer was my daughter, Mary. Which from here on out, he will see that it was a very big mistake to insult her, tell her what to sell, tell her to remove the holsters from the market and after all this; tell her not to say anything that can hurt his reputation. That it can do actual harm in posting defamatory remarks. There’s a difference between trying to ruin someone’s name, and stating actual facts to defend ones self and to let the public know the truth. The second thing is, you would have actually had to have designed something good, as well as an actual good writer. Without being good at what you do Red Nichols, you open yourself up to being critiqued and embarrassed. As far as telling Mary what to say what to sell etc., I will tell you this. NO ONE AND I MEAN NO ONE, TELLS US WHAT TO SAY, HOW TO SAT IT, OR HOW TO THINK. You are going to find this out.

Read AMERICAN HANDGUNNER’s 2011 Feature Article on LAWMAN LEATHER GOODS™  Since 1975 Being First with More Holster Designs Than Anybody!

The Original Dirty Harry® Trademark is the exclusive property of the Original and Current Trademark Owner, Jerome Mark Ardolino. The Original Dirty Harry® design is also TM and Copyright 1977-2022, Jerome Mark Ardolino/a.k.a. Jerry Ardolino of Texas. All other designs & trademarks herein; Copyright 2008-2022 Jerry Ardolino of Texas.

“Red Nichols what do you have?… I’ll tell you… A washed up trademark (BERNS Martin) because you’re a washed up Leather Worker, not Craftsman.”

by James Ardolino 

He said that he had a friend purchase it for him, which I see odd, if all he wanted to do was research, he would have ordered it himself. Instead, he decided to use someone to buy the product, so he could make delusional, self inadequate, no feeling of life success on his part; lies and statements. He did this, because he never could, or will ever be able to say, that he had a part in being involved, with one of the worlds most famous, most worn, most bought and most used shoulder holsters in the world!

In my years as a REAL CRAFTSMAN, martial artist, business owner, well trained with the items that actually go in those things called holsters that are called guns; I’ve never met anyone who has owned one of your so-called designs. I’m actually a REAL LEATHER CRAFTSMAN and REALLY TRAINED in firearms and so are thousands, yes thousands of individuals that carry The Original Dirty Harry® Shoulder Holster. These aren’t the hunters and civilians I’m talking about, they are the Military individuals, Police,  individuals from Special Operations Units from all over the world. You THINK you’re an expert on Police and Cowboys and what they carried their guns in, but the REAL fact is, no one I ever met, that I personally know, or that in the aforementioned use your holsters, much less use them in that environment. While you have done some good work back in the day, that day is over. It shows on insulting the holsters we sell. You Red, are pulling at straws. I would love to know, who owns over a quarter of a million holsters made by you? Your brand that is? Not someone else.

See the thing is, if Red Nichols had a question, or was pondering the product in an earnest way, he could have asked Mary in a polite business way some facts, or asked to communicate with her in a professional way, not a condescending or demanding way. He did not. Instead, his goal was to try amd humiliate the brand, the trademark owner, put my daughter down in messages and on his site, knock an actual well written book and much more. Notice I said try. He did so on his website, which is below subpar in the website building world. Anyone out there who knows how to build actual websites and what layouts should be, know that you don’t use Wix for a website. (Bottom of his pages on website.) Red if you need help with web design, how to layout and such, I or my team will help you. I have a great guy who can boost those views for you. So, with that being said, that’s why we’re here.

-You mention Jerry Ardolino’s book, Extreme Cop. You say, “I’ve received my copy of Ardolino’s book and of its nearly 400 pp only 4 are relevant to the Dirty Harry holster. Dates given there show that his interest in the shoulder holster began in 1977 — and he had nothing at all to do with its design, or its placement by Ellis Mercantile in any of the Dirty Harry films. And that his training & education as a gun leather designer/ maker is . . . zero.”

Here’s my statement to that… The book is about a cop, not about a holster company. It stated a few facts for a timeline and as part of what happened during the time he was on the police department. The book again, Red Nichols, is about him being a cop, not about holsters. So why would he go off on something that would takeaway from the main story? I now am almost positive you didn’t write your puffery book, that you had help. Back to the puffery comment, you Red Nichols, your character, lifestyle, business style etc., is puffery.

-He said he was probatively, the most accomplished gun leather designer in the world!? I don’t see that. Hardly any of his work is around to buy. For being such a well known designer, the hip holsters I have seen, are very amateur as far as the stitching goes. They are molded and pretty much anyone in the holster industry that’s a leather worker, can make those. While his earlier work was good, most what I have seen is very common.

-When stating that Mary or anyone in the company, or anyone involved in making holsters we sell, should not say anything bad about him or his work. That if we do, lots of industry people have learned the hard way and that we will be next. Well first, we will say what we will give real facts on your false and delusional statements about us as people and the holsters we sell. That isn’t defamatory, it’s reality. If you didn’t want reality, you should have been a nice old man, played checkers on Wednesday afternoons at a retirement community. According to what I’ve read, you are retired right Red? Second, you said making people in the industry finding out the hard way is what you did, that you enjoy it. Those people aren’t us. I, or anyone else that sells this brand or the family WILL NEVER GIVE UP. WE WILL NOT STOP… ALWAYS AND FOREVER… Third thing to you Red Nichols and to the readers… Do you find it odd that you had that many falling outs and legal issues, issues with other industry owners and professionals? We do. That says alot about your character.

-You mention in your sadly designed website, the number that’s stamped 296 on the back of the holster is made in 1996 with a question mark. I mean you are supposedly an expert with holsters from the past, the companies who made them and so on. Supposedly you know alot about the brands we sell. Why the question. Here I’ll help you, it’s the model number. Again, you’re a comical individual.

– On Red Nichols site, there are 2 reviews I see. One from Roy Huntington and one from Rob Garrett. Great job Red. Two reviews. Either you need more reviews on your book, or you need to update your site and put some more reviews from people. You have on your site, a review you made on Jerry Ardolino’s book. The thing is, Jerry Ardolino and his book, EXTREME COP, had Actual reviews from people who ACTUALLY DO BOOK REVIEWS that are not in the holster industry. Here are just a few to mention:

Editorial Reviews for EXTREME COP

It’s an amazing story…it is a tough book…some very interesting observations…an interesting kind of take on the mob and the police department. You really capture that era of your years as a policeman effectively and chillingly…there are some tough scenes…this book has generated a lot of interest from magazines…it would make some movie…EXTREME COP: CHICAGO PD, The True Story of the Wildest, Most Violent Cop in the History of the Chicago Police. Jerry, it’s a remarkable job! You’re a good writer among other things…” —RICK KOGAN, CHICAGO TRIBUNE Book Critic and Host of CHICAGO TRIBUNE SUNDAY PAPERS Show, WGN RADIO

Red Nichols, you are a severely odd fellow. To take the time to tear holsters apart, try to ruin peoples name, try to make the brands of holsters what you want them to be, because you can’t say you were involved with some of the best holsters being made, to insult my daughter, Jerry Ardolino’s book, to make an accusation that his writing is fake and more; shows how sick, delusional, unhappy with ones self, no sense of accomplishment, mental instability and more one can have. It says, written by you of course, go figure… that you are from the school of hard knocks… let’s find out.

To Be Continued

PART 2

by Jerry Ardolino

R.E.D. NICHOLS book
” Holstory” is not a full history of holsters book; a failure in being totally truthful as it does not address Lawman Leather Goods’ Original Dirty Harry® and the meteoric rise of the company and it’s founder, Jerry Ardolino in the firearms industry. Holstory also has wrong, missing or incomplete information regarding the operation of J.M. Bucheimer Co. and Bucheimer Clark. That’s just not history, folks: that’s a book co-authored by a person who is clearly disturbed and obsessed with trying to bring back his past, a past that didn’t mean much. I asked gunwriter Leroy Thompson, gun book author/former Deputy sheriff/ former agent for the Lone Ranger: Mick Lefever and many other gun dealers– seasoned pros, hunters and gunsmiths–if they ever heard of R.E.D. Nichols. The answer was
“no.”  Face  it: the gun writers– every one mentioned in the Lawman Leathergoods site from Elmer Keith, Skeeter Skelton, Hal Swiggett, Maj. George C. Nonte, Bob Zwirz, Jerry Ahern and many more — all wore Lawman Leather or their affiliate Cattle Baron holsters for years. Yes, Keith and Skelton received holsters that had been made by the Ardolino section at BUCHEIMER-CLARK in Valencia, CA. But, every other one: Bob Zwirz, Jack Lewis, Lt. Col. Bob Brown, all wore multiple holsters from my facility and some built by me, Jerry Ardolino at my facility in
“nobody’s business, Texas”, utilizing materials to my specs. My Original Dirty Harry® has been sold to many tens of thousands of shooters in more than 23 Nations for over 46 years. Not one ever was returned for a faulty spring. Repeat: none. Those writers were real gun pros and ex-military combat veterans.  This Nichols-boy is insulting them and their memories in his child-like way, by refusing to acknowledge that. In fact, no other holstermaker ever made as many sales, or received as much editorial in such few years as I, Jerry Ardolino have. The first 6 months in nationwide business with only 1 4×5 inch ad in the tabloid SHOTGUN NEWS, brought in $280,000.00 in 2022 money. At that point, I obviously resigned from the police department to pursue my business full-time. These are facts. I really did take the firearms industry by storm and my products made me a millionaire by age 30. And what the Bucheimer history buffs/people think they know, they don’t. I was there. Regardless of the person Susan Clark who says she never heard of me ( I never heard of her either except when another web master took her letters off his site because of her suspected drug-fueled rambling about me). I can only surmise she got no money from anyone and thought she deserved it. Nobody knows about the backroom deals between me, the sales manager and an officer whereby I, in 1980 when J.M. BUCHEIMER was having problems and those on the board knew they were in a a sinking ship. At that time, I purchased trademark rights, tradename , patterns, models etc . in a specific contract. This has been through a U.S. Federal court case where I prevailed. And of course , since Nichols-boy is such a virgin hick, he would be aghast at the fact that one Harry Nelson perpetrated a fraud along with various J.M. BUCHEIMER personnel and others;  cooked the books and falsified federal bank loan apps . He and all others were criminally charged. Nichols and other dummies who think Bucheimer was still operating into the late 80’s are misinformed. A shell of the original company was being run by hangers-on then–in the mid-to-late 1980’s by one Harry Nelson. Nelson committed fraud in this other carnation of Bucheimer in league with former sales rep Gene Whipp and bookkeeper Candy Rothenhoefer as well as a few others. The co. was composed of Harry Nelson and only a few people. It eventually (that particular shell) went under as Nelson was indicted in 1993.  I never had anything to do with Nelson as I was already operating the real J.M. Bucheimer for years prior to his scheme; making holsters, bullwhips, trucker wallets and more. I ,as the real successor to J.M. BUCHEIMER ran that business continuously from 1980 on through the present. Affidavits filed  in federal court  and in my files from celebrity judge, Judge Joe Brown, a NY State sheriff quartermaster and a famous gun writer all attest to this. I know for a fact that R.E.D. Nichols viewed my LinkedIn page. Then he states that he tried to call me. There is no record of that. He should have really called me and I would have gone into really heavy detail on the very complicated joint venture between Bucheimer and myself. And his “information” about my not having supplied the films is not news. That fact was announced in my site many years ago. So, Nichols needed my help on that. He tried for a true book about the he holster industry.  Instead, he has a book that does not just miss the facts about a legendary period in holstermaking and marketing– the book has very wrong facts about J.M. Bucheimer. We are holding the release of U.S. Federal Court documents as well as affidavits; all PROOF that Nichols doesn’t know what he is talking about in whole as far as Bucheimer history.  He admits some truths about my venture with Bucheimer yet is in denial about others. Apparently, I really bother this Nichols– a former worker-bee for Bianchi who never ventured out on his own. A real mousy individual to say the least. Pathetic. The nerd who now that he is older and the people who knew he was a nerd are gone, wants to assert himself. Very pathetic. However,  I, Jerry Ardolino– who already founded a very successful leathergoods company in 1975 and have been a leather worker since the early 1960’s as a boy trained at Boys Clubs of America, and BSA, Chicago chapters, selling my small holsters and knife sheaths at a profit–did in fact make a deal with a person in control of certain areas of J.M. Bucheimer and who had a relationship with an officer; that type of deal is better known as “money being passed under the table.”  Simple people like R.E.D. Nichols don’t know how real-world business & politics sometimes work. So, I Jerry Ardolino, from that relationship of mine at Bucheimer HQ in Frederick, Maryland and the contacts and people I worked with at the Valencia plant, acquired legal rights to J.M. Bucheimer in 1980.  R.E.D. Nichols couldn’t or doesn’t want to get it right. That makes “Holstory” a bogus “history” book.
Sincerely,
JERRY ARDOLINO

Read More

Title Page  Page 2  Page 3  Page 4  Page 5  Page 6