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?'s Regarding making branding iron and registration of brand

fishinwoman75

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Hi there,
These questions are probably out of the notm and I'm sure most will think they're silly to even ask but hoping someone can/will help me anyway!
So, I'm having a branding iron made for my man using what was his father's state registered brand from the 70's, I want it to be made as close as possible to what it would have been back then. I'm wondering a couple things-should I use a typed style font or his actual handwritten design that's on the certificate? This is just for nostalgia, would be hung on the wall and maybe used on wood a couple times.
2nd- I'll be making the wood handle grip of it so wondering the basics like best wood to use, length best way to attach & finish the wood? Any other tips?
Lastly, does anyone know if it's possible to re-register the brand(exp.1976) or would it simply be like registering an entirely new one?
Thanks for letting me post here, I appreciate it as this info isn't so easy to find.
Sincerely,
AA
 
Brand registration or re-registration rules will vary from state to state. Knowing your general location might be helpful in getting a good solid answer. His hand written design would be a more accurate duplication.

If you are just planning and hanging it on the wall there would be no need to register it.
 
In Oregon Livestock Brands are registered through the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Livestock Division. Since ownership of the brand has not been kept current, you would most likely have to apply for it as a new brand.

That brands exact design may or may not be available if someone else has the brand currently registered in their name. But sometimes there are options. Example: If rancher A has that brand registered for use on the Left Hip(LH), you might be able to register it for use on the Right Hip(RH).

Brands are so unique. A friend of mine said when their father passed away they used the branding iron to apply his brand to his coffin.
There are a lot of brands kept registered that are no longer actively used. I keep my parents brand registered just because :)
 
In Oregon Livestock Brands are registered through the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Livestock Division. Since ownership of the brand has not been kept current, you would most likely have to apply for it as a new brand.

That brands exact design may or may not be available if someone else has the brand currently registered in their name. But sometimes there are options. Example: If rancher A has that brand registered for use on the Left Hip(LH), you might be able to register it for use on the Right Hip(RH).

Brands are so unique. A friend of mine said when their father passed away they used the branding iron to apply his brand to his coffin.
There are a lot of brands kept registered that are no longer actively used. I keep my parents brand registered just because :)
If it is in Oregon it will now be required to have 3 figures in it to register as a new brand. One of the reasons for this is so many brands are kept registered that are no longer active. I tried to register the brand which is branded into the concrete in front of my garage. It had gone vacant about 10 years before I moved here. Nothing like it in the current book but it only had 2 figures so they wouldn't let me use it. I wish they would have told me the 3 figure rule because I would have just added some thing to it.
 
Seems like the more figures the more risk of blotting.
True, but if all the one and two letter brands are taken it has to go to 3 letters.
Some of what people say are 'one letter brands' aren't really one letter brands. They
just put two symbols on one iron and call them one-letter brands. Sometimes those
have to be 'rocked' to fit and that alone can cause blotching.
 
My Grandparents had the ON bar. The bar was underneath the ON. They used a tin can to make O and
had a short bar they used to make the N and the bar. You had to burn em three times to make the N.
Later they made a better iron for the ON, but they still had their little "running iron". :)
 
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My Dad had 2 registered brands the Circle Y left rib and KC. left hip
I wanted to register the Circle Y on the Left hip but they wouldn't let me but I could get the KC with a bar over top on the left rib.
Eventually Dad just transferred the KC left hip to me.
He transferred the Circle Y to my son and when my daughter was looking for a brand they said she could get the Circle Yon the left hip.
I think in the early days of computer they wanted just letter or numbers but they seem to be allowing historic brand to be used now.
 
Hi there,
These questions are probably out of the notm and I'm sure most will think they're silly to even ask but hoping someone can/will help me anyway!
So, I'm having a branding iron made for my man using what was his father's state registered brand from the 70's, I want it to be made as close as possible to what it would have been back then. I'm wondering a couple things-should I use a typed style font or his actual handwritten design that's on the certificate? This is just for nostalgia, would be hung on the wall and maybe used on wood a couple times.
2nd- I'll be making the wood handle grip of it so wondering the basics like best wood to use, length best way to attach & finish the wood? Any other tips?
Lastly, does anyone know if it's possible to re-register the brand(exp.1976) or would it simply be like registering an entirely new one?
Thanks for letting me post here, I appreciate it as this info isn't so easy to find.
Sincerely,
AA

Brand registry is different depending on the state and county you are in. In states that have brand inspectors, there are a lot more regulations. We used to be in Colorado and the brand book is quite substantial running into hundreds of pages. I believe in Texas, brands are registered at the county level. In Ohio, the brand book is so skinny, they can fax it to you.

If you have a family brand that hasn't been registered in a while, someone else may own the rights to it. You can legally make one to hang on the wall, but if you brand your cows with a brand that is now registered to someone else, you will get in trouble with the brand inspectors. (if you are in a state that has them.)

My dad wrote a couple of articles about brand design and registration.
 
Brand registry is different depending on the state and county you are in. In states that have brand inspectors, there are a lot more regulations. We used to be in Colorado and the brand book is quite substantial running into hundreds of pages. I believe in Texas, brands are registered at the county level. In Ohio, the brand book is so skinny, they can fax it to you.

If you have a family brand that hasn't been registered in a while, someone else may own the rights to it. You can legally make one to hang on the wall, but if you brand your cows with a brand that is now registered to someone else, you will get in trouble with the brand inspectors. (if you are in a state that has them.)

My dad wrote a couple of articles about brand design and registration.
Interesting to read. The instructions that came with our electric branding iron, stated it should be held on the hide 10 seconds.
I always thought that sounded like an extreme amount of time, am pretty sure I never fried them that long. The biggest brand I ever saw on a grown cow looked like they used an 8" iron on her when she was a month old.
 
Interesting to read. The instructions that came with our electric branding iron, stated it should be held on the hide 10 seconds.
I always thought that sounded like an extreme amount of time, am pretty sure I never fried them that long. The biggest brand I ever saw on a grown cow looked like they used an 8" iron on her when she was a month old.

It seems that some brands grow with the cow and others don't. Not sure why that is? We usually brand after the calves are weaned and rarely get one that looks huge, but I have seen them. I have heard that some people have two sets of brands. A smaller set is used for branding younger cattle.
 
Seems like the more figures the more risk of blotting.
Forgive my ignorance regarding most of this but I'm a curious creature so must ask. I assume "blotting" is referring to the brand being uneven or having inconsistencies in the lines? I'm curious if it is caused where multiple lines intersect, the more extreme variances like in some symbols/ curves/circles or is it more due to flaws in the branding iron itself/inconsistent heat & uneven pressure or good ol' basic operator error?
😉🤭
 
Forgive my ignorance regarding most of this but I'm a curious creature so must ask. I assume "blotting" is referring to the brand being uneven or having inconsistencies in the lines? I'm curious if it is caused where multiple lines intersect, the more extreme variances like in some symbols/ curves/circles or is it more due to flaws in the branding iron itself/inconsistent heat & uneven pressure or good ol' basic operator error?
😉🤭
:unsure: I think you covered most of the possibilities. It could be any one or combination of the above. :)
 
Forgive my ignorance regarding most of this but I'm a curious creature so must ask. I assume "blotting" is referring to the brand being uneven or having inconsistencies in the lines? I'm curious if it is caused where multiple lines intersect, the more extreme variances like in some symbols/ curves/circles or is it more due to flaws in the branding iron itself/inconsistent heat & uneven pressure or good ol' basic operator error?
😉🤭
Blotting will occur for several different reasons. Blots can occur where lines cross. For example if you brand an X, the X will hold extra heat right in the air-gap where the two bars are closer. We used to build some custom branding irons for customers and would put some relief cuts where the lines crossed to prevent the blotting. Something like my quick drawing here.
x.png

A tight circle can blot all the center completely full. So for the number 8, you might have air-gaps like this:

8.png
 
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