Clint Eastwood Rig
Clint Eastwood used several holster rigs during the eight years on Rawhide. But he ended up using a modified Andy Anderson Walk-and-Draw Western-style rig which has become known as the Eastwood Rig. I have a copy of the undated Anderson shop invoice for the original Eastwood Rig, which reads “CBS – Rawhide, Clint Eastwood, Walk & Draw Western, single right Rough – out .45 – 5 ½ Full loops 41 Center Hole.” It falls between invoices for Sheb Wooley who played the scout Pete dated 12-10-1959 and one for James Murdock (Mushy) dated 5-13-1960.
The Anderson Walk-and-Draw rig was designed to be used without a tie down strap, and had what Anderson called a “built-in tie down”. This was a steel lined hip plate, curved for the shape of one’s hip, on the backside of the holster. When the gun-belt pulled this “built-in tie down” securely into the hollow of the wearer’s hip, the holster did not swing back and forth with the leg as one walked. The original Walk-and-Draw holster (W & D Standard) did not have a full skirt behind the pouch, and many Fast Draw shooters found it difficult to attach a deflector plate. So Anderson added a full skirt to attach the deflector plate to, and it became the W & D Western rig.
Note the two-tone finish and the fancy “Gunfighter stitching” on the Alfonso Eastwood Rig.
Anderson’s other major contribution to holster design was the muzzle-raked holster, which angled the gun muzzle forward as much as 25 degrees. This allowed one to thumb cock their SA six-shooter before it cleared the holster without the gun muzzle ever pointing at their leg or foot, an important feature in live ammunition Fast Draw. But Eastwood wanted his holster vertical, thereby being a custom W & D Western rig.
So what better rig for the Cimarron “Man With No Name SA” than a correct Eastwood Rig? While Andy Anderson retired many years ago due to poor health and has since passed away, there are two sources for correct copies of the Eastwood Rig today. These are Spaghetti Western Replicas and Alfonso Of Hollywood Leather Company. I placed a call to Alfonso’s son Omar and about two weeks later I had an Alfonso Italian Western Holster Collection A8 Eastwood Rig.
Alfonso and Anderson both worked in the Arvo Ojala Hollywood Fast Draw Holster shop at the same time. After each opening their own holster shops in North Hollywood as competitors, they remained life-long friends. Alfonso’s current advertising for the Eastwood Rig states: “This superb Walk-and-Draw holster was designed and made originally by our friend Andy Anderson.”
My sample Eastwood Rig is constructed of the highest-grade cowhide in a two-tone rough out finish. The two-tone finish comes from the lining, strap around the holster pouch and full bullet loops being smooth side out, while the rest of the rig is rough out. When the rig is finished with neatsfoot oil, the smooth leather darkens more than the rough out for the attractive two-tone finish. The W & D Western holster has a 4-inch drop shank that goes over the top of the gun-belt that fits in a matching notch. The holster pouch, shank and hip plate are lined with an 18-gauge steel insert. The gun-belt is of the tapered style, being 2½ inches wide and tapering at each end for a 1½-inch hammered solid brass buckle. The hand hammered brass buckle was an Anderson exclusive. Alfonso has had an original hand hammered buckle duplicated in a cast solid brass buckle. The buckle is secured with three screw post binders so that it may be removed. My 40-inch center hole gun-belt has 25 bullet loops for .45 Colt cartridges.
Here we see the Alfonso Eastwood Rig in authentic two-tone rough-out finish. The wrist cuff is a copy of the one used by Eastwood in For a Few Dollars More, available from Spaghetti Western Replicas.
When Anderson introduced the W & D Standard rig, it came with six bullet loops and the rest of the gun-belt had fancy stitching. While many people call this “boot stitching,” Anderson called it the “Gunfighter stitch,” after the name of his holster shop. The Alfonso Eastwood Rig has authentic Gunfighter stitch the full length of the gun-belt. The holster strap is one-inch wide and tapers to a ½ of an inch brass buckle. The holster has a removable hammer strap which attaches to the pouch with a snap. The Alfonso Eastwood Rig is finished in a beautiful oiled golden brown. This is the perfect rig to carry the Cimarron “Man With No Name SA.”
