Packing Iron

ZVP · March 12, 2011, 02:51:36 PM

What a book!
A college level study of old western gun leather!
I just bought the book and haven't been able to put it down as it explains all sorts of intracacys between the different styles of holsters and the subtle differences such as throat cut and stitching.
For a newbe like me, I feel as though I am getting a wonderfull education on a subject I just took for granted. I found that my choice of a double loop Cheyanne holster fits the time period I am intrested in costuming for.
ZVP

Chuck 100 yd · March 12, 2011, 06:02:45 PM

I agree, It`s one of my better buys. My BIL almost had to be dragged away by SIL ,when it was time to go home the other night,, he was so much into it. And he is not a gun guy.

maarty · March 12, 2011, 07:57:43 PM

I can't find any shops here that stock it and I want a copy.

Looks like Amazon is my only hope.

KidTerico · March 12, 2011, 08:21:52 PM

Maarty if you enter packing iron book on Google and go to Amazon.com they have used ones for $24.00 and new ones on sale for $29.60 reduced down from $45.00 KT

Trailrider · March 12, 2011, 09:29:23 PM

I, too, use "Packing Iron" for reference. My only objection (and it is a slight one) is that most of the leather shown is pretty fancy. Having said that, the reason the items are in the book is that they are generally made of heavier weight leather (to hold the carving) than was commonly used. Because of the heavier leather, these were more likely to survive than much of the run-of-the-mill stuff, which tended to be of much lighter weight leather. Keep in mind that much of the leather was "store-bought", mail order stuff, and was cheap both in cost and quality.

All-in-all, this is a small nit, and I commend the book to all.

maarty · March 13, 2011, 03:35:03 AM

Quote from: KidTerico on March 12, 2011, 08:21:52 PM
Maarty if you enter packing iron book on Google and go to Amazon.com they have used ones for $24.00 and new ones on sale for $29.60 reduced down from $45.00 KT

KT, I already done that and will order a copy soon.
I tried our library system first, then all the major book sellers in NZ and had no joy, none would even special order it for me.

Skeeter Lewis · March 13, 2011, 04:57:22 AM

Holsters made by western saddle shops were certainly of better quality and more robust than the eastern mail-order stuff. The saddlers mixed with their customers and knew what they wanted. Cowboys didn't want 'chicken-skin' holsters.
But even western rigs started out fairly thin in the early years and got thicker as the century advanced.

Ned Buckshot · March 13, 2011, 05:24:35 AM

I have also spent some time thinking about the fact that most a quite fancy. One of my thoughts were these rigs were owned by more affluent men of the day and there for probably didn't get nearly the use of the day in day out cowboy.

But that's just my thinking and if you can get a cup of coffee for it you're doing better than me!

Ned

rickk · March 13, 2011, 11:02:09 AM

I just ordered a slightly used on on ebay for 24 bucks counting shipping.

Buck Stinson · March 13, 2011, 05:41:11 PM

I agree, PI is a great book and to date the only definitive study of original vintage gun leather. I was fortunate enough to be one of only three who were let to read the unpublished manuscript in it's raw form. Several pieces of gun leather from my collection are pictured in this book as well as "Cowboys and Trappings of The Old West". All of my reproductions are patterned from original items I own or have owned in the years past. If I may reply to Ned's statement, most of what you see in PI is standard everyday stuff. I agree that some of it is very fancy, but when you see these items listed in the old saddle makers catalogs, the price difference between a border tooled holster and one that is hand flower carved, may be only 50 cents. I have many old catalogs and catalog advertising cards in my collection, all of which list holsters and cartridge belts. My E.L. Gallatin catalog card dated 1878, shows a double loop holster, tooled for 60 cents. If you wanted it lined with buckskin, add 15 cents. My original F. A. Meanea catalog card dated 1885, listed a fancy tooled double loop holster for 75 cents. If you order it buckskin lined the price jumps up to $1.25. This very holster is pictured on my web site in the photo gallery. It is the same as the one in the line drawing at the bottom left of page 118 in PI. In my original 1894 Main & Winchester catalog, the Slim Jim holster pictured on page 79 is listed at $12.00 per dozen. That's right folks, $12.00 would buy you 12 of these hand carved holsters. When you start looking at these old saddle shop catalogs, things really come into perspective. Send me a hundred of them at that price. We know that cowboys were young, vain and headstrong. If you read their auto-biographies and diaries, you'll soon find out that they would rather spend ALL of their money on their horse and outfit than anything else. It wasn't like what we see in the movies.

Adios,
Buck

Django · March 13, 2011, 06:00:43 PM

Buck, can you post a link to your website please?
Thanks
Django

Buck Stinson · March 13, 2011, 06:18:34 PM

I'm not sure how the powers that be would feel about such a link, so I have sent you a private email. If I find that I can post a link to my site, I will do so, but until I have it Okayed, I probably will not.

Adios,
Buck

Chuck 100 yd · March 13, 2011, 07:35:28 PM

Buck, Please PM me the link also. Thanks, Chuck

WaddWatsonEllis · March 13, 2011, 08:05:27 PM

I just did a searchfor Buck Stinson .... the only one I found was some president of some Financial Company ... and he didn't look too much like you ....LOL.

So if I could be put on the list of people wantin' your website address, or even the name of your website, I am sure I would really enjoy it.

So I could either be sent anPM or my email address is on my profile ...

Wild Billy Potts · March 13, 2011, 08:31:47 PM

Since I am in no way linked to any involved party. Just do a search for Old West Reproductions.

Buck Stinson · March 13, 2011, 09:06:13 PM

Thanks Wild Bill.

Adios,
Buck

Skeeter Lewis · March 14, 2011, 02:07:07 AM

Buck's work is as good as it gets.

Ned Buckshot · March 14, 2011, 03:52:52 AM

Thanks for the education Buck, it's much appreciated!

See I told ya my idea wasn't worth a cup of coffee!!!!!!!!

Ned

Trailrider · March 14, 2011, 10:30:37 AM

Just one comment on the prices for leather "back in the day"... In the days when a working cowboy often made "$30-a-month and 'found' (meals)" a dollar was a day's wages! Think about that in today's dollars... (Of course, when you have to take out a second mortgage on your house just to fill the tank of your "horse" (SUV)...

) Or, as Paul Harvey used to say, "There was an old man in a nursing home who could remember when a dollar was worth a quarter!"

Wild Billy Potts · March 14, 2011, 05:22:11 PM

Quote from: Trailrider on March 14, 2011, 10:30:37 AM
Just one comment on the prices for leather "back in the day"... In the days when a working cowboy often made "$30-a-month and 'found' (meals)" a dollar was a day's wages! Think about that in today's dollars... (Of course, when you have to take out a second mortgage on your house just to fill the tank of your "horse" (SUV)... ) Or, as Paul Harvey used to say, "There was an old man in a nursing home who could remember when a dollar was worth a quarter!"

It's really is all relative. As Buck posted, many holsters were between $.50-1.00. A days wage from those that had no where to spend their money until they arrived at the railhead with the herds, they could have a decent roll of money in their pockets by then, a dollar for a fancy holster is nothing. On the other hand in todays money I have to work almost a day to make enough to get a nice holster. Except for soldiers, many citizens of that time were averaging between $1.50-2.50 a day (6, ten hour days a week) in wages for non-agricultural labor.