Size of bandanas

[Delmonico]

I wear both silk and cotton, silk most of the time, the cotton when I work around a fire.  The 35X35 ones are not hard to find, they are as close as your local fabric shop.  I will not work around a fire with a silk one nor will I let anyone who helps me wear one.  I always have extra cotton and give them out to folks who help me.  That bandanna helps keep radiant heat burns off my neck. 

Of course the silk ones done up in what is know as a cowboy turtleneck are fantastic to help keep you warm in the winter:



I sell hundreds of them every year for this use.  I don't know any working cowboys who don't own them and use them, perfect gift for someone.

Cotton ones, just buy a yard and a quarter of calico you like, square it up and sew the edges, the extra is to make sure you can get full size on the bias.  The scraps go in my calico scrap box and get used for quilts and patching my work shirts.  I even do them for friends, and I just keep the scrap for my labor.

[GunClick Rick]

Harley, James and Clicker - you're absolutely right - large bandanas were often seen in the west. But smaller ones were often seen in the early days as well, compared with a uniformly larger size later.

That's cuzz them fellers didn't have no gal~Fellers with big rags usually had thier gals silk one on and sniff and cuddle it whilst sleepin under gods own lights

[GunClick Rick]

I wear both silk and cotton, silk most of the time, the cotton when I work around a fire.  The 35X35 ones are not hard to find, they are as close as your local fabric shop.  I will not work around a fire with a silk one nor will I let anyone who helps me wear one.  I always have extra cotton and give them out to folks who help me.  That bandanna helps keep radiant heat burns off my neck. 

Of course the silk ones done up in what is know as a cowboy turtleneck are fantastic to help keep you warm in the winter:



I sell hundreds of them every year for this use.  I don't know any working cowboys who don't own them and use them, perfect gift for someone.

Cotton ones, just buy a yard and a quarter of calico you like, square it up and sew the edges, the extra is to make sure you can get full size on the bias.  The scraps go in my calico scrap box and get used for quilts and patching my work shirts.  I even do them for friends, and I just keep the scrap for my labor.

I'll have to check the website i need to get a few..

[ChuckBurrows]

Neck/head scarves are not a latter 19th Century cow hand only item. FYI - the term bandanna/bandana shows up in several of the early 19th Century Rocky Mountain trade lists at least as far back as 1831 i.e. in Jed Smith's list of goods for the Santa Fe trade they are noted as bandanna handkerchiefs along with handkerchief and and it's abbreviations - the latter are listed in both silk and cotton while bandanas are listed as cotton or otherwise not described other than bandana. In another trade list (Robert Campbell's of 1832) they are noted as Bandana Hdkf and Bandana Handkerchief. Some descriptions note them as being (east) Indian silk or cotton and colors such as blue are also noted.
Other early 19th Century period sources note handkerchiefs/bandanas being used as both neck scarves and head scarves during the early 1800's - one of the most famous being Edward Robinson, a mountain man from Kentucky, who was scalped as a younger man during the Ky Indian Wars of the late 1700's and thereafter wore a bandana/handkerchief to cover his healed scalp. One tough dude, he died in an attack by Bannack or Snake Indians in 1814 at age 66 or 67, while trapping in eastern Idaho.
Bandanas/Handkerchiefs as head wear are also well documented amongst the Spanish/Mexicans of the SW and the Californios from the 1700's through the 1800's - often being worn under a broad brimmed hat/sombrero.
Silk handkerchiefs/scarves are also well documented for the 18th Century - being used as both neck wear and head wear (either pirate style with the knot at the back or Aunt Jemima style with the knot on the forehead).....

The trade lists referred to above can be found here - http://user.xmission.com/~drudy/mtman/bizrecs.html

Like Don Nix I've worn/wear either silk or cotton (sometimes linen which is even better than cotton in the summer for wicking away sweat) dependent on the weather as do most of the working cow hands I know and have known - they are especially popular amongst the buckaroos of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau region which I'm most familiar with and I've heard them referred to as wild rags by the old timers at least as far back as the mid-1960's when I first started riding as a working cow hand in the Santa Barbara/Santa Ynez/Paso Robles California areas.
Also like Wadd I've got a large 18" neck and and head (size 8 hat) and need a minimum 30-32" square to fit, so while smaller may have been PC for some IMO basically it depends on your size - just like breech clouts  .

[WaddWatsonEllis]

In the pic in my profile, as a Californio I am wearing a silk bandana under the hat, tied 'pirate style' with a square knot under the back (occipital area) of the head ...but it only really shows on the back view ...

I am told that it was much easier (and cheaper) for the Californios to was a bandana than to clean a hat ... and with the heat and dust of Central California, it makes a lot of sense ...

[Daniel Nighteyes]

A minor point, but one that merits some consideration:

Perhaps the simplest description of a bandana is "a square of cloth."  Many drovers, ranch hands and others barely had two pennies to rub together, so it stands to reason that not everyone had store-bought bandanas.  When it comes to pure functionality a piece of sheet or tablecloth, the back of an old shirt, the lining from a worn-out coat (etc.) would work nearly as well, and at little to no cost.

Now, when it came to "lookin' fancy fer the ladies..."   

[Harley Starr]

A minor point, but one that merits some consideration:

Perhaps the simplest description of a bandana is "a square of cloth."  Many drovers, ranch hands and others barely had two pennies to rub together, so it stands to reason that not everyone had store-bought bandanas.  When it comes to pure functionality a piece of sheet or tablecloth, the back of an old shirt, the lining from a worn-out coat (etc.) would work nearly as well, and at little to no cost.

Now, when it came to "lookin' fancy fer the ladies..."   

That sounds plausible. If it couldn't be bought it could be improvised with what whatever was handy.

[1961MJS]

HI

I have a feeling that bandanna's are larger now than 100 years ago, after all, our necks are substantially bigger around.  The old 1990's Scout neckerchiefs really look funny on an old guy with a 19 inch neck.  Think about Baby Hewie.  I finally broke down and bought the newer 30 plus inch scout neckerchief.

Later

Mike
Norman OK

[St. George]

Some of the old Scout neckerchiefs were 37"X37"X37" - just like the Army's cravat bandage.

They were meant to be used for signalling, as a tie-down, a sling and a myriad of other uses.

Not everyone wore a bandanna - they were a 'cowboy' thing, after all - so townsfolk used handkerchiefs, and those were both readily found at the dry goods store and mail order catalog, and were substantially smaller - like the 'railroader' handkerchiefs.

Slides were mostly a cute Hollywood invention - bandannas were tied.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[1961MJS]

Hi

This isn't size related, but I ordered a couple of Wild Rags, and they both have a laundry tag.  100% silk etc.  What's the best way to remove them?  I'm guessing that there's not scarf equivalent to the Mattress Tag Police making me keep the tag attached.  I was planning on just cutting as close to the silk as possible.

Thanks

[Delmonico]

Hi

This isn't size related, but I ordered a couple of Wild Rags, and they both have a laundry tag.  100% silk etc.  What's the best way to remove them?  I'm guessing that there's not scarf equivalent to the Mattress Tag Police making me keep the tag attached.  I was planning on just cutting as close to the silk as possible.

Thanks

Since most likely they are Wyoming Traders brand, why don't you just remove the stitching that holds them in place? 

BTW that tag on your mattress can be removed by you, not the seller.

[1961MJS]

Since most likely they are Wyoming Traders brand, why don't you just remove the stitching that holds them in place? 

BTW that tag on your mattress can be removed by you, not the seller.

I thought I could remove the mattress tag, but my mattress is pretty old, I think it fell off in the second move.

Yep, they ARE Wyoming Trader's.  I take it they're either the most popular, or the only ones in the business.

I looked at the wrong side of the tags, heck they're MADE to cut off.   

Thanks Del

Mike

[Delmonico]

I thought I could remove the mattress tag, but my mattress is pretty old, I think it fell off in the second move.

Yep, they ARE Wyoming Trader's.  I take it they're either the most popular, or the only ones in the business.

I looked at the wrong side of the tags, heck they're MADE to cut off.   

Thanks Del

Mike

There are others but they sell the most, I've had a couple or more dozen and I've sold thousands of them over the years.  I was guessing you hadn't looked it over good.   

[Icebox Bob]

A minor point, but one that merits some consideration:

Perhaps the simplest description of a bandana is "a square of cloth."  Many drovers, ranch hands and others barely had two pennies to rub together, so it stands to reason that not everyone had store-bought bandanas.  When it comes to pure functionality a piece of sheet or tablecloth, the back of an old shirt, the lining from a worn-out coat (etc.) would work nearly as well, and at little to no cost.

Now, when it came to "lookin' fancy fer the ladies..."   

Took me awhile to find this post - but I remembered it yesterday when I was forced to retire one of my favourite shirts (elbows and cuffs wore out first and it became short sleeve, then the collar but when the buttons started to rip out...). 

One of the most comfortable shirts I have owned - 100% cotton, with a fine thread count and washed to until it was a soft as silk.  But the back is still good!  A little bit of cutting and I have a work-a-day bandana.  It's a bit odd shaped - but so am I and it works fine for a once around wrap.