Guess this is more or less like beating a dead horse, but I really do need some first hand info.
I discovered a local gunshop that stock Courteney boots, and even if the price is about twice as in RSA, I feel wery tempted to buy a pair.

They had both the Selous and the Courteney Pioner models in my size.
If I buy the Pioner, can I skip the gaiter wich is more or less mandatory when using shorts and the Selous model?

Are the two models basicly similar exept for the higher shaft on the Pioner ?

I also prefer to hunt in "military" style long pants with a draw string wich can be tied pretty tight around the top of the boot, preventing seeds and insects who scratch and bite, entering the boot / crawling up under the pant.
The Pioner wich is a higher boot seem to be able to handle such a set up.

Suggestion wich pair to choose ??

Arild,

The movement of the leg causes the seeds to slip into the top of boots..Seems damn near all seeds have picker like thorns that grip onto socks and will stick you later after repeated washings..

Mike

Arild,

See this thread regarding: short gaiters

Arild and Eric,

I will be in Trondheim in mid July. Can you recommend a store to find the Courtney boots? Also, any recommendations for fishing? I understand it is good at that time of year.

Best regards;
Brett

Brett.
The only store in Trondheim who stock Courteney boots as far as I know, is Rogne VÃ¥pen.
That is a Gun store located approx 20 min with taxi south of City in a suburban called Heimdal.
Street adress is : Ringvål Veien 8, and the local phone nr is 72844990.

The prices are horrendous though.
The Selous cost Norwegian Kroner 2600.
That eaquels USD 420, £ 230 or Euro 334.
Not a bargain by any means.

The shop is ok with quite a lot of guns and shotguns on display, clothes and apparal.
The people working there are hunters and shooters with African experience as well. They really enjoy talking guns and hunting.

The fishing part is more unshure, but my best bet is to visit some of the spoorting goods shops downtown. They might be helpfull putting you on the right track.
Especially the Axel Bruun shop in Prinsens Gate are known to be outdoor oriented.

A pitty I can´t see you, I will be traveling through Trondheim the 5th of July on my way home.

Brett,

I can't help you with the fishing, and Arilds advice sounds good.

I will suggest that you don't consider buying a pair of Courtney boots here in Norway. Or much else for that matter unless you want to pay more then you would almost anywhere else in the world!

But don't leave without purchasing a bottle or two of Løiten Linie Aquavit, which should be manditory for all tourists who visit our country.

Arild and Eric,

Thanks for the help. I am really looking forward to visiting Norway. It looks like lovely country, a bit like parts of Alaska.

And I will certainly try the aquavit..

Best regards;
Brett

I have a pair of Courtney Selous boots that I wear in conjunction with long pants. I have not been bothered by stickers working in or ticks, etc. I do spray the pants legs with pyrethrin to keep the bugs away.

A great thing about the Courtney boots is the leather requires *no* break-in: put them on and go hunting.

I wear long sleeves and pants made from very light weight cotton with a dense weave. Keeps the sun off too, and stays cool.

jim

Another idea- but them when you arrive in Africa. Especially if you go to South Africa, JoBerg and every little town has an outfitter shop, and you can buy them for half the price as in Norway, or better.

The other guys are right- there is no break-in time for the Courtneys.

Another popular boot is the Tarzan make, it is a calf length boot- anti snake, and is about 70 US.

Good luck!

I bought my first pair of Courteney's last year in a shop in Harare. I ended up with the Safari model (lower top than the Selous model, popular among PH's) in a wonderful peanut brittle colored elephant skin. I've worn these boots everywhere in the last year and can tell you I will not leave Africa this year without another pair!

What price can you get them for in Bulawayo? Do they still have a factory outlet there?

Thanks for the reply guys.
Guess I wait til next time in RSA to buy the Courteney boots, and recon the Selous model is the most comfortable.
Had the opportunity to get a pair at the curioshop on our way back to Johannesburg Air Port in May this year, but it slipped my mind.
Was to occupied with that tourist stuff like wooden masks, elephant bracelets, t-shirts and so on
( got 5 grandchildren who demand souvenirs from from grandpa when I´m traveling

Suppose there is no shops in RSA or Zim who sell/send Courteneys abroad via mail order ??

I appreciate the "gaiter link" Erik, will follow that one up.

One of the PH´s used the Tarzan boots and he said they were comfortable, but far from snake proof ?

For the kind of money they are charging for Courtney's I bet you could get a pair of Russell's shipped to your door.

http://www.russellmoccasin.com/

I own two pairs of Courteney Safaris and two pairs of Hunters which I bought in Bulawayo and Harare at a cost of $50 to $110us.
I have blown out the side stiching in one pair which require repair and next time I head over I will buy the new WORRIOR 400 model.
ozhunter

Try M Gordon Footwear at http://www.gordonfootwear.co.za/

This is a Johannesburg dealer. They claim to be fully e-commerce enabled. I'm currently looking at a pair of Safari boots for ZAR1200 (USD166, give or take)

Thanks Rikkie, I will send them an e-mail and ask if they export.

Fulldraw - Just curious about the elephant skin boots you bought in Harare. I was attending an outdoor shooting show in Albuquerque last month and US Fish and Wildlife had a booth there. I noticed a pair of Courteneys' on their table and stuck up a conversation. I had my own Couteney boots on made with Cape Buff and asked why they confiscated that particular pair? I was told the boots were elephant skin and could not legally be brought into the U.S. They said an entire skin or parts of a elephant skin could be imported by a hunter, but items manufactured of elephant skin and brought in was illegal. Does anyone else out there know if what I was told is accurate or not?

Larry Sellers

I have a pair of Hippo hides Courteneys and they are tough.

Tough to break in, tough to wear, and impervious to everything.

Even the sole has bee dead tough.

Now that they are broke in really well, I think I would like to have a taller pair.

Every once in a while someone is selling them on ebay.

I know they are good but are they worth the money? Do you guys have even a small regret or gripe about them? I keep talking myself out of ordering a pair. Which is the best hide to get? To change the subject a little bit. Where can I get a stout pair of gaiters? I have a pair bought last year from Boyt. They ain't going to last in rough terrain. They are for lookin at not for wearin.

Let's put it this way, I wear mine every day after work!

Sorry that photo is such a honker.

I paid for full Photobucket rights, and I guess the bastards gave it to me.

I would like someone to answer Larry Seller's question as I have elephant hide in South Africa right now, off of the bull that I shot and the PH wants to make some ammo belts, and gun cases for me. What's the story on that and would it be legal to bring that back into the US? By the way, just buy the Courtney Selous. You will be very happy with them and not regret it.

I have a pair of Courteny Safari's that I bought in Harare in 1997 and have been back every year since. They feel like you are hunting in your slippers and need zero break-in, as was stated before. As far as the elephant skin is concerned, the previous post was correct. You can bring in elephant skins, tusks, etc. with an applicable CITES permit, however you cannot bring items manufactured of elephant parts, into the country. That said, I have a pair of Courteney Safari's made of elephant leather, that I simply wore on the plane home. I am not in any way suggesting you do this and I have since destroyed these boots when I discovered they were contraband items !

Geronimo

I've used desert combat boots (US) with excellent results. One day break in, light weight, good height and comfort. About $70. US at your local BX.

Larry, I wore them through customs without a hitch, honestly didn't know they were contraband.

I'm about half scared to try and get over there and back with them this year. I'll buy another pair in Bulawayo and have 30 days to break them in and put some age on them. That way I have two pair of the best boot I ever owned.

Andrew Dawson told me those elephant boots would be a bitch to break in but he had a trick that made it a lot easier. For the first three days I had a camp staffer heat a pot of water and soak them in it for ten minutes. After walking them dry (I had GoreTex socks on so feet were dry) three days in a row these things literally fit like a glove. Only way to go if you ask me.

Question for the masses, please. Say I try another skin such as buffalo or hippo. Which one would wear longer/be tougher? I like the grain of the hippo, looks a lot like the elephant skin.

Maybe that's why if you look at the Courteney boots listed for sale by Westley Richards you see everything BUT elephant hide boots for sale here in the US. Also, I have a pair of Nicona Cowboy boots made out of elephant hide and there is a USFWS stamp in them to signify that the hide used was legal and/or approved, and is not contraband. So, . . . it might be best not to temp fate afterall.

Hello guys; The answer to Larry's question about legality is CORRECT!! Has been the case for quite some time. That said, if you take and elephant and take a few panels of skin and have it tanned locally, then send a foot square of it directly to Courtney Boots in Bulawayo and they will make you a pair and provide a certificate for you. They will ship them back to your agent handling your trophies and ship the boots with the trophies...all entered legally. Probably pretty cheap too!!
It is difficult to re-export hides, ears, etc., for painting, boots, luggage,etc, but you can do it with the right forms from USF&W and another CITES form for return. Once completed it can be shipped back as part of a previous inported hunting trophy...again, all legal.
Now, here's a question...if you killed an elephant, bought the boots and had them shipped back with trophies or worn back...with all of the right papers in hand, who is going to prove you wrong...could be interesting??!!
Now after all of that, I have a hardly worn pair of Buff Selous boots that I just can't wear due to the shape of the toe area...simply too thin in that area for my narly old feet!! I just might part with them for $100, about what I paid in Harare at the local gunshop in local currency at the right rate!! Cheers...

Brain 1 - to answer your question honestly and impartially: I have worn a pair of Courteney shoes to work every day for the past 5 years. I work as a glorified factory manager, so my shoes see some hard work. Their soles are only just beginning to show wear. Personally, I believe the money to be well spent, whatever the cost. I can assure you that in the last 5 years, I would've killed two pairs of shoes of more than half the price of the Courteneys.

Thanks Rikkie, I don't think I can talk myself out of them much longer.

Brian1,

I was a bit skeptical myself, so I decided to try the cheapest pair I could find, the Vellie, to see what I thought. That was 5 years ago, and I wear them (and their siblings) every day that I don't have to put on a suit. I now have 4 pairs of Courteneys and like them all. On the negative side, it seems that one's foot size/shape has much to do with how well someone likes them. I have read many comments that the lack of arch support for people with high arches is problematic. I have also seen a few comments about needing additional ankle support in rougher terrain. The only other negative thing I can personally tell you is that the soles will leave black marks on damp/wet marble or tile floors, which is no reason not to get them. Cheers.

D99,

What style are the Courtney boots in the picture? I like the absence of the toe cap piece. The toe cap makes the Courtneys look like corrective shoes to me. Thanks.

Mike

MJines,
The Hunter Ref.375 and Warrior Ref.400 have no toe cap but are of similar design to the Safari Ref.415 model.
ozhunter

In my opinion,$500 plus for a pair of hunting boots is a bit much. I have worn Danner boots for a very long time now and believe they are as good or better than any boot made and cost about half of what a pair of Courteney's or Russels will cost you. http://www.danner.com

Now if you just have to look the part and money is no object, have at them $500 boots.

You only pay $500 for a pair of courtney's if you go through Westley Richards - and then you are paying for the WR name!

On average, Courtney's bought in Zim/RSA are under $200. and if you ar ein Bulawayo, go straight there and pay under $120!!

I have 3 pairs, 1 safari, 1 selous and 1 vellie - 1 had 2 vellie but when I returned one to Courtney's for repair they said no way...too damaged. the latter pair I've had for 11 years and wore them 80% of the time rarely polishing them, etc and they still looked good enough to wear. I'm actually upset they "confiscated" them

The elephant hide Courtney's i have i paid under $120 about 6 years ago.

There are 2 other shoe companies in Zim that are doing similar boots out of game hide, etc at a much lower price. Not as great as the Courtney's (Take longer to break in and the hide is less soft) but average price is $20-$40.

I bought a pair of elephant in Bulawayo this week for $200 (70,000,000 Zim dollars). They were nice, but of course, I left them there since I was forbidden to bring them into the country

Is there a way they can be purchased direct and have them shipped to the US?

I bought two pair of Cortneys in Bulawayo, gave them to my outfitter and they were delivered with my trophies. It took about 8 months but no big deal. Prices are really good in Zimbabwe. I actually went to the Courtney office which is the home of the owner to pick up my boots.
Two comments I would make. They are built for a wide foot and some sort of arch support makes them much more comfortable.
If you have a pair getting a little beat up, they can be dropped off at the beginning of the hunt and will probably be refurbished by the time to come home.
If you are considering elephant hide, buy them and wear them for your hunt. Then you have a chance to bring them home. There is a definite risk of seizure. I asked a customs agent about it and he laughed and said they have bigger things to worry about. Still a risk though.

quote:

Originally posted by NitroX:
What price can you get them for in Bulawayo? Do they still have a factory outlet there?

Has anyone shopped at the factory outlet recently?

Do they sell to the public and what sort of prices?

Thanks.

I met the owner of Courtney several years ago at SCI in Las Vegas. Invited for a tour of the factory since I spent quite a bit of time in Bulawayo at that time. Called the factory last time I was in Bulawayo (2 years ago) to see about some Elephant Vellies and they didn't have a factory outlet or sell from the factory at that time. Six weekss to produce the special order and I wasn't going to be there that long. I have 6 pairs of Courtneys and all were bought over the years from GEKAS on I believe Robt Mugabe Ave in Bulawayo. They generally carry the entire Courtney line and have most sizes in stock. They give good deals for US dollars. I like Courtneys because they are wide and comfortable. I wear Russels to hunt in. Only 2 other outlets in Bulawayo i know of and they carry few models and sizes. GEKAS is a good store in fact I sit here in a pair of Lazy Sam denim shorts from there that I wish I could get some more as they are comfortable in the Zim pattern with no fly and elastic waistband. Don't know the mans name that runs GEKAS but he will really try to accomodate you. Most pleasant to deal with.

quote:

Originally posted by HunterJim:
I have a pair of Courtney Selous boots that I wear in conjunction with long pants. I have not been bothered by stickers working in or ticks, etc. I do spray the pants legs with pyrethrin to keep the bugs away.

A great thing about the Courtney boots is the leather requires *no* break-in: put them on and go hunting.

I wear long sleeves and pants made from very light weight cotton with a dense weave. Keeps the sun off too, and stays cool.

jim

Wow you have obviously not tried the Hippo models.

Mine were like breaking in a tank, but now they are heaven.