“The cowboy has left the country; his campfire has gone out,” wrote Ben Arnold of Valentine, Nebraska, in 1878. By then, Arnold was no longer...
Rekindling Campfires
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Art, Guns and Culture
B&W Trailer Hitches
The official hitch of the Professional Bull Riding, Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association and Championship Bull Riding is the brainchild of two Kansans, who...
True West’s Best of the West 2006 Winners
Readers' Choice - Here are the winners of our "2006 Best of the West." Sit back and see if your pick made the list. Best Living Contemporary Western...
Waist Deep in the Blues
John Hammond, Jr. has helped revitalize the Blues genre and kept the classics alive for over 40 years. He’s stimulated interest in the Blues through...
Splashing the (Drink) Pot
While it’s true that wine, beer and whiskey were largely consumed in most Western saloons, many also offered fancy mixed drinks. They were quite...
Medicine River Trading Company
“I make the world’s greatest museum thief ... and they know about it!” If you can’t tell already, Jack Smith is an avid historical craftsman, to the...
Appearances Deceive
In John Wayne’s last film, The Shootist, he uses a pair of blued and fully engraved single-action revolvers fitted with ivory stocks. A beautiful...
Tom Mix or Lonesome Gus?
The hat style called the Tom Mix goes in and out of fashion, but it has been guaranteed to raise a smile for most of the last century. The Tom Mix...
Anchored in the Land
Some may say it’s his voice, textured like barn wood: soft, weathered and grainy. Or the way he wears his hat—to one side, casting a shadow over...
Deseret Saddlery
With building plans on hand, student Roger Blomquist opened an 1800s-style saddle company, Deseret Saddlery, based in Provo, Utah. A former...
Bucking the Trends
To improve our reporting of the newest and most innovative Western garb, home decor, food and other items of interest, we are premiering True West...
Out-pumped
By the early 1880s, Colt was the undisputed leader in the handgun field. Wishing to capture some of the rifle market, however, Colt acquired the...