Hankerchief rocka number one chief rocka...

As a buckaroo I remember my grandfather taking a hanky out of his back pocket to wipe his nose or to clean his face after a sneeze, and after he was done he folded it back up and put it back in his pocket. I remember thinking to myself how gross it was to keep reusing that hanky all day over and over. The fact that I didn't realize until roughly 30 some years later was that everything had a purpose then, and it wasn't an age were everything was disposable. The hankerchief served a purpose in ones life, and it was an accessory that served a utilitarian purpose in the back pocket of a pair of dungarees. It could be taken home and thrown in the wash with the rest of the work clothes, giving way for a new one to be used the following day. Bandanas have always been popular amongst the manual labor sector in this country, the railroad men wore them around their neck to absorb sweat with their hickory denim overalls, and denim chore coats. Building tradesmen kept a hanky in their pocket to blow their nose free of dust, dirt, and debris. Along with being functional it also played a role in fashion, what better to top off chambray or denim with a paisley red or blue bandana. Motorcyclist were no exception it is iconic for bikers dating back to the early 40's to have a hanky dangling from their pockets, most likely used to wipe oil and grease while fixing their bikes. Back then you had to know how to fix your bike if you rode one, there were no cell phones or ways of calling a friend for help. Ironically, one night Lil' hatchet and I were out riding on west river drive in Philadelhia, we were both new to riding Harleys, and further more this was his first chopper build. Well, we found out the hard way that night that making something look cool on a motorcycle by customizing it doesn't always mean its safe. He hit a dip in the road and bounced up in the air (rigid frame-Springer front end..Nuff said) when he landed back on the seat his foot broke the peg mount and master cylinder rear brake mount off and it was dangling on the ground. We had barely any tools and surely not enough to fix this problem. The tool that "fixed" the problem for us to get home that night was a bandana. We tied all the dangling parts to the frame with the bandana and he rode home with his foot on the rocker box and only using his front brake. Lesson learned that 12x12 piece of cotton not only wipes sweat, snot, dirt, oil, but it can actually be used for anything the situation allows. This post is a look back at the rich history of the SNOT RAG! This is a special congrats to our own BadLux newlywed Mark McQ and his new wife!!! Heres to a lifetime filled with blue skies and taking the time to look up and enjoy them!