The Texas Safari™ Line

The Barranti “Texas Safari” line was born sitting on a ridge in West Texas in the late afternoon sun.  Mike had just shot an aoudad after a lengthy stalk over tricky terrain, with a red pad Ruger No. 1 in 7x57.  We had about an hour to kill before our ride would show up, and it was one of those days when the light was perfect.  I was casually glassing the country to the east, and was struck, as always, by the quantity and variety of game and other animals in our part of Texas, the Rolling Plains.  “You know, Mike,” I said, shifting my binoculars back under my shoulder, “the gear on this trip has been just about as cool as the hunt itself.”  That was true.  Every evening we would sort of pile all our stuff on the kitchen table and decide what to use the next day.  Everything from knives to cartridge carriers.  Mike looked at me with this raised Sicilian eyebrow.  “I know that’s right,” he said.  He laid the rifle down in the thin grass.  “Like a Texas safari.”

This led to a good discussion on the merits of single shot stalking rifles and the little things that can make or break a hunt.  Finally, Mike said, “Maybe I should put together a line of gear – call it the ‘Texas Safari’ line – come up with a special stamp, some new patterns.  With a Texas kick to it.”  Inspired, he was writing stuff down. “So much of what I build is sixgun or pistol related.  It’s time,” he mused, “to add some more things for the rifle hunter.” A new rifle sling design, with a Cowpuncher Bit and Spur buckle on it and no Chicago screws.  A culling belt, and an open-top cartridge slide.  A binocular strap that is near heirloom quality.  An offering of handmade knives suitable for the field or daily carry, all ready to go in a variety of first-quality sheath designs.  No need to get fancy with the leather, just the oil tanned good stuff that will last forever.

The next morning, one of our friends along on the hunt, Matt Grabbe of Tyler Gun Works, brought out a set of shooting sticks, more of a cradle, that he had built, and asked Mike what he thought of trying to build them.  An intriguing design, they had just started working through the details when some movement caught our eye at the edge of the tree line, a coyote chasing back and forth among some crows at 420 yards.  Dylan Tyler went to fetch a rifle, another 7x57, and Matt settled in to a sitting position behind the sticks and pegged the coyote with his first shot.  I am not a very good rifleman, and I sat up and took notice.  Mike did, too.

Everything about the hunt turned out to be memorable.  By the time Mike landed back home, his tablet was filled with sketches of ideas and within a few days, he was already building the prototypes.  It is fun watching a craftsman get excited about his trade, especially so when the quality is extraordinary. The logo for the line comes from a nontypical drop tine whitetail I shot some years ago, shortly before I met Mike, and I am thrilled to see the Texas Safari line of leather come together and grow.