Old School Fitting Supplies

[JoeBnTN]

You just had to mention dip - we used milk oil dip and now I can almost smell it.  Not what I needed to think about before supper!

Old brownie clippers - I remember finding mine at an estate sale - paid $5 for them and knew I had a deal - they had both flats and sheepheads.

Speaking of sheepheads, am I the only one that used to keep sheep shears (the hand kind) in the show box?

Troy, RW - you guys don't realize you've described half the stuff left in dad's barn. There's still ORVUS jars filled with God knows what, old clip on reflector lamps that you you ran twine through the spring to get them to stay in place while you clipped.  I even found an old piece of perforated rubber flooring for our chute (so it could then weigh 800 lbs.)  We got it from the local rock quarry, it was the belting they used to take the rock through the washer to remove all the mud.  That stuff was tough and heavy.

And everyone had their own secret formula for both training hair at home and show day.  It's amazing what uses you can find for mayonnaise!

Anyway, great topic, now if we just want to tell war stories about what happened after tie outs!!

 

[inthebarnagain]

Just to make the older folks on this board sick


FOGGING CATTLE WITH BLACKLEAF 40

I think I can still smell it! RW

YES!!  I was trying to remember the name of that stuff.  If you weren't addicted to nicotine before you used it you certainly were afterwards!

 

[clifflem]

Joe, never carried a pair of sheep shears, but we had a big pair of scissors with curved blades we used to trim tailheads after we got enough glycerine bar in them to make them stand up.  If you still have your brownie clippers, I bet you could get your money back.
I still have a brownie motor with the electric brush attachment on it.  They were a good piece of equipment to wrap tails up in, but you could pop the brushes off to untangle them.

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

Joe, never carried a pair of sheep shears, but we had a big pair of scissors with curved blades we used to trim tailheads after we got enough glycerine bar in them to make them stand up.  If you still have your brownie clippers, I bet you could get your money back.
I still have a brownie motor with the electric brush attachment on it.  They were a good piece of equipment to wrap tails up in, but you could pop the brushes off to untangle them.

I would be interested if you're ever in the notion to sell your brush. I'm kind of starting a collection of the old school tools. It's kind of amazing how many things I've forgot about over the years. RW

 

[kanshow]

Someone needs to start up a fitter's museum.   

We made our own rope halters from sisal & then later on from nylon when it became more readily available. 

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

T Roy if you still have a pair of Howards knee pads I would put them in too. Mine have been long gone I'm afraid. RW

 

[JoeBnTN]

Joe, never carried a pair of sheep shears, but we had a big pair of scissors with curved blades we used to trim tailheads after we got enough glycerine bar in them to make them stand up.  If you still have your brownie clippers, I bet you could get your money back.
I still have a brownie motor with the electric brush attachment on it.  They were a good piece of equipment to wrap tails up in, but you could pop the brushes off to untangle them.

I've still got the brownies - in fact I still use them occasionally.  They're great on smaller calves with fine baby hair.  I should be able to keep them running since I have an extra motor for parts that I salvaged.

A good friend of mine has an old soft horse hair brush we call the "magic brush" - he's had it for more than 40 years and always used it to put the final brushing on slick haired Herefords.  There's no telling how much purple, pink, linseed, olive oil (and another kind of oil that's been used over the past 4 decades) there is in that brush.  Just one swipe and you've got a show ring shine that will last for hours!!

 

[clifflem]

RW, speaking of old school fitting equipment, a couple months ago I was in a second hand junk store about 25 miles from home and found an original O.M. Franklin Serum Company,  Denver, CO fine tooth scotch comb with the big wooden handle.  It was a bargain at $8.  That was more than it probably cost new.
I remember when I started showing steers in high school we would have about 20-25 head in my FFA Chapter.  We had 2 or 3 home made chutes (probably heavier than the 4oo# that MBar was talking about) and 2 old original Circuiteer blowers.  We all used them and somehow we got everything done.  The first time I was in Denver, everyone at the Yards were using gas powered leaf blowers that were a back pack model.  That was before generators were really available.
I have a small collection of old show equipment (junk) in the barn at my folks. I think there is still some of the wax leg bars in one of the old showboxes.  You could put that stuff on them and it would be there the rest of the season.

 

[JoeBnTN]

Does anyone remember the very first blowers that were on wheels?  Looked like a big box with a hose on the end of it - they were powder blue with a white tip.  I got mine from a horse trainer when he bought a new one.

 

[ROAD WARRIOR]

RW, speaking of old school fitting equipment, a couple months ago I was in a second hand junk store about 25 miles from home and found an original O.M. Franklin Serum Company,  Denver, CO fine tooth scotch comb with the big wooden handle.  It was a bargain at $8.  That was more than it probably cost new.
I remember when I started showing steers in high school we would have about 20-25 head in my FFA Chapter.  We had 2 or 3 home made chutes (probably heavier than the 4oo# that MBar was talking about) and 2 old original Circuiteer blowers.  We all used them and somehow we got everything done.  The first time I was in Denver, everyone at the Yards were using gas powered leaf blowers that were a back pack model.  That was before generators were really available.
I have a small collection of old show equipment (junk) in the barn at my folks. I think there is still some of the wax leg bars in one of the old showboxes.  You could put that stuff on them and it would be there the rest of the season.

A treasure for sure! My first blower was more like a square box with a hose - kind of looked like a vaccum sweeper. I also have an old brass nose plug that is over 40 years old. When I first went to the yards I don't remember ever washing after we got there.Alot of brushing and maybe a spot rinse was about it. We used to wear out the old rice root brushes in a show season, my how times have changed! RW

 

[LT]

Road Warrior you have brought back some good memories.  I remember the smell of the Orvis and the saddle soap and all the AMWAY products.  We even starting to sell Amway to get a discount on the soap! 

Thanks for the memories!  Sounds like Lawerence Welk doesn't it???  That does age me doesn't it?

 

[cdncowboy]

Ah, yes the big green comb that went on you scotch comb handle - still have that in the old wood showbox, giggle every time I look at it.  Believe I still have a couple of glycerin bars around as well.  Also have a can of sweet georgia brown - carried that around till the last couple years, just liked the smell of it!! 
Somewhere I have about a half jar of Orvus, used up the last of my purple oil about a year ago.  Remember growing up when we got that first brush with the hose attachment on it, I was so excited definitely made me "cool".  The can of whatever it was with the brush on the lid for polishing hooves.
Anyone else have the big aluminum shoe horn looking thing for squishing the excess water out after a wash.
The fine tooth scotch comb that even on slick haired cattle would pull out more hair than it would comb through.  Let me not forget the "Fluff'R" the little yellow blower with the 3ft. hose and shoulder carry strap so you could actually reach the animal, just a slight step up from the old Electrolux vac that you could switch around to blow instead of suck.  That special little comb for backcombing a tail - boy I hated balling tails.
The fogger that was actually some sort of old vacuum attachment, don't remember what it was supposed to be for but I still have that around some where as well.
Still remember the first time we got Hamm's Leg adhesive, man what a special treat that was, you could almost comb through it before it set. 
Most of the things listed I remember - thanks now I feel just a little bit older!!

 

[JoeBnTN]

Just to make you feel real old (or at least see how old I am) - our old barn didn't have a well or "city" water - didn't need it we had a great creek that ran through the corner of the lot and through the pens. We had 2 pens - one for heifers and one for the steers and bulls.  No fans, just lots of shade trees and a breeze off the river.  Washing required that we carry water from the creek to fill a 50 gallon drum, then dip out wash and rinse.  Needless to say we quick rinsed more than we washed and then brushed them dry.  Before you laugh too hard, that little set up took care of one national Champion and several All Americans before we finally upgraded to a new barn at the house with "city" water, multiple pens and fans. 

 

[M Bar]

You should see our "show place".  Not much for looks.  Heck I still pull a steel trailer nicknamed trusty rusty.  As a friend of mine, the late Joe Woods said, spend your money on better genetics.

 

[shortyjock89]

You should see our "show place".  Not much for looks.  Heck I still pull a steel trailer nicknamed trusty rusty.  As a friend of mine, the late Joe Woods said, spend your money on better genetics.

We still show cattle out of the same barn that my grandpa and GREAT grandpa showed cattle out of, with a few updates of course.  The barn has been here almost as long as we have, I think it was built in 1919, and it's still in VERY good shape.  It's a heck of a lot better barn than the new pole barn we put up 3 or 4 years ago.  It was supposed to be our show barn, but it's just too darn hot in there. 

When I started showing, we dug up my grandpa's old show box from the 50's and repainted it.  It still had some old stuff in it, including a fine tooth scotch comb and numerous jars of vile concoctions that I wouldn't want touching my calves haha.  It was kind of cool to go though it and hold the same things my grandpa used on his Angus cattle back in the day (especially since I never got to really meet him). I feel like I share a very strong bond with my grandpa because of the cattle and our heritage that goes with them.

 

[cowman 52]

The original fogger bottle was an attachment for the kirby vacums that came out in the 60's -  amyway dealerships to get a discount-- the old bell  water buckets and metal feed pans-  the wet line in a straw bed-  watching Kevin O Brien bone legs on the first great northern calves while standing in a barrel to keep from getting kicked-  The royal fit in Kansas City during the national polled show over chutes--  Sam Woody  trying to recover from a trip to Acunia Old Mexico  [boys  town to those who don't know]

 

[Ruchian]

Speaking of sheepheads, am I the only one that used to keep sheep shears (the hand kind) in the show box?

I actually just used some of those on a friends steer at our county fair yesterday, and i'm only 19.

 

[shortyjock89]

What did you use hand shears on? I use the sheepshead clippers all the time, especially when I twine or heavily build legs, but never the hand shears. It would be cool to see though.

 

[kanshow]

We have a couple sets of the old hand sheep shears too.  I've never used them on cattle but have seen it done. 

I would think that hand blocking sheep has or is becoming a lost art.  That took some talent & now with the sheep all needing to be 1/4 or less wool.. no more blocking. 

 

[JoeBnTN]

That just reminded me - what about using sheep or wool cards?  We used to use them on Herefords (and occasionally a wild haired Shorty) we were fitting for our neighbors.