Mexican gaiters??

[Angel_Eyes]

Hi, guys, been a bit busy lately with family matters but I now have time back in my hands.

I have seen a pair of, what I would call gaiters, they come from just under the knee, down onto the boot.

Do they have a specific name, and is there a pattern or formula for making them?

[Mogorilla]

Search for Chuck Burrows posts on Botas, or Botas de Alas.  here are a pair of mine I made following Chuck's Pattern.  Check out his Wild Rose Trading co for some great pictures.

[Slowhand Bob]

I know none of the history but figure when the Indians were using them they were leggins and when the Mexicans took to using them they became botas.  For me, right or wrong, when the tie down is a simple string that the top flips over it is a leggin and when we add chap type straps/buttons/hardware in it then becomes botas.  Some of the modern botas are actually more related to a boot top than a leggin and I am not sure if these styles even existed back when?   I know I have seen WW1 photos of the tightly laced canvas ones but not sure beyond that, anyone have photo evidence that takes them much earlier?  Were they even an American exclusive?

[Angel_Eyes]

Thanks for the replies, I knew I had seen them somewhere else.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Mister Google showed me this;

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=2742

Look at Chuck Burrows' post on 02 May 2008.

[Major 2]

There are coupla pair in the Jefferson Barracks collection at St. Louis.

I was given the opportunity to make pattern off one set, these were Mule Deer Hide.
They are listed as Bota's and private purchase.
They were dated circa 1848 and atriduted to a Sargent of the  United States Regiment of Dragoons.

They are quite simple to make, I aquired some Mule Deer hide from Doug Kidd
These fold over, hiding a single metal button and Thong tie  a second button of the same style is about 1/2 Calf.
The Buttons are/were of the stamped metal fly/suspender style on issue trousers

[Drayton Calhoun]

I seem to remember Kevin Costner wearing something like leggings in Silverado. Buttoned up on the outside and I don't believe they folded over. Now, they could have been boots, it has been a long time since I watched the movie.

[GunClick Rick]

I seen some Mexican gaitors once,i knew they were Mexican gaitors by thier sombreros and gold teeth and had five babys swimin behind them~~~They were sellin Tacos Carne Acrocadile too..

[WaddWatsonEllis]

I have been in the process (kind of a future imperfect verb) lf having a set made for me that will give me a place to show off the lovely Belduque that Josh Dabney made for me ... the botas and Belduque will really set off my Californio duds when reeenacting.



Here is a stylized painting of a Californio hunting bear by La Reata (i.e. Lariat). A crazy sport by my thought, but the painting really shows off a set of Botas rather well  and notice the Belduque hilt right in the top of the botas ....



Here is a pic of an old set of Botas:

[WaddWatsonEllis]

I almost forgot,

Since the Botas have been in the process of being made for a year an a quarter. I found a simple set of Bota plans that I could follow ... nothing as nice as the ones I will eventually get, but an option if July rolls around that the Botas are not in sight .... here is the pic of the pattern;

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Wadd, that is one beautiful Belduque, Josh Dabney has created a master piece. 

[WaddWatsonEllis]

TwoWalks,

Thank you for your kindmenss ...I wish Josh was here to take a bow .... 'cause it was all his input ... I just gave him the parameters and the rest was all him ...

excepting the Damascus ...that was entirely my imput ... but where we are located is just a overnight steamer run from San Francisco which had connections to all the South American ports ...and the Californios were more than willing to have the best and brightest .... so that is my story and I am sticking to it ...

Until I get or make some botas, I have tucked the knife in my belt and cummerbund ... but it is like wearing a small sword ... the blade alone is just under 10 1/2 inches ...

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Two Walks,

I just ttied to send you a PM ... but it seems like SASS is still looking for 'Two Walks' and Baldridge ...

So here is the PM:

If you would like to watch this knife go from a 'hunka hunka burnin' steel to a finished kinife, Josh Dabney did a great job of documenting it on the 'Cutting Edge Forum' ... it starts right here:

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,31167.0.html

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

Two Walks,

I just ttied to send you a PM ... but it seems like SASS is still looking for 'Two Walks' and Baldridge ...

So here is the PM:

If you would like to watch this knife go from a 'hunka hunka burnin' steel to a finished kinife, Josh Dabney did a great job of documenting it on the 'Cutting Edge Forum' ... it starts right here:

http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,31167.0.html

Wadd, thanks.  Will be watching this first thing in the morning.  I think I will try to figure out how to change the login name on here.  It currently is Flap Jack ... makes it a might confusing.

[Shotgun Franklin]

If you look through photos of Texas John Slaughter there's one of him as an older man wearing a nice pair of lace up Botas. As I understand it Botas evolved from the leg protectors the Spanish wore. While they weren't as popular as Chaps, some American Cowboys did wear'm. I've worked cattle with guys wearing Chaps but not Botas so I guess they've fallen out of favor?