Related products

• 

  #17 Chip Merchant

  Chip Merchant-

  Chip and his family live in Beavercreek, Oregon, where he enjoys building bits and spurs and various other silver pieces.  Chip has been blessed with good mentors and making good friends along the way.  Chip attended two Ernie Marsh workshops and an engraving class with Diane Scalese.  Chip is extremely thankful to have been given the knowledge and tools from these expert craftsmen.

  Chips goals are to create traditional one of a kind pieces that are of exceptional quality.  Chip challenges himself to improve on each piece he designs, engraves and creates.  Function and quality craftsmanship are the two elements that Chip strives to have in every piece he creates so that the gear he builds will be passed down for many generations to come.

  Auction Ended
• 

  #2 Nevada Miller & Jeremiah Watt

  Jeremiah Watt and Nevada Miller

  Jeremiah Watt-

  Jeremiah is a resident of Coalinga, California and shares the Company work with his wife Colleen. Life for Jeremiah began as a saddlemaker and custom bitmaker. Today Jeremiah has a flourishing business with saddle hardware marketed under the Horse Shoe Brand logo and a line of bits and spurs, that can be found in stores all over the west marketed under the JWP brand.

  Jeremiah enjoys sharing the knowledge that he has gained over the 45 plus years of business life and hand skills. Jeremiah has produced DVD’s to help would be students as well as a yearly round of classes at the GRS facility in Emporia Kansas.

  Nevada Miller-

  Maker, silversmith, entrepreneur, and teacher. Nevada and her husband currently reside in the middle of nowhere, Southeastern Oregon, where she spends most of her time fabricating, engraving, and creating eclectic silver jewelry. However, helping her husband and their family on the ranch keeps her sane! Nevada is an active ranching wife seasoned in keeping the leppy calves alive and thriving!

   

  Bit Design and Inspiration

  What began as a crescent moon set beneath a 2.25” concho, ended its design journey as the “Bouquet Cheek”. The overall design celebrates the most popular singular design theme used out west, that being  the flower. Whether carved, engraved or growing between two rocks in the desert, the flower is as integral to the American west as is dust.

  Nevada and I decided we both wanted to incorporate the flower as a focal point, placed larger than life upon the designer’s pedestal. While we both agreed to pursuing this design concept, we both felt the need for an individualized approach to the flower’s actual attributes within the steel and silver canvas we were presented with. Our choice of flower shape, metal color etc. were up to each artist. Chose what appealed to you in the moment was our agreed upon journey.

  The modified El Segundo mouthpiece, being loose jawed and taller than the usual, offers the potential for more feel and signal response by the horse. If the horse responds well to some pallet pressure, then this El Segundo adaptation should serve the horse and rider well.

  Our bridle bit entry for 2023 contest incorporates steel, sterling silver, brass as well as copper. The only inference to Christ on this year’s entry lies in the almost imperceptible tiny cruciform shapes that act as background upon the upper concho rim. Like Christ himself, while he may go unseen at times in our lives, in truth he is always there if only we look closer.

  Auction Ended
• 

  #10 Brian Brown

  Brian Brown-

  Brian lives near St. John Washington on his family’s ranch. They run black cows, quarter horses, and raise export hay.  He fell into silver work from a friend John Hyde’s suggestion about 9 years ago.  Brian’s passion for quality hand made gear pushed him to not only add to his collection, but also use many bits and gear on the ranch.  At first Brian built several bits and wasn’t pleased with them so he reached out to Rusty McCullough who helped and gave him the inspiration needed to start down the path of refinement.  Jodi, his wife is also a full-time silversmith, ranch hand, secretary and mother of 3.  Brian and Jodi enjoy time spent together in their shop as well as time spent horse back.  Brown Tack Co. strives to provide customers with quality one-of-a-kind pieces with a flare of the old-world makers.

  Auction Ended
• 

  #16 Lane Cremer

  Lane Cremer-

  Lane is from Big Timber, Montana where he is a full time rancher and builds knifes bits and spurs in his spare time.  Lane got his start building spurs out of rasps in college and became fascinated with the art aspect of California style gear. It wasn’t too long after his interests peaked when he bought an engraving machine and started scratching up steel. Over the years he had the privilege to learn from some of the best makers in the business: Ernie Marsh, Wilson Capron, Dave Alderson, Shawn Didyoung, Eddy Mardis, and Russell Yates. In the past couple of years, he has become fascinated with the forging of Damascus steel, so he bought a log splitter and modified it into a forging press for making steel. Lane is constantly trying to push the boundaries of his abilities, but his main priority has always been to build high quality, fully functional pieces to last for generations to come.

  Auction Ended