Chinks

I think I'm ready to buy a pair.....prices vary greatly....

Been looking at the Weaver Leather chinks:
Weaver Leather, LLCChinks

I'm looking for something functional, not necessarily ornate, but not to heavy and used mostly for cool weather riding in the mountains of East Tennessee. Anyone have any ideas?

Are the Weavers decent or do I need to add some more money and get something else?

My personal preference are custom made ones just for the fact that I have never worn a pair that I bought off the rack that fit right. If you get custom ones they fit like they are supposed to. Here are a couple makers that I like...
Hoof and Hide LLC - Custom Handcrafted Chaps and Chinks
Andy Stevens Saddlery : Custom Chaps and Chinks
Dave Hack Chaps in Star, ID...don't think he has a website.
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I can't speak for the Weaver, have not seen or touched them in person. But for the $200 they are suggesting retial for, You should have lots to choose from.

Do you have the opportunity to attend any of the larger horse/livestock shows? I've seen some great buys on Chinks/Chaps at shows like the Western National Livestock show in Denver in Jan or Cowboy Christmas at the NFR finals in Vegas in Dec. I suspect any of the bigger shows that have exhibitor booths will have some companies that do leather work exhibiting their products.

Look at the various leathers available. Some are stiff and some are much softer. Your choice will depend on what you want to protect yourself from. For added warmth and to just keep driping leaves from getting my pants wet, I prefer the softer leathers that drap vs the stiffer leathers that you might use if you were working cattle or riding in harsh country with lots of thorns. My favorite pair is made from Buffalo hide and I bought them off Ebay for about $150. Of course buying off Ebay with out touching and feeling can be a gamble.

Decide what features, designs you want. I much prefer the look of thinner fringe and even better if it has a twist vs the wider straight cut fringe. Consider what leather, what tooling, what overlays, pockets, what kind of fastners they use etc.

My buffalo chinks



A cheap pair of steer hide chinks that I let visitor wear.




The rider on the far left has cheaper pair of plain chinks The rider in forefront has a more expensive pair with multiple layers, nice trim and fancier fringe

Ok, question regarding chinks:

What is their purpose? Do they give you added "stickum" to the saddle? Do you feel the buckles under your thigh? And I think that question should be answered by a woman, perhaps, becuase we have more "presense" to our thighs then men.
Should the leather wrap all th way around your thigh? Do you like them better than full chaps?

Well haha tiny I can't really give an opinion on chinks but I have the full length batwing chaps



But theyre super comfy. Don't really see a difference in gripth or "stick" but they are WONDERFUL protection against evil cows and evil trees.
Teh one I have are very light as well so they arent ridiculously hot in summer.

But like I said...i don't wear chinks alot. I usually wear chaps.

I haven't noticed them to help stick in my saddle. I wear them for a few different reasons.
Going through tall brush they are a life saver, I have sacars on my legs from in the summer when its hot not wearing them then have to chase a steer through thick brush and have a stob get me in the thigh.

Handy for roping, when you have something necked and dragging it helps keep the rope from digging in my thigh and tearing up my jeans. Also when you pack a rope on your saddle it always rubs on your thigh, which doesn't bother me but it wears big holes in my pants.

In the winter, they do help a little to keep you warm, shotguns are warmer though. And when riding through brush after it snows it keeps your legs dry. Same with the fringe, when it rains, the rain runs down the fringe and drips off. Hail storms suck if your not wearing them either..lol!

Branding calves I like to wear them for notching ears to keep my pants from getting bloody.

The uses are endless!

If you get them custom made, I prefer the buckles to be on the topside, if that makes sense. That way they don't rub on you or your saddle. On my work chinks hubby built them that way and I prefer it. That and I only have two buckles on each leg for being easier/faster to undo them.
My new pair that my husband had a friend custom build for an anniversary present. Unfortunately the friend had my measurements from 3 three years ago, since then I have gained weight, all in my butt and thighs...lol... so they are a little small and the part that comes around the thigh doesn't come around as far as I prefer...and I had to punch a couple more holes in them. But the buckles are on the bottomside compared to my work chinks and because I gained weight I sit on them now.

Well, I can see how they'd help you, but for me, they'd be just something I wore 'cause I liked the looks. And I do. I am a city gal, so never do any cow work, nor ride in thorny brush. But keeping legs warm and dry and looking "cool", I am all for that. I have not bought any just becuase it just seems too silly for a city person like me to try and look all "cowboy". I would be laughed off the range in your neck of the woods.

....they look kewl...but at least for me with my chaps....
Me the clumsiest person in the world+ walking in boots and chaps=disaster. Lol so I usually don't get off my horse lol

The only way you get weird looks is if you wore them into town at the grocery store...lol!

I have seen plenty of trailriders wear them, I guess its whatever you feel like wearing! :)

If I wore batwings I wouldn't get off my horse either! Thems heavy! :)