Summer Cowboy Hats

As spring narrows to an end and summer is obviously on its way it is time to start to think about getting a summer hat. So that question was asked; what is the best summer cowboy hat? I answered with, it depends.

You see, it is all varies to who is buying the said hat. If you were to ask me the question I would answer back with an Atwood palm leaf hat. Many people consider Atwood to be the “king “of palm leafs. The reason I would choose a palm leaf is because; number one its durability, and strength, number two is price palm leaf hats are normally fairly inexpensive comparatively, and number three its versatility.

But, if you didn’t ask me most people would probably say a toyo, shantung or bangora straw; because that is what the majority of people are wearing. The Shantug family includes the framosa, toyo, bangora, and of course the shantung straws. Most of these hats are woven is Japan or china and are made up of a Japanese paper yarn. Then the bodies are shipped to the U. S. to be made into hats. Unlike the palm leaf the shantung are very light weight but not nearly as weather proof or durable. But because most of them are woven by hand and consequentially more time was spent to make them they are much more expensive.

WESTERN VERSUS ENGLISH SADDLES

By Ron Caldwell – “THE TACKGUY”
A.A. CALLISTER (www.callisters.com)

Although there are many differences between Western and English saddles they do have one common purpose which is to provide support and security to the rider. The roots and basic design of a Western saddle came from cowboys working on western ranches in the United States. The English saddle derives it's design from both hunter and show riders from European countries.

The Western saddle design actually came about from the Spanish vaqueros and horse trainers who handle cattle in Mexico and the American Southwest. The Western saddle was made to be more comfortable for long hours in the saddle and to be used when traveling over very rugged country.

The English saddle is made to allow the rider to have more body contact with his/her horse. The English saddle is usually much lighter in weight and doesn't have the large stirrup fenders which exist on Western saddles. One noticeable difference about an English saddle is that they typically don't have saddle horns. A user of an English saddle learns quickly the importance of being centered and balanced over the saddle and horse. Many riders of English saddles ride horses that jump and go over obstacles which makes the importance of being well balanced in the saddle even more critical. Although the horn on a Western Saddle is used by some western riders as a hand hold, the actual intent of the western saddle horn is for securing the end of a rope to the saddle when working with cattle or other livestock.

Both Western and English saddles will usually have a seat, pommel, cantle, saddle tree, stirrups or irons. In addition, the typical English saddle will have waist skirt, panel, saddle flap, and stirrup leathers. The additional parts of a Western saddle include; horn, gullet, jockey, cinch rings, cinch and latigo keepers, full skirt, saddle strings, and stirrup fenders. Because of the larger number of parts on a Western saddle, it is usually much heavier.

Not all western tack stores carry English saddles but we at A.A. Callister do provide both Western and English saddles.

If you have any questions regarding this article, please contact me a rcaldwell@callisters.com.

WHY USE A BREASTCOLLAR

By Ron Caldwell – “THE TACKGUY”
A.A. CALLISTER (www.callisters.com)

A horse breastcollar (sometimes referred to as a breastplate) is used to keep a saddle or harness from sliding back. Breastcollars are primarily used on western type saddles but can also be found on english saddles too.

Most western saddles will have front attachment rings in which you can attach a breastcollar. It seems that horses with large shoulders or a flat rib cages have need for a breastcollar. Some riders use breastcollars more for appearance and not for securing the saddle in place. Many riders who ride in shows or parades will add a breastcollar (usually made of ornate leather and silver) to dress up their horse's appearance.

A breastcollar can be used as a safety device. When riding in mountainous or hilly terrain, the breastcollar can prevent the saddle from sliding back or off when traveling up a steep incline. Also, if the saddle girth or billets break, then the breastcollar can help keep the saddle in place while you find a place to stop and dismount.

Breastcollars can be used with harnesses. A breastcollar attached to a harness can be used to pull light loads. A breastcollar should not be used on heavy loads as it can put to much weight on the horses sternum or possibility reduce the horse's breathing.

Breastcollars can be found in many different sizes and types of materials. Check your local western or english tack store to see the many styles available.

If you have any questions regarding this article, please contact me a rcaldwell@callisters.com.

The History of Justin Boots

The Justin Boots story began in 1879, when H.J. Justin left Lafayette, Indiana to start a new life in Spanish Fort, Texas. Initially a boot repairman, H.J. soon began his own boot company working out of his home.

When a railroad was built in Nocona, Texas in 1889, H.J. moved his family and business there to capitalize on the bigger market opportunity. Annie Justin, H.J.'s wife, developed a “fit kit” in the early 1890's, which included a tape measure and an instruction chart for the measuring a pair of custom fit boots. Cowboys who carried these fit kits on their journeys became Justin's first Traveling sales force.

In 1908, John and Earl came to work for their father, and the company was renamed H.J. Justin and Sons. In 1910, Justin boots were sold in 26 states, Canada, Mexico, and Cuba for $11 a pair. John, Earl and Avis took over the business after their father's death in 1918. In 1925, the brothers moved the company headquarters to Fort Worth.

In 1948, John Justin, Jr. purchased controlling interest in the company. It wasn't long before H.J. Justin & Sons was growing again. In 1968, the company made a deal with Acme Brick, another Fort Worth company with pioneering roots, to form Justin Industries. Nocona Boot Company became part of Justin Industries when John Jr. purchased the controlling shares from his aunt, Enid Justin, in 1981. Three years later, Chippewa Shoe Company was added to the Justin family of brands. And in 1990, Justin Industries purchased competitor Tony Lama Boots after years of intense rivalry.

In August of 2000, Justin Boots was purchased by Berkshire Hathaway, managed by Warren Buffet. With strong financial backing, a lasting tradition of quality, and a talented management team, Justin Boots today is stronger than ever.

To get more detail of Justin's boot history check their web site: http://justinboots.com/en/heritage.html

Cowboy Hats: The Spirit of The Old West

"The cowboy hat is the symbol of the American cowboy and the symbol of America. It is uniquely American."- David R. Stoecklein.

As you will come to find out from reading the article you will soon discover that it is merely a brief history on one of the worlds most famous and beloved styles of hats, the American cowboy hat. the cowboy hat or western style hat emerged on the scene some 200 years after Spain had brought the *sombrero* to America.

*Sombrero - a traditional Spanish style of head gear worn by the
"vaqueros" it hat a wider brim with usually a pointy-tall crown
with normally three to four dimples. They are usually highly
decorated. rich in color.

At this time Americans moving west wore sailors hat, top hats and derbies. Anything they could
protect themselves from the elements. Until, one day a Philadelphia hat makers son by the name of John B. Stetson created a theatrical styled hat out of necessity. The felt was made by the age old tradition of matting the under coat of animals by kneading the hairs, then boiling them then repeating the process over and over all the while thinning out the felt , when the water dried it became stronger . John later sold the ridiculous hat to a frontiersman for five dollars, a large amount at the time. When he returned to Philly he began immediately filling orders!! And Stetson Hats were born.

Old Western styles - The very first western style hat was called the Boss of The Plains which is still made by stetson today.
Others Include the Gus, Tom Mix, center fire, packer, hop-along,
Russell, open, mule kicks, campaign, cavalry, Montana peak, and
slope, the list goes on and on! Many companies make these styles
like, Stetson, Resistol, and Serratelli.

Now, as time goes on the cowboy hats popularity grows and more and more styles continue to compile. The following is just a brief description on a select few styles:

Classic cattleman - Usually a standard four inch brim with a 4
and 5/8" crown it will have three elongated dimples on the crown
which run parallel. this style is what most people think of when
they think of a cowboy hat.This particular family of hats also
include the rancher styles which have a taller crown, the cutters
that hat a shorter crown and most show styles.

Rough stock - The most popular rodeo style currently are ones
with a square top and wider brim the trend is 4 1/4"- 5"* *brim
depending on you preference. The flange ( style of the brim) is
usually squared up rather wide, on average about 7" apart.And
many have a bound edge which is colored ribbon sewed around the edge.
* *Buckaroo-* The most popular buckaroo style would have to be the
Nevada or the Vaquero style, it traditionally has a 4" brim with a
4" crown completely flat for most but some have a curled side or
pencil role; the crown is a telescopic crown which at a birds eye
view looks like a lens. Others include cross overs from the old
west styles. Some have a laced edge or filigree work .*
*

This is just the beginning of the list!! "May the cowboy hat live on forever.... wear it with pride, for it is the symbol of one of the most respected professions in the world." - David R. Stoecklein.

"Ten gallon" Hat

The ten gallon hat…. How, ever did this term come about? Although there are many theories on how this description of a cowboy hat came about none the less it has been used for decades, approximately since 1925 to be a little more accurate.

One interesting theory is, the tight weave of the fibers in a felt hat most noted ably Stetson hats are matted enough to make for a make shift bucket if need be. In earlier as well as recent advertisements of Stetson hats depict a man using his hat as a bucket for water for his horse; this painting was called “The Last Drop From His Stetson” it was painted by a south western artist by the name of Lon Megargee. Interesting enough this theory does not hold water, an fabric with liquid in it will eventually leak; and Stetson claims that a hat with a large crown can only hold three quarts (that less than one gallon)!

Perhaps it came from an old war story, in 1889 the USS Maine battleship sunk in the Havana bay. Some fourteen years later when they raised the ship back up in 1912 though the mud and water they found a Stetson hat, it was then carefully dried and renovated. Today the hat looks almost as good as new, so new publicity for Stetson arose thus feeding the fire to this urban myth.

Finally the last theory and most probable would have to be, that the term "ten gallon" is possibly a corruption of the Spanish term "galón", or galloon, a type of narrow braided trimming around the crown, possibly a style adapted by the vaqueros. "The term ten-gallon did not originally refer to the holding capacity of the hat, but to the width of a Mexican sombrero hatband, and is more closely related to this unit of measurement by the Spanish than to the water-holding capacity of a Stetson." The term came into use about 1925. Thus, the term "ten-gallon" did not originally refer to the holding capacity of the hat, but to the width of a Spanish hatband. When Texas cowboys misunderstood the word "galón" for "gallon", the popular, though incorrect, legend may have been born.

Citations
• www.wikipedia.com

Cowboy Hat Etiquette

Cowboy hat etiquette?! Yes it is true, even though most of us western folk are a messy bunch; we still have rules. And today we are talking about the etiquette of western styled hats.
First of all you need to learn how to take off the hat in the first place. The most common practice would have to be grabbing the crown and pulling it off which is fine; not good, but fine (I know that I am guilty). Over time the felt where you have been handling it will become dirty and weak. But, the proper way to take off your hat would have to be by gently grabbing the hat at the base of the crown with two hands; one in the front and one in the back, and simply remove. Next, you place the hat crown down. So you do not lose the shape of the brim.
Classic examples of what NOT to do:
• Do not roughly handle the brim.
• Do not leave your hat in the car.
• Do not leave your hat in direct sunlight.
• It is considered bad luck to place your cowboy hat brim on the bed.
The proper things to do:
• When looking for a place to set your hat, the first and best place would have to be… on your head!
• You should always remove cover for our nation’s flag/ national anthem; when entering an enclosed area such as a home, this does not include barns or bars; just where people reside. Except for, a church or court house.
• As a gentleman it is always a good idea to remove ones hat the first time you meet a lady, and a gentleman tips the hat towards her.
Well there you go, that’s the scoop on the do’s and don’ts in cowboy hat etiquette.