How About Some Quality Buckles for a Change?

[outrider]

Just checked out that site for the casting company.  it would appear that they could most probably handle what we are looking for

[Marshal Will Wingam]

OK, Will needed the images reduced so he sent them to me to post for him. Here are two of his designs. I must say that I really like them all. I would be hard pressed to choose one as my favorite. It would depend on the application.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Here are the other two. Darn great-looking buckles. I think I need four more rigs so I can use one of each.

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Gents

           WG I like all four buckles , nice work , putting this together, lets hope Tandy will go for it, they should, it will just make nothing but money for them , another buckle I would like to see is the one worn my Nick Barkley on The big Valley TV show that played back in the seventies, it would be nice to have these buckles available in 1 1/2" and  1 3/4" sizes, I always liked Nicks buckle ,  I think I saw this style in one of John Bianchi catalogs a few years back.

                                   KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK 

                                         TEN WOLVES 

[Dr. Bob]

FINE looking buckles Will!  Hope that you can find someone to make them.  I'd sure put one on my rig!!

[will ghormley]

Thanks for postin' those Marshal.  I'm such a computer dunce.

Well, if TLF picked 'em up, they would be more affordable.  I like that idea.  But, everything I've heard back from them so far on buckles hasn't been enthusiastic.  I'll talk to that place out of Albuquerqui on Monday.  I'm afraid limited runs will make 'em mighty pricey though.  'Course, if they're gonn'a be expensive any way, I'll just order mine in silver. 

Will

[ChuckBurrows]

Will - another thought - try talking with Jeremiah Watt at Ranch2Arena, Jeremiah gets things like his bits cast up and may be able to give you some advice or ?? He's a good guy to work with and a fellow saddlemaker ........

[will ghormley]

Great idea Chuck!  Jeremiah has always been more than helpful when I've talked with him.  He makes the best spurs.  I wish he had a line of authentic old west bits, nothin' fancy, just plain ol' cowboy bits.  I'll give 'im a call.

Thanks,
Will

[Dalton Masterson]

Dang Will, them drawings themselves are works of art. I sure hope you can find someone to cast them reasonably. I would definately take a few! DM

[will ghormley]

Hey guys,

Thanks for the compliments on the buckles, but you might want to hold on for a second or two.  I've been pokin' around, and ball park prices, having the buckles done here in the states, look like they might be in the twenty buck range.  Now, how much do you like 'em and how many do you want?!

I've got some better news on the Frank James Rosettes:  I may be able to have those cast with a steel handle on 'em.  I don't have pricing yet, but even if they come out to twenty bucks a pop, you can buy the tools and not run through 'em like buckles.  I'll post this news on the Frank James Rosette stamp page as well.

Will

[Dr. Bob]

$20!  Well I'll start with the one that I said I would.  Bet when others see it they will want one too!

Gotta shorten the belt up a bit anyway, so adding the buckle will not be too hard!

[Forty Rod]

Will, at that price I'd take at least one rectangular one.  I'd prefer antique nickel plate, but I'd take brass and have it plated myself.

[will ghormley]

Hey Forty-rod,

I was figurin' on castin' 'em in a choice of white bronze or brass.  That would give folks the choice of a silver or yellow buckle.  They can also be cast in silver, if somebody wanted an eighty dollar buckle!  Or gold for that matter, but that would probably be more than a thousand bucks at today's price of gold.

Will

[Marshal Will Wingam]

The white bronze will be outstanding. Now I have to see what I want to make in the way of a new rig. Definitely need one of those, I just have to decide which one(s).

[Dalton Masterson]

Will, I would probably go with a pair of them one white, and one brass. Wife needs a new buckle, and I gotta do one for me to if she gets one. DM

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

  Howdy Will, and the rest of my pards 

                 Sounds good to me, like Forty Rod, I like all of them , but I would like to start out with the rectangular one, that would be nice in antique nickle, $20.00 is fine with me. I'm good for two to start with, and white bronze sounds good too, I don't think I've ever seen white bronze, is it a bright silver glossey or more to the satin, or duller side, eighter way, I'm not worried, you have great tast in what ever you do . Thanks again for doing this, it's going to make a lot of cowboy/gunfighter pards real happy

                                                      Ten Wolves 

[will ghormley]

Hey Ten Wolves,

The finish will be tumbled, so I suspect it will be more of a satin type.  However, you can buff 'em out to a high shine if you want to.  Buffing would also give it kind of a' antiqued finish, with the compound in the recesses.

Will

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Will Ghormley 

             That sounds good Will, with the buffing you could vary the shin, and really make it look old and antique. These are really nice designs you made , and I can hardly wait to get my hands on them. And those James boys stamps, 2008 is looking good 

                                                Ten Wolves

[Forty Rod]

White bronze?  Okay, if you say so.  Never heard of it.

[will ghormley]

Hey Guys,

Happy New Year!  I'm takin' a break in the middle of this New Years Day from carving the first of the buckles out of wax.  The wax master will be sent to New Mexico, I'll pay to have a mold made, then casting can start.  After they make the mold, they'll be able to tell me how much it's gonn'a cost to cast 'em.  So far, I've got about three weeks into learnin' how to make these things.  All told, I'll have about a months worth of time in the first buckle.  After that, I should be able to make the wax carvings quicker.  Now I know why everybody 'aint makin' buckles!

On a brighter note:  To learn what I'm doin', (on a smaller project), I reproduced the Crucifix from Russell Crowe's "Hand of God" pistol grip.  I made it with a chain loop so it can be worn like a Crucifix, but the loop can be cut off and it can be inlaid into a pistol grip.  Those can be cast in White Bronze (to look like silver), Bronze (to look like gold), Silver and Gold.  The folks at the foundry should start workin' on the Crucifix this week or the next.

There is good news and not so good news.  The not so good news is:  These will be made exclusivly in the U.S. of A., and cost more than if they were made overseas.  The good news it:  These will be made exclusivly in the U.S. of A., and all of the money spent on them will go to support American craftsmen and their families.  I will use the same foundry for makin' the buckles.

I wish all the best for y'all in the comin' year.  We aught to be turnin' out plenty of quality leather goods.

Will