A Leatherman or a Man Who Wears Leather?

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LanglitzmeonbikeSomeone with whom I am having an intriguing email dialogue asked me this question:

I remember reading an old blog post of yours that mentioned that you had always worn leather for riding a motorcycle, and that therefore, no one suspected that you were a gay man into leather. When you finally wore full leather all the time, did you ever feel like you had a second coming out experience since it was admitting that you belong to a subculture within a subculture?

Excellent question! My response (after the jump):
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Lacing Shafts of Patrol Boots

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Cops54I received an email from a motor officer who works in a southern state’s motor unit (photo shown from Mid-Atlantic Motorcycle Police Competition of 2011 — not the unit of the officer who wrote to me.) The officers in his unit all wear the same style of patrol boot — Chippewa trooper boots. These boots have a laced instep and a laced closure at the top of each boot shaft.

He asked me for advice on how to lace the closures on the sides (shafts) of his boots so the laces will not come untied while riding. He said that the other cops in his unit have been doing different things, and he wanted to “ask an expert.”

I’m not quite an expert, but I guess with the number of boots that I own and show on my website, including a pair of the same boots, perhaps I can help.

However, most of my motorcycle police patrol boots have buckle closures at the top of the boot shafts. I prefer a buckle closure because it is cleaner and never requires much fuss. But to answer his question, I looked at what other cops who wear boots like his do…
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Keeping Leather Clean

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Langlitz29I very much appreciate suggestions for blog posts that I receive from regular visitors. Today I give a special word of thanks to “Xapollo” who asked me to write about “How to keep leather shirts and pants clean without paying a fortune to the cleaners.”

Yep, as regular readers of this blog know, I have a lot of motorcycle leather gear and “other” leather gear that I wear for more private fun with my spouse, and used to wear when my spouse and I went out to leather events or bars back in the day.

Leather is an investment. Good gear is not cheap. Here are my suggestions about keeping leather garments clean.
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Snow Day!

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Snow02132014dA large snowstorm has been forecast, and the area where I live is supposed to receive 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25cm) of snow, which for the DC Metro area, shuts everything down. Schools, offices, as well as local, state, and Federal Government agencies are closed.

However, that doesn’t mean that I am not working.

Contrary to misinformed belief, work-life continues for many of us on a snow day…
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Choose a Job You Love and Never Work a Day In Your Life

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Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
― Confucius

I cannot say that I “chose” my current job, but I did “choose” my career path.

I have had jobs before that I enjoyed, but eventually burned out or things changed so much that we mutually saw that parting company was best for my sanity and their… well, whatever reasons they had.

I had a job I loved for 20 years, then it crashed and burned when I got reorganized with the wrong-headed, money-grubbing side of the company.

I had a job that I tolerated, but we knew it was a “holding pattern” until something else came along.

Then I was chosen…
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Guest Blog: NewToBoots Attorney

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This is a guest blog post written by someone with whom I have been having a cordial email exchange.

Last summer, I stumbled upon BHD’s website and later, his blog. I wrote to him to ask what boots he may recommend to wear at a wedding being held in Texas in which I was going to be a groomsman. I live in a state in the eastern U.S., where boot-wearing is uncommon among men in professional positions, or even on weekends with casual clothes. Yes, I am among those that BHD has targeted as the “sneaker-wearing Dads” who wear “dorky dress shoes” at the office.

But I have what I thought was a valid reason for doing so: I am a trial attorney, and often appear in court. I must wear a suit and dress the part.

Back to the boots issue.
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General Information About Boots

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Lucrattlesnake13I receive questions about boots from a number of people. New-to-boot-wearing, the curious, those with specific questions about particular brands of boots, requests to help identify which manufacturer made a pair of boots, and so forth.

I am happy to try to answer these questions. Sure is better to receive those types of emails than from those annoying Pakistani leather vendors or the liars from India selling SEO services.

Receiving a number of these questions lately caused me to stop and think. I probably have forgotten more than most people will ever know about boots. I am not sure how I learned so much about boots, but I look at it this way: some guys can tell you all of the stats about certain sports and athletes, while I can tell you many details about boots, boot manufacturers, boot construction, and so forth. Our respective memories are chock full of facts and data — theirs about sports, mine about boots.

Following, then, are some facts about boots that I have answered over the last few weeks.
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