Silversmith Artisans

The 18th-century silversmith was thought of as someone akin to a sculptor. Both had to know how to shape their materials with artistic talent, taste, and design.

A contemporary observed that the silversmith was:

"employed in making all manner of utensils . . . either for Ornament or Use. His work is either performed in the Mould, or beat into Figure by the Hammer."

Consider the fashioning of a coffeepot. The silversmith artisans melted sterling in a graphite and clay crucible to about 2,000°. He poured the liquid silver into a tallow-greased, sooted cast-iron mold to produce an ingot. Using a large hammer, he would hot-forge the ingot into a billet – a thick sheet that he would then cut into a circle. Using "raising" hammers, anvils, and stakes, the smith would stretch the piece of silver into a thinner piece as he hammered against the anvils, cupping it into a hand crafted buckles shape.

Forming sheet of silver into handcrafted buckles required experience and skill. Hammering the custom made buckles shape against the stakes the silversmith "raised" the body shape by compressing the metal with hammer blows from the outside pushing it inward and upward. When the silver became brittle from working, he heated it red hot and plunged it into an acid bath to keep it malleable. When the smith achieved the body base and shapes he wanted, he used small smooth-faced hammers and other stakes to "plannish," or hammer them very, very smooth. The finished product was polished to a high shine with pumice, rottenstone, and jewelers' rouge.

Silversmithing today:

Today the work of the silversmith artisans proceeds its buckles silversmith shop in much the same way as when colonist practiced silversmithing.

Douglas Magnus is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is known for not only his silversmith work but also for photography, painting and jewelry. A real contemporary talent! Today he owns the oldest turquoise mines on the continent

James Stegman Comstock Heritage was formed in the 1960s and is owned by James and Donna Stegman in Carson City, Nevada. James was one of the owners of the original Irvine & Jachens company and split off from there taking the buckle side of the business.

Rob Schaezlein Founded in San Francisco in the late 1870’s by the current Bob Schaezlein’s grandfather. Was initially a jewelry business evolving into a western design shop probably around the early 1920’s. Did work for Visalia Stock Saddle Co., Levi Strauss, the Rodeo Cowboy Association and many of the well known western outfitters. Bob Schaezlein was honored in 1997 as one of western silversmithing and engraving’s "Living Legends". Robert F. Schaezlein III (Rob) is the fourth generation to carry on the family business. Undeniably one of the great western silversmithing shops.

Jason Christopher is an important young designer from Texas whose designs have garnered both recognition and respect from collectors as well as other buckle designers in the business. Having grown up in the business as part of the Maida's team, Jason knows what it takes to design a buckle or accessory as a daily item in your life, or as an heirloom to be revered as part of your legacy. Jason has experienced and flourished with a family of Artist that have been established since 1901, the name Maida’s has been synonymous with the finest leather goods available in Houston. for personal accessory designs as well as business or ranch designs.

Tony Stanton Sunset Trails was one of the premier western silversmiths of the 1920s+ and was originally located in Los Angeles. There were several mergers and today the Stanton family runs the operation in Temecula, California.

Edward H. Bohlin One of the most famous and collectible silversmith artisans was Edward H. Bohlin (1895-1980) who first sold goods to Tom Mix. Later he outfitted many of the well known movie stars and celebrities in the 1920-70s like Will Rogers, Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, and Gene Autry. Bohlin was originally born in Sweden, worked on cattle ranches in Montana and Wyoming in the 1910s, and became interested in leathercraft and metal work. Besides silver, he also made saddles, gun belts, and spurs. Today the company is owned by David Marold and based in Dallas, Texas.

Silversmith Artisans