Cowboy Boots

[Hurricane Jack]

I can see their leather is exceptional. The stitching is beautiful on the tops, but the grain on the tops is a perfect canvas. The shark is beautiful!

Shark is about the only exotic I would have any interest in today. It's so tough few bookmakers will worK with it now. And if it's not stretched correctly when cured it can crack & fall apart when they do. But the grain on good shark is exceptional.

I really like the curvature of the sole coming into the toe. Amazing sharkskin!

Me too. All part of an artistic boot.

 

[BobHufford]

I haven't had Tony Lama lizard tips since the seventies! These are later than that, but 11ee, for a low price, I couldn't pass.

I blame you for this Ed ... (dang peer pressure). Actually I needed a pair in this colorway. TL black labels:

 

[Stringmaster]

I blame you for this Ed ... (dang peer pressure). Actually I needed a pair in this colorway. TL black labels:

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Nice score Bob

 

[BobHufford]

Nice score Bob

Thanks Stringmaster! I hope some day to debut a pair like the last couple you've come up with!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Going thru some old things I found this Blucher Boot Co. catalog #88 postmarked May 1989. Unfortunately the pages are facsimile copies of previous catalogs in black & white. In the ordering kit they included a measuring tape where they have blacked out the name of Jay Griffith after he departed. Somewhere I have other Blucher & Paul Bond catalogs.

 

[Bamaboots]

Going thru some old things I found this Blucher Boot Co. catalog #88 postmarked May 1989. Unfortunately the pages are facsimile copies of previous catalogs in black & white. In the ordering kit they included a measuring tape where they have blacked out the name of Jay Griffith after he departed. Somewhere I have other Blucher & Paul Bond catalogs.

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Very cool, HJ. I love those old catalogs and Blucher has some of the greatest designs. A lot of history there. Thus far I've refrained from trying to collect them. I've wondered if Smitty is still in business. It's been awhile but the last time I made an inquiry I got no response.

Did you know that Lisa Sorrell got her start by answering a classified add for Griffith-Blucher looking for someone to sew boot tops. Not bad for someone who's starting price point is 5K. Another maker whose boots I will never own.

 

[Alex Oviatt]

Surprisingly comfortable when they fit right. I am a Tony Lama fan. My dog, when a puppy, ate through a pair of Lamas and a pair of Brooks Brothers tuxedo pumps. I still love her, though.

 

[Bamaboots]

Surprisingly comfortable when they fit right. I am a Tony Lama fan. My dog, when a puppy, ate through a pair of Lamas and a pair of Brooks Brothers tuxedo pumps. I still love her, though.

I would still love her as well but may have put her in timeout over the TL's. The tuxedo pumps, meh, every dog needs toys.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Very cool, HJ. I love those old catalogs and Blucher has some of the greatest designs. A lot of history there. Thus far I've refrained from trying to collect them. I've wondered if Smitty is still in business. It's been awhile but the last time I made an inquiry I got no response.

Did you know that Lisa Sorrell got her start by answering a classified add for Griffith-Blucher looking for someone to sew boot tops. Not bad for someone who's starting price point is 5K. Another maker whose boots I will never own.

I'll try & find more over the next couple of days.

 

[Desert dog]

I blame you for this Ed ... (dang peer pressure). Actually I needed a pair in this colorway. TL black labels:

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I'll take the blame! Those are a nice color, and those black labels are good boots. Good score Bob!

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

 

[BobHufford]

I'll take the blame! Those are a nice color, and those black labels are good boots. Good score Bob!

Thanks Ed! I'm wearin' 'em today. Comfy...

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Taken from a late 1940's Hyer Boots catalog I have. I always liked both #5515 War-Bonnet & especially #251 which I may have posted before. I always wanted to have a good bootmaker clone for me a pair like #251 but with some changes; it's probably too late now.

Of all the boots & unusual patterns in this catalog these two are my favorite.

You can clearly see the influence of the Indian war bonnet in the top stitching, certainly a pattern not used today.

 

[Woodtroll]

You might look at the Darn Tough line--they have several over-the-calf models. I have the Westerner (which is on the lighter side), and a pair of the Mountaineering socks which are very heavy that I got to go with a pair of boots that are a bit too big on me. I think they make some in between thicknesses too. Very well made, guaranteed to last, and no problems with them staying up! And they have lots of sizes too.
www.darntough.com

Thanks for the suggestion on the Darn Tough socks. I bought a pair of the Paul Bunyan over-the-calf socks, and they are working out great - just enough thickness to make the boots fit right, and they stay up! I may have to save my quarters to afford another pair , but with a lifetime guarantee, I hope to use them often enough to justify the cost.

Thanks to the others who suggested the Dan Post and other cotton socks, as well, but with all the walking I do and as hot and humid as it is here in the summer, cotton socks don't work as well for me. BUT, I do appreciate all of the suggestions!

Thanks, everyone,
Regan

 

[Bamaboots]

Taken from a late 1940's Hyer Boots catalog I have.

Great stuff, HJ. Some of the stuff these early boot mfgs. were doing is incredible and Hyer was ahead of their time in design, IMO. That war bonnet boot with the arrow stitching is stunning. Most of what these early companies were doing was MTM mail order. I read somewhere that at one time Tony Lama had over 50,000 custom lasts cataloged.

Never too late for another pair!

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Never too late for another pair!

Well, it is...you probably can guess who I would want to make them. With a 3+yr queue the boots might never get made, & if they did I might never get to wear them.

 

[Winston Carter]

Taken from a late 1940's Hyer Boots catalog I have. I always liked both #5515 War-Bonnet & especially #251 which I may have posted before. I always wanted to have a good bootmaker clone for me a pair like #251 but with some changes; it's probably too late now.

Of all the boots & unusual patterns in this catalog these two are my favorite.

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You can clearly see the influence of the Indian war bonnet in the top stitching, certainly a pattern not used today.

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I would buy a pair.

 

[Winston Carter]

Thanks for the suggestion on the Darn Tough socks. I bought a pair of the Paul Bunyan over-the-calf socks, and they are working out great - just enough thickness to make the boots fit right, and they stay up! I may have to save my quarters to afford another pair , but with a lifetime guarantee, I hope to use them often enough to justify the cost.

Thanks to the others who suggested the Dan Post and other cotton socks, as well, but with all the walking I do and as hot and humid as it is here in the summer, cotton socks don't work as well for me. BUT, I do appreciate all of the suggestions!

Thanks, everyone,
Regan

I wear the thick work socks they give nice cushion and make a pair of boots with a little slack fit good.

 

[Winston Carter]

Just got a resole on a pair of Brown Calfskin Lucchese about a month ago. The uppers are just getting broke in. Cost $70 here in Dallas.

 

[Hurricane Jack]

Here's a pair from the Hyer catalog I've tried to figure out for a long time. I just can't see the leaf pattern from the description. What I see makes me think of animal tusks. I have studied the illustration & played with enlarging it but that's all I see.

 

[Bamaboots]

I have studied the illustration & played with enlarging it but that's all I see.

Been Looking at it since you posted it and I don't see it either. Quite the pair of boots. 20% tax. Damn!