How Did Cowboys Hold Their Pants Up?

So How did Cowboys hold their Pants Up?

Well, in the Old West in the 1900's they did not have those beautiful, sparkly, larger than Texas bling filled buckles and hand tooled leather belts we see so many cowboys and cowgirls wear today-

They actually used plain old suspenders to keep "their britches"up.......

It was not until the 1920's when Hollywood wanted their cowboys to look glamorous for the screen that the leather belts and buckles took on another life.

You can see below in the picture, hand carved leather belts and buckles from the Visalia Stock Saddle Co. Catalog 1940-41.


Today, you can now have this same beautifully hand tooled hand crafted leather to use for your cowboy style western belt.

Buckaroo Leather is excited to announce that we are hand crafting American made western leather belts.

Our custom made western leather belts are hand tooled, 100% American made, tooled on premium USA tanned and cured Hermann Oak Belt Leather.

The traditional patterns, we have used, originated in the San Fransisco Bay area in the early 1900's by shops like Visalia Stock Saddle (see pic above of catalog) and Olsen Nolte.

The same quality and workmanship from the 1900's is still used in our western leather belts today. Our belts are straight 1 1/2" width.

Normally your belt length is 2 inches longer than you pant size.

To measure- start from where the fold is around the buckle to the center hole.

Please call for shorter or longer sizes. Available in Regular single ply stitched or soft chap lined and stitched.

No buckle included.

Easy chicago screws can be used for changing buckles. Since these are custom made we need 3-4 weeks for delivery.

Also we can tool a name in the center for the same price just leave you instructions in the comment box of the shopping cart.

These custom hand made hand tooled western leather belts will be a "talking point" at your next horse event or just an every day fashion statement.

Take a look at the pictures below to see the detailed hand tooling and craftsmanship- also click on the descriptions to order your favorite style.

Tame Rose-Hand Tooled Buckaroo Leather Belts

Acorn-Hand Tooled Buckaroo Leather Belts

Buckaroo Leather Just Added Plain hand crafted American made leather belts to the Website

These belts are quality hand crafted American made leather belts. They are plain leather and gun leather belts.

they do not come with a buckle.

The Styles Available are: (pic. here)

TOP one- Saddle stitched edge on Heavy Single ply 1 1/2" wide. Sample of Medium Oiled color.

2nd one down- Plain edge Heavy single ply 1 1/2" wide. Sample of Black Color.

3rd one down- Heavy single ply with Creased Border Edge 1 1/2" wide. Sample of Golden Bridle.

Bottom one- Is 1" wide Heavy single ply. Sample of dark oiled.

Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving the
Western Horseman the safest most durable
Quality American made leather horse tack.......Buckaroo John Brand
Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site

Western Leather Reins-The Cowboys Steering

Found this in a book on Cowboys-an old west cowboy describing leather reins in his own words-

Leather Reins

"Reins are the two leather rawhide or horsehair lines runnin’ from the bit ring to the riders hand used to guide and control the horse.

There are 2 types of reins-but many styles –the flat leather, buckled onto the bit. The other’s braided rawhide with romal and is attached to the bit by “bit” chains or “bridle” chains. These are short pieces of chain fastened to the bit ring on one end and the reins on the other end. Some riders like chains because the reins don’t get wet when the horse drinks, also keeps the horse from chewin’ the reins.

Open reins are then not tied together each independent of the other, usually ‘bout seven ft in length” most cowhands prefer open reins because if the horse falls or if the rider is throwed the reins fall to the ground.

Tied closed or California reins are tied together at the ends or the entire reins are made in one piece often made of braided rawhide and worked into a romal at the horse end. Tied reins are not popular with most cowman, California is where the tied reins are used most, handed down by the early Spanish.

The romal is a flexible whip made on the bridle reins when they are fastened together. The Spanish "el romal" means literally "a branch road, a division or ramification thus attached" as it is by the loop to the bridle reins the romal becomes but a ramification of the rein, a handy addition that can be used as a quirt and dropped from the hand with out fear of it getting lost.

The romals’ removed when ropin and placed ‘round the roper’s waist which was the reason most old timers ordered romals to their waist measure.

A light romals no good if used as a quirt (pictured here) in windy weather for the lash’d be hittin’ the user in the face, a long romals no good either for it might cause the hoss to stumble and fall over it."

Buckaroo Leather carries traditional old west style western leather reins. Buckaroo Leather Western Reins have uniform balance through out the complete length Because we take care to cut them side by side. They are PAIRED together, BORN together for that exact same feel & weight for the ultimate signal and communication!

The materials which go into the making of Buckaroo Leather Tack and the craftsmanship employed in it’s making are elements of the highest importance. You could have no higher guarantee of quality and workmanship than the name Buckaroo Leather upon your Tack.

Most anyone can find Tack to meet their particular demands on the Buckaroo Leather website!

Yet, for the rider who has needs for measurements, alterations or changes to bring their ideas to perfection, Buckaroo leather, has skilled craftsmen to meet their demands.

Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today

Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site

Old Tyme Western Spurs & Spur Straps-A Look Back

The old tyme western spur strap designs are coming back in style. They have become the "Rage of the Sage".

The straps are not only highly functional but amazing pieces of art. The spur straps have beautiful stampings, hand tooling and hand carvings. Like the traditional Cowboy or Vaquero spur straps they have hand engraved silver ornaments.


Or for a more modern look, add brass or bright bling to your western spur straps.

Take a look at the Old Tyme Spur Straps pictures from the Miles City Saddlery Catalog-many of the styles seen in the photo can be found at Buckaroo Leather!

With these western styles of spur straps coming back into demand, lets take a look back in history how spurs and spurs straps began.

Click Here to learn more information about the different styles of Spurs.

First a spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of cowboy boots for the purpose of directing a horse to move forward or laterally while riding.

Spurs have been in existence since medieval times, but the first examples of them can be found as early as 700 B.C. During medieval times in battle the spurs were used not only to make a war horse lunge forward but also to take down foot soldiers. The spur for over 4 centuries was used by mounted soldiers not only as a status symbol but to also help control them in battle as the horses became lighter and more nimble.

By the 16th century spurs found their way to Mexico or New Spain with the Spanish Conquistadors. The Spanish Vaqueros used the spurs when horseback riding. The Vaqueros were extremely proud of their horsemanship and many employed a type of spur with sharp pointed rowel styles that could severally injure a horse if mis-used. The use of the spur went northward. With the demand of horses for the US Cavalry, many cowboys and ranchers culled the wild horse herds of the west and sold the horses to the Calvary after "breaking" the horses. Since many of the cowboys did this on essentially a commercial basis, the use of spurs was used to help subdue the horse faster so that it took less time to deliver the horse and more profit was made.


Soon, every cowboy in the old west was wearing a set of spurs. It was not only a status symbol but a cowboy considered himself "naked" without the spurs.

The spur was used by the cowboys, not only in the breaking of horses, but they gained popularity in the wild west shows, rodeos when riding a wild bronco, and various other rodeo events.


Spurs seen in western riding may also have small curved-up hooks on the shank in front of the rowel, called "chap guards," that were originally used to prevent the rider's chaps from interfering with the rowels of the spur. Some cowboys also added small metal Pajados, also known as Jingo Bobs or Jingle Bobs, near the rowel, to create a jingling sound whenever the foot moved.

Spurs for western riding tend to be heavier, often decorated, and have rowels that rotate. The neck of western spurs is usually longer and the rowel wide in diameter, to accommodate the leg position of the Western-style rider, where the stirrup is adjusted long, and the heavy leather used for the saddle's fenders and stirrups places the rider's leg a bit farther from the horse.




Many a cowboy spent the cold winter nights in their bunkhouse hammering out his own set of spurs and working on a pair of spur straps. The spur and the spur strap where a tool in Western riding, to get the best out of his horse. The Vaquero influence on the old west cowboy turned the spurs and spur straps into an art form.


Spur straps came in several styles and the designs went from plain to the highly ornate with silver, with or without conchos.

The Western Spur strap is made of leather and goes over the arch of the foot and under the sole in front of the boot heel. Some western designs have a leather strap that goes only over the top, with a heel chain or a rubber "tie-down" instead of a strap under the boot. There are also styles with no straps where the heel band simply is very tight and slips on wedged between the sole and heel of the boot. Some spur designs have a slot for running the spur strap through, others have "buttons," sometimes on the heel band itself and sometimes attached to the heel band by hinges, that allow a strap with buttonholes to be attached.




At Buckaroo Leather we carry a variety of old tyme western spur strap styles, including the popular old west vaquero styles. Our wider shapes and designs have a more comfortable feel across the top of your foot and you can personalize them very easily with silver conchas and buckle sets.




The old dove wing shapes without buckles are a very simple design. Once you put them on your spurs you can leave them attached and just slide them off the top of your boots. Hand edged & rubbed for a smooth finish. Available in plain Hermann Oak Harness Leather, Oiled Brown bridle leather or Red Latigo and beautifully hand tooled Basket or Floral.



The materials which go into the making of Buckaroo Leather Tack and the craftsmanship employed in it’s making are elements of the highest importance. You could have no higher guarantee of quality and workmanship than the name Buckaroo Leather upon your Tack.

Most anyone can find Tack to meet their particular demands on the Buckaroo Leather website! Yet, for the rider who has needs for measurements, alterations or changes to bring their ideas to perfection, Buckaroo leather, has skilled craftsmen to meet their demands.

Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site

The Vaquero by Roy Rogers-Great Old West Horse Tack

This video is from the 1939 movie, In Old Caliente. Roy Roger sings with his compadres - the Vaqueros.

Pay close attention to western horse tack.....you can see the popular over the neck breast collar in the signature silver on Trigger.

These old west videos are great to view the old vaquero horse tack used by the traditional cowboys.


Our family has been dedicated for 30 years in serving
the Western Horseman the safest most durable
Quality American made leather horse tack.......Buckaroo John Brand
Buckaroo Leather, The Brand to Demand
Visit Our Unique Store Today
Buckaroo Leather Shopping Site