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I guess it is possible to collect almost anything you want. Some people like to collect furniture or antique jewelry but there is a set of people who like to own something that is close to their heart – and what could be closer than a real piece of American history.

American historic memorabilia is a highly collectible area and there are many different things that you can collect. Vintage clothing, money, gold or even cars – but collecting items owned by the cowboys that made America the country it is today brings great pride.

Cowboy spurs began to be used back in ancient Rome where they were used to control horses and were no more than a simple spike sticking out of the back of the riders foot. Through the years it has become a symbol of being a Cowboy and has become associated with the Wild West, gun fighting and rodeos. The spurs also changed to become a more fashionable item and the concept of custom made and designed spurs was born. Patterns, designs and images were added to make the spurs more attractive and possibly to show the wearers wealth.

There were many different styles of cowboy spurs made by the now famous blacksmiths and makers and each bore their makers mark. The marking denotes history, value, age and also a clue to the possible usage of the spur and who may have used them. Some makers were also commissioned to produce spurs for the mounted cavalry and others were responsible for producing the majority of the spurs and western tack across the whole of Western America.

As with any old processes and styles, the use of Cowboy Spurs is now limited to either proper cowhands or horse riders and the knowledge of making these items is long gone. Big business took the spur makers from humble beginnings and took them to profitable highs, but this cannot always last. The spur making companies began to buy each other out and towards the end of the era of the spur maker, only 1 company owned the majority of all of the other important companies.

There can be nothing better than owning items from Americas past history. These items from the wild west belonged to the fore fathers and founders of the great country that now towers over the rest of the world.

Like all pieces of antiques, artwork, pottery or furniture the makers of antique spurs also left their makers mark on each of the item they made. As the spur was made from metals such as iron, silver and later aluminum, the mark was physically stamped to the spur with a hammer and chisel or by hitting the spurs with a pre-made stamp.

There are several reasons why the spur makers used to do this. One was to identify their own products as the items were rarely stamped or marked with a serial number. Also, it was common for custom cowboy spurs to be made at the request and design of the wearer and therefore some of the spurs made would not be the same each time.

Different sizes, widths and patterns were used when making the custom made spurs and therefore it was important for the maker to know which were made by his own hand. The markings also help us understand the value and origin of the items we might buy at auction today.

One of the more common sets of markings you might find on a pair of spurs would be the name or initials of the maker. For example, a set of spurs made by the Crockett Spurs Company would be marked CROCKETT. They were also later marked CR for Crockett Renalde.

Another of the larger and more famous makers of cowboy spurs, North & Judd used a symbol to mark their spurs and other cowboy gear. The North & Judd Anchor mark has now become a mark of distinction throughout the area of western blacksmithing items and horse tack and is a recognized mark of quality and for us today, a mark of the value and authenticity of a genuine western American antique.