Although modern transportation and the recent heavy influx of people have radically changed the general character of the West, there are still remnants and reminders of the times, not so long ago, when the West was being opened up to agricultural settlement and exploitation of natural resources. Then, ambitious, independent and self-reliant people were improving their lives through heavy labor. Conditions were often harsh and unforgiving, and reliable clothing and equipment were essential.

Among the needs for work wear were gloves. Before the first European glove-makers arrived to set up small family shops, gloves, as well as moccasins and jackets of deer and elk skins were traded from the Native Americans. The Indian women were skilled with a needle and used to producing reliable and often superbly ornamented clothing to suit their own rugged life.

The new glove-makers recognized the quality of the deer and elk skin and adapted quickly to local needs. They picked up the style of the Indian gauntlet, and in many cases maintained a connection with the Indians. Geier Glove still offers fringed gauntlets and gloves, part of our Western inheritance.

Western Fringed Gauntlet
These are the classic fringed deerskin gauntlets of the West, an enduring favorite since the days when they were obtained by trading with the Indians. The four inch cuff bridges the gap between glove and sleeve, keeping out the cold or snow. Full six inch fringe. Colors are Natural or Black. Made in USA.

Western Fringed Gauntlet

More from ur Western inheritance ...
Other lines we offer with a strong Western inheritance are:

Moccasins -- Leather moccasins, made in an old Western style.

Filson Clothing -- developed with the Klondike Gold Rush and soon taken up by the logging and mining industries.

Welch Suspenders -- a staple of the loggers.

Black Underwear -- standard in heavy labor outdoors, always imported from Nova Scotia.

Horsehair Products -- an old-time specialty of the prisons of the old West.

Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding -- an essential book for anyone interested in braiding, leatherwork or life in the Old West.

Pocket Snake -- The Pocket Snake was carried in the saddlebag by cowboys in the West. Useful in loading cattle or moving bulls, it was a hard-hitting shot whip with a wire-wound butt, unique to the West. We maintain a limited production of these whips.

Northwest Coast Indian Jewelry -- Modern and old, some Trade Bracelets struck from dies made in the early 1900's.

We hope you will enjoy these lines, still offering the enduring qualities and practicalities of the old Northwest.