Vintage Things That Will NOT Disappear In Your Lifetime

[Inkstainedwretch]

Where I live there are genuine working cowboys. Not guys who wear the hats and boots but ranch workers who tend cattle from horseback.

Also, the Colt 1911 automatic pistol. More than 100 years old and still made, with variations, by countless gun makers.

 

[tonyb]

Where I live there are genuine working cowboys. Not guys who wear the hats and boots but ranch workers who tend cattle from horseback. ....

I was once a genuine cattle ranch worker. My coworkers and I didn't wear cowboy hats or cowboy boots. We didn't ride horses. And we didn't call ourselves cowboys. Nor, to my knowledge, did anyone else.

We did drink beer and whiskey, though. And smoked whatever there was to smoke. We generally preferred rock 'n' roll to country & western.

 

[2jakes]

B.K.

I was once a genuine cattle ranch worker. My coworkers and I didn't wear cowboy hats or cowboy boots. We didn't ride horses. And we didn't call ourselves cowboys. Nor, to my knowledge, did anyone else.

B.K. Johnson of King Ranch roots spoke
excellent "Tex-Mex" Spanish that if you
were to close your eyes, you'd think you're listening to the vaqueros.
His son Kley Jr. was married to my niece.
Very gentle person and not conceited
or a loud-mouth. Sadly he passed away long before his time.
They wore Luchese custom boots & Stetson hats.
The workers mostly it's just rugged work clothes.
Not really western or cowboy style like you see in movies.

 

[tonyb]

B.K.


B.K. Johnson of King Ranch roots spoke
excellent "Tex-Mex" Spanish that if you
were to close your eyes, you'd think you're listening to the vaqueros.
His son Kley Jr. was married to my niece.
Very gentle person and not conceited
or a loud-mouth. Sadly he passed away long before his time.
They wore Luchese custom boots & Stetson hats.
The workers mostly it's just rugged work clothes.
Not really western or cowboy style like you see in movies.

Both B.K.'s father and son succumbed to injuries sustained in car wrecks, according to what I've read. Condolences to all they left behind.

That full-on cowboy drag -- hats, boots, silver belt buckles, embroidered shirts with snaps, etc. -- gets worn by people who actually work on ranches, but not during work hours. It's dirty, dusty, sh**ty work. About the last person a real ranch worker wants working alongside him is a guy who's concerned with his appearances.

Photos of real Wild West people and places dating from the real Wild West era show a whole lot of bowlers atop those noggins. It appears that what we now think of as cowboy attire owes as much or more to Hollywood as Deadwood.

 

[LizzieMaine]

A lot of that flashy Hi-Yo Silver stuff came out of the "Wild West Shows" of the early years of the 20th Century -- the Buffalo Bill type of production that was a cross between a rodeo and a circus. Flamboyant costumes were necessary to catch the attention of the huge crowds that attended these sorts of shows, and a lot of what we think of as "cowboy" this and that grew out of such productions.

 

[tonyb]

A lot of that flashy Hi-Yo Silver stuff came out of the "Wild West Shows" of the early years of the 20th Century -- the Buffalo Bill type of production that was a cross between a rodeo and a circus. Flamboyant costumes were necessary to catch the attention of the huge crowds that attended these sorts of shows, and a lot of what we think of as "cowboy" this and that grew out of such productions.

So I've heard.

Entertainments often ask a suspension of disbelief. I would hope that adults recognize this and know they are just playing along.

On a real ranch you wouldn't wear any item of attire you'd fear a steer stepping on. So much for $500 hats and $1,500 boots.

 

[2jakes]

On a real ranch you wouldn't wear any item of attire you'd fear a steer stepping on. So much for $500 hats and $1,500 boots.

Are you telling me that Gene & Roy
with their pistols that never ran out
of bullets who always wore a white
hat that never came off even in
a fist fight are fakes?

Next thing you're going to say is
that there is no Santa Claus

 

[vitanola]

The Flivver.
Old Henry built just over fifteen million of these redoubtable buggies between 1909 and 1927. Twenty years ago the best estimate was that about 100,000 were still drivable. The most recent estimate is between 125,000 and 130,000. It seems as if more are being resurrected each year.

In 1936, E B White lamented the passing of the Model To in his essay; "Farewell, My Lovely"! Eighty one years on they are still coming out of the barns and swamps.

 

[2jakes]

Both B.K.'s father and son succumbed to injuries sustained in car wrecks, according to what I've read. Condolences to all they left behind.

Thanks.
Son was a true gentleman.
I have no doubt you would have felt the same meeting him.

 

[HudsonHawk]

Where I live there are genuine working cowboys. Not guys who wear the hats and boots but ranch workers who tend cattle from horseback.

Real working Florida cowmen (they don't say "cowboy"):

I don't suppose these guys will go away completely anytime soon. Who'd herd the cows out of the hammock?

 

[LizzieMaine]

The Flivver.
Old Henry built just over fifteen million of these redoubtable buggies between 1909 and 1927. Twenty years ago the best estimate was that about 100,000 were still drivable. The most recent estimate is between 125,000 and 130,000. It seems as if more are being resurrected each year.

View attachment 76966

In 1936, E B White lamented the passing of the Model To in his essay; "Farewell, My Lovely"! Eighty one years on they are still coming out of the barns and swamps.

And don't forget the 2003 Model T's manufactured by Ford to celebrate the centennial of the company. All newly-built units based on the specifications of the 1914 touring car.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Ah, I forgot! Good old sunglasses! SUN-GLASS-ES!!

Could you imagine a life as car-driver without sunglasses?

Going by feet, ok, nice hat or a any cap with sunshield and all is fine. But, car-driving, urban and suburban, without sunglasses? No!

 

[Zombie_61]

...They wore Luchese custom boots & Stetson hats. The workers mostly it's just rugged work clothes. Not really western or cowboy style like you see in movies.

I think most people who wear "cowboy" boots as a fashion item these days don't realize, and probably don't care, that the basic design came from necessity and practicality. The pointed or rounded toes made it easier for people to put their feet in their horses' stirrups, the heels kept their feet from slipping through the stirrups, and the tall shaft protected their lower legs from dry and thorny brush and kept their feet dry when they stepped in shallow puddles or streams. The entertainment and fashion industries have made them more "flashy" over the years, but they really are one of the original versions of a work boot.

 

[2jakes]

I think most people who wear "cowboy" boots as a fashion item these days don't realize, and probably don't care, that the basic design came from necessity and practicality. The pointed or rounded toes made it easier for people to put their feet in their horses' stirrups, the heels kept their feet from slipping through the stirrups, and the tall shaft protected their lower legs from dry and thorny brush and kept their feet dry when they stepped in shallow puddles or streams. The entertainment and fashion industries have made them more "flashy" over the years, but they really are one of the original versions of a work boot.

The boots as you described with the high
heels is mostly for horse riding and not
meant for long-distance walking.
At least that was my experience.
I had to be careful not to twist an ankle
when walking on smooth surface with
those "cowboy" boots.
I prefer Wellington boots and at times
I wear my high-top wingtip shoes ln
faded brown color in the high grass
country.
I love the look of weathered leather
on shoes and jackets.

 

[ChrisB]

A lot of that flashy Hi-Yo Silver stuff came out of the "Wild West Shows" of the early years of the 20th Century -- the Buffalo Bill type of production that was a cross between a rodeo and a circus. Flamboyant costumes were necessary to catch the attention of the huge crowds that attended these sorts of shows, and a lot of what we think of as "cowboy" this and that grew out of such productions.

From the movie Tom Horn:
Tom Horn: "If you really knew how dirty and raggedy-assed the Old West was, you wouldn't want any part of it."

 

[tonyb]

I think most people who wear "cowboy" boots as a fashion item these days don't realize, and probably don't care, that the basic design came from necessity and practicality. The pointed or rounded toes made it easier for people to put their feet in their horses' stirrups, the heels kept their feet from slipping through the stirrups, and the tall shaft protected their lower legs from dry and thorny brush and kept their feet dry when they stepped in shallow puddles or streams. The entertainment and fashion industries have made them more "flashy" over the years, but they really are one of the original versions of a work boot.

Yup. They were made for riding.

I wear "Western" boots frequently. I own several pairs. But I don't know diddly about horses, and I'm in no hurry to learn.

 

[tonyb]

And don't forget the 2003 Model T's manufactured by Ford to celebrate the centennial of the company. All newly-built units based on the specifications of the 1914 touring car.

My understanding is that you can build a Model T entirely from new parts readily available from multiple suppliers. I'd imagine that some of those parts are truer to the originals than others.

Same with certain other "collectible" (and more or less affordable) cars -- Model As, early Mustangs, Camaros, MGBs. Et cetera.

 

[scottyrocks]

I think most people who wear "cowboy" boots as a fashion item these days don't realize, and probably don't care, that the basic design came from necessity and practicality. The pointed or rounded toes made it easier for people to put their feet in their horses' stirrups, the heels kept their feet from slipping through the stirrups, and the tall shaft protected their lower legs from dry and thorny brush and kept their feet dry when they stepped in shallow puddles or streams. The entertainment and fashion industries have made them more "flashy" over the years, but they really are one of the original versions of a work boot.

And the stitching in the tall shaft helps to keep the leather rigid enough to stay straight and tall, and not slide down the leg.

 

[Zombie_61]

The boots as you described with the high heels is mostly for horse riding and not meant for long-distance walking. At least that was my experience. I had to be careful not to twist an ankle when walking on smooth surface with those "cowboy" boots. I prefer Wellington boots and at times I wear my high-top wingtip shoes ln faded brown color in the high grass country. I love the look of weathered leather on shoes and jackets.

That is one drawback to the flat/smooth soled "cowboy" boots--they don't provide much traction. These days I prefer the low-heeled Wellington style boots myself, though I've never owned or even worn a pair; higher heels and my back problems don't get along well at all.

As for the weathered look of leather shoes/boots and jackets, I agree completely. I'll wash mud or other "stuff" off of 'em, but otherwise I've never polished a pair of leather shoes or boots. The gent who owned and operated a local shoe store years ago once told me that almost every man who ever purchased a pair of boots from him wore them out of the store and immediately went to the curb and started kicking it to scuff up his new boots a bit and get the weathering process started. I've never done that myself because I prefer to allow my shoes/boots to attain their scars naturally, but I understand why someone would want to.

 

[scottyrocks]

That is one drawback to the flat/smooth soled "cowboy" boots--they don't provide much traction. These days I prefer the low-heeled Wellington style boots myself, though I've never owned or even worn a pair; higher heels and my back problems don't get along well at all.

As for the weathered look of leather shoes/boots and jackets, I agree completely. I'll wash mud or other "stuff" off of 'em, but otherwise I've never polished a pair of leather shoes or boots. The gent who owned and operated a local shoe store years ago once told me that almost every man who ever purchased a pair of boots from him wore them out of the store and immediately went to the curb and started kicking it to scuff up his new boots a bit and get the weathering process started. I've never done that myself because I prefer to allow my shoes/boots to attain their scars naturally, but I understand why someone would want to.

The smooth sole assists in the removal of the boot from the stirrup in an unexpected get-off, instead of the removal of the ankle from the leg if the boot got caught in the stirrup.