The late, great Ed Mell shows up on almost every page of True West magazine because he was my muse and my friend. We shared studio space in the...
Brothers From Another Mother
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Art, Guns and Culture
Rebel Yankees: The McCulloch Colts
When we think of Confederate revolvers we generally envision six guns like Leech & Rigdon, Spiller & Burr or the revolvers of the Dance...
Rolling the Dice!
Brian Lebel’s Old West Auctions have become known for showcasing, all at one event, the full range of objects available for collectors of the...
Missouri Barbecue
The word “barbecue” in frontier Missouri was used to describe how meat is cooked and not a food category. In 1899 The Miller County Autogram...
Firearm Conundrums
A few questions puzzle nimrods and veteran shooters alike. Single Action, Double Action? One of the many enigmas to newcomers in the Western gun...
The Cowboy Still Stands Tall
Collectors and auction houses still profit from cowboy art and collectibles. He was an heroic, romantic figure in his day—but his day has gone. The...
Secret Agent Man
A legendary screenwriter gets his final byline. In early 2003 my agent called me to tell me the Westerns Channel wanted to start running True West...
Best of the West: Western Fare
Come and Get It! Historic Western-style restaurants, saloons and dinner shows keep the Old West alive. Across the West, from small towns to big...
Best of the West: Firearms
1894 Winchester: America’s Deer Rifle Considered one of the world’s best hunting rifles since its inception, it’s also been a favorite with cowboys...
Best of the West: Art and Collectibles
Sold! Collectors love the Old West, and Western art, firearms and collectibles remain popular coast to coast. As the 19th century turned into the...
Dude Spotting
It’s harder to spot real cowboys than you might think. In my experience, nobody looks at a photograph of a welder and says, “That’s not a...
Wyoming Cowboy Cuisine
From beef steak to bear sign donuts, the state is well-known for its bunkhouse fare. Wyoming is known as the Cowboy State, and cattle ranches dotted...