In the early days of Square Dot Saddlery, our friend Don Petty came into the shop and declared "I've lost my ass and my pants won't stay up anymore. I need a pair of suspenders, and you need this stamp!"
Don had done a little bit of everything. A tree feller, truck driver, cowboy for Boston Cattle Company, as well as a machinist and bootmaker/saddlemaker. While working for Boston Cattle Company, Don was gathering some cows in the early springtime. He roped a muley cow, but right when he did his horse slipped causing the coils of his rope to wrap around his arm and his foot to go through the stirrup. When his horse got up, it was heading one direction and the cow the opposite, with Don in the middle. Luckily, he had only roped the cow around the ears, so his rope did slip off, but not before severely breaking his arm and shattering his ankle.
After the wreck, Boston Cattle Company paid for Don to be retrained as a machinist. After a few years he decided to open Boot and Saddle shop but eventually would close that and open up a miniature machine shop. During this time, he would make a few leather stamps for himself. Years later (around 2011), Don would come into shop and propose a trade. Suspenders for a basket stamp that bore a strong resemblance to our brand. "It's the same as your shop name, a square dot basket, so let's trade." And so, we did. It has been a staple in our shop ever since.