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McChesney No. 8 Gal Leg Silver Spurs c. 1920- RARE

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:25.00 USD Estimated At:850.00 - 2,250.00 USD
McChesney No. 8 Gal Leg Silver Spurs c. 1920- RARE
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The lot features an increasingly scarce original set of silver and copper mounted J.R. McChesney (1868-1928) spurs in the immensely desirable No. 8 “Gal-Leg” (Gal Leg) pattern. The McChesney Bit and Spur Company pieces show a single piece construction, a five-point star rowel, a gal leg shank, and wonderful silver and copper mounting. Each spur shows a copper gals leg mounted to the outsides of each shank, and two spades on the outsides of each heel-band. Robert John McChesney is aptly named "The Grandfather of the Texas Spur Style", being the first smith to sell handmade spurs in Texas. McChesney was also the pioneer of the "Goose-Neck" shank. J.R. McChesney is also credited with being the creator and originator of the “Gal Leg” design. The spurs originate from around the turn of the century and show good condition. Each spur - Without the straps measures 4 1/8" wide, and 5 3/4" long. Examples of the No. 8 Gal Leg McChesney have sold such as at Burley Auction Group’s 2/9/2008 sale for $3,300, the 2/7/2009 High Noon Western Americana sale for $3,000, Brian Lebel’s Old West Show & Auction 6/22/2006 sale for $7,800 and Vogt Galleries Texas 3/1/2015 sale for $2,200. J.R. McChesney is one of the most well know bit and spur makers ever to swing a hammer. McChesney was born in Plymouth, Indiana in 1868 and even attended Notre Dame for two years. McChesney’s family moved westward into Arkansas and then into Indian Territory in what is not Oklahoma. J.R. then opened a blacksmith shop. He stayed busy eventually got into making bits and spurs custom for local cowboys. It is said that McChesney was the first to make one-piece spurs from metal taken off farm equipment and axles. The one-piece spur quickly became the predominant style in Texas as the spurs were strong and durable without a joint that had the potential to fail between the heel band and shank. Whether or not McChesney actually invented the one-piece spur isn’t really important, but his legend and popularity grew as a bit and spur maker. He moved to Gainesville, Texas around 1890 due to a drought that killed off much of his business in Indian Territory. In Gainesville, J.R. McChesney built up another blacksmith business and did general blacksmith work in addition to the bit and spur making. At some point during this period G.A. Bischoff either worked for or with McChesney, the amount of time and details of their collaboration are unclear. After a period of time in Gainesville, McChesney moved again to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma in 1909 after the town offered to help him move his business there in addition to providing land for his new factory. At his Pauls Valley shop McChesney eventually employed as many as 50 people at the McChesney Bit and Spur Company. Many other famous makers would spend time working for McChesney at this location including: Clyde Parker, P.M. Kelly, and Tom Johnson among others. McChesney was supplying bits and spurs for his own catalog as well as producing items for C.P. Shipley at this time. McChesney continued to run the business until his death in 1928 at the age of 60. McChesney is probably most famous for his gal-leg design which some people claim he invented.