How About Some Quality Buckles for a Change?

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Will

        And Happy New Year to you, I would like to thank you for taking the time for this, I know all us pards are going to be real happy with the results, and you get to learn a new trade , dang thats good , a man can always use a new talent. And having these buckles, and Crucifix made here in the U.S.A. makes it even better.

                                        Good Luck with this Will , and take care

                                             Ten Wolves Five Shooter 

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Thanks for the update, Will. Good progress. I would especially like to commend you on staying American with these things. I sure like supporting our economy and craftsmen.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

OK, pards. These buckles are becoming a reality. Will is ramrodding this nicely and has the first wax original made and on its way to the foundry. It's really a going to look beautiful. Great work, Will, thanks for staying with this. I can hardly wait to see how they come out. OK, here's a photo Will sent me of the first one in wax:

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[Dalton Masterson]

Thats a work of art!! Cant wait! DM

[Seth Shaw]

I will definitely be buying a grip of these buckles!

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

                               WOW WILL, you did a beautiful job Pard , can hardly wait to get my hands on one

                                                         Ten Wolves

[will ghormley]

Thanks Guys!

I'm gettin' pretty excited myself.  This first one took so long though, I'm goin' to have to take a break and do some projects that will actually pay a few bills.  When I get back to it, I'm goin' to make the Frank James Rosettes, 'cause they won't take as long to finish.  Then I'll get back to the buckles.

In addition to the four sketches Marshal Will posted a while back, I'm goin' to make a reproduction of Geronimo's buckle, as well as the buckle Clint Eastwood wore as Josey Wales.  There just isn't enough hours in the day to get as much done as I'd like!  But, hang on, I'll keep at it.

Will

[Dr. Bob]

Howdy Will,

A question from a pretty new guy.  I looked through Packing Iron quickly this evening and did no see any kind of fancy buckle like the one that you have carved.  Pretty much all plain except for a couple of military buckles.  How common were the fancy ones?  I still want one, but just curious about the use in the 1870 - 1885 time frame.  Thanks!

[will ghormley]

Hey Dr. Bob,

This first buckle is actually based on a buckle found on page 6 of Packin' Iron.  The buckle is easy to miss, 'cause it's tucked into the fold of the page, but it's in there.  My buckle has quite a bit more relief than the one in Packin' Iron, but the style is authentic.

Anglo buckles had a tendency to be pretty plain, (this first buckle in the series being an exception), but with Mexican buckles, the sky was the limit!  Gernomio's buckle was crude, but fancily embellished, (Mexican in origin).  My buckle, based on Geronimo's, will be symetrical and well finished, but identifiable as based on the original.

The buckle worn by Clint Eastwood in "The Outlaw Josey Wales", has it's roots in Mexican design sensibilities, but has been anglicized.  This would have been perfectly suitable for a Missouri Gurilla.  After the Santa Fe Trail was opened up in the mid 1820s, Mexican design began changing the work of Missouri craftsmen.  This could be seen most notibly in saddle design, (the beginigs of our Western Stock Saddles, [The James boys used "Spanish" saddles on thier race horses]), and in leather carving.  Our Western Floral carving designs have thier origins in the Mexical adaptation of Spanish geometric leather carvings, (adapted by the Spanish from Mooreish leather carving).  So, with fancier embellished goods coming out of the shops of Missouri, (inspired by the Mexican trade), the face of Amercian saddles and gun leather was changed for posterity.

Now, all of the buckles I'm goin' to make are goin' to be fancier.  The reason bein', there are plenty of plain buckles to be had.  While fancy buckles in the Old West were more expensive than plain buckles, you naturally saw more plain buckles than fancy.  Since most of the plain buckles you can buy are mass produced in Pakistan, China or India, I can't have them made here in the states and compete on price.  So, since my buckles are goin' to be more expensive anyway, (since your dollars are goin' to American craftsmen rather than current and potential enemies of our Armed Servicemen), I figured I might as well just design fancy buckles.  There ya' have it.

I hope that answers your question.  If not, I can make one up.   

Will

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Just a quick note here. I've had a few queries about who is handling the buckle stuff. Will is the man to talk to and anyone interested should be sure to email or pm him for the particulars.

email: willghormley@mchsi.com

Here's his profile for a pm: http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?action=profile;u=4031

[will ghormley]

Hey Guys,

I'm writing this Thurday the 17th of January.  I just talked with the guy at the foundry this morning.  There were some set-backs and the mold for the first buckle (the one in wax above) won't be made till this coming weekend.  He thought he might be able to cast some next week.  That means, I will see the first casting about two weeks from now.

He said the buckle looked great, and doesn't anticipate any problems with the casting.  He said it will look good with the tumble finish, and that will get it 90% of the way done.  If someone wanted to hand polish it, it will be almost there.  However, at this point, he doesn't have a per/unit price yet, because the mold hasn't been made.

My plan has been to get four buckles cast of this first design, one each in White Bronze, Bronze, Brass and Sterling Silver.  After evaluating the buckles, I would photograph them and put them on my website with the price.  Then, I would begin having them cast in quantity.  However, I've had several emails, and two more this morning, wanting to know when the buckles will be available.  At this point, it will be four weeks at the earliest.

Now, if you are too impatient to wait another month, we might be able to work out a deal where you can have a buckle/s from the first casting.  However, you would be buying the buckles sight-unseen, without knowing what the actual price will end up being.  If you want to order a buckle/s from the first casting, I will guarantee they wont cost more than twenty-five bucks each, (except for Sterling Silver which may cost $100).  Now, in all likelyhood, they wont cost that much, but I don't want to shoot anyone a price and then have them unhappy when it comes back costing more. 

So, if you wouldn't mind paying $25/buckle (excluding Silver), and not seeing a photo before you pay for it, here's what we'll do:  email me at:  willghormley@mchsi.com and tell me how many of each metal type you want, whether in White Bronze, Bronze or Brass.  This coming Monday, I'll let them know how many of each buckle to cast.  Then, if they get to it next week, we'll have buckles in the mail by the end of next week.  I should be able to turn around and ship 'em to you as soon as I get 'em.  In the meantime, I'll set up a PayPal page for those of you who ordered from the first casting.  I'll email the link only to those individuals who are ordering from the first casting.  I should have the actual price before they cast, so you can log onto the PayPal page, pay for the buckles you ordered, plus shipping, and get 'em as soon as possible.  I think I'll get a set of metal marking numbers to number each casting.  That way, if these end up being collectible, there won't be any doubt about which casting it was from.

This is only for those of you who just can't wait.  The buckles from the first casting shouldn't be any more or less expensive than any of the following castings.  I may tweek the master a little bit for future castings, so follow-on buckles may be have slight changes in them.  But other than that, it will be the same buckles that everyone else is goin' to get.

Then, after I get some of these other orders I'm workin' on out of the way, I'll do the Frank James rosettes and then get moving on the oval wheat shock and rose bud pattern California buckle.

So, if you feel lucky and want to take a gamble on the first casting of this first Wheat Shock and Rose Bud pattern, Rectangle California buckle, drop me an email by Sunday the 20th, and I'll have 'em cast you up your buckle/s.  Meanwhile, I'll track down some stamps to number the buckles and get my PayPal page set up.

Will

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Will

              Sounds good Pard, I can hardly wait to see the pictures , Thanks for putting such a big effort into this , we all appreciate it a whole bunch.

                                            Ten Wolves 

[outrider]

Howdy Will:

Geez  you certainly are a busy beaver...but we all appreciate your efforts as well as your outstanding talents.  I have several cowpokes here interested in seeing the buckles but we can wait until you get to see the first proofing.  As our buddy Ermey would say  SEMPER FI CARRY ON 

[Buffalo]

Thanks a lot. That sounds great.
Buff

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Great work, Will. Thanks for the update.

[will ghormley]

Hey guys,

I need to get some sort of idea on how many buckles, and in what metal, folks are gonna' want once they are available.  Your choices are, White Bronze (to simulate silver), Bronze (to simulate gold), and Brass.  I got a better update on pricing from the foundry today.  Since I had mentioned on this post that twenty-five bucks would be the highest price, I'm not goin' to back off of that.  However, when I start sellin' 'em to the general public, they will be more.  But, on the plus side, if someone wants to buy them in lots of 12, 24 or 50, the price does come down incrimentally. 

So, let me know what your preference would be, so I can figure out what sort of run I want to put together for the next casting.

Thanks,
Will

[Dalton Masterson]

Will, I would like 1 in white bronze, and 1 in brass. Thanks for doing all this work! Gonna be a great addition to the hobby! DM

[Dr. Bob]

Howdy Will,

I'll take one white bronze.  Thanks for doing this!!  I will want one of the cut corner ones in bronze when they become available.

[outrider]

Will:

Put me down for at least three in "white bronze"

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I'd like to get marked down for one in white bronze for now.