Cool Little Story

[Horsewright]

A good friend of mine recently sent this Kious folder to me for some repair. One of the scales had fallen off. Simple, easy fix and its sitting here on the desk ready to ship back. Thought I'd share some pics here cause its a SWEET little folder.

I asked him about the engraving and here is the story he relayed to me:

I was at an SCI show and a tiny Italian guy came up to me and started talking to me in Italian. My Italian is, uh, limited, so he grabbed me by the arm and took me to some guy who translated. The gist was that he, the tiny Italian, was a world-famous engraver and he liked my work and wanted to engrave something for me; did I have a rifle or shotgun he could do? I didn't but I had that knife in my pocket and I handed it to him. There were a lot of people around trying to get me to do this or that or meet this person or that gunmaker and we got separated. It wasn't until later that I realized I hadn't gotten his name, and he didn't have my address. I thought that was the last I'd ever see of that knife, but at next year's show, there he was, knife in hand, with engraving you see on it now. He was a nice man and the engraving, as you can see, is spectacular.

Thought some of the folks here would like to hear that story. Pretty cool.

 

[Tom Lewis]

Thanks, neat story, and you did a beautiful job replacing the scale. I think Joe would be pleased.

 

[Greenberg Woods]

A good friend of mine recently sent this Kious folder to me for some repair. One of the scales had fallen off. Simple, easy fix and its sitting here on the desk ready to ship back. Thought I'd share some pics here cause its a SWEET little folder.

I asked him about the engraving and here is the story he relayed to me:

I was at an SCI show and a tiny Italian guy came up to me and started talking to me in Italian. My Italian is, uh, limited, so he grabbed me by the arm and took me to some guy who translated. The gist was that he, the tiny Italian, was a world-famous engraver and he liked my work and wanted to engrave something for me; did I have a rifle or shotgun he could do? I didn't but I had that knife in my pocket and I handed it to him. There were a lot of people around trying to get me to do this or that or meet this person or that gunmaker and we got separated. It wasn't until later that I realized I hadn't gotten his name, and he didn't have my address. I thought that was the last I'd ever see of that knife, but at next year's show, there he was, knife in hand, with engraving you see on it now. He was a nice man and the engraving, as you can see, is spectacular.

Thought some of the folks here would like to hear that story. Pretty cool.

Beautiful work Dave. Will you be coming out of the mountains for Blade this year?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Similar story:
I have a nice bear skin rug. I got it over 40 years ago in a trade to a fellow who had a rug he didn't want for a ruby ring he did want. I had about $75 in the ring.

Fast forward to about 30 years ago years.
I loaned it to a customer who did buckskinning in a group and put on displays/demonstrations at fairs and shows. He brought it back a few weeks later and thanked me. He said they put it over a pine stretching rack like it was being preserved. The kids loved petting the head and sticking their hands in the mouth. They named him Ol' Growly. Over the years he borrowed it many more times. It might be months before he came back with "Ol' Growly". His group went professional and did all sorts of shows. Growly went off one day and I never saw him again. All I knew about the guy was his name was Dan. I figured that the bear wasn't likely to ever come back. About five years later I was working in the back of the store and one of the gals called back and said it looked like Grizzly Adams had pulled up in front. There was a huge van painted with a full mountain man scene of a fellow in buckskins wrestling a bear. This fellow gets out in full pioneer gear and takes a big roll of burlap out of the back. He comes in and I realize it is Dan. He said, "Howdy, Pardner", Been a while! The group has been out west for a long while, and we was back in Kentucky, so I drove all night long to bring Ol' Growly back. " He unrolled it and it was still in perfect shape. He said Thanks and Goodbye, and said he was going to drive back to Kentucky after a few hours sleep in the parking lot. Never saw him again. The bear is still called Ol' Growly and sits happily in front of my fireplace.

He has a 6-foot tall buddy called "Yo Bear" that lives in the shop. Another good story there. I'll post on him with some photos later.

 

[john april]

yes, thats sharp looking

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks, neat story, and you did a beautiful job replacing the scale. I think Joe would be pleased.

Thanks Tom, ya bet. Did ya know Joe?

Beautiful work Dave. Will you be coming out of the mountains for Blade this year?

Thanks Ben. Don't know yet. Ya get a hat?

Similar story:
I have a nice bear skin rug. I got it over 40 years ago in a trade to a fellow who had a rug he didn't want for a ruby ring he did want. I had about $75 in the ring.

Fast forward to about 30 years ago years.
I loaned it to a customer who did buckskinning in a group and put on displays/demonstrations at fairs and shows. He brought it back a few weeks later and thanked me. He said they put it over a pine stretching rack like it was being preserved. The kids loved petting the head and sticking their hands in the mouth. They named him Ol' Growly. Over the years he borrowed it many more times. It might be months before he came back with "Ol' Growly". His group went professional and did all sorts of shows. Growly went off one day and I never saw him again. All I knew about the guy was his name was Dan. I figured that the bear wasn't likely to ever come back. About five years later I was working in the back of the store and one of the gals called back and said it looked like Grizzly Adams had pulled up in front. There was a huge van painted with a full mountain man scene of a fellow in buckskins wrestling a bear. This fellow gets out in full pioneer gear and takes a big roll of burlap out of the back. He comes in and I realize it is Dan. He said, "Howdy, Pardner", Been a while! The group has been out west for a long while, and we was back in Kentucky, so I drove all night long to bring Ol' Growly back. " He unrolled it and it was still in perfect shape. He said Thanks and Goodbye, and said he was going to drive back to Kentucky after a few hours sleep in the parking lot. Never saw him again. The bear is still called Ol' Growly and sits happily in front of my fireplace.

He has a 6-foot tall buddy called "Yo Bear" that lives in the shop. Another good story there. I'll post on him with some photos later.

Thats a cool story Stacy! Once had a gal bring me an old bear skin rug to make her a pair of wooly chinks (short chaps) from. I named him George and hung him over the office door. Every morning I'd come in and say morning to George and shake hands with him. As it was getting closer to time to cut George up I realized he might not be enough bear as it was a pretty tall gal we were gonna be building these for. So she brought me Alejandro. Alejandro got the job done and George is over the back of the Morris chair in the spare room. Alejandro in action:

She decided a year or two after they were done that she wanted the fringe twisted as they are above. I told her I would show her how to do that but that I wasn't gonna do it. Crazy talk. This pair is a double fringe. Each fringe has to be soaked with water then the two are twisted together and then pinned to a piece of cardboard to dry. She did it over at our place and it took 5.5 hours per leg! And thats why I wasn't gonna do it! Came out cool though.

 

[Dominick Maone]

Should we all have a meet up on Horsewright’s ranch and learn to become real men?

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Real men have callouses on their butts and hydroceles to prove they are real men ... well, at least once in their lives.

(If you have to look up that word, you likely never rode horses.)

 

[Greenberg Woods]

Thanks Tom, ya bet. Did ya know Joe?


Thanks Ben. Don't know yet. Ya get a hat?



Thats a cool story Stacy! Once had a gal bring me an old bear skin rug to make her a pair of wooly chinks (short chaps) from. I named him George and hung him over the office door. Every morning I'd come in and say morning to George and shake hands with him. As it was getting closer to time to cut George up I realized he might not be enough bear as it was a pretty tall gal we were gonna be building these for. So she brought me Alejandro. Alejandro got the job done and George is over the back of the Morris chair in the spare room. Alejandro in action:

She decided a year or two after they were done that she wanted the fringe twisted as they are above. I told her I would show her how to do that but that I wasn't gonna do it. Crazy talk. This pair is a double fringe. Each fringe has to be soaked with water then the two are twisted together and then pinned to a piece of cardboard to dry. She did it over at our place and it took 5.5 hours per leg! And thats why I wasn't gonna do it! Came out cool though.

I come from an east coast family, and im a city boy through and through. If you could reccomend a good proper hat for the blazing california sun, im all ears.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I wear a Stetson Gentleman Rancher. I don't think they make it anymore. Their Ranger, El Patron, Rancher, and Skyline hats are good. You want felt if you plan on wearing it a long time. I'm sure Horsewright has hands-on experience on which hats work best.

 

[Jrmysell]

Usually you need 2 hats. A felt one is worn during the winter and a straw during the summer.

 

[Horsewright]

Yep thats the route I go, straw in the summer and for the shop cause they are not too expensive if it gets grinding grime all over it and felt otherwise. In fact I have a new straw hat in route right now it shipped yesterday. Course up here it went from T shirt weather Monday to wool Stormy Krommer cap, Carhartt coat and gloves on Tuesday. So its felt hat time again.

Most folks don't know but there are two distinct styles and influences in the western world that permeates horsemanship, stockmanship and even attire. One is the Californio influence and the other is the Texan influence. Hat styles is one of those areas that this difference shows through. Here in California you see more of whats called a "flat hat" and Texas more of a "taco" hat style. What many consider a typical cowboy hat is somewhere in between. So I'm a bad one to ask about a felt hat cause all mine are custom made. My work hats are from Mackey Hats of Shell Wy and my more dress hat is by KJ Murphy of Santa Yanez (Kevin is a good friend and we trade, I traded three bowies for the hat he made me). Daughter and wife a few weeks ago with their "flat" hats:

Daughter again at a concert in Bakersfield sporting a horsehide purse mom made her couple weekends ago. Different flat hat:

My old straw hat thats getting replaced. See the pig in the background. We'd followed him for about a mile and half and as we were down wind he never knew we were there. Sometimes we were as close as 30-40 yards.

Wife and daughter in their straws. Straws we get on line from Sunbody Hats.

The crew:

My son when he was cowboss in Or.

Helping us here at home:

Kevin cleaning up my hat he made me at a show one time at the Tejon.

Some of his wares:

Some old guy. This is my work hat by Mackey:

All seriousness Ben take a trip up to Bakersfield and go to the Emporium. Its a western store that has been there since like 1909. They have an excellent hat dept with a wide selection and folks that can get er right for ya without going full custom. Yep in Oct ya should wear a felt and always a long sleeve button down shirt!

 

[DanF]

Ya’ll living the life Horsewright, living the life!

 

[fitzo]

So, I've been under a rock for a dozen years, and I ask myself, "Why not just send it back to Joe?" And the briefest moment passes and I go, "Aw, sh*t," and google. 2014. Damn. Too many.

RIP, Joe.

Horsewright, thanks for all the pics. Love what you do.

 

[A.McPherson]

Horsewright didja make bbq outta the pig? That much effort to follow him, could had some grass fed bbq ribs...

 

[Horsewright]

Ya’ll living the life Horsewright, living the life!

Thanks Dan.

So, I've been under a rock for a dozen years, and I ask myself, "Why not just send it back to Joe?" And the briefest moment passes and I go, "Aw, sh*t," and google. 2014. Damn. Too many.

RIP, Joe.

Horsewright, thanks for all the pics. Love what you do.

You bet, thanks.

Horsewright didja make bbq outta the pig? That much effort to follow him, could had some grass fed bbq ribs...

No didn't have a rifle with us that time. That 1911 I'm carrying is a Dan Wesson 10mm so it would of done the trick. Heck we could of left the rifle at the truck, cause he came back right by us at about 30 yards as we'd finished unsaddling and got ready to load the horses. The wife was videotaping him Much of the time didn't have a clean shot anyhoo. He was often mixed up with cattle, here eating some salt with them:

Most of the way back that we followed him for, a freeway was the backdrop and then for a long time it was the new hospital. Shooting towards the freeway or the hospital is sorta frowned on, even around here, so we try to be good neighbors. Even after we got back to the trailer and had unsaddled the horses (three of them) and banging around loading the saddles into the tack room of the trailer, he came back by us at about 30 yards. The wife was videoing him on her phone and whistled at him and he stops looks at us and even still doesn't spook. After the video he trots a little further and then he gets directly downwind of us stops, looks and then BOOKS it out of there. If ya scroll over to the right after the vid there's the bear that spent the day in a tree near the shop munching on acorns, two days ago. I was a little worried as I figured he come down after all day and look around for water. The nearest water is a pen I have a mare and foal in. Didn't want Raymond getting scratched up by a bear. He likes me to scratch him with the manure rake. Vid of the pig and pic of the bear:

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Raymond getting his scratches. The oak right at the far right corner of the red barn there, is where the bear was:

 

[Cushing H.]

Horsewright - do wild pigs attack cattle? I’ve heard of wolves doing so, but not pigs…. (Course I guess they are not vegetarians…

 

[Horsewright]

Horsewright - do wild pigs attack cattle? I’ve heard of wolves doing so, but not pigs…. (Course I guess they are not vegetarians…

I've not heard of that. I've seen them nose to nose with calves just kinda checking each other out. Wolves, coyotes, bears, mountain lions all do for sure. Pigs are definitely destructive on a ranch though. They are industrial rototillers looking for acorns and roots so often kill trees. And they are hell on fences. They can make freeway size breaks in a fence. Fences, even for cattle are often mere suggestions and for pigs not even that.

 

[12345678910]

https://imgur.com/ZjchVSf

Why such small wire lining the corrals ?

 

[Horsewright]

For the safety of the horses. It’s called no climb horse fence. Hard for them to get their feet stuck in it like regular field fence. The fence itself is railroad ties with four pieces of 2 1/4” thick wall oilfield pipe in each section. It’s pretty hell for stout. The wire prevents them from pawing through the pipe or in case of a young foal rolling out underneath the pipe. I’ve had lots of different types of pens and fences on several different places over the years and this has been the best and safest. Horses are kind of like kids, they can invent ways of getting hurt.