February 2016 Profile – Raymond Dorwart

By Laci Jones

Dorwart’s son’s dog, Buddy sits in a shoe shine stand while Dorwart works every day. (Photo by Laci Jones)

An old Singer sewing machine hums as Raymond Dorwart, owner of Dorwart Custom Cow-Boy Boots in Guthrie, Okla., sews his third row, a fuchsia color into orange kid goat leather.

“Wait until you see what it looks like with the fourth row,” Dorwart said. “It’s amazing how adding one color will change the whole look.”

After sewing for 20 more minutes, he looked up and said, “It is amazing how you can take something as simple as this piece of leather and create those boots.”

Dorwart said he does not consider himself an artist but perhaps a craftsman. Whether they are dress boots or work boots, each boot he builds is meant to be used. He builds cowboy boots the same way they were built 100 years ago.

“These boots have certain lines and looks to them,” Dorwart said. “They look the same way they did even 40 years ago, and they are used for the reason they were meant for: stuck in a stirrup.”

Dorwart’s passion for boot making stemmed from his years working as a ranch hand across the United States. He was born in McCook, Neb., and his family moved across Nebraska, Colorado and California throughout his childhood.

Pick up the February issue at a location near you to learn more about Raymond Dorwart.

In April 1997, Dorwart moved his shop to the current location across from the original Oklahoma State Capitol Publishing Company in Guthrie, Okla. (Photo by Laci Jones)