Best of the West: 2018

For 65 years, True West’s editors and contributors have written about the men and women across the country who work hard every day to keep the spirit of the Old West alive, including the artisans of Western wear and tack. From small towns to big cities, artisans of hats, boots, clothes, saddles, leather gear, spurs and silver have shared their expertise and been profiled in the pages of True West. Many of these artisans are multi-generational family operations and have been making and selling gear for a century or more. The businesses they have managed are cornerstones of their communities, and True West’s editors consider them “Old West saviors.” Without these dedicated men and women, who pass on their knowledge and traditional arts and crafts from generation to generation, many of the traditions of our Western past—and the skills and gear working cowboys and cowgirls depend on to ranch and farm—would be lost to time. At True West, we honor and celebrate Western artisans who have worked the past 65 years to keep the spirit of the Old West alive through their Western wear stores, trading posts, custom tack, boot and hat shops. We encourage our readers to support these small business owners, and whether you shop on Main Street while traveling the great byways of the American West, or you stop by on the Internet, please take a moment to say thanks to those whose artisanship keeps the Old West alive...more