got some new boots !

[Bow View Haymaker]

finnaly got some new boots.  Black squareish toe, normally $60 at W-mart on sale for $35.  I think I will go back and get a brown pair.

I guess I need to cut the harness strap off to look right for our time period.  any Ideas?

[RickB]

I used to wear those style of boots quite a lot myself. Dingo Harness boots. Very comfortable. NCOWS would definately make you cut off the harness. I did it to my last pair but it broke my heart. I like the way they look like with the harness on them.

You got them for a great price.

Here is what I just bought myself a month back. I've got fat cafes or calves and needed a boot that would fit my legs. This did the trick and they look period correct. They are comfortable too.

http://www.fortwestern.com/store/product.php?productid=408399&cat=216&page=1

Got the black pair.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

I used to wear those style of boots quite a lot myself. Dingo Harness boots. Very comfortable. NCOWS would definately make you cut off the harness. I did it to my last pair but it broke my heart. I like the way they look like with the harness on them.

You got them for a great price.

Here is what I just bought myself a month back. I've got fat cafes or calves and needed a boot that would fit my legs. This did the trick and they look period correct. They are comfortable too.

http://www.fortwestern.com/store/product.php?productid=408399&cat=216&page=1

Got the black pair.

RickB, I have been looking at those ... how do they run on the size?  

Bow View, I agree with RickB, I always liked that style, but unfortunately, you will need to remove the straps.  That is a heck of a buy.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

RickBB,

I bought the Fort Frontier on even 'though., for the 1850s two-piece toes and shafts were not normal for the West ...

I got around it by buying Will Ghormley's Spur Straps patterns and made a set of buckleless one piece spur straps that hides the keyhole and joint perfectly ...

[Bow View Haymaker]

Well I guess the straps have to come off.  What is best to use to cut thestrap cleanly?  sharp knife, razor blade?  I'll have to see how well I can get them to shiine. 
they are Wrangler brand and I usually wear 10 to 10.5 size.  I need a wide boot or actually a tall instep boot.  the pair I bought ae 10s.  I tried on a different style they have and the 10.5 was to tight.  I think I will get a brown one also

[Mustang Gregg]

Bow View:

Good job in procuring them boots!!

Mustang Gregg

[RickB]

TW, I usually wear a size 9 so I got a size 9 and they fit perfectly. Very comfortable. The soles aren't period correct but everything else appears to match some boots I have that are period correct mule ear boots. My last boots weren't big enough for my calves so I bought these. My other mule ear boots cost 200 dollars. The new ones cost 130 or so. Great buy for me. I recommend them highly.

[TwoWalks Baldridge]

TW, I usually wear a size 9 so I got a size 9 and they fit perfectly. Very comfortable. The soles aren't period correct but everything else appears to match some boots I have that are period correct mule ear boots. My last boots weren't big enough for my calves so I bought these. My other mule ear boots cost 200 dollars. The new ones cost 130 or so. Great buy for me. I recommend them highly.

Rick, thank you for that information - I will be grabbing up a pair in July.  Would have already, but was not sure on the sizing.

[RickB]

One thing more. Their customer service was great. They had put my order on backorder and I inquired about a different style and/or color of the same style I had chosen and she contacted me stating that she would contact their other stores to find the ones i wanted. I explained that I needed them for a upcomming shoot and she said they would put a rush on them if I needed them faster. I was very impressed by their level of customer service. You don't see that much these days.

[Texas Lawdog]

The Fort "Old West" folks are the best, I am sorta biased though, because the 2 guys are personal friends of mine.  I've got 2 pair of their boots and I would not trade them for anything.

[Pitspitr]

Yep, the guys in the old west shop at the fort are the best. Any time I'm in Lincoln I try to stop in just to say "Hi".

[Pony Racer]

BV Haymaker, if your wife has a seem ripper - you might see if you can do it with those.

As long as those straps are ajoined with seperate seems - ie not attached to other seems - the seem ripper is that way to go it gets rid of the stitching without damaging anything else.

After you wear them for awhile no one will ever be able to tell because the small holes left by getting rid of the stitching will close up.

I have used seem rippers quite a bit.  That was the way I turned 45-70 McKeever pouches into 10-12 guage shotgun McKeever pouches at no extra cost to me!  All I did was seem rip every other stitched section and all of the sudden those 45-70 loops turned into shotgun loops.

PR

[Pitspitr]

I guess I need to cut the harness strap off to look right for our time period.  any Ideas?

I had a pair that I took the straps off> (In fact I think they came from Wal-Mart)
I took a very sharp knife and cut the vertical strap as close to the sole as possible. I did this from the inside out so that I was cutting away from the boot.

[Bow View Haymaker]

I had a pair that I took the straps off> (In fact I think they came from Wal-Mart)
I took a very sharp knife and cut the vertical strap as close to the sole as possible. I did this from the inside out so that I was cutting away from the boot.

I did just that this morning.  I used a VERY sharp knife made by Nebraska's own Roger Gastner. love that knife.  Can't even tell where the straps were attatched but the rivits did leave some rub marks on the leather.  some black polish and a good shine should take care of that. 

I don't think myh wife knows what a seam rippper is. 

Now I can't just throw these nice starps and metal rings awayl.  What to make from them? 

I've been wearing them some to get broke in before the muster. 

[Mustang Gregg]

Bow:

If'n your wife don't know what a seam ripper is----I'll wager she knows what a scalpel is.
hehehehehehe

Mustang Gregg

[RickB]

Bow, j&p cycles just sent me their email add listing boots just like you showed here, but they are asking $119.00 for their boots. You got a great deal.

[cpt dan blodgett]

I am going to El Paso this weekend.  Fly out 09:30 friday.  Will stop at CA Boots and see what fits my foot.  The old metal shoe sizer at Sportsman's Wearhouse says between 10 and 10.5 B.  Most boots are way to wide, offer no support and end up with really sore feet at the end of the day.  Hope I am a standard size so I dont have to pay extra for custom fitted.

Will let you know how things turn out.  In the mean time 9.5 regular navy boon dockers work ok for a close to period shoe.  Get them for $50 out of a chicago army navy store (on-line)

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Good job on procuring those boots!  For your info, they happen to be about the height of what is known as the Artillery Boot.  They aren't the full 17"-18" height of the more traditional Cavalry boot.  For $35!  Good on ya!

[Bow View Haymaker]

Bought another pair in brown.  eeryone, go check the Clearance area in the shoe dept at you local W-mart for the Wrangler brand boots.  I wore the black ones all weekend walking all day Saturday and my feet show no ill effects. 
They do like to collect the dust though.

[Capt. Montgomery Little]

Bow View,  Excellent procurement job. You are to be commended. One thing about dusty boots...they get that way only by two methods, ie. either wearing them or not wearing them. Hopefully your method is the more pro-active of the two. That's all I have to say about the subject.