I have/had an old friend by the name of Leo Naumann. An old saddle maker + great guy. He moved when the county decided to put a freeway through his ranch + build a sub-div all around it. Anyway, we were friends for years + whenever I needed anything of leather he would do it for me + likewise me to him in metal product, + the end result was always the same. When over, we would ask, What do I owe you? Nothing, etc. This went on for years than one New Year's Day I needed something from Leo + he said come on over + when asked his price, he said 1 dollar (even though it was worth 100 times that), my New Year's resolution is not to give anything away. Besides, he said, "We have to make money off of our friends, because we don't deal with our enemies." Another quote from him that I have shared here before was that after he got arthritis so bad that saddle work was out of the question, he started to make leather belt pouches for phones, knives, snuff cans, etc. + sell them at a booth at the gun shows. I was standing there talking to him when this guy comes up + looking at one of Leo's pouches, asked how much. Leo said it was $40.00, the guy starts to have a calf, that's too much, etc. Then he got to really looking at it + saw how well-made it was + said OK, I'll buy it, you said $40.00, right? Leo says, No, the price is $45.00. The guy says, but you told me $40 + Leo says, I sure did, but you didn't like $40, so now it's $45. The guy paid him too. I told Leo that I hoped to be able to use that one some day in my own business. I last saw him a few years ago at a pain management clinic + he looked like shit on a Ritz; I hope he is well, but I doubt it. He was a fine man + it was a pleasure to know him.

Randy, he sounds like a character and a class act.

Yes, indeed, one of the old school of cowboys. I do miss our visits, which usually took hours, over several glasses of iced tea + covering every subject under the sun + then some.

There's still a few of them around. True craftsmen and true characters!

A person I know had this transaction at a gun show.

A bag of free things.

Customer how much is it.

Seller its free said over and over.

Customer says I don't want it.


Customer walks away.

A hour later same person walks up picks up same bag. Says how much is it .

Seller a buck.

Customer I will take it.

One of Leo's stories was about when he was running a sheep ranch south of here + the sheep kept getting out, even though there was a good fence all around the property. So he got to looking on foot + found a small entrance between 2 cliff faces + sidled into what turned out to be an Indian Burial Ground. There, leaning against the cliff face was a Winchester M-92 in 25-20 with the action open, the but stock rotted from years of exposure + many fired brass cases lying all around. Since the action was open, the rifle was salvageable after the butt stock was replaced. If that gun could talk. A few years later he needed a loan to buy some cows + the banker wanted that rifle as collateral. No problem, except that the banker called in his loan early before he could get his cows to the auction barn, + so lost it.

That last story sure has some "what-if's" in it.

Yes, indeed. He also told me about when he was a teenager + riding his horse through a narrow pass + there was a rattler on a shelf about waist high to him on horseback. The snake struck + the fangs got stuck in his chaps,+ started thrashing around under the horse's belly. Fortunately they were in a narrow pass, so he couldn't buck, but when they got out the other side, Leo + the horse went in separate directions. He manged to get the chaps off in record time + walked back home. His Dad went back with him to retrieve the chaps + of course the snake was long gone. His Dad asked him to see if he could put the chaps back on over his spurs, but he couldn't do it. Adrenalin is an amazing thing.