The Running Iron Saloon

What is a Running Iron?

There were two styles of branding irons commonly used in the early west. One was the familiar stamp type with the letters or symbols on the end of a long handle.
The other used the free hand technique which allowed for greater versatility of design, called a Running Iron.
Brands made with the free hand technique of the Running Iron are easier to alter or change than the stamped ones, and for this reason most states legally abolished the use of Running Irons.
After that accordingly to legend, any cowboy, homesteader or farmer found with a Running Iron in their possession was labeled a "rustler" and hung from the nearest tree.
"We chose the name "The Running Iron" to symbolize the change from a bar to a family restaurant in 1980."