ArtCords-Mohair Colors

Once again we thank you for taking an interest in the ArtCords' brand. We would like to share how you can confidently identify cinches Tailor-made by Darin Alexander and/or made directly under his scrutiny of quality:

Such cinches bear the "ArtCords" branded leather keeper and/or the leather oval branded with "ArtCords". For international accounts we have begun using an oval with "Tailor-Made in the USA" along with a US flag(pressed into the leather - no colors). All cinches without such marks are not authorized by Darin Alexander. We appreciate and welcome notification of any product that leads you to believe there is an association with Darin and/or ArtCords. Steps are being taken to correct the misinformation, breach of trademark, and copyright infringements which have been brought to our attention. We will be happy to verify which outlets are authorized to carry our products and which cinch styles they have purchased from us.

This brings us back to the mohair issue... due to the multitude of positive traits, expense, and traditional use of pure mohair in cinches there have been a growing number of situations arise where the word mohair has been used to sell items with little or no mohair.
(Scroll past the color card to read more...)
Featured Colors of Mohair fiber:

(Colors may vary due to monitor settings and lighting conditions.)

Mohair is fiber from the angora goat. The color of impure-mohair cinches may be similar to the "Natural" (also called "Honey"), yet with a simple burn test one can find if it is natural fiber. The natural fibers and rayon (drawn from cellulose through a made-made process) will singe and turns to ash. Acrylic, poly, and nylon melt, then harden upon cooling resulting in what looks like plastic.

Please consider the following:
Mohair is known for it's strength (when properly twisted into cord), breathability, ease of cleaning, and lack of stretch or shrink (again, when properly twisted) as use since the 1840's testifies. The suggestion or claim that you are gaining the benefits of mohair when it is blended with other fibers is curious... how can blending weaker materials (not to mention the the other factors) and retain the original fibers benefits. Wouldn't it seem reasonable that the qualities of the promoted fiber actually remains only when kept as pure as possible?

ArtCords has maintained a consistent record of identifying fiber options up-front for individuals at all times. We believe honesty is the best policy, especially since the comfort of a horse or mule is associated with their responsiveness.

It is also a good idea to verify the hardware being used on cinches since we are aware of several outlets promoting use of high quality bronze. What we have first-hand knowledge of is where cinches that were made on Bronze buckles and then re-sold with associated marketing worded in a way that suggests the second company made the cinches on the buckles. However, they have not purchased the cinches on bronze buckles and have continued the same word useage for more than two years. In addition, some brass has been made with an antiqued finish looking much like the popular and more expensive bronze style.

Due to the growing need for honest and pro-active communication about the above issues, especially as they relate to the needs of riders and their animals, we continue to work with several folks who have made substantial and verifiable contributions on improving the construction of saddles along with approriate cinch fit information. Our goal is to keep you up-to-speed on various topics that are being communicated among those who care deeply about quality and educating those who desire to learn. So check back often to read more about these developments.

Thank you for telling others of our efforts to keep traditional cinch-making and the cowboy way-of-life alive and well! see one version of the 2004 educational promo poster

"...a three fold cord is not quickly broken." Ecclesiastes 4:12

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