Bill "Dolt"
Photo: Tom Frost
Dolt
Hammer Holsters

- Doltsters -
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Dolt Hammer Holster
— 1958 - 1959: 
Dolt Holster, leather, small Dolt piton logo stamp (without letters), long belt plate, long hammer holder tube, copper rivets and copper washers. Shown in the Dolt 1958 catalog.- Jet Black- Medium Brown
1958 Dolt catalog
Small piton Dolt logo stamp with no letters.
Copper rivets that look like they were hammered out by hand. Copper washers.
Dolt Hammer Holster
— 1959 - January 1962:
Dolt Holster, leather, small Dolt piton logo stamp with “DOLT” letters in stamp, long belt plate, long hammer holder tube, copper rivets.
- Jet Black
- Medium Brown

Photo by: Bill Straka
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Dolt goes out of business January 1962

- Dolt ad in Summit mag January 1962
Dolt advertises he is back in business July 1966.

I believe that Bill came back to climbing early 1966, and took a greater interest in his hammer holsters. Behind the scenes he created a larger “Dolt” piton logo die stamp tool, a “Made in U.S.A.” die stamp tool, and die plates to cut out his two new styles of nylon hammer holsters. DOLT ... is back ....
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Dolt ad in Summit magazine July/August 1966
Dolt ad in Summit magazine July/August 1966
Dolt logo stamps
- Donated by Don Lauria

I am not sure how the process of patenting works or when exactly Dolt got the patent numbers to create the “Patent 208/289” die stamp tool. Dolt applied for the Patent Oct 1, 1966 which was not completed till August 15, 1967. Did Dolt wait until Aug 1967 to start stamping the patent numbers on his Doltsters? I do have a 1966 B ebony holster that is stamped “Pat Pend.” on the back. So the earlier 1966 holster creations do not have the “208,289” stamp.
Dolt - Super Holster
— 1966 early - 1966 October: Dolt Super Holster, nylon, large Dolt piton logo stamp, Made in U.S.A. stamp, Pat. Pend. stamp, 5/16” rivets, brass washers, short belt plate, long hammer holder tube.- Model B, Ebony firm
- Model W, Translucent Brown, flexible
Donated by Art Christiansen
The 1966 Dolt Holsters came with a small plastic Dolt logo which can be put on a key chain or for a jewelry charm. Donated by Art Christiansen.
Photo by Robert Olson
Photo by Bill Straka
Dolt - Super Holster
— 1966 October - 1967 August:
Doltster, nylon, large Dolt piton logo stamp, Made in U.S.A. stamp, Pat. Pend. stamp, 5/16 steel rivets, brass washers, short and long belt plates, all have long hammer holder tubes.
- Model B, Ebony, firm, short belt plate
- Model W, Brown, flexible, short belt plate
- Model F, Blue, firm, long belt plate
- Model K, Red, flexible, long belt plate
Donated by Michael Chessler
Dolt - Super Holster
— 1967 August:
Doltster, leather, large Dolt piton logo stamp, Made in U.S.A. stamp, U.S. Patent Des. No. 208, 289 stamp, 5/16 steel rivets, aluminum washers, short hammer holder tube.
- Brown leather
Comparing the 1967 leather holster to the 1966 nylon holster.

Dolt hammer holster rivets compared. 1967 holster on left and 1958 holster on the right.
Dolt ad in Summit magazine September 1966
Note: looking at the bottom of the Sept 1966 advertisement, already by September 1966 Dolt has his holsters in 25 climbing stores across the United States. It's only been a few months since he started his business back up, and already getting his Dolt name out there in a motivated way.
Dolt ad in Summit magazine October1966
Dolt ad in Summit magazine November 1966
Dolt ad in Summit magazine December 1966
Dolt
January 1967
Product information sheet
Dolt Hammer Holsters

Hammer holsters now being referred to as a "Dolster." (Dolt mistakenly misspelled his holster name forgetting to put the second "T" in the spelling.