I really appreciate all the positive feedback.
It was a fun table to design and build.
Here is the description that accompanied the piece in the gallery.
“All Hat, No Cattle”
(Texas Style)
This table is a tongue-in-cheek nod to the cowboy heritage shared by all Texans regardless of whether they have ever worked from a saddle on the open range.
While the foundation for our furniture lies in woodworking, we always welcome the opportunity to explore other artistic mediums and expand our repertoire. The challenges of this design allowed us to refine our skills in the metal arts as well as leathercraft.
The inspiration came from a beautiful slice of Mesquite with an unusual shape that suggested the brim of a weathered cowboy hat. The top of the hat is carved from figured Mesquite in the Old West fashion reminiscent of the one Augustus McCrae wore in Lonesome Dove. “Little style never hurt anyone, Woodrow.”
The question of the right base for a big as Texas cowboy hat was resolved during lunch at Whataburger when their iconic French fry container was transformed into a pair of batwing chaps with the tiny scissors of a Swiss Army knife.
All the details for the chaps are original creations including a pair of six shooters, horseshoe pockets, Ranger stars, buffalo skulls, and bowed arrows. A splash of color is provided by the four suits of playing cards emblazoned on the belt. The surface of the steel has been carefully patinated to resemble vintage gun bluing.
Adornment is provided by gold & silver plated conchos (including a hidden steer so our little buckaroo actually does have the start of a herd), decorative leather rosettes, and latigo strings with double bleed knots. The hatband features a pair of two-tone horsehair tassels. No cowboy is complete without boots and these are carved from Spalted Pecan with a burnt stitching pattern and Mesquite soles.
The table rests on a genuine Navaho saddle blanket (which is included with purchase) that was hand woven in Gallup, New Mexico. They just seem to belong together and trigger an impulse to sing “Home, home on the range.”
The Mesquite and Texas Pecan elements are finished with a European hardwax oil that has been hand rubbed to a satin sheen. The steel patina is sealed and protected with nitrocellulose lacquer.
