Instead of MAL…

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“MAL” means “Mid-Atlantic Leather,” the second-largest annual gathering of the leather clan in the U.S.  It is going on in downtown Washington, DC, and ends tonight.  I blogged the other day about why my partner and I decided not to attend.  Been there, done that….

Instead of going to MAL, I wore full leather anyway:  long-sleeved hunter green leather shirt, leather riding pants, and Wesco Boss boots.  My partner and I went to the motorcycle show that was also in town, at the Convention Center.  It was easy to get to because we could use our Metro subway system, which has a stop right there… convenient.

We strolled around, looked at the new bikes, show bikes, display bikes, and the various vendors’ booths.  While several vendors were selling leather gear (vests, jackets, and chaps), only one vendor was selling U.S.-made gear.

Most of the leather gear was cheap junk made of imported leather from Pakistan.  The lack of quality showed.  What also showed was what these vendors know about the demographic of guys who attend these shows.  I swear, some vendors only had vests and jackets that started at US Size 50 — and up!  My gosh!  But their knowledge and decision-making about what to display for sale was, sadly, spot-on.

Funny, two guys came up to me and said, “that’s a cool shirt?  Who’s selling it?” — wanting to know which vendor at the motorcycle show had it for sale.  I told both of them the truth:  they could get this leather shirt if they wanted it, but the vendor displaying it was at the Hyatt Regency, not at the convention center.  One guy said, “that’s strange” and another said, “why there?”  To both, I explained that there was a “leather convention” at the hotel, and the vendor of this shirt, Mr. S. Leather, had a display there.  Neither quite understood what I was saying, but both said, “nahhh… too far away.”  (giggle.) Also, what they didn’t need to know was that a change this year at MAL is that you have to pay $10 just to stroll around the exhibit hall if you did not buy a full admission package.

Back to the motorcycle show: I saw and spoke with some people I know, while my partner shied away and tried to fade into the background.  We strolled around, and had lunch — and I wasn’t surprised, but disappointed, that the cost of lunch was equal to the cost of two entry tickets.  Yikes!

It was a nice way to do something different and spend the afternoon with my partner.  Photos with this post show me on a 2011 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic.  No, I am not considering getting it, or any new bike.  My 2008 Road King suits me just fine.

On the way home, I did see a couple guys decked out in full leather on their way into town.  I can imagine where they were going.  Hope they, and all attending MAL, had fun.

Life is short:  enjoy your leather while attending a non-gay-leather-dude event!

Why Do People Wear Cowboy Boots?

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From another Google search, someone from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, entered:

While this person can’t spel (and since I was educamated in Oklahoma, I know we were taught the difference between “wear” and “were,”) nonetheless, this person’s query will be answered.

Why do people wear cowboy boots?  From my perspective, as an every-day boot wearer, I would say:

1) Cowboy boots look good — as good (or in my opinion, better) than dress shoes, worn with slacks or pants over them.  I wear them to the office in a professional setting all the time.  So do many other men who don’t have hang-ups about what’s on their feet or fears about what others may say. (And no, one does not “have” to wear a cowboy hat when wearing cowboy boots.)

2)  Cowboy boots feel good — boots feel solid on the foot.  Well-made cowboy boots are sturdy, but flexible.  They are easy to walk in and yet are rigid enough to protect the ankle.

3)  Cowboy boots come in a variety of colors, shapes of toes, and can be plain or fancy — to fit the wearer’s interest and style.

4)  Cowboy boots can have a higher heel (compared with dress shoes).  Some guys like a little more height than what God has given them.  And I’m not talking about spikey heels.  I’m talking about a “cowboy walking heel” which is 1-5/8″ to 1-3/4″ high — about an inch higher than a typical shoe heel, and yet not so high as to make it difficult to walk in them.  Some cowboy boots have heels from two to three inches, or more.  I have trouble walking in heels higher than two inches, so most of my cowboy boots have walking heels — for my comfort.

5)  Cowboy boots (or any real boot for that matter) provides better protection to the ankle which can be injured easily by a trip or fall.

6)  Some men wear cowboy boots because of the culture of where they live.  Heck, this question was asked in Oklahoma City?  Goodness gracious, lots and lots of men wear cowboy boots there all the time.

Now, on another matter, this search via Yahoo asked, “can you cowboy boots in ice?” It was from North Carolina. Just goes to demonstrate that what people enter into search engines does not have to makes sense, but ends up on this blog, anyway.

Cowboy boots with smooth leather soles on ice? Come on! Ya’ gotta be kiddin’! Well, you can wear cowboy boots when there is ice and snow on the ground, but if you do not want to end up on your ass with a broken ankle or leg, you might want to re-think that … wear sturdy, tall boots with soles that have good traction, and remember that no boot sole, no matter how big the lugs, can prevent a fall on ice. ‘nuf said.

Life is short:  stop obsessing.  WEAR boots, but in the right place at the right time!

Two-Wheel Winter Blues

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Only another biker knows how I feel when I look at the back of my garage and see my beloved Harley tucked in safely from the cold, with a Battery Tender connected.  Only another biker would know the irony of having the Harley’s Battery Tender propped up on a snowblower stored next to it…  🙂

Some words for how this biker feels this time of year, when it is cold, icy, snowy, and non-conducive to riding:

  • Forlorn
  • Sad
  • Heartache
  • Sigh
  • Cabin Fever
  • F’kin Winter’s never gonna end!

Oh well… that’s how us bikers feel this time of year.

But I vowed that I will remain positive, so I will continue to repeat this phrase, “Spring will come,” “Spring will come,”  “Spring will come,”  (… and the partner won’t cram my limited weekend time with so many chores that I can’t ride!!!!)

Life is short:  keep dreaming.  And to my fellow bikers:  I know how you feel!

Bootedman.com Update

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Dear blog readers,

Two days ago I posted a message on this blog asking for feedback about how my website was operating.

I was blown away with the response!  I heard from people with whom I regularly communicate, but I also heard from many others with whom I have not had the pleasure (yet) of exchanging messages. (Though I wish the two guys from my home town who visit this blog every day would eventually get up the nerve to contact me.)

Overall, I received more than 90 responses to my “request for help” from all over the world.  Amazing.  Incredible.  Overwhelming!  If I did not reply to you (if you provided an email address), please understand that I couldn’t reply to everyone.  I have to work, and working gets in the way of responding to email.

What I learned is that everyone said that my website is working fine, and if anything, seems to be loading faster than before.  Perhaps the drop in viewers on Monday was a residual problem of the transition from one web host to another.  Anyway, it seems to be responding well now, and actually for the past two days has had about 500 more unique visitors, on average, than comparative days one week ago.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, my loyal blog readers.  You have helped me a lot, and I am grateful.

Life is short:  be thankful for help you receive!

MAL: Leather Weekend

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It’s that time of year again when the second-largest gathering of the Leather Clan occurs in the United States, at an event called “Mid-Atlantic Leather,” held this year January 14 – 17 in Washington, DC.  I see on various forums and posts that I read that a lot of guys are planning to attend. (I wish my friend Paul, whose image is to the left, will be there; alas, he won’t. But doesn’t he present the epitome of a hot Leatherdude?  Woof!)

The headquarters hotel has changed to the Hyatt Regency instead of the old, ratty, Washington Plaza.  The Hyatt is a much nicer property, but also expensive and not very convenient to Metro (our subway system).  Though the walk from Union Station (trains and Metro) isn’t bad … I once worked at a building right behind the Hyatt, and the walk was about six blocks … not “that” far.

Anyway, while I would like to see some of my friends from out-of-town who are attending, I do not have an interest in attending the various MAL events.  Being an old, monogamous, Maryland suburban-boy, spending time in the city is not my cup-o-tea.  Weighing the “hassle-factor” of getting there is a major part of my thought process.  There is no free parking anywhere (even on weekends), and driving into the city and out again is challenging.  Further, most of the events occur late at night, and I am definitely not the night-owl.

But wait, you say!  There’s a Hotboots party on Saturday afternoon!  (2 to 4pm at the Green Lantern bar).  You have those Custom Brown Dehner Field Boots that you want to show off. (Or, let’s say, show something different from the typical Chippewa Hi-Shines, Dehner Patrol Boots, and Wescos). Been there, done that… bartenders are surly, you can’t take pictures in the bar, and with construction completed for new buildings near the bar, it’s hard to find a place to park, and Metro is even further away.  Plus, as usual, my partner doesn’t want to go as he detests social things.

There is also a motorcycle show at the DC Convention Center the same weekend.  I may be able to convince The Partner to go to that, as I scored a couple free tickets and there is a Metro station right there for convenience.  We’ll leather up and look at the new bikes and gear and such … maybe.  It’s all weather- and mood-dependent (the mood of The Partner being the decisive factor.)  I’ve learned to take each day as it comes, and if he’s up for it, then we’ll go … if not, we won’t.  No big shakes.

So, if you are going to MAL — have a great time!  The weather should be rather typical in Washington for this time of year:  cold, but not frigid; and the little bit of snow that fell yesterday should be gone by the weekend.

Be safe, have fun, and by all means:  wear your leather and tall boots!

(Image to right was found on the ‘net, and is the classic image of a leatherdude who may attend MAL — though personally, I never could understand why he is wearing sunglasses at night. Part of the “image,” I presume….)

ADDENDUM: Three people wrote to me to ask, “why didn’t you just reserve a hotel room and stay, rather than drive in and out of town each night?”

Answer: I am sorry that I didn’t address that issue in the original post. To be honest, I conk out at 21:00 (9pm) each night. I can’t handle activities that go on after that. Further, I can think of a lot of other things on which to spend US$700, which is what I estimate the cost of a hotel room for the weekend to be, with taxes, etc. It’s not worth it to us to take a hotel room when we wouldn’t be participating in most of the MAL events which take place after my bedtime (and also recognizing that we are truly monogamous, and we do not play around with other men.) Further, I learned from attending IML in Chicago that guys clomp up and down hotel hallways late into the night, and it’s likely we wouldn’t be able to sleep well. I know, I know… who sleeps at these things? We do….

Life is short:  realize your priorities change with relationships and age.

Request for Help

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Dear Blog Visitors,

I mentioned the other day that I migrated my website to a different web host.  That migration took place over the last weekend.

I am seeing far, far fewer than the average number of visitors to my website.  I am wondering if the website may be responding slowly, and people are not staying on it when it does not respond, or if there is some other reason that my average number of visitors is way down — like by half.

Will you do me a favor?  Visit my bootedman.com website (click here) and poke around to visit several pages in different sections. Watch how quickly pictures load (or if any do not load.)

Then return to this blog post, click on this link (or leave a comment on this blog post, or email me directly if you have my email address) to let me know your experience with it. You do not have to leave a name or email address on your message if you do not want to — it just means that if you do not leave contact information, that I cannot reply to acknowledge your input.

Did it work?  Was it fast or did you have to wait a long time for pages to load?  Did you encounter any bugs, or “time out” errors?

I can switch it back to my previous host, which (when it was working) was very fast.  I really appreciate any time you can put into this informal evaluation.  Please know that if you wish, you do not have to give me your name or email address — you can just provide feedback to me.

Thank you for your help!

Life is short:  too short for slow websites.

Comparison of Chippewa and Wesco Boots

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I have been asked from time to time how Chippewa and Wesco engineer boots compare.  Nothing shows the differences and similarities better than a video.  Here it is! (see text summary below)

Summary of main points in the video:

Similarities of Chippewa and Wesco Engineer Boots
Note: these similarities are for stock Wesco Boss engineer boots. Wesco Boss boots can be made custom to different heights, number of buckles, color of leather, different soles, etc. But standard, stock Boss boots have these shared characteristics with Chippewa Engineer boots:

  • Made in USA
  • Construction and durability: both Chippewa and Wesco boots are very well-constructed and will last a long time, even if exposed to heat, water, mud, chemicals, oil, etc.
  • Leather: oil-tanned (dull finish) high-quality leather
  • Straps and buckles: One strap with buckle across the instep, one strap with buckle closure at the top of the shaft. (Custom Wescos can have no straps or up to four straps.)
  • Shaft lining: Unlined (though Custom Wesco boots can be leather-lined.)
  • Thread color: the thread color on the soles and boot stays is white on both Chippewa and Wesco boots (though custom Wescos can have different thread colors specified.)
  • Toes: Steel toe (Note: the stock standard Chippewa engineer boot has a steel toe.)

Differences

  • Height: Chippewa — 17″; Wesco Boss — 18″ (or shorter or taller, up to crotch-high.)
  • Weight of leather: Chippewa boots are made from leather that is thinner than the leather that Wesco boots are made with.
  • Weight of boots: Chippewa — 3 lbs (1.36kg); Wesco 18″ Boss — 6 lbs (2.7kg)
  • Sole: Chippewa — Vibram Nitrile (moderate traction); Wesco — Vibram 100 (big lug — lots of traction)
  • Customization: Chippewa boots cannot be made custom. You get what you get. Wesco boots can be made custom, with different heights, leather, number of straps, soles, heel height, and other options available — at a price!
  • Price: Chippewa — approx. US$200/pair; Wesco Boss — approx. US$500 (or more)

Life is short: know your boots!

Bootedman.com

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I have just moved Bootedman.com to a different hosting service.  What that means in non-geek speak is that my boots and leather website is being provided from a different server that is owned by a different company than the one I had been using since 2005.  I changed it because the company at which I had the website hosted has had an ongoing problem with downtime, and the problem was getting worse, not better.  They also were more expensive and more restrictive than the new company.

You do not have to worry about the technical details, many of which are beyond my own comprehension.  As you may not realize, my abilities with web-stuff are not as extensive as you may think.  I am learning all the time, and the learning is fun — which is why having that website is much like a hobby.  It continues to challenge me and is intellectually stimulating.

I am posting this message for two reasons:

1) just in case you visit my website and get some strange error message, check back later.  It takes a while for the change to be fully implemented on the World Wide Web.

2) my email address is being migrated, too.  I may lose all of my email when this change takes place.  If you have sent me a message and I have not responded, please try again.  Messages sent to me on 8 or 9 January may not actually reach me.  Or they may; I do not know.

Let’s hope the transition is transparent for my visitors, and goes smoothly.

Life is short:  make changes as necessary.

Fitting of Leather Breeches or Jeans

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Someone from Russia sent me an email recently telling me that he had decided to purchase a pair of leather jeans from Northbound Leather of Toronto, Ontario, Canada after reading this blog and how I have complimented the store’s quality and service.  However, he was confused by the sizing chart on Northbound’s website.

Here are my thoughts about how to determine if you should order a stock size of a pair of leather jeans or breeches, or order them custom — and how to determine the proper sizing.  (Note, I refer to U.S. measurements.  Use a conversion chart if you do not use U.S. measurements in archaic inches.)

1.  Well-constructed garments made of high-quality leather do not stretch at the waist very much, such as a pair of cloth jeans.  The leather used for the waist, as well as double-stitching with thick thread, makes the waistband much less “stretchable” than other parts of a leather garment, such as the seat and thighs.  So if you are torn between two stock sizes, such as 34″ and 36″, go with the larger size.

2.  The older you get, the easier it is to put on weight in the middle.  If you get leather pants that fit tightly now, you may not be able to fit into them in a few years.  It is easier to reduce the size of the waist by using a belt (or by having the pants altered professionally) but you cannot add more to the size if it is not there in the first place.  Again: go with a larger size if you’re choosing between two sizes.

3.  My experience with custom-made leather garments from Northbound has been that their products are a bit more tight than leather garments I have had custom-made from U.S. vendors such as Mr. S or 665 Leather.  I have kidded Northbound about Canadians measuring things differently. (Only a joke!)

4.  Do NOT use the measurements from a regular pair of blue jeans!  Sizes and people change.  In fact, Consumer Reports did some testing last year and indicated that men’s jean sizes can vary as much as two inches in the waist.  You cannot use a pair of jeans that fit you to determine the proper size of a pair of leather pants.

How do you determine if you can purchase at stock sizes or require custom work? It is simple: have your measurements taken, and determine if your measurements at critical areas (waist and inseam) are the same as the measurements to which stock garments are made. If the measurements are the same, then buy pre-made, stock jeans or breeches. If not, then you will have to buy custom.

5.  Even if you can wear stock sizes, I still think the best way to go is to have leather breeches or jeans made custom to your measurements.  That way, you know that you will have garments that will fit you perfectly.  I have said this before, such as in my “Complete Guide to Leather Gear,” but I should emphasize once again:  do NOT measure yourself!  Have a friend use a tailor’s tape to measure you.  Use the form in my Leather Gear Guide to note your specific measurements.  Not only is it impossible to get accurate measurements yourself, you have to realize that you’re human, and may not want to accept the results that the tape shows.  You may pull the tape a bit tighter on your waist to get the results you want — and then end up ordering a pair of leather jeans that are too small and will not stretch to accommodate you.  Believe me, quality leather garment vendors like Northbound want to get it right the first time, and they’ve seen it all.  They don’t care if your jeans are a size 36, but the tape shows a waist size of 39.  They will make what fits you best, so get the measurements done correctly with a friend’s help.

Well-fitting leather jeans will last a long time.  I have worn leather jeans and breeches regularly for decades.  I admit, though, that leather jeans that I bought in the 1980s would not fit me today, 30+ years later.  Those garments are gone.  But once I got past age 40 or so, where my “middle-age spread” settled, I ordered some leather garments that still fit me well today — and I wear them often.  (Though I must admit, I appreciate that with a recent 40-pound weight-loss, I have lost three inches at the waist, so now I have to wear a tighter belt than before — and, I don’t feel squeezed such that my gut rises up above the waist of the pants and hangs out prominently.)

In summary, my recommendation is to consider your age and lifestyle, as well as how often you plan to wear the leather.  If you are like me and want to get a good return on your investment by wearing leather regularly — not just to a once-a-year fashion show & gathering of the leather clan — then choose to have custom gear made to your actual measurements.  If, however, you may wear the leather jeans less often, then go with stock sizes, but if you have to make a choice between two sizes, go with the larger of the two.

Gear in the photos:
1) Leather shirt and breeches with LAPD markings from 665 Leather of West Hollywood, California, USA.
2) “Sailor Leather” pants from Northbound Leather of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
3)  Hunter green leather shirt from Mr. S. of San Francisco, California, USA.  (Pants are the “sailor leather” shown in #2)
4)  Blue-striped leather jeans from Northbound.

Life is short:  wear leather!

Boots On My Partner’s Mind

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That’s a switch, isn’t it?  My partner is not the Bootman in our family — far from it.  He will wear them for me on special occasions, but I digress….

My partner truly is “Mr. Neat-Nick.”  Everything has a place, and everything should be in its place, or it goes.  His “Rule #1” for our home is, “volume in = volume out.”  If I come home with something, then I have to pick something else equally as large and dispose of it … somewhere, somehow.  That includes boots… well, at least, the boxes that they come in.

Over the last couple of years since we last configured my boot display and storage options, my boot collection has grown a little (um… define “a little,” he asks…LOL!)  While I have sold or disposed of five pairs of boots, another 20 pairs have shown up at my door and have managed to get onto my feet.

Last week, in the period between Christmas and New Year’s, my partner was off work.  I was working, but working from home.  Every few hours, I would hear my partner rummaging around, then huffing and puffing.  Finally, last Thursday night, he said, “we have to do something about all those boots!” (emphasis added.)

But rather than argue, he said, “look, you’ve built a boot room in the basement, and I have my model train set up in there.  Let’s take down the train and put it away for now, and build some more shelves.”

Of course, that plan sounded more simple than it really was.  In order to make room to store his model train setup in the utility room, we had to remove a bunch of junk that wound up in there.  Mostly — boot boxes.  But there was some other stuff, too, including an old chair that we had always intended to have reupholstered, but was lumpy and uncomfortable.  Out it went, along with all that other junk … to fill the back of my truck and take it to the dump (which here in snoburbia, we call it a transfer station) … but I digress!

We went to a local home supplies store on Saturday to buy the supplies that I needed to build more shelving.  It has wood sides, but wire shelves.  The wire allows air to circulate and keep down any potential problem with mold that loves to grow in dark places on collagen (fiber) products (i.e., leather soles of boots).

We built the shelves, then arranged my boots, from tallest on the bottom to shortest on the top.  Now, 30 more pairs of boots have an official “home.”  My partner is happy to clean up the place, get rid of junk, and get my boots off the floor of the bedroom closet (and other places where they found themselves to be).  I am happy to use my boot storage room for the reason it was designed.

While the shelves are adjustable, it is unlikely that I will change the distance between them.  I have one row at 14″ for additional cowboy and mid-size motorcycle boots; two shelves at 12″ for shorter work, combat and skydiving boots; one shelf at 20″ for patrol and equestrian boots; and one shelf at 22″ (bottom) for my real tall motorcycle boots (mostly custom Wescos.)  I had a small shelf “left over” on which I store miscellaneous boot supplies, such as boot hooks, boot jacks, shoe/boot polish, furniture polish (for plastic-coated boots like stock Dehners), rags, leather conditioner, lug-sole scrub-brush, and the like.

I also have a laundry sink in that room which makes it easy to clean the lug soles of my boots when they get dirty — gotta keep those dirt clots out of the soles so I don’t drop them everywhere else in the house when I walk around.

Life is short: put everything in its place!