Before I dive into more pressing topics, I want to make sure you fine readers out there are aware that although the print version of Gas Engine Magazine is no longer around, its content and writers were integrated into Farm Collector. Most of you know that already.
What you might not know is that the Gas Engine Magazine website still exists and plays host to the online versions of our gas engine articles. So, if you’re looking for the digital versions of the gas engine content within Farm Collector, you’ll find them there.
In a more personally applicable note, this issue’s reprint of “Let’s Talk Rusty Iron” has given me the perfect excuse to talk about one of my favorite topics: hats.
I’m an avid collector of hats of all styles. Top hats, flat caps, fedoras, and many more styles reside in my collection. Probably the most meaningful hats in my collection belonged to my great-grandfather. Their stylish designs harken back to an era when wearing a hat was less of a statement and more of a foregone conclusion. It’s also nice to have a family connection in an area that already meant a lot to me.
Of course, I’m not the only one with heirlooms at the center of a growing collection. In “The Green Scene,” you can read about Gene Hart’s working John Deere tractor collection. His first few tractor were inherited from his father, but his collection has grown and is still growing.
Inheriting a trade fits in this discussion, too. The wheelwrights of Mike Rowland & Son fit that mold. Their company is one of the longest standing traditional wheel makers in the U.K. Read about them and their craft in this issue’s “Tales from Wales.”
For more family-based business endeavors, read about the Perkins family and their business. They started with windmills and eventually developed some unique gas engines. Although it’s not a family business, you can read about another gas engine company — Field Brundage Co. Its story is part one of a greater narrative told by Barry Tuller.
Having an inherited connection to collections and hobbies helps make them all the more enjoyable. That’s a small part of what makes hats so enjoyable for me. It’s always nice to see others sharing their own histories, too.
Until next time!
