The Hermann H. Heiser Saddlery Company is probably the most well known
saddler of the American Old West. The famous Saddle maker and
Businessman Hermann H. Heiser was born in Germany June 29, 1836. After
arriving in the US sometime in the mid 1850s Hermann H. Heiser served as
an apprentice in the town of Platteville, WI with a Saddle and Harness
maker and later around 1857 in Highland, WI he opened his own saddlery
and harness business
. Sometime early in 1864 Hermann H. Heiser moved his Saddlery Company
to Black Hawk, Colorado and later in 1866 he opened a second shop in
Central City, Colorado by 1870 he sold the saddlery in Black Hawk and
worked from the sole location in Central City. In 1874 Hermann H.
Heiser moved his growing saddlery business to Denver Colorado where he
purchased the shop of William Merchant on Blake Street and Hermann H.
Heiser was establishing himself as a prominent businessman in the Denver
Colorado community. By 1877 Hermann H. Heiser married Mathilde Wolter
and over the years Hermann & Mathilde had four sons. The Hermann H.
Heiser Saddlery Company prospered from a good name and a quality product
offered in the shop in Denver Colorado or through mail order.
As the years passed and the business grew in 1904 while vacationing in
Germany Hermann H. Heiser died and Hermann H. Heiser’ sons are who took
the Company to greatness and prosperity over the next 15 years. In
1906 the Heiser Fast Draw Holster was patented also the H.H.H. Trademark
is the 9th registered Trademark in Colorado State History.
The Heiser brothers merged The Hermann H. Heiser Saddlery Company with
the Heiser Brothers Investment Company and Incorporated in 1916 becoming
The Hermann H. Heiser Manufacturing & Selling Company. By the year 1920
Ewald Heiser bought the other brothers out from the saddlery business
and operated the Company until 1945 when the Company was sold to The
Denver Dry Goods Company Denver Colorado while they continued to sell
and manufacture under the H. H. Heiser name.
In 1950 The Denver Dry Goods Company sold to the H. H. Heiser Company
to Keyston Brothers of San Francisco CA while they also continued to
sell under the H. H. Heiser name the company became known as Heiser -
Keyston. Finally by the late 1950s Keyston Brothers bought The
Lichtenberger Company merging the three Companies into the Heiser –
Keyston – Lichtenberger Saddlery Company. Within this brief history was
a giant in the industry of leather work and saddlery and the Hermann H.
Heiser Manufacturing & Selling Company products are more sought after
today then most any other collectible of the old west.
Marks: (The below typology and
associated dates are educated guesses. The marks often overlapped each
other chronologically. If you have any additional information on this
subject, please email me.)
Type 1 (1874-1880)
Type 2 (1880-1890)
Courtesy of
Jim Westberg.
Type 3 (1880-1890)
Courtesy of
Jim Westberg.
Type 4 (1890-1910)
Type 5 (1910-1925)
Type 6 (1925-1955)
Type 7 (1955-1960's)
Type 8 (1959-60's)
Heiser-Keyston-Lichtenberger saddle mark from a very late
rifle scabbard.
Special Stamp
This
stamp was used on a special order automobile holster, circa 1930's, that
was fully carved and necessitated this small stamp on the holster edge
