How it All Began: the Denver Cowboy Shirt First Families

It all started back in aught one, when Jack A. Weil was born.  And the rest, as they say, is history…




1901 – Jack A. Weil is born (Social Security Death Index).

1915 – Sam Mandelbaum is born (Social Security Death Index).

1919 – Philip Miller travels to Denver from New York City where his brothers ran the Miller Brothers Hat Company (Weil & DeWeese).

1923 – Philip Miller publishes his first catalog, featuring a range of wholesale products, called The Stockman-Farmer Supply (Weil & DeWeese).

1928 – Jack Weil moves to Denver to open a sales office for the Chicago firm, Paris Gartner Co. (Weil & DeWeese).

1933 – Jack Weil and Philip Miller form partnership to develop their own shirt line and grow their catalog business (Weil & DeWeese).

1935 – Norton “Sonny” Handler is born (Social Security Death Index).

1935 – Sam Mandelbaum began working at Miller & Co. at age 20 (Weil & DeWeese).

1938 – Donald A. Handler, Sonny’s brother, is born (Ancestry.com).

3/4/39 – Tex Son trademark filed by Bell Garment Manufacturing Corporation (Serial #71416678).



1942-1945 – Sam Mandelbaum serves overseas during World War II  (Weil & DeWeese).

ca. 1945 – “Fresh from the service to his country during World War II, Sam Mandelbaum returned to work in production and merchandising at Miller Western Wear” (Zappos).

Miller Stockman Fall 1969 Catalog, courtesy of What Makes Pie Shops Tick

1948 – Sam Mandelbaum has a falling out with Jack Weil, his boss and Miller principle (Weil & DeWeese).   “After being overlooked for a promotion, Mandelbaum decided to strike out on his own” (Zappos).

1948 – Jack Weil leaves Miller that same year to start Rockmount Ranch Wear Manufacturing Company  (Weil & DeWeese).


10/25/48 – Sam Mandelbaum, Jack Karsh, and Leonard Silverberg form Karman, Inc. in Colorado (Articles of Incorporation).

Early 1950′s – Sam Mandelbaum buys out Jack Karsh (Weil & DeWeese).

1956 – Mandelbaum purchases Tem-Tex (Weil & DeWeese).


3/25/59 – Sam Mandelbaum, Jack Mandelbaum, and Leonard Silverberg form Western Fashions, Inc. in Colorado (Articles of Incorporation).


8/21/62 – Karman, Inc. begins using the trade name Tem-Tex Corporation (CO SOS).

1/16/69 – Fenton trademark first used in commerce (Serial #73472212).  The owner of the Fenton line was Sonny Handler, a fomer Karman employee (Weil & DeWeese).


7/8/74 – Tex Son trademark assigned to Handler Westerns, Inc. (Serial #71416678).

7/25/76 – “Handler Fenton” clothing advertised at a western wear store in Lubbock,TX (Lubbock-Avalanche Journal).


4/1/77 – “Handler Fenton & Texson” clothing advertised in National Future Farmer (National Future Farmer, April/May 1977).


9/23/77 – Chute #1 trademark first filed by Karman, Inc. (Serial #73142293).


12/1/77 – Denver Westerns trademark filed by Handler-Fenton Westerns, Inc. (Serial #73186977).


3/16/81 – Tex Son trademark assigned to Handler-Fenton Westerns, Inc. (Serial #71416678).

4/3/1981 – High Plains trademark filed by Karman, Inc. (Serial #73304117).


2/27/84 – Tex Son trademark assigned to Karman, Inc. (Serial #71416678).

3/26/84 – Fenton trademark filed by Western Fashions, Inc. (Serial #72179284).

2/25/85 – Fenton trademark cancelled (Serial #73472212).

1/1/86 – “Under the design leadership of Nancy Leavitt, Karman launched the Roper brand.” (Zappos).  [However, the label had been used in commerce previously, probably as early as the 1940's and 1950's.]


1990 – Times Square Clothing is established by descendants of Sonny Handler.  (Don Handler, Sonny’s brother and also a former Karman employee, was the owner of the Denver-based Champion Westerns line.)


1999 – Miller Stockman store chain and catalog (the successor to the Stockman-Farmer Supply Co.) is sold to Corral West, who dropped the name and discontinued the catalog mailing (Weil & DeWeese).


12/23/00 – Tex Son trademark cancelled (Serial #71416678).

7/20/02 – Chute #1 trademark cancelled (Serial #73142293).

2004 – Sam Mandelbaum passes away (Social Security Death Index).

2008 – Jack A. Weil passes away (Social Security Death Index).

2009 – Norton “Sonny” Handler passes away (Denver Post, 2/26/2009).

The forebears are gone, but the shirts continue on.  The descendants of all these fine shirts are available for sale at Vintrowear.com.