About F&D Co.

Some 7 or so years ago, I set out, with the help of my sister, to build a brand around gear that was authentic and well made, with a focus on a small handful of venerable American companies that have resisted the relentless push to sacrifice quality for increased market share and profits. We were growing increasing dissatisfied with the avalanche of cheap disposable crap- particularly offerings from companies trading on their hard-earned reputation for quality gear to peddle pale imitations of what their brands once stood for.

Thus Five & Dime Cowboy was born. The name is a double reference. First to the now largely disappeared family-owned businesses of our youth- five and dimes, hardware stores, butcher shops- and the way in which the internet and Ebay had become a virtual wayback machine. The second reference is to the derogatory term “dimestore cowboy”- someone who affects cowboy dress, but has no connection to land, livestock, or horsemanship…”all hat, and no horse.” A bass-ackwards name for a brand that intends to focus on quality and authenticity, but a reminder that the line between an authentic style and mere affectation can become thin indeed.

Little did we know that we were out in front of a tidal wave of interest in authentic American goods. In addition, we didn’t fully appreciate the amount of time and capital required to bring the brand to life. We had a grand time though- buying up a pile of New-Old-Stock vintage clothing and gear on Ebay, and becoming experts in categories that few in the world cared about any longer.

The purpose of this blog is to winnow and sort the collections- some of the goods bound for the mountain cabin, some for Ebay, and some reserved for daily use. All of this liberally larded with references to things, people, and places that I find interesting, worthy of comment, and, above all, real.

To be sure, others have plowed large swaths of this ground before me with considerable energy and devotion- Leslie Larson of Archival Clothing, Andy Beach of Reference Library, and Michael Williams of A Continuous Lean to name a few. I don’t hope to match these efforts, but I hope that you will find something of interest here.