White’s Boots – These Boots are Made for Workin’

By Bennett Owen

He’s the real thing, the unvarnished, sweat-stained truth behind the mystique…the consummate stockman. Let’s zoom in on the tell-tale signs…

The hat…well used and crumpled around the edges. Pan down to the forearms.

There are only a few ways to develop muscle mass like that. One is to swing a baseball bat for a living…another is by working with your hands…digging irrigation ditches…building fence and repairing it…pitching hay…splitting wood…milking cows…and throwing back a shot of bourbon on rare occasions.   Further down, the requisite Levis…no Wranglers or Lees allowed at this outfit.

Now, close in on that foot, firmly buried in that calf’s neck, as he brands its midsection…

Am I seeing things or is the smoke getting into my eyes? Or should I say, eyelets.  Eyelets and laces. Something’s seriously wrong with this picture! Well, actually not.

For about the first 12 years of my life I was convinced that the pointy-toe boots were for Sundays and special occasions, a kind of fashion nod to go with the Bolo tie and the Stetson right out of the hat box. Dances. Rodeo. Thanksgiving. Christmas.

No sir, when it came time to work, the work boots came on and at the FS, that meant one brand only: Hand made White’s Boots. They were…and are…made for one thing. Work. To take a lickin', provide protection and a good measure of comfort.  This is the Farmer-Rancher.

The spec list for this model boot is long and the price tag is not for the faint of heart. But how often can you buy a product almost assured of outlasting you?

And the White’s Boots story is about as close to the American dream as you can get, embodying the values of hard work and a commitment to uncompromising value.

Credit: Routney.com

Founded as a product for loggers in Antebellum Virginia, the White family saw its fortunes in the west and eventually planted roots in Spokane, Washington, where their boots became a favorite of lumberjacks throughout the Northwest. White’s reputation grew as did its product line. But the ironclad commitment to quality remains…every boot that leaves the factory is handmade from heel to tongue, to the hallmark Rooster comb at the base of the laces. With a little wear, they curl up nicely…take a look at Robert Redford’s pair…

Photo courtesy of qbac07.

They have boots for ranchers, loggers, smoke jumpers and for biking  (holy cow, those are scary!)

Credit: The Fedora Lounge

Credit: Janestoolbelt

Like most companies, White’s now markets its brand too, with hats and shirts and belt buckles and all kinds of paraphernalia. There’s even White’s Coffee.  But the core business is handmade work boots…was, is, always will be.

Credit: simonleica

Now even though I’m not a rancher I’ve always had a hankering to follow in my Uncles…well…footsteps, so to speak. So one late summer day a few years back I went into town and purchased my very own pair of White’s Boots, a credit card cringing affair by any standards.

Credit: White’s Boots

The shop owner told me that the best way to break them in (outside of actually working in them, perhaps) was to put them on and soak them through so they’d form to my foot. So, in the afternoon, after a game of catch with my son, I put on my new boots and stepped into Billings Creek for a soak.

And that is the exact moment my Uncle Robert chose to stop by and catch me, shirtless, with nothing on but cut offs and a pair of White’s Boots reaching almost up to my knee caps…standing in the middle of a creek. He flashed his trademark million dollar smile as I sheepishly tried to explain what I was doing but he’d just as well have taken a white hot iron and branded ‘city slicker’ on my forehead.  Those boots are still in my basement. They’ve never done a lick of work. But they sure fit good. 

Nancy, get me outta this….

Vintage Find of the Week: Hathorn Whites Riding Packer Men’s Work Boots Size 10 EE

US $525.00

Credit: e-bay

From our readers:

Submitted by Claire O:

At the Beaverhead County Fair, ca. 1940

BP Spurs: Guaranteed Against Complaint or Defect

by Jim Poulton

I must confess to a bias. We’re talking about my big brother. Among all kinds of other things he’s done in his life, he’s a spur-maker. He makes them by hand in a little metal working shop he’s built on his ranch in southern Utah. You’re probably asking: Spur-making? By hand? They still do that? And the answer is Yes they still do that, but ‘they’ is only a few guys in the world. It’s a dying art. And my brother decided several years ago that he was going to help preserve it.

And take a look at these spurs...

They’re all handmade, hand-inlaid and hand-engraved. Bob forges and cuts the metal, welds the nickel silver to the neck, shank and bands, then maps out the design and inlays or engraves it.

It’s a long process, as you can imagine, but how many people do you know who can say they own handmade spurs this beautiful?

BP Spurs are rare, since Bob doesn't make very many in a year. Check Worthpoint.com for any current inventory.

Here’s what Worthpoint has to say about them:

These spurs are entirely handmade and built for years of use. Bob Poulton, the maker, works out of his little shop at his place in Wayne County, in the heart of the open range cattle country of south central Utah. Wayne County is home of the Outlaw Trail, Robber's Roost, and the Wild Bunch. Guaranteed against complaint or defect.

COWBOY COFFEE - THE PONY ESPRESSO, PART TWO

 By Bennett Owen

Photo courtesy of J. Stephen Conn

Now here’s a recipe, time tried and true
For chuck wagon coffee, a buckaroo’s brew
Add water and coffee in equal parts
Then set on a fire, that’s how the deal starts
Boil hard for two hours then into it toss
A well-rusted horseshoe from a clubfooted hoss
Stare into the pot a few minutes steady
If the horseshoe ain’t floatin’ your coffee ain’t ready

Kathy Lee  (Thank you, whoever you are!)

© From the collection of Gordon Berry

OK, part one was the history lesson, now here’s the “how to.”  First up, the Colorado Cattle Company:

And here’s another one from the icon of cowboy coffee, Arbuckles’.  Make a pot of coffee and clean your socks at the same time! Mmmmm, Good:

Photo courtesy of the Utah Historical Society

Neither of the above recipes mentioned the infamous eggshell and yet many cowboy brewers swear by this ingredient. Some say it’s to settle the grounds, while others will tell you it’s to take the bitter edge off.  Well, here’s the definitive answer by none other than author John Steinbeck:

“I went into my house and set coffee to cooking, and remembering how Roark Bradford liked it, I doubled the dosage, two heaping tablespoons for each cup and two heaping for the pot. I cracked an egg and cupped out the yolk and dropped shells and white into the pot, for I know nothing that polishes coffee and makes it shine like that.

The air was still very cold, and a cold night was coming, so that the brew, rising from cold water to a rolling boil, gave the good smell that competes successfully with other good smells.”

John Steinbeck, Travels With Charley         

That’s not a recipe for coffee. That’s a recipe for happiness.

President Roosevelt's cowboy breakfast at Hugo, Colorado. Library of Congress

This song is by ‘The Arbuckle Boys’ from Texas…give it a listen and you’ll see why.  The video is chock full of gorgeous images and well worth the three minutes:

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

Cowboy Coffee – The Pony Espresso

by Bennett Owen

The West wasn’t won by tea drinkers.

Photo courtesy of Library of Congress.

It was the winter of 1863-4, one of the most brutal ever recorded in what is now Montana. In the gold rush town of Bannack, about one thousand miners, many with significant “pokes” were snowed in, running short of supplies. William A. Clark, who would later become one of America’s richest Robber Barons, seized an opportunity that was truly golden. He braved road agents, Indians and the elements, making his way to Salt Lake City, 400 miles to the south. And several weeks later he returned with a wagon stocked full of …food? Grain? Victuals? Surely you jest! A shrewd judge of his customers, Clark’s wagon was laden with booze, tobacco and…coffee (merchandise one naturally associates with Salt Lake).

"Bannack, Montana. A gold miner, one of few remaining residents of Bannack when it was the capitol of the state." Photograph by John Vachon. Image courtesy of Library of Congress.

Our resident expert, Cowgirl on Coffee, notes that cowhands used to drink coffee fresher than we enjoy today, since the chuck wagon cooks used green coffee beans roasted in a frying pan over a campfire. 

But in 1865, Pittsburgh grocer John Arbuckle and his brother came up with a process of glazing roasted beans so they’d keep their flavor…and soon cowboys at campfires across the west wouldn’t mount up until after they’d had their cup of  “Arbuckles.”  

Image courtesy of LiveAuctioneers.com

The precious commodity was shipped in big wooden crates. Each package of Arbuckles contained a peppermint stick so whenever the cook needed the coffee beans ground, they’d call out, “who wants the candy?” and some cowboy with a sweet tooth would come a runnin’.

As for taste, the final product was considered strong enough if you could float a horseshoe on it. Stage Coach stations were notorious for selling “clear coffee” … an indicator that the grounds had been used one time too many.

Arbuckles is still in business and, yes, each package still contains a stick of peppermint.

Cowboy Coffee is not rocket science but there ARE several intriguing variations on the theme that we’ll introduce next week, and we will attempt to answer once and for all that vexing question of the ages…WHAT ARE THE DAMNED EGGSHELLS FOR?

Image courtesy of CowboyActionTown.com

In the meantime, here’s a version of Winchester 73, with just the coffee scenes spliced together. It’s nearly 12 minutes long!  Starring James Stewart and…in a supporting role…Rock Hudson, playing “Young Bull.” 

PUTTIN’ THE ‘HIGH’ n HIGH COUNTRY

By Bennett Owen

The High West Distillery, Park City, Utah

“Don’t mix good whiskey with water – unless you’re out of good whiskey…” - Texas Bix Bender

Photo courtesy of High West Distillery.

How do you critique a whiskey you’ve never tasted? How do you reflect on flavor and aroma and finish when your preferences in booze have always favored quantity over quality? Well, you defer to the sober opinions of the experts. Wine Enthusiast Magazine gave High West Rendezvous Rye its highest recommendation and the following enthusiastic write-up:

Photo courtesy of High West Distillery.

“Strong but intriguing. Has rich aromas of burnt orange and caramel. The flavor also reflected burnt orange and caramel plus a spicy tinge reminiscent of cassia burk or Red-Hot candies. The finish lingers, pleasant, inviting and warm. Might be good for Manhattans – a touch of fruit or sweetness would go well.” 
-    Wine Enthusiast Magazine Dec. 2010

Owner David Perkins samples his whiskey. Photo courtesy of High West Distillery.

And it just so happens that High Country features its own recipe for a Manhattan, with a hat tip to Winston Churchill’s Mum!

Mix 1.5 oz. High West Rendezvous Rye, 0.75 oz sweet vermouth, 3-4 dashes Angostura bitters with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with whiskey cherries.

Photo courtesy of High West Distillery.

Rendezvous Rye is High West’s signature product but the distillery boasts a variety of Ryes ranging in age from 12 to 21 years, Vodka 7000 (as in feet high) and something called US Grant Centennial Celebration.  And unlike many of its Park City customers, High West spirits are NOT free.

High West touts itself as the world’s first and only ski-in gastro-distillery. It’s located at the bottom of Quittin’ Time ski run in Old Town Park City.  “Ski in, stumble out,” as the help like to say.

Photo courtesy of High West Distillery.

That said, people who have eaten there and whom I trust, describe the food as “extraordinary.” Owner David Perkins founded High West in an old livery stable and insists that fact has no influence on the taste of his spirits.

Photo courtesy of High West Distillery.

He describes his saloon as “a quaint, family restaurant and bar where patrons can refuel on contemporary Western food.” With a dram of rocket fuel on the side.

Photo courtesy of High West Distillery.

It’s a far cry from our neighborhood bar in Polaris, Montana - the Polar Bar. Its proprietor, Old Walt Melcher (RIP), had a two-drink repertoire … the Whiskey Ditch … bourbon, ruined with water … and the Sagebrush…bourbon neat. Melcher claimed he could speak German too but would never do so for fear his false teeth would fall out.