Authentic clothing and gun leather

Kidd Krystin · March 26, 2009, 12:24:51 PM

I'd appreciate it if any of you pards could suggest books I could pick up showing proper dress and gun leather for the period from the late 1860's to the 1890's.

Thanks for your help!

Trap · March 26, 2009, 12:30:08 PM

Packin' Iron & The Peacemakers. Don't have the authors in front of me, someone will add them I'm sure. jt

'Monterrey' Jack Brass · March 26, 2009, 01:24:08 PM

K.K.

A good reasonably priced book that meets your requirements is: I See by Your Outfit: Historic Cowboy Gear of the Northern Plains by Tom Lindmier & Steve Mount. It provides a decent breakdown of clothing, leathers, horse equipment, etc.

YMH&OS,

Brass

Irish Dave · March 26, 2009, 01:56:04 PM

I'll second "I See By Your Outfit." It's a good one for your purpose, I'd say.

The Packin' Iron author is Rattenbury. It's the bible for period gunleather IMHO.
Don't recall who wrote Peacemakers , but it's a good book as well.

Another good book is "Dressed for the Photographer" it's pretty pricey but might be available at the local library. Not as much about "working" outfits, but great examples (divided by decade and dated w/descriptions) of period clothing -- both men's and women's.

Books OToole · March 26, 2009, 02:05:09 PM

Quote from: Irish Dave on March 26, 2009, 01:56:04 PM

Don't recall who wrote Peacemakers , but it's a good book as well.

The Peacemakers is by R. L. Wilson.

I See by Your Outfit is a great book, but I have never found a reasonably priced copy.

Books

Tame Bill · March 26, 2009, 03:02:30 PM

The Look of the Old West: A Fully Illustrated Guide by William Foster-Harris

Kidd Krystin · March 26, 2009, 07:05:23 PM

Thanks for the quick response, amigos! I'm going to start looking those books up.

Trinity · March 29, 2009, 09:26:12 AM

Quote from: Books OToole on March 26, 2009, 02:05:09 PM
The Peacemakers is by R. L. Wilson.

I See by Your Outfit is a great book, but I have never found a reasonably priced copy.

Books

It's available from Amazon for $14.95

http://www.amazon.com/See-Your-Outfit-Historic-Northern/dp/0931271339/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1238336304&sr=1-1

I wonder if you're thinking of $10 Horse, $40 Saddle. I never bought it when it was in print and now it's too pricey.

Books OToole · March 29, 2009, 12:29:36 PM

Trinity;

Thanks for the link. The last time I checked they were all over $50.
[I had a copyof $10 Horse, $40 Saddle. I read it, took notes and sold it for $ 15.00 (I think).]

Books

Forty Rod · March 29, 2009, 01:04:26 PM

The Time-Life Old West series has some great photos. The narrative is not as good as it could be, but it has some great photos.

Stop by your local public library.

Trinity · March 29, 2009, 01:10:41 PM

Books, you shoulda held on to it. There's a feller over on Amazon with a "new" one for sale for $53.99. Then there are the crazies that have used ones for sale for up to $383.00. What's worse is that the seller "cheapbargainbook" listed it as "Used - Acceptable". Not even "Good", "Very Good" or "Like New".

I've seen it plenty of times. As soon as a book goes out of print, out come the crazy prices. I guess if they can sell it, then that makes me the crazy one, but I just can't see $383.00...

My absolute favorites are the folks who have still-in-print paperbacks listed as "collectible" for hundreds of dollars with no mention of autograph or any other reason why it is "collectible".

http://www.amazon.com/10-Horse-40-Saddle/dp/0803289774/ref=pd_sim_b_18

Forty, I've got a few of those books and agree. If you look on-line, they can cost you a fortune, but I have found them at used book stores for as low as $5.00.

**correction, I just checked Amazon and found decent prices for some of them.**