Monday – Friday
9 am to 5 pm Saturdays
(November 9 through December 21)
A customer dropped by the other day with his newly acquired hawk. He was here to acquire kangaroo leather. Falconers enjoy using this leather because of its durability.
For all those interested in falconry, we recommend Mike’s Falconry.
St. David, Dewi Sant, is the patron saint of the Welsh, and March 1, his feast day, is celebrated as a patriotic and cultural festival by the Welsh in Wales and around the world.
Dewi Sant was a Celtic monk of the sixth century. His mother was Non. The ruins of a small chapel dedicated to her memory may be seen near St. David’s Cathedral. His father was Sant, a son of Ceredig, King of Cardigan. Little is known for certain about Dewi Sant, but he founded several religious centers in Wales and western England, was consecrated archbishop during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and led an ascetic life. An account of his life was written towards the end of the 11th century by Rhygyfarch, a monk at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth. Many prophesies were said to have preceded the birth of Dewi Sant, and many miracles were attributed to him. One miracle often recounted is that once when Dewi was preaching to a crowd at Llandewi Brefi those on the outer edges could not hear, so he spread a handkerchief on the ground, and stood on it to preach, whereupon the ground swelled up beneath him, and all could hear. A short account of Dewi Sant has been given by Nona Rees in St. David of Dewisland.
March 1, the date given by Rhygyfarch for the death of Dewi Sant, was celebrated as a religious festival up until the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. In the 18th century it became a national festival among the Welsh, and continues as such to this day. The celebration usually entails singing and eating, which may mean a meal followed by singing, or much singing followed by a Te Bach, tea with teisen bach and bara brith. Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon, is flown as a flag or worn as a pin or pendant, and leeks are worn, and sometimes eaten. In schools in Wales the boys take leeks to school, status being given to those who bring the biggest leeks, and eat them earliest in the day.
The heraldic emblem of Wales is Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon. The emblem of Wales is the leek, arising from an occasion when a troop of Welsh were able to distinguish each other from a troop of English enemy dressed in similar fashion by wearing leeks. An alternative emblem developed in recent years is the daffodil, used and preferred over the leek by the English government as it lacks the overtones of patriotic defiance associated with the leek.
St. David’s Day meetings are not boisterous celebrations of democracy and freedom in Wales, but rather the subdued remembrance allowed a captive nation under colonial rule.
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Much to our surprise, we received an award from the The Hat Jack. For twenty-two years, The Hat Jack, of Calhan, Colorado has supplied us with their trusty hat stretcher.
Early on at David Morgan we decided to sell hats up to size 64 (that’s an 8 in US sizing). We asked The Hat Jack for the size large, and they immediately accommodated us. And if you happen to need a 65 (8 1/8), we carry the Snowy River in that size.
Hat stretchers are perfect for keeping your hat’s shape, especially if you happen to be a long oval. It also works if you store your hats for a long period of time. For example, if you store your fur felts over the summer, you may want to keep them in a stretcher.
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We will often get requests for hat color descriptions. This is understandable because a picture does not always capture an item’s true color. While we can do our best to match a catalog photograph with an item, it is much more difficult on a computer screen. With monitors, each person has a slightly different setting.
Also, a hat color can look much different depending on the type of light. A hat under fluorescents will bring out different colors than sunlight.
With those caveats in mind, we’d like to show you the difference between the Bushman’s Nullarbor Tan.
This is the standard photograph that you’ll find on the David Morgan website:
And this is the color when outside on a clear, sunny day.
There are many variables with hat color. Just one more factor to look at when choosing a hat.
St. Dwynwen is the patron saint of lovers. Her feast day is January 25, “Dydd Santes Dwynwen”. If you are Welsh, or the one you love is Welsh, January 25 is an opportunity to express your affection and say “Dwy’n dy garu di”.
Dwynwen was a daughter of the 5th Century saint Brychan Brycheiniog. She fell in love with Maelon Dafodrill, but displeased him when she rejected his sexual advances prior to marriage. She prayed to God for deliverance from her situation, and was given a sweet drink which released her from her heartache. The same drink was given to Maelon, who was turned to ice. Again she prayed, and was given three wishes, the first that Maelon should be unfrozen, the second that she should never again desire marriage, and the third that God should answer all requests by her on the behalf of lovers.
She became a nun, and founded a convent at Llandwyn, on an island just off Anglesey. A freshwater spring there, Ffynnon Dwynwen, has become a place of pilgrimage, not only for lovers, but also for those seeking her help in healing sick and distressed animals.
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Ruf Duck Rain Gear is made in the Northwest, where people know rain. Designed by a retired logger, these garments are durable, lightweight and functional, suitable for the toughest outdoor environments. Over the past 20 years, Ruf Duck has developed a following with dairymen, commercial fishermen and others who need practical rain gear.
The fabric is made on the East Coast to Ruf Duck’s specifications. Flame-resistant oxford nylon, 200 denier, was chosen because it is stronger than conventional weaves and lightweight. The nylon fabric is coated with a proprietary polyurethane waterproof film. The waterproofing is on the inside, protected from wear. The seams are double-stitched and reinforced in the back with extra vinyl to prevent leakage through the seams. The design of the garment acts like bellows, circulating out perspiration laden air as you walk and work. The Ruf Duck Rain Gear is 100% waterproof.
Ruf Duck Rain Gear should be sized to fit over the bulkiest garments you will wear under the rainwear. The garments are designed to allow easy movement of the body and natural ventilation as you work.
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Steve De Paulis, one of our Akubra retailers, sent us a link where he is featured at the Reno Rodeo.
The "Wildest, Richest Rodeo in the West," the Reno Rodeo is a 10-day event held each year in June at the Reno Livestock Events Center. It is one of the largest rodeos in the West, and participants come from around the country to participate. If you ever wanted to see a real, western rodeo, this is the place to go.
Look for Steve starting at the 1:20 mark.
Leather is an organic material. Just like our own skin, we need to take care of it. Composed of fibers, it can be very strong and durable. However, for it to work properly, there needs to be a sheath of oil that surrounds each fiber. As long as the animal can produce oil, the fibers remain supple and strong.
Once the skin is removed, the natural oils cannot, of course, be replaced. The remaining oil will disappear over time, and the fibers start to rub against each other. This is where leather damage begins. To top it off, environmental factors will accelerate the evaporation of the oils. Sunshine, dryness and excessive wear and tear will all dry the leather.
Thus it is important to replace the oils over time. We are partial to Pecard’s leather dressing. It is a proprietary formula, but one known ingredient is beeswax. This is a great lubricant for leather because it does not break down. Products like Neetsfoot Oil contain fats that break down and allow the fibers to rub. But the fatty oils are also prone to bacteria and fungi, which will hurt the leather.
You don’t need to use much conditioner. For our whips, we recommend a coating every six months. Simply rub the conditioner over the leather and let it sit. The time will depend on the dryness of the leather. If you allow it to sit for several days, it will have time to seep deeply into the leather. When you are satisfied with the time, simply wipe the remainder away.
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For some people, replacing a whip fall looks intimidating. We are happy to do it for you (See Whip Repair Services), but why not give it a try yourself? The instructions are below:
If a fall has broken to shorter than 12-18 inches, it needs replacing. If it has stretched, it should be replaced when it has become noticeably thinner than the end of the thong. Red hide falls tend more to hold their shape, but break off. White hide falls tend to stretch more but break off more slowly. The kangaroo strands adjacent to the fall may eventually break because of the sharp flexing at this point. The fall should be replaced as soon as the first of these strands breaks.
Fall Replacement Method 1
If none of the braided strands adjacent to the fall are broken, the old fall may be removed without undoing the hitches.
To do this, attach the main body of the whip to a hook or some other secure anchor, then trim the end of the new fall to a point. Put the eye of the new fall over the old fall and the end of the thong. Grease the new fall with braiding soap or Pecard Leather Dressing.
To remove the old fall, put a fid through the eye of the old fall (between the fall and the braid). Using a sharp knife, cut the fall against the fid, taking care not to cut the braid. Pull the old fall out of the hitches.
Feed the point of the new fall through the tunnel left by the old fall. Pull the new fall into place while holding the strand of the final hitch. Put this strand through the eye of the new fall as it is pulled into place. The result should appear as shown below.
Fall Replacement Method 2
If the strands of the braid next to the fall are broken or badly worn, the hitches and part of the thong must be undone until the shortest strand of the loose ends is about four inches long.
Place the end of the thong through the eye of the new fall as shown below and grease the strands with braiding soap or Pecard Leather Dressing.
With the top strand on the left, tie a half-hitch around the fall and the other strands in the direction shown and pull tight. (With short strands use pliers to pull the strands tight.)
Move the remaining strands to the left, leaving any core strands against the fall. Fold the end of the first strand down and hold it against the fall. Taking a second strand pull it tight and tie a second half hitch in the same manner as the first.
Continue on with the remaining strands of the braid, but after the final strand is hitched, put the end of the strand up and under the eye of the fall.
Tighten all strands again in sequence from the first to the last, pull the fall securely into place, and then trim the ends of the strands to a uniform length.
Lastly, roll the attachment between two hard surfaces to make it smooth.
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We prepare our hats so that they are protected during shipping, but sometimes the parcel can be improperly handled. When this occurs, our felt hats may receive packing marks. These will appear as white marks on the brim, next to the crown. It is very easy to fix this problem. Often a brush will remove the marks. If not, the next alternative is to use a light dusting of steam.
When steaming a hat, it’s best to use a tea kettle. The spout at the top of the kettle makes a perfect channel for the steam. In fact, most hat steamers are just glorified tea kettles. If you don’t have a tea kettle, a pot of boiling water will also work. Just make sure that you keep your hands clear of the hot steam!
Follow the simple instructions below, and you’ll have your hat free of packing marks in less than 30 seconds.
There is also a video on YouTube that you can watch
Packing marks (over exaggerated
A steamer. But a tea kettle works just as well
Applying steam. Note the distance. Do not put the steam directly on the hat. 6-8 inches is a good distance
The finished product. Total time, 15 seconds.
9 am to 5 pm PT,
Monday – Friday
9 am to 5 pm Saturdays
(November 9 through December 21)
Retail Store | Sale Items