Tribute is given to the artisans and craftsmen who fashioned the cowboy's unique outfit. Packing Iron celebrates the artistry and innovation of the craftsmen who designed the gun rigs of the old time cowboys, troopers, lawmen, and Hollywood heroes. This unique art form is fully described and richly illuatrated with more than 300 exciting color photographs and nearly 100 rare historic images. In the pages of Packing Iron you will discover gunleather produced by historic government arsenals, along with the famed frontier craftsmen like Collins, Meanea, Gallatin, and Heiser. This book contains hundreds of photos and inllustrations of the construction, evolution and variation of the saddle.
Content focuses on the western saddle with ample photographs of famous saddles.
The beginner will learn the parts of the saddle, proper selection, use, fit and how to care for a saddle. Collectors will find the guide an invaluable resource for dating and identifying saddles and their makers. The book stays on topic and does not deal with horsemanship or bitting .