How to Saddle a Horse
How to Saddle a Horse
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 5/10/2012
Standing on the left side of your horse, place a clean, dry, saddle
blanket on your horse’s back. The front of the pad should be placed just
in front of the horse’s withers. Move the blanket with the nap of the
horse’s hair, rather than against it, to avoid discomfort when the
saddle is placed. The blanket should be big enough that it can be seen
all the way around the saddle.
Now grab the saddle.
Make sure the right-side stirrup and cinch are placed over the seat as
you swing the saddle up and over your horse’s back. This will prevent
startling your horse as one of these whips around and hits him on the
back. Set the saddle gently down over the blanket so that an inch of
blanket is exposed on the front, at least.
Around on the offside (right side) of your horse, you will need to bring
down the right stirrup and cinch and make sure the blanket is still
centered. When you walk around the back of your horse, either keep 10
feet back or slide your hand from one side, around the rump, to the
other side, so the horse knows you are there and does not startle and
kick.
Now lift up the saddle pad in front to make an air space between the
horse’s withers and the blanket. Now reach for the cinch, under the
horse’s belly, and run the tie strap through the cinch ring and D-ring
twice. Make it tight enough to be up against the horse’s belly. Tie the
cinch off loosely by pulling the latigo or tie strap to one side of the
D-ring, passing it over the top and through the D-ring another time.
Then, just pull the tie strap through the loop you formed.
Now, walk your horse around a little bit to get her to relax before you
attempt to tighten the cinch again. If her abdomen was puffed out when
you tightened the cinch, you will need to retighten it some. You can
pull your horse’s front legs forward to pull loose any pinched skin.
Horse Blanket Recommendations
Horse Blanket Recommendations
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 5/2/2012
One factor in deciding which blanket to buy
is how tough your horse is on his blankets. If your horse has some
rough and tumble buddies and likes to get a little goofy with them, you
may want to consider a stronger material than if your horse were out to
pasture alone. The rule of thumb is that for herd horses, 1200 denier
thread count should be minimum.
If you clip your horse’s hair,
she will need a warmer blanket, like a heavy weight blanket with 300-400
grams of polyfill. For those that are unclipped, a medium weight
blanket of 180-220 grams of poylfill will usually do. A lot depends on
the temperature too.
If your area’s cool weather months only get
to 55 degrees or so, do not worry about a blanket at all. In 45 degrees,
a rain sheet is recommended. At 25-35 degrees, you can use either a
sheet with a fleece liner or a medium weight blanket. At 15 degree or
lower, use a heavyweight blanket or a medium weight blanket with an
added fleece liner.
If your horse will be out in inclement
weather, be sure that the blanket is 100% waterproof as a cold wet
blanket can quickly make a horse sick. Teflon coating is preferred as it
allows the horse’s skin to breathe, without letting in water. New high
neck blankets prevent leakage at the neckline. But for indoor use,
stable blankets will do as they are not waterproof and are thus
especially breathable.
Willa Cather
Willa Cather
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 4/26/2012
Surprisingly, the family uprooted in 1883, when Cather’s grandparents decided to move. Cather’s family followed, with her father making an 18-month attempt at farming. After that he started a real estate and insurance business in Red Cloud, allowing Cather and her siblings to attend a real school for the first time.
Cather was the oldest of 7 children. She set her sights high, attending the University of Nebraska with plans to become a medical doctor. But once she began writing for the Nebraska State Journal, Cather changed her major to English. She graduated with her B.A. in 1894.
In addition to writing and editing for some of the top magazines of the time, Cather wrote many novels, stories, poems, and even a few nonfiction works. Some of her best-loved novels include “O Pioneers!,” “My Antonia,” “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” and “The Professor’s House.”
For her contributions to literary excellence, Cather has been honored on local, state, and national levels. The Willa Cather Pioneer Memorial and Educational Foundation carries forward her legacy and maintains sites like her childhood home in Red Cloud. In 1962 the state of Nebraska elected her to the Nebraska Hall of Fame.
In 1973 a stamp was made in Cather’s image. Eight years later her image was used by the U.S. Mint to make a half-ounce gold medallion. Cather’s All-American works will be cherished for generations to come.
Owen Wister
Owen Wister
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 4/18/2012
At Harvard, Wister attended classes with Theodore Roosevelt. He became an editor for the Harvard Lampoon. Also a member of the Alpha chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon, Wister graduated from Harvard in 1882.
Wister initially sought a musical career and traveled to a Paris conservatory to study for two years. Then he made a drastic change, working at a bank in New York and then switched again to Harvard Law School, graduating with a law degree in 1888.
After Wister practiced with a Philadelphia law firm for a time, he found that it was not the ideal career for him. Moving on to politics, he supported Theodore Roosevelt. Finally in 1891, perhaps thinking back on his editing days at the Harvard Lampoon, Wister went back to writing.
Starting with “The New Swiss Family Robinson,” Wister became an instant writing success. Some of his other novels include “The Dragon of Wantley: His Tale,” “The Virginian” (which inspired several films and a television series), and “Lady Baltimore.”
In addition to novels, Wister wrote poetry, short stories, biographies and other non-fiction works, essays, plays, and even operas. In his honor, the University of Wyoming named their annual literary and arts magazine the “Owen Wister Review.” And in the Grand Teton National Park an 11,490-foot mountain was named Mount Wister after this ever-famous author.
J.B. Guthrie
J.B. Guthrie
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 4/12/2012
Guthrie knew early on that he wanted to be a writer. His father worked for a newspaper in hopes of becoming a well-known writer himself. But Guthrie surpassed his father’s aspirations, starting with winning the Nieman Fellowship at Harvard.
Guthrie was already working as the executive editor of the Lexington Leader in Kentucky when he won that fellowship. While he was at Harvard, Guthrie got to know Professor Theodore Morrison, who mentored the young man. Professor Morrison spent many hours working with Guthrie on his fiction writing skills.
In 1947, after 22 years editing and working as a news reporter for the Lexington Leader, Guthrie finally wrote his first novel, “The Big Sky.” Two years later, he wrote “The Way West,” effectively surpassing all expectations and winning the Pulitzer Prize.
During his writing career, Guthrie wrote two children’s books, several western sequence and mystery novels, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, and screenplays. Perhaps the most well-known of his works, his screenplay called “Shane,” became a movie box-office success and was nominated for an Academy Award. Guthrie lived a long and full life, passing away at age 90 and leaving behind some of the best-loved western literature ever written.
Glendon Swarthout
Glendon Swarthout
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 4/3/2012
While he excelled in English, math was not Swarthout’s strong-suit. It took a forgiving Geometry teacher passing him with a D for him to successfully graduate high school. A 6-foot-tall 99-pound adolescent, Swarthout did not participate in sports. Instead, he learned the accordion. So when he started college at the University of Michigan in 1935, he played as the lead in a “hops” band. His major, however, was English.
Following graduation, Swarthout and his childhood sweetheart, who graduated at the same time, were married. He began working as an ad copywriter for Cadillac and Dow Chemicals in Detroit. But this was not the kind of writing Swarthout wanted to settle into. So he acquired agreements from 22 newspapers and took his young wife with him to pursue the life of a traveling journalist.
When Pearl Harbor was struck, the couple was in Barbados, and it took five months’ time to dodge German U-Boats on the way home to the U.S. Although he signed up for service, he was called out to utilize his writer’s talents. He spent his service wielding a pen instead of a gun. When a back injury caused him to be discharged honorably from service, Swarthout went back to U.M. to get his Master’s and become a professor.
Eventually, in 1955, Swarthout completed his Ph.D. in Victorian literature, and his short stories and novels began taking off. “They Came to Cordura” was successfully sold by Random House, leading to Columbia Pictures making a movie with Gary Cooper and Rita Hayworth. Thus, at age 39, this financial breakthrough made it possible for Swarthout to focus much more of his time on writing.
During his writing career, Swarthout wrote several novels with eight of them being turned into movies. Twice nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, Swarthout was inducted into the Western Writers of America's Hall of Fame in 2008. He also earned the Western Writers award for Lifetime Achievement. But perhaps the greatest honor Swarthout has had is the popularity his writing has earned him for several decades.
Louis L’Amour
Louis L’Amour
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 3/28/2012
Little L’Amour grew up enthralled with the stories of his grandfather and uncles. His grandfather had fought in the Civil War and the Indian War. L’Amour’s uncles were cowboys and ranchers. L’Amour ‘s grandfather shared exciting stories of battles he had lived through, and the uncles told him about adventures of the cowboy life on a ranch in the American Frontier. These stories tantalized L’Amour’s imagination, leading to his interest in American history.
Further contributing to the development of the budding author’s mind was his oldest sister, Edna. A librarian by trade, his sister exposed him to hours upon hours in the library, where L’Amour buried himself in history works, science books, and the stories of Jack London, Robert Louis Stevenson, and others.
With an air of foreshadowing, L'Amour began his professional life as a boxer and prizefighter. L’Amour ended up writing about the boxing life in some of his literary works. Adding further to his unique life experience, he roamed the planet on rails and overseas, later writing about his travels and the people he met along the way.
Starting his author life as a pulp-fiction magazine writer, he soon found he had to move forward with the times. He began selling novels, such as his Hopalong Cassidy stories, and worked his way into TV and movie projects. Eventually, in the 1960s, L’Amour wrote the Sackett family series and began traveling to promote his books and movies.
L’Amour’s book sales eventually reached over 100 million books sold, more than double the prior record of John Steinbeck’s work. As a result of his massive success and influence, L’Amour was awarded the National Gold Medal from Congress, and then the Medal of Freedom. Today, after his lifetime, his numerous books continue to sell worldwide in over 16 languages.
Larry McMurtry
Larry McMurtry
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 3/20/2012
McMurtry completed a Bachelor’s degree at the University of North Texas in 1958, and a Master’s degree from Rice University in 1960. Enriched by more than his education, McMurtry has been inspired by the many creative people he has been surrounded by in life.
His first wife was a professor and a published author. McMurtry’s son, James McMurtry, is a successful musician and songwriter. And McMurtry’s current wife, Norma Faye Kesey, is the widow of writer Ken Kesey.
Larry McMurtry has made success for himself as an essayist, screenwriter, novelist and even a bookseller. One of his bookstores, Booked Up in Archer City, is one of the largest used bookstores in the United States.
But his fame for bookselling is nothing compared to his public acclaim for works like, “Terms of Endearment,” “Lonesome Dove,” and the controversial big screen hit, “Brokeback Mountain.”
Some of the awards McMurtry has received include Academy Awards, the Jesse H. Jones Award from the Texas Institute of Letters, the Amon G. Carter Award for periodical prose, the Peggy V. Helmerich Distinguished Author Award, a Golden Globe, and an Oscar. Larry McMurtry’s works will remain classics in American literature for many years to come.
Elmer Kelton
Elmer Kelton
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 3/15/2012
Kelton graduated from Crane High School and went to the University of Texas in 1942. Taking some time off from school in 1944-1946 to serve in the army overseas, he went back to the University in 1946. Two years later he had successfully completed his B.A. in journalism.
Before he started into novels, Kelton worked as a writer-editor for a farm and ranch publication, the San Angelo Standard-Times. After that, he worked as an editor for the magazine entitled, “Sheep and Goat Raiser.”
While he continued his editing work as an associate editor for Livestock Weekly for 22 years, Kelton began writing his own novels and publishing them. Some of the most popular of his 40 novels are “The Man Who Rode Midnight,” “The Time it Never Rained,” “The Good Old Boys,” “Buffalo Wagons,” “Eye of the Hawk,” “The Way of the Coyote,” and “The Art of Howard Terpning.” “The Good Old Boys,” was made famous by a 1995 TNT movie starring Tommy Lee Jones, as the main character from the novel.
Kelton has won numerous literary awards, including the Western Heritage Award, the Spur Award from the Western Writers of America, the Barbara McCombs/Lon Tinkle Award, the Lone Star award for Lifetime Achievement and others, setting him apart from many other authors.
Additionally, Kelton has been awarded honorary doctorates from two universities and was rewarded for his talents by the Texas Legislature’s declaration of Elmer Kelton Day, in April of 1997. Kelton’s books continue to hold their own among the best of today’s western novels.
Cormac McCarthy
Cormac McCarthy
Posted by A.A. Callisters on 3/6/2012
In 1965, the American Academy of Arts and Letters awarded McCarthy a traveling fellowship. He started that summer on the Sylvania, a ship on its way to Ireland, and began writing his first novel, “The Orchard Keeper.” It was on this ship that he met his first wife, Anne DeLisle, a singer. They married a year later in England.
That same year, 1966, McCarthy earned more traveling money with a Rockefeller Foundation Grant. He began this journey exploring Southern Europe and from there went on to Ibiza. In this exotic location, he wrote, “Outer Dark.”
McCarthy’s first marriage lasted only ten years. McCarthy separated from Anne in 1976, and eventually got married to his current wife, Jennifer Winkley, with whom he has a son, John.
In total, McCarthy has published ten novels including such favorites as “Blood Meridian” and “The Crossing.” Three of his novels, “All the Pretty Horses,” “No Country for Old Men,” and “The Road” have been made into movies.
“No Country for Old Men,” the movie, earned 4 Academy Awards and 75 international awards. “All the Pretty Horses” earned a National Book Critics Award and a National Book Award. “The Road” brought additional accolades with the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. Cormac McCarthy has been heralded as one of the greatest novelists and playwrights of the last century.
Master Hatters
Master Hatters
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 2/27/2012
Through the years, Cook moved his way up in the Byer-Rolnick Company, making a name for himself as a master hatter. Finally, in 1968, 32 years after he started working for Byer-Rolnick, Cook started up his own hat-making company called Master Hatters of Texas, Inc.
In his first year, Cook manufactured on contract with the Resistol Hat Company. However, as time passed, he developed his own line of Western hats under the name of his own company, Master Hatters of Texas. Cook made sure that his company’s name was known for top quality Western hats.
In 1977, Cook passed away, leaving the business to his two sons. Eleven years later, the Cook sons signed a contract with Wrangler Jean Company to work together in branding. The relationship between the two companies continued for 20 years.
Today, Master Hatters of Texas, Inc. is still family owned and operated. It is run from a 50,000 square foot building set on 5.5 acres in Garland, Texas. Their hats are still individually custom made, so customers get the precise fit they expect from a Master hat.
Milano Hats
Milano Hats
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 2/19/2012
Milano had learned from some of the top hatters of the time and thus insisted on the highest quality for his own hats. Genuine leather has always been used for the sweatbands inside the hats. Even the less expensive hats have buffed leather for added comfort.
One year after opening the Milano Hat Company, Milano signed a licensing agreement with Larry Mahan. This gave Milano the opportunity to sell some of his Western hats under the name of Larry Mahan’s Hat Collection, with his own Milano Hat Company trademark.
It was 1990 when Milano introduced the line he called “Justin Authentic Headwear.” While the fur and felt hats of earlier days had temporarily gone out of fashion, in 1992, they made a return to Milano’s line. They remain popular because of their high quality and comfort.
In 2004, the Dorfman Pacific Company of Stockton, California purchased the Milano Hat Company, making it a subsidiary of Dorfman Pacific. It remains thus today. Because of the merger, the Milano brand has been able to expand. In 2006, they purchased a 63,000 square foot building to become their headquarters in Garland, TX. In spite of the increased size and demand, Milano continues to be a name synonymous with high quality, unique finishes, and special styles in hats.
Serratelli Hats
Serratelli Hats
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 2/13/2012
Raw materials are collected for making the hat, whether it is wool, fur, or both. The materials are organized by color and texture, to ensure continuity. Binders are added to the material. It is then pressed into a flat round brim. Another piece of material is shaped over a mandrel and sewn to the rounded frame.
After being sown together, the hat can be dyed to the requested color. When the material is not as uniform in shade, darker dyes will be used. When the material is more uniform, it is possible to dye the hat a lighter color. Because lighter hats require more work and inspection, they usually cost more.
The dyed and dried hat can then be left 10-gallon style or be creased to add more shape to the top. The hat is then steamed to solidify the shape in both the crown and brim. After it cools, the sweatband, lining, and trim are added as finishing touches.
Serratelli Hats sell their hats with a coded system of X’s. The more X’s there are, the higher the quality of the hat. For example, the 1,000X Entre III is the finest, smoothest, and most durable cowboy hat available. It is made of the best quality fur possible. Serratelli Hats continue to sell well in the United States and seem to have no end in sight for their longstanding history and reputation.
Wrangler Jeans
Wrangler Jeans
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 2/6/2012
As the fledgling company grew, the need for a real factory led the owners to build a new one. An old story explains why the company then changed its name. The legend tells that some railroad workers gave Hudson a bell when they bought some overalls at the Hudson store.
The bell, after a while inside the factory, became covered with blue denim dust, thus becoming a “blue bell.” When the Hudson Company moved to the new factory, they changed the name to Blue Bell Overall Company, inspired by the bell.
In 1943, Blue Bell bought out a competitor called Casey Jones. This gave Blue Bell the rights to Casey Jones’ brand name “Wrangler.” The owners of Blue Bell wanted to make some jeans specifically for rodeo use and hired Bernard Lichtenstein, also known as “Rodeo Ben,” to develop these jeans. Bernard was a Polish tailor who took on the task with flair, working with cowboys to find out what they needed and wanted in their jeans.
The Wrangler jeans, known and loved today, were the result of this project. In 1947, the 11MWZ style (shortly thereafter renamed 13MWZ) became available for sale and has not stopped selling since. Wrangler has since developed several other lines for specific demographics. Among these other lines are Riggs, Aura, and 20X. Wrangler is now sold in 22 European countries and continues to be popular in the U.S., as Wrangler keeps up with the latest trends, while still holding true to its heritage.
History of Justin Boots
History of Justin Boots
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 1/26/2012
In 1889, ten years later, a railroad was built through Nocona, Texas. H.J., seeing the business opportunity, took his family and moved out there to take advantage of the railway trade capabilities.
Another nine years later, in 1908, his two sons John and Earl were old enough to join the business, which now sold cowboy boots, rather than just repairing them. H.J. changed the name to H.J. Justin and Sons. By 1910, their boots were being sold in 26 states and in three neighboring countries for $11 a pair.
When H.J. passed away in 1918, the two older boys and their younger brother Avis took over the company. Shortly thereafter, in 1925, they moved out to Fort Worth. They worked the business successfully from there for quite some time.
In Fort Worth, there was another company called Acme Brick. The Justin Company struck a deal with this company to form Justin Industries. Passing down the family ownership, in 1981 John Jr. bought the company from his aunt Enid Justin. In 1984, he bought the Chippewa Shoe Company to add to the Justin brand.
Then in 1990, after years of battling in competition, Justin Boots purchased Tony Lama Boots. At last, in the year 2000, Justin Boots passed out of the Justin family hands, when Warren Buffet�s Berkshire Hathaway bought them out. Today, the Justin Boot brand name still holds strong against its competitors.
History of Levi’s
History of Levi’s
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 1/18/2012
These were riveted work pants for men, made of denim of course. And the look took off. Not only were the denim jeans practical, but they were also comfortable and good looking. Soon, the name of Levi Strauss became well known across the nation. Because of their rugged design, Levis soon became the pants of choice for cowboys, and eventually became a staple of western wear. Regardless of the sales of other apparel, it was their jeans that sky-rocketed the Levi Strauss Company to success.
Ninety years after the invention of Levi’s jeans came the 1960’s, the era of rebellion against the prim and proper, the war and societal expectations. The blue jeans craze hit in this era of hippie freedom. Comfortable, natural, and casual, jeans suddenly became a must have item and sales for Levi Strauss exploded.
In the 1970s, there was no sign of slowing down in the sales and popularity of Levi’s. Throughout the 60s and 70s, bell-bottomed Levi’s were the most popular look. It was during the 70s that Walter Hass Jr. and his team added new fashions and models to Levi Strauss’ stores. The company also acquired the Great Western Garment Co., of Canada, and started selling Permanent Press trousers with the brand name of Sta-prest.
During this period of rapid growth, Levi Strauss went from just 15 plants to 64 in the United States, plus 25 beyond national borders. Interestingly, Levi Strauss employed different labor techniques. They paid their workers based on performance, rather than by the hour. As a result, their workers were highly motivated, top performing, and very tidy.
The company took good care of their employees. The press plants, known for their intense heat, were cooled by the massive air conditioning systems the company installed, to keep their workers comfortable.
The Great Western Garment line failed in 2004. But the Dockers brand, which Levi Strauss had introduced in 1986, helped defer some of the losses that happened as blue jeans popularity began to fall. Today, Levi is looking to new avenues to stay on top, including completely different markets such as phone sales. Still owned by family members and descendants of Levi Strauss, the company continues to hold strong in a struggling U.S. economy.
History of Durango Boots
History of Durango Boots
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 1/10/2012
They managed to procure the use of a factory, without rent, and borrow some equipment. With all their hopes and determination poured into it, the brothers developed the company that would become Rocky Brands.
At first, the company managed with fewer than 100 employees, making 300 pairs of shoes each day. As their shoe sales took off, the Brooks brothers built an addition on the factory and installed more equipment to employ 225 people and make 2,000 pairs of shoes per day. This growth occurred in only the first few years of business.
During the 40s and 50s and World War II, the production of boots and shoes for the military brought the company even greater success. But, with a later decline in sales, in 1958 William Brooks offered the sale of his business to the Irving Drew Shoe Company. His nephew, John Brooks, wanted to take over, but William refused his nephew�s offer. He told his nephew there was no future in the shoe business.
John Brooks stayed on with the company, and when it struggled in 1975, and the owners wanted to shut it down, he took the opportunity to buy back the family business and revitalize it. In 1977, John�s son, Mike, received an award for his �Rocky Boot,� the original design. From there, the Rocky brand moved steadily forward.
In 2004, the now-called Rocky Shoes & Boots Company purchased EJ Footwear acquiring, among other things, the Durango brand. Durango boots have since lead the competition with inventions such as SPR leather and Comfort Core Insoles.
History of Ariat Apparel
History of Ariat Apparel
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 1/4/2012
Traditional riding boots were uncomfortable, stiff, and heavy. The two
women brought together a group of footwear engineers and designers and
came up with the most innovative and high-performance cowboy boots for riders ever created.
Ariat brand quickly spread throughout both the English and Western
riding worlds. Tested by professional riders across the country, the
boots were proven to be over and above any of the competition.
The English riding boot brand was called “Performer,” while the Western
riding boot brand was named “Competitor.” In 1995, the company developed
the high-tech Advanced Torque Stability (ATS) technology, making their
boots the industry standard for both comfort and performance.
Eventually, as Ariat became more and more successful, they began sponsoring athletes, putting together the Ariat Pro team. Some of their Olympic athletes won gold and silver medals at the Olympics. They also began sponsoring the National High School Rodeo Association (NHSRA).
Today, the Ariat
brand includes premium leather belts, many with Grip Strip Technology,
English performance apparel, Western performance apparel, and Ariat
denim. The Ariat brand continues to grow as the company’s commitment to
quality and aptitude for technological advancements lifts Ariat
continually above the competition.
Tony Lama; A History
Tony Lama; A History
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 12/22/2011
In the very beginning of the 1900’s, Lama served the U.S. Cavalry as a cobbler in Fort Bliss, Texas. The service experience taught him the importance of a boot that fits properly, for both functionality and comfort. When he returned from his service, he started working on developing the most comfortable boot to date.
Lama started his own boot-making business, making cowboy boots. In the beginning, customers were coming mainly for boot repairs. But soon the people began to hear about the quality of his boots and came to order custom boots. His first year, he and one helper made 20 pairs of boots.
As Western stores began ordering Lama’s boots to sell on their shelves, he had to get creative to develop a manufacturing process that did not sacrifice the quality handmade craftsmanship that his boots were becoming famous for. In 1961, almost 50 years after Lama started his business, his company started producing 750 pairs of boots per day.
Tony Lama passed away 13 years later, in 1974, leaving the business to his children and grandchildren. They know the Tony Lama name is what it is today because of Lama’s insistence on top quality and they continue to strive to maintain that high-level quality and reputation their grandfather worked so hard to develop.
Stetson; A History
Stetson; A History
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 12/19/2011
In 1865, John Stetson started his own hat making business, in Philidelphia, with a small rented room and some hand tools. Initially, he had $10 of fur to work with (which, back then, was certainly worth more than it is now, but still not a tremendous amount).
A truly skilled hat maker, Stetson developed the “Boss of the Plains” hat, also known as the “Hat of the West,” a year after opening. These Stetson hats became famous for their quality, craftsmanship, durability, and aesthetic appeal.
Part of Stetson’s marketing strategy, when he first started selling his hats, was to send letters to merchants throughout the Southwest, asking for minimum orders of 12 hats per store. He got so many orders, he soon had to use a factory to produce enough hats to meet demand.
Quality was a primary focus, for Stetson, as he sought to infuse exceptional quality into every hat he made. This brought a tremendous following and a growing popularity that led the Stetson business to become, in 1886, the largest hat company in the world. Today, it remains one of the oldest, most successful and still one of the largest hat companies in the world.
Resistol; A History
Resistol; A History
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 12/14/2011
Byer took such a liking to both the product and the man at the helm of this little company, that he decided to invest in Rolnick’s future. Byer sold his own business in Michigan and moved to Dallas, Texas to start up the new firm, Byer-Rolnick.
The two men focused on producing both Western hats and hats for dressier occasions. All of their hats were marketed as “Resistol Hats,” because they “resist all” weather conditions. In the beginning, marketing was limited primarily to Texas and Oklahoma.
In the late 1930’s, however, the company had grown beyond the capacity of their facility and had to pick up and move to a larger building in Garland, Texas, the location at which they still remain today. But that move was just the beginning.
The Resistol team was innovative in its manufacturing and distributing advancements. And, in order to maintain the quality standard they’d grown famous for, Byer and Rolnick opened up their own fur cutting plant and rough body plant. This eliminated some of the variables of supplier production as the company became the first manufacturer to create their felt hats from start to finish without any outsourcing.
The innovations and marketing successes of the Resistol team, continued snowballing forward. Today, the Byer-Rolnick company, as a portion of Hatco, Inc., is part of the largest hat manufacturing company in the world.
Lucchese: A History
Lucchese: A History
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 12/6/2011
In San Antonio, Texas, three years after his arrival, Lucchese started up his small business. As the business grew, Sam became successful and was able to pass the business on to his son, Cosimo. Cosimo carried on in his father’s footsteps. But it was Cosimo’s son, Sam Lucchese Jr. who really caused the Lucchese company to take off.
Sam Jr. was obsessed with the human foot. He studied it, and was fascinated with its form and function. As a result, he designed a boot that was able to provide the best fit of any boot in the market. Each one-of-a-kind boot took time and effort, but the results were incredible comfort and functionality for the user.
Sam Sr.’s grandson was very concerned with delivering quality to their customers. Sam Jr. stated, "The final truth is that throughout the whole boot factory, the quality chain is no stronger than its weakest link." He developed a process that is still in use by the company today- the double inspection. Each boot is individually inspected twice, before it is allowed to leave the factory.
Now located in El Paso, Texas, the Lucchese Company still owes a nod to the innovations and hard work of Sam Lucchese Jr. The company maintains his high standards of near-perfect leather and top quality workmanship. Lucchese boots are thus considered to be some of the best, if not the best, cowboy boots in the nation.
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 11/27/2011
Singing in small local engagements, she had a powerful clear voice that
won over her neighbors, but hadn’t, as of yet, taken her very far. When
she graduated from high school, the practicalities of life led her to
trade in her dreams of being a country music star for a college degree
in broadcast journalism.
She was in her senior year of college, at Northeastern State University of Oklahoma when she tried out for American Idol.
Carrie easily earned the adoration of America and won the fourth season
of American Idol. Thus she suddenly became one of the best known
country singers today.
“Some Hearts” was her debut album and hit triple platinum, the hottest
female country album yet. She topped the Billboard charts with a single,
“Inside your Heaven” and did the same with “Jesus Take the Wheel.”
Contradicting her sweet songs before, she sang “Before He Cheats” which
is still enormously popular. Her album “Carnival Ride” followed shortly
thereafter and topped the album charts, with several of the songs
topping the country song charts as well.
Today, Carrie Underwood is the youngest member of the Grand Ole Opry and
has already won several awards, including Grammys and Country Music
Awards. Co-hosting the CMA Awards in 2009, Carrie has fulfilled and
surpassed many of the childhood hopes she dared to dream from a little
farm in Oklahoma all those years ago.
Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 11/19/2011
Chet was a good networker and managed to get himself a spot on the Bill
Carlisle Show, exposing himself to the radio public for the first time.
He joined the Dixie Swingers who performed on the same radio station,
WNOX of Knoxville, where he was working with Homer and Jethro.
1946 was a big year for Chet, as he performed at the Grand Ole Opry for
the first time and made his first record for Bullet Records. He moved
from Knoxville radio to Cincinnati radio and then to Richmond Virginia’s
WRVA. However, he was repeatedly let go from engagements because his
music wasn’t quite what the executives wanted.
RCA disagreed with those radio executives. Steve Sholes, the Nashville
Division manager for RCA, heard a recording of Chet’s music and began
trying to find the nomadic performer. He discovered him in Denver,
playing with Shorty Thompson & His Rangers. Chet responded quickly
to the call and moved to Nashville to record for RCA.
Once in Nashville, Chet quickly became a country music standard, signing
on as a regular at the Grand Ole Opry, acting as a consultant to RCA’s
Nashville division, and even developing guitar designs which are still
popular today. Soon Chet took Sholes’ job as manager with RCA. All the
while, his music was holding a top spot in listener popularity.
In the 1980’s, after Chet’s popularity in the country music arena had finally declined, he took off his cowboy hat
and experimented with jazz, leaving RCA to record with Columbia
Records. His bold jazz guitar playing was enjoyed by many, but he came
back to his roots in country before the end.
In 2001, Chet passed away from brain cancer. Before he died, Chet had
earned 9 CMA Instrumentalist of the Year Honors, a Lifetime Achievement
Award from NARAS, and 11 Grammy Awards. He was a musician who left an enduring legend behind.
Clint Black
Clint Black
Posted by Kevin Neilson on 11/9/2011
In 1987, when Black was 25, he met Z.Z. Top’s manager, Bill Ham. Ham was
very impressed and began working to sell RCA on the young singer. 6
months later, Black contracted with the company and released his first
album in 1989 to huge success.
“Killin’ Time” held its spot as #1 on the country album charts for 28
weeks straight. It reached triple platinum. Seeking similar success,
Black produced “Put Yourself in My Shoes” in 1990. Following the
popularity of that album, the Grand Ole Opry inducted him into their group the next year.
Black’s next albums were “The Hard Way” in 1992 and “No Time to Kill” in
1993. Black, ever the adventurer, decided to try acting and performed
in “Wings” on TV and the 1994 movie, “Maverick.” Black released four
more albums over the next 6 years.
In 1991, Black had married another singer, who was also an actress on
Knots Landing, Lisa Hartman. Together, the couple released a duet in
2000 called, “When I Said I Do,” a #1 country music hit that earned them
a Grammy Award. Today, no one would suspect that Clint Black, stylish,
wealthy, and wildly successful, started out as a high school dropout
performing in local bars.
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