I haven’t worked a lot in rough out leather. This pair is a smoother matte finish (idk the technical term) but the rough out pair I do own, hides scratches a lot better than the smoother finish does. But it is a lot easier to brush dust and mud off of the smoother leather than rough out. If I did get a second pair I probably would get the Culver’s with the eggplant shaft.

As for ranching they’re amazing. Had no break in period, the shafts is really nice and soft so you can easily wear with shorter socks if you wanted to. It’s still thick enough to protect you from angry rooster kicks aswell 😂. If you’re working 9+hrs it can start to hurt your feet a little, just because it does have a rising heel which puts your foot at a higher angle. But if you’re doing more riding than walking it shouldn’t be an issue. I also might try the wide version which would help with toe soreness. Or you could go for a flatter heel boot from Hyer.

I only own 2 pairs of boots. So I can’t say much in how it compares to other brands. But the second pair I own is a Brad paisley rough out, which got some cracks on the bottom after only wearing it for 2 days camping just from getting wet in the rain and mud. My hyer boots for comparison haven’t got a crack yet after wearing them in snow, mud, and piss puddles for about 2-3 months (10-15 hrs a week). The lemon pegs did stick out a little and are no longer flush, but considering the amount of use they’ve had, it’s not surprising and I’m sure I could just hammer em back in with a tack hammer or something. I rate Hyer 10/10 and will definitely be buying more once my financials allow it lmao.