I have always been fascinated with the Old West and believe I was born a century late. My time in the old west would be relegated to endless Western movies and hours of TV. Something can only be described as unvarnished cool about the old West gunfighters. This fascination also poured over to fine leather work that I saw in these cinematic cowboys’ rigs. As the years passed, my interest became more focused, and I started looking at cowboy rigs more closely. At that time, a name was continuously popping up. A man who was instrumental in designing and making rigs for the film and TV industry for decades. A man who is undoubtedly a legend in the industry and beyond: John Bianchi – An American Cowboy Leather Legend.

John Bianchi

I had the ultimate pleasure of visiting John at his California home. When I arrived, he greeted me warmly at the door and introduced me to his charming wife, Nikki. Over the next two days, he shared stories, showed me countless memorabilia, and answered any questions. John Bianchi is what I describe as old-school cool. John has a very polished and finished way about him. He would be as at home at an embassy dinner as he would sitting next to you with a fishing pole.

He and his wife are welcome reminders of class and hospitality. I sat watching them talk, it dawned on me that they reminded me of movie stars from an age gone by. As I walked through his home, I saw pictures of Bianchi with US Presidents, movie stars, and some of the most well-known industry professionals in the world. He talked about the pictures, he showed a sincere humility. Other people may have let the stardom get to their head, but not John Bianchi. The time to depart came, and I was graciously thanked for my visit. I quickly put pen to paper to tell John Bianchi’s story.

More Than 40 Million Holster, Belts and Accessories Made

While we throw the term legend around more than we should, a few people genuinely hold the title. John Bianchi is one of those people. From the humble beginning of making holsters on his kitchen table in 1958, more than 40 million Bianchi holsters, gun belts, and accessories have now been produced. Bianchi started his work on holsters at the ripe old age of 12.

His first was a cowboy holster he made based on what he had seen in the movies. Like me, he shared a fascination with the Old West. As a kid, he would grab scraps of leather from the discarded pieces at a local leather shop. With that, he began making dog collars, bags, and whatever else came to mind. Keep in mind that this is all without any professional training or even guidance.

Major General Bianchi

As a young man, he was fascinated by both military and cowboy history. It was this that led him to make a major life decision. In 1952, he walked into the Army recruiter’s office and announced he wanted to sign up. The problem was, however, that John was only 15. He tried to convince the recruiter that he was 17 but did not buy it. When he could not produce a birth certificate, the recruiter said, “You know, kid, why don’t you go down to the National Guard? They don’t look as closely as we do at your age.”

He convinced his father to sign the documents and changed his birth date to say he was 17 years old. Forty years later, John Bianchi would retire as a Major General. His service would include the National Guard, active Army duty, and ultimately commanding General of the California State Military Reserve. Bianchi had retired, but after the events of September 11th, 2001, he was recalled. He retired a second time in 2004.

Police Officer

While serving as an Army reservist in 1957, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a police officer. His service with the Monrovia Police Department in California became yet another catalyst for his holster development. He saw a need for serious carry options; his fellow officers were his first real clients in this arena. This real-life application drove him to explore an untouched market of professional concealed-carry rigs. The development changed the industry as his “Combat Action” holsters became the gold standard. This included the famous Number 2 Speed Scabbard for the 1911. It was Bianchi’s first commercially successful, high-production concealed carry holster and has been in production for over 50 years.

This would all lead to opening a new shop, which led to moving to a bigger shop and more employees. This work-at-home business is now known worldwide as Bianchi International. Over the past 50 years, John Bianchi has been responsible for more than 200 patents, trademarks, and copyrights in the firearms industry. During the 1960s, John Bianchi made belts and holsters that many production companies used to film TV and movie westerns. In this period, John became friends with many top Western actors of the golden age of movies and television, including Kelo Anderson, Hugh O’Brian, James Arness, and John Wayne.

Special Project for Delta Force

Bianchi’s ability to create gear for such a variety of applications caught the eye of the Department of Defense. They quietly contacted him and asked for the development of special briefcases that held secret communications and miniaturized tracking devices. He also worked on a specially designed men’s dress belt with a tracking device. Then, in late 1979, he was asked to come to a Special Forces training facility. This was during the Iranian hostage situation, and his client would be 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta. The Delta team was carrying a specially modified 1911, and Bianchi was tasked with designing its carry equipment.

His relationship with the military would last decades, and in 1981, he was tasked with developing a holster for the new military handgun – the M9 Beretta. After thousands of hours of work, Bianchi presented his design. The rest is, as they say, history. In 1984, the UM84 holster was accepted for service by the US Military. If you have ever been in the military or even seen a military handgun holster, I guarantee that you have seen this holster. Over 70,000 units were initially produced, and it is without question the most successful military holster ever devised.

Bianchi Cup

Bianchi held a passion for competition shooting. With that, he founded the annual NRA/Bianchi Cup International Pistol Tournament. This quickly became, and still is the world’s most prestigious professional pistol competition. The Bianchi Cup is the only major shooting tournament that has retained its original course of fire since its inception. Bianchi also has a passion for all things Western and cowboy-related. With his work in the industry, he had amassed the largest privately owned collection of memorabilia from the American West.

Over the decades, John Bianchi has accomplished a few more things. He wrote the famous book Blue Steel and Gun Leather. This definitive textbook on the history and use of gun leather was first published in 1978 and has over 50,000 copies in print. Last but not least, John Bianchi was committed to education. Even with the seemingly busy schedule, he earned a BA in Law Enforcement, an MA in Business Administration, and his PhD in Business Administration/Marketing.

John Bianchi –An American Cowboy Leather Legend

The world is full of people who make claims of greatness, and some live greatness yet make no claims. This is John Bianchi. Over the past 60 years, he has quietly become a titan in the firearms industry. Today, John Bianchi operates Frontier Gun Leather in Rancho Mirage, California. Here, he custom makes original western-style holsters and gun belts for discriminating collectors. As you would expect, the work is impeccable, and his clientele is from around the globe. The work down at Frontier uniquely embodies everything John Bianchi has worked so hard for, including exceptional quality and attention to detail, which only 60 years of experience can provide. John Bianchi is truly a legend.

For more information, visit: https://bianchileather.com/