Who invented the bola/bolo tie?

Thu Jan 4 15:29:26 UTC 2007

OED has "string tie" (for me the term of choice) back to 1895. The "bolo" may be slightly more specific; if so, my ety. vote is for the Argentine "bola," made "masculine" for reasons of psychology and (mainly) euphony. And, for dyslexics, the similarity to "lobo" doesn't hurt.

  JL

Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Wilson Gray
Subject: Re: Who invented the bola/bolo tie?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FWIW, during the mid-'Fifties - unfortunately, I can't date the
year(s) of popularity any more closely than that - the bolo tie was
popular across a broad swath of the American public. I owned several,
myself, and I'm not a pacesetter, WRT style. Somehow, I have an
inkling in the back of my thinking cap that the name, "bolo tie," is
newer, at least in Saint Louis, than the object itself. With luck, the
other name will come back to me, but I'm not betting on it.

The spelling, "bola," is new to me as of Barry's post.

-Wilson

On 1/3/07, Bapopik at aol.com wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject: Who invented the bola/bolo tie?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Bolo tie" is being proposed as the official neckwear of Texas. In 1971, it=20=
> =20
> was declared the official neckwear of Arizona. Supposedly, Victor Cedarstaff=
> =20
> invented the tie in 1949 in Wickenburg, Arizona.
> ...
> However, his patent is 1954--after Newspaperarchive ads.=20
> ...
> OED has no entry whatsoever, despite this being list in Barnhart's New Word=
> s=20
> by 1980--over a quarter of a century ago. DARE also has no entry.
> ...
> Any bola/bolo tie thoughts or help?
> ...
> ...
> ...
> =20
> _http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/bola_tie_bolo_tie/_=20
> (http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/texas/entry/bola_tie_bolo_tie/)=20
> ...
> =20
> Bola Tie (Bolo Tie)
> =20
> The bola tie (or bolo tie; =E2=80=9Cbola=E2=80=9D meaning ball) was declared=
> the official =20
> neckwear of Arizona in 1971. In 2007, the Texas legislature had a proposal t=
> o =20
> make it the official necktie of Texas as well.=20
>
> The official Arizona line is that the bola ties was invented by Victor=20
> Cedarstaff in Wickenburg, Arizona in 1949. What=E2=80=99s not in dispute is=
> that the ties=20
> became very popular in the 1950s, especially when certain restaurants wante=
> d=20
> their customers to wear ties. =20
>
> Some say that the bola tie was invented by Native Americans and is of =20
> uncertain date of origin. In 1953, =E2=80=9Cbolo ties=E2=80=9D appears in a=20=
> shoe advetisement (not=20
> the necktie use). In a 1954 ad, =E2=80=9Cbolo ties=E2=80=9D appears in the n=
> ecktie form, a =20
> product of Hickok (a company based in Rochester, NY and in Texas). =20
>
> Patents records show a =E2=80=9CSlide for a Necktie=E2=80=9D patented by Vic=
> tor Emsiihiel=20
> Cedaistaffi on May 24, 1954=E2=80=94AFTER Hickok was already selling bola t=
> ies?=20
>
>
> _Wikipedia: Bola Tie_ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bola_tie) =20
> A bola tie or bolo tie is a type of necktie consisting of a piece of cord=20
> fastened with an ornamental bar or clasp. The bola tie was created in 1949=20=
> by=20
> Vic Cedarstaff in Wickenburg, Arizona and later patented.=20
>
> In the United Kingdom, bola ties are known as =E2=80=9CBootlace ties=E2=80=
> =9D. They were=20
> popular with 1950s Teddy Boys, who wore them with drape suits. =20
> In the United States bola ties are widely associated with traditional cowboy=
> =20
> dress, and are generally most common in the western areas of the country. Th=
> e=20
> bola tie was made the official neckwear of Arizona in 1971. =20
>
> _Bolo Tie Shop=E2=80=94Glossary_ (http://www.bolotie.com/glossary.htm) =20
> Bolo - is a western type tie with a decorative plaque strung on a lanyard=20
> and having decorative ends=20
>
> _Arizona State Library_ (http://www.lib.az.us/museum/symbols.cfm) =20
> State Neckwear=20
> The Bola Tie=20
> adopted 1973=20
> Arizona=E2=80=99s official state neckwear was invented in Wickenburg, Arizo=
> na. It is=20
> worn around the neck in the same fashion as a necktie. It consists of a=20
> cord, usually made of braided leather, which is held together by a decorati=
> ve=20
> clasp and often has some form of ornament on the ends of the cord.=20
>
> _Town of Wickenburg, AZ_ (http://www.ci.wickenburg.az.us/index.asp?NID=3D30=
> 0) =20
> In 1971 the Arizona Legislature decreed the bola tie the official state=20
> neckwear. Vic Cedarstaff invented it in 1949 in Wickenburg. =20
>
> _The Arizona Republic_=20
> (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/eastvalleyopinions/articles/0604cr=
> -lawrence04.html) =20
> Who knew there were so many bola lovers?=20
> by Star Lawrence=20
> Jun. 4, 2005 12:00 AM=20
> (...)=20
>
> I have been rather starchily informed by several computer-lovin=E2=80=99 co=
> wboys=20
> that the thing is even legislatively approved. Sure enough, in 1971, Barry=20
> Goldwater, with some assists from the Bola Tie Society of Arizona, convince=
> d the=20
> Arizona Legislature to declare the bola tie Arizona=E2=80=99s =E2=80=9Coffi=
> cial neckwear.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> An online search reveals several variations in spelling and origins for thi=
> s=20
> accessory. A bolo is a knife used in the Philippines and a bola is an anima=
> l=20
> leg tangler called a =E2=80=9Cboleadoros,=E2=80=9D made of leather thongs,=20=
> which is used in=20
> South America to bring down game.=20
>
> I am going with the one with the strings, the bola, as the =E2=80=9Cofficia=
> l=E2=80=9D=20
> spelling. (I can just see certain people who have written me this month sta=
> rting=20
> to jump off their chairs. Easy, easy.)=20
>
> One Web site I dredged up was written by a man who declared all ties stupid=
> ,=20
> but the stupidest of all, he said, is the bolo ("o-speller").=20
>
> He says a cowboy from Wickenburg (Vic Cedarstaff, if you must know) was=20
> riding the range in the 1940s, when his hat blew off. Before he could grab=20=
> it,=20
> his horse either stomped it or defecated on it (the truth has been lost to=20
> history, blessedly) and all he had left was the band and a concho. He place=
> d this=20
> around his neck for safekeeping, this gentleman says. One of his men, the=20
> story goes, then said, =E2=80=9CNice necktie,=E2=80=9D and a fashion statem=
> ent was born.=20
>
> Another version has Vic=E2=80=99s wife seeing this breathtaking piece of bl=
> ing and=20
> being swept away.=20
>
> Later, the story goes, =E2=80=9Cthe hatband that crawled out from under som=
> e horse=20
> poop=E2=80=9D was patented, then made official.=20
>
> Don Langlois, a librarian at the Arizona State Library in Phoenix, notes=20
> only that the bola originated in Wickenburg. He makes no comment on the res=
> t of=20
> the story. He is, however, an adamant =E2=80=9Ca-speller.=E2=80=9D =20
>
> Another reader, Gigi Stacy, is an =E2=80=9Co-speller.=E2=80=9D She describes=
> as =E2=80=9Cdim bulbs=E2=80=9D
> those who prefer the =E2=80=9Ca.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> But when her letter to the editor was printed in these pages, she was=20
> whacked by the style book and ended up talking about =E2=80=9Cbola ties.=
> =E2=80=9D=20
>
> Joe Sharpless of Sun Lakes is an =E2=80=9Ca-speller,=E2=80=9D though he not=
> es that he=20
> originally spelled it with an =E2=80=9Co.=E2=80=9D=20
>
> He believes the cord and rock arrangement may have originated with the=20
> Native Americans as a way of protecting particularly tasty chunks of turquo=
> ise or=20
> gold.=20
>
> _Lufkin Daily News_=20
> (http://www.lufkindailynews.com/news/content/news/stories/2006/12/27/poly/fu=
> n_legislation.html) =20
> Legislators set to address issues of importance and of frivolity=20
> By DENISE HOEPFNER=20
> The Lufkin Daily News=20
> Tuesday, December 26, 2006=20
>
> When the 80th Legislature convenes on Jan. 9, 2007, lawmakers will have ove=
> r=20
> 670 pieces of proposed legislation to consider, including those relating to=
> =20
> hot-button issues like health care, education, criminal justice, the offici=
> al=20
> state tie of Texas =E2=80=94 and football. =20
>
> District 39 State Rep. Armando =E2=80=9CMando=E2=80=9D Martinez of Weslaco f=
> iled House =20
> Concurrent Resolution 12 to designate the bolo tie as the official State Tie=
> of =20
> Texas because of its close association with images of cowboys and the wester=
> n =20
> frontier.=20
>
> According to the proposed legislation, the bolo tie, which was patented in=20
> 1959 by an Arizona silversmith named Victor Cedarstaff, resembles a type of=
> =20
> tie worn by Native Americans in the early 1900s which consisted of a bandan=
> a or=20
> string fastened by a silver concho ornament and is also similar to the=20
> string ties popular during the era when Texas was being settled.=20
>
> 16 October 1953, Newark (OH) Advocate and American Tribune, pg. 2 ad: =20
> BOLO TIES=20
> (On =E2=80=9Cfine shoes for men=E2=80=9D=E2=80=94ed.)=20
>
> 9 April 1954, Lincoln (NE) Star, pg. 16 ad:=20
> The New HICKOK=20
> BOLA TIES=20
> The solution to your sport shirt-necktie problem. Hickok designed and=20
> approved for dining by the finest hotels and restaurants. Bola Tie slips on=
> and off=20
> easily, fits any neck size. In a wide range of sport motifs.=20
> One lot 2.50=20
>
> 3 May 1954, Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, pg. 2:=20
> Don=E2=80=99t be surprised if it looks a little like Wyoming rodeo time in=20=
> town this=20
> summer when sports shirts blossom out.=20
>
> Some restaurants insist that men wear ties. So, Hickok has come out with a=20
> thong (a strip of metal-tipped fiber or leather, to meet the dress decor=20
> requirements).=20
>
> Already the =E2=80=9CBolo Ties=E2=80=9D are the rave in southwest resorts a=
> nd in cities=20
> such as Fort Worth and Dallas=E2=80=94and Chicago. =20
>
> The =E2=80=9Cknot=E2=80=9D is a handsome metal emblem.=20
>
> 15 March 1955, Ames (Iowa) Daily Tribune, pg. 22 photo caption:=20
> Ryerson thinks bolo ties, like those on the sports shirts he is arranging,=20
> will increase in popularity for local men.=20
>
> _Google Patents_=20
> (http://www.google.com/patents?vid=3DUSPAT2896217&id=3DOBQCAAAAEBAJ&dq=3Dced=
> arstaff&ie=3DISO-8859-1) =20
> SLIDE FOR A NECKTIE Victor Emsiihiel Cedaistaffi =20
> Patent number: 2896217=20
> Filing date: May 24, 1954=20
> Issue date: Jul 28, 1959=20
> Inventor: Victor Emsiihiel Cedaistaffi=20
> Patent Number Title Issue date=20
> 5008981 Enclosed yoke clasp for bola-style necktie Apr 23, 1991 =20
> 5664297 Bolo tie-type device and securing means therefor Sep 9, 1997 =20
> Drawings=20
>
> (Trademark)=20
> Word Mark BOLA TIE SOCIETY OF ARIZONA =20
> Goods and Services (CANCELLED) IC 042. US 100. G & S: ASSOCIATION =20
> SERVICES-NAMELY, PROMOTING INTEREST IN THE BOLA TIE. FIRST USE: 19661027. FI=
> RST USE IN=20
> COMMERCE: 19661027=20
> Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING=20
> Design Search Code=20
> Serial Number 73097082=20
> Filing Date August 19, 1976 =20
> Current Filing Basis 1A=20
> Original Filing Basis 1A=20
> Registration Number 1066507=20
> Registration Date May 24, 1977=20
> Owner (REGISTRANT) Bola Tie Society of Arizona UNKNOWN Phoenix ARIZONA=20
> (LAST LISTED OWNER) BOLA TIE SOCIETY OF ARIZONA ARIAONA UNINCORPORATED=20
> ASSOCIATION 2650 W. UNION HILLS DRIVE PHOENIX, ARIZ. 85027=20
> Type of Mark SERVICE MARK=20
> Register SUPPLEMENTAL =20
> Live/Dead Indicator DEAD=20
> Cancellation Date October 18, 1983 =20
>
> (Trademark)=20
> Word Mark HICKOK=20
> Goods and Services (EXPIRED) IC 026. US 040. G & S: BUCKLES NOT OF PRECIOUS=
> =20
> METAL FOR PERSONAL WEAR. FIRST USE: 19091100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 190911=
> 00=20
> Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING=20
> Design Search Code=20
> Serial Number 71534779=20
> Filing Date September 17, 1947=20
> Current Filing Basis 1A=20
> Original Filing Basis 1A =20
> Registration Number 0515573=20
> Registration Date September 27, 1949 =20
> Owner (REGISTRANT) HICKOK MANUFACTURING CO. INC. CORPORATION NEW YORK 850 =20
> ST. PAUL STREET ROCHESTER NEW YORK=20
> Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED =20
> Prior Registrations 0177816=20
> Type of Mark TRADEMARK=20
> Register PRINCIPAL-2(F)=20
> Renewal 1ST RENEWAL 19690927=20
> Live/Dead Indicator DEAD =20
>
> (Trademark)=20
> Word Mark HICKOK=20
> Goods and Services (EXPIRED) IC 025. US 039. G & S: BELTS IN THE NATURE OF=20
> GARMENT SUPPORTERS, SUSPENDERS OR BRACES; MEN=E2=80=99S GARTERS AND CRAVATS=
> . FIRST=20
> USE: 19191100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19191100=20
> Mark Drawing Code (1) TYPED DRAWING=20
> Design Search Code =20
> Serial Number 71547546=20
> Filing Date January 20, 1948=20
> Current Filing Basis 1A=20
> Original Filing Basis 1A=20
> Change In Registration CHANGE IN REGISTRATION HAS OCCURRED=20
> Registration Number 0517146=20
> Registration Date November 1, 1949=20
> Owner (REGISTRANT) HICKOK MANUFACTURING CO. INC. CORPORATION NEW YORK 850=20
> ST. PAUL STREET ROCHESTER NEW YORK=20
> (LAST LISTED OWNER) TANDY BRANDS, INC. CORPORATION ASSIGNEE OF DELAWARE=20
> SUITE 660, WEST SIDE PLAZA 550 BAILEY AVENUE FORT WORTH TEXAS 76107=20
> Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED=20
> Attorney of Record DAVID S. ABRAMS=20
> Prior Registrations 0274484=20
> Type of Mark TRADEMARK=20
> Register PRINCIPAL-2(F) =20
> Affidavit Text SECT 15.=20
> Renewal 2ND RENEWAL 19900315=20
> Live/Dead Indicator DEAD=20
>
> (Trademark)=20
> Word Mark HICKOK=20
> Goods and Services (EXPIRED) IC 025. US 039. G & S: BELTS IN THE NATURE OF=20
> GARMENT SUPPORTERS, SUSPENDERS OR BRACES; MEN=E2=80=99S GARTERS AND CRAVATS=
> . FIRST=20
> USE: 19191100. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19191100=20
> Mark Drawing Code (3) DESIGN PLUS WORDS, LETTERS, AND/OR NUMBERS=20
> Design Search Code 24.01.01 - Shields or crests (plain) with neither a=20
> figurative element nor an inscription contained therein or superimposed the=
> reon=20
> 26.15.21 - Polygons that are completely or partially shaded=20
> Serial Number 72467048=20
> Filing Date August 30, 1973=20
> Current Filing Basis 1A=20
> Original Filing Basis 1A=20
> Registration Number 1031094 =20
> Registration Date January 20, 1976=20
> Owner (REGISTRANT) HICKOK MANUFACTURING CO., INC. DBA HICKOK CORPORATION NE=
> W=20
> YORK 845 AVENUE G EAST ARLINGTON TEXAS 76011=20
> Assignment Recorded ASSIGNMENT RECORDED=20
> Prior Registrations 0274484;0557328;AND OTHERS=20
> Description of Mark THE DESIGN ABOVE THE LETTER =E2=80=9CO=E2=80=9D IN =E2=
> =80=9CHICKOK=E2=80=9D IS LINED=20
> TO INDICATE THE COLOR RED.=20
> Type of Mark TRADEMARK=20
> Register PRINCIPAL=20
> Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR). =20
> Live/Dead Indicator DEAD=20
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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