Texas Traditions · Identification & Dating
Provenance / ID method
| Question | Method |
|---|---|
| Who’s hand? | Interior attribution, tickets, dated invoices, owner chain; post-1986 ≠ Charlie authorship |
| Shop era? | 1977–86 Dunn shop vs 1986+ Miller TT vs earlier Capitol Saddlery claims |
| Construction? | Traditional custom: measure, pattern, hand lasting, pegging — inspect welt/pegs/heel; no unique “secret sole recipe” invented here |
| Soft cultural? | Celebrity clients (Guy Clark, Lyle Lovett, Sting, Rosanne Cash, Tommy Lee Jones, Willie Nelson, and others in press) — never authenticate unlabeled pairs |
Documentation limits
- Exact street-address history of the Austin shop across decades — addresses need to be matched to the relevant period.
- Which unfinished 1980s/90s pairs involve Dunn’s last hand vs the shop — label only with provenance.
- Apprentice authorship share on modern pairs — usually Miller shop, not solo Charlie.
Maker-specific markings guidance has not been documented yet. Preserve the complete stamp and compare it against dated sources.