Blog - Page 15 of 25 - David Morgan

Join Us at WESA 2014

January 9, 2014

David Morgan is attending the January WESA (Western and English Sales Association) convention in Denver, CO. The Denver WESA Market is the premier trade show for the western industry. For over 90 years, WESA has brought together retailers and exhibitors in a friendly, down-home environment.

Join us if you happen to be at the show! Will and Mike will be happy to show you our hats. This year we are introducing our expanded line of Cavin Richie jewelry.

Last year we printed a poem by Tom Mosher. We’d like to print it again.

THE TRUE MEASURE

“Of a cowboys treasure”

His boots were comfortably old

Why, they’d been twice resold.

They were special made from down Tucson way

He always went for quality, he would say



There were several fine hats, hung on his rack

His favorite came from Australia, an Akubra, Kiandra in black

That old hat showed years of use

Nothing he owned showed abuse



Now this cowboy had more to treasure

Two well worn saddles, that gave him pleasure

And there was a loaded Ford pick-em up

‘twas nice to have a ride that didn’t buck



but of all those worldly treasures

there’s only two that truly measures

his red-headed lady and a strawberry roan

for without them, he would truly be alone

Some Customer Hat Photos

December 26, 2013

We love receiving pictures of our customers wearing Akubra hats. Because Akubras are hard-wearing, we have had photos sent from all over the world: from the middle-eastern deserts to the American Southwest, from Europe and Africa to South America. Below are a few we’ve accumulated over time. As you can see, some have an artistic flair.

Enjoy the photos!

JJ and friends at the Singapore Zoo.

Self Portrait and a surrealistic painting.

Hans Dietrich Zimmer, from Germany sporting his Adventurer.

Akubra Slouch Featured in New Amazon Book

November 27, 2013

Stan Morse, a local customer, came into our store here in Bothell, Washington. He surprised us with the news that our Slouch is featured in his new Kindle novel.

It is the summer of 1969 and the Vietnam War is raging, John Wayne dominates the theater marquee, and fourteen year old Billy Ward’s world will crumble if he can’t convince his eighteen year old brother Mike and Mike’s best friend Stu to include him in a backpacking adventure. For the older boys, taking The Kid into the mountains is a burden to be avoided at all costs. Parental pressure finally forces them to offer Billy a test to see if he is worthy. Can Billy prove himself physically capable? And beyond that, how can he hope to earn the respect of the older boys?

Brothers of Summer is a window into the hearts of teenagers in the 60’s—a time when kids rode bikes, boys got drafted, parental abuse was often ignored, and the bonds of friendship between teenagers were more important than nearly anything imaginable.

You can get his book here.

We wish Stan the best of luck with his novel!

Desensitize a Horse to Whip Cracking

November 15, 2013

Joe Williams of Skyler’s Acres in Gillette, NJ is an expert horse trainer. When Gucci (seen in the video below) arrived for training, Joe needed to expose him to a wide variety of surprises and noises that Gucci had never experienced as a show horse.

Joe uses a Karaka whip from New Zealand to help desensitize Gucci to unexpected noises like firecracker and gun shot sounds that he will likely experience in the outdoors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

Karaka Whips

Tell Us About Your Leather Projects

November 1, 2013

Adam Croft, who uses our lace for his projects, posted a photo of one of his motorcycle seats on our online review for lace.

Leather motorcycle seat by Adam Croft. www.croftleather.com

Over the years, many of you have bought lace and kangaroo skins for leather projects. We would love to see what you have done!

Please send a photo of your work to our email address: catalog [at] davidmorgan [dot] com. (Please replace “at” and “dot” with the correct punctuation.) Include in the subject line that it is for our blog. If you have a website where you sell your leather goods, feel free to include that.

We look forward to seeing your work.

Change Your Akubra Snowy River into a Down Under

October 18, 2013

Because of the lack of demand, we discontinued the Down Under several years ago. Once in awhile, we get requests for the hat. Until now, we’ve had to simply say, “I’m sorry.”

But Frank, a customer of ours, told us a way to turn the Snowy River into a Down Under. You just need to do a couple of things:

The Snowy River has the same, mostly straight-sided and gently tapered crown as the Down Under. It is easy to use some steam to re-crease the crown into a telescope bash.

Slightly lower the front and raise the back of the brim.

Trim off 3/8 inch from the brim.

Add a nicely antiqued 10-plait David Morgan hat band.

If you want to add a little wear, soak the hat in water and adjust the brim. You can also strategically place some clay dust for an added effect.

That’s all!

The Snowy after modifications.

Frank sports his “Down Under”.

LEARN MORE ABOUT:

David Morgan Braided Goods

Akubra Hats

Kangaroo and Emu Wallets Now Available

October 4, 2013

After many years, David Morgan has returned to selling kangaroo wallets. Kangaroo leather is well-known for its durability and suppleness. Although it is very thin, it is one of the toughest leathers available. It is perfectly suited for wallets.

We are also selling emu-leather wallets. Emu leather is also a thin leather that is supple and durable. The raised quills of the bird give the leather a distinctive pattern. The skin of the emu legs has a remarkable, reptile-like look that provides a stylish accent.

Our supplier is Adori, well-known in Australia for their high-quality craftsmanship. The company has a long tradition of designing unique and unusual Australian leather and travel goods.

Kangaroo Six Pocket Wallet:

Emu Six Pocket Wallet

Learn More About:

Adori Products

Tilley Tec-Wool Now with C-Change Technology

September 20, 2013

Our Ivy Cap from Tilley is a popular hat for fall and winter. Soft and snug, it nestles just right on the top of the head. Now it’s even better: Tilley makes it with c-change technology.

C-change Technology uses a bionic membrane that is bonded to the fabric. Imitating nature, the waterproof and windproof polymer membrane reacts in the same way fir cones react to changing weather. The polymer expands when moisture is present or the temperature is high, permitting water vapor to escape. When the temperature drops, the polymer contracts and does not allow moisture or heat to escape. Hats and caps which incorporate this technology provide constant comfort in changing conditions.

Tilley Ivy Cap

Taking the Traveler into the Mountains

September 6, 2013

Over Labor Day Weekend, Will Morgan hiked five miles into the Alpine Lakes Wilderness near the city of Cle Elum, Washington. (For those interested in the details, he hiked from North Fork Teanaway Road to Lake Ingalls.)

With temperatures hitting 90 degrees, he worried that a black fur-felt hat might be too hot for the afternoon hike. Instead, the Traveler’s light felt and eyelets helped keep his head cool. The brim provided shade for his head, face and neck.

By the time Will had taken in the stunning view of Mount Stuart, the sun was ready to set. Fall also comes early at higher elevations, and so the temperatures dropped quickly as it grew dark. Near the bottom it was hard to see the trail and he was thinking how it was good to have a good felt hat. Even though it had soaked up a good amount of sweat, it still provided warmth. Will’s next test is to wear it with a loaded backpack frame to find out if a wide and firm brim will bump into his pack.

All in all, he reports that his Akubra Traveler was a fantastic addition to his hike and will work well for both hot and cold days.