This particular 'iron' is well in excess of 50-60 years old. They are made of cast copper and after a few thousand times in the fire, they get a little tired and tend to crack. Mike says, 'We still use them on the ranch, but they are getting about burnt out. Mike is interested in acquiring a new set He hopes they might still be used somewhere and possibly (hopefully) available. In some places it is still illegal to carry a running iron however, in others, it is a common practice to apply a legal brand with one.Our friend, saddlemaker Mike Brennan of Meeker, Colorado sent us this picture of these old saddle irons (also called 'running irons.') used for branding cattle on the range. The Little Black Egg would have been just another sub-Beau Brummels-styled folk rock jingle-jangle xerox if not for the supremely non-plussing lyrics that. Another interpretation is ancient ancestors.

Some Navajo say this meaning is a mistranslation for a word that means ancient enemies. Anasazi Navajo for ancient ones, this word describes an ancient tribe of the Southwest. In the old west, sometimes used by rustlers to quickly mark unbranded cattle. Amputate Your Timber, or mahogany Go way, run off. Running Iron: Ring or flat iron used to draw a brand rather than stamp it on.

Another word for running wild