A surprising fact I learned while studying bandanas, kerchiefs—whatever you wish to call them—is that, unlike the cheap neckerchiefs I’ve seen in local stores, usually blue or red with fancy western designs, those that real cowboys used were silk, not cotton. Silk is absorbent enough to draw moisture away from the skin. It’s also warmer than wool for winter wear. A good neck rag usually measured 30″ x 30″ square and came in a wide variety of colors and patterns.
In cold climes, the primary purpose of a “neck rag” or “wild rag,” was to keep cold air away from the neck. The scarf is wrapped loosely around the neck and tucked inside the back of the collar. A cowboy rarely knotted his scarf while working. He might tie his neck rag into a fancy knot for a shindig or barn dance, but a hard knot won’t loosen easily and could cause a man to choke to death if his rag got hung up on a branch or a cow’s horn.
Cowboys used “wild rags” to:
- Tie down his hat to keep his ears warm
- Spread out for a tablecloth at mealtime
- Serve as a napkin under his chin when eating or drinking from a stream.
- Carry water to his horse
- Use it as a filter for
- Clean his revolver
- Wipe his face
- Wrap around his leg when his boot chafes him
- Protect the back of his neck from sunburn
- Wrap up a small critter
- Wave to others as a signal
- Carry his grub
- Carry firewood
- Gather fruit
- Hold the handle of a hot pan
- m
- Shoo away mosquitos
- Tie up a sore hand or arm
- Leave on a bush as a marker or sign
- Serve as a splint for a broken limb
- Wrap around his hands on a cold day
- Catch a fish
- Shine his boots
- Dry dishes
- Spread across his lap or the ground for his best girl to sit on
And, if the need arises, he even used it to blow his nose. Bandana. Handkerchief. Neck Rag. Wild Rag. Kerchief. Buckaroo Scarf. They were indispensable.
