| JLC | jlcarrion@comcast.net |
| After
a lot of shopping around I ordered my first pair of EXCELLENT custom
made boots made by RAY DORWART from Guthrie, OK. From day one they
fitted as if they had been worn for a lifetime. These boots are a mix of styles. sandhill style vamp, 14 inch tops, horse leather all throughout. inlaid initals, single row - fleur de lis pattern, circle bottom - many other details. I gave Ray the basic idea of what I wanted and then we let his imagination run free. The end product a truly fine, not flashy, but spectaular boots. On eparticular detail is that all parts of the boot areskived to mate before stitching is done. Ray uses fine double stitching and all parts of teh boot fit perfectly. They blend in such fashion that, except for the stiching, you will not notice where on part ends and the other one begings. You run the fingers and there is no overlap felt to the touch. Dorwart is very peculiar about this detail. Easy on, easy off. I frequently wear them through airport security and they are on - off as easy easy as a pair of shoes (once you know how to take htem off without the aid of a boot jack). Took the boots to Ray for a 1,000 mile check. He did not like the way I wore the heels, so he reworked the heels and replaced the heel caps with a different ones to fit my stride. (Now they are really comfortable.) The fit is perfect... the wear pattern is right down the middle. Side wear is even, and with a little care the boots should last a lifetime. Happy.. YES... so much that I ordered another pair from Dorwart, still on the sandhill style, but with some wild imagination again. I was pleased with the final product because I saw the boots evolve from a pice of horse hide, through almost the entire process of boot-making, and until I practically walked away from Ray's shop with the boots on. If you go to Oklahoma, visit Ray Dorwart, in Guthrie (25 miles north of Okalhoma City on I-35). It is not a fancy shop, but rather rustic. Ray takes a lot of time and pride on his boots - they are entirely HANDMADE, spare a few stiches and some polishing. You will not regret wearing a pair of Dorwart custom made boots.
6 June 2004 - Seattle, WA and Salisbury, MD
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