MESA, ARIZ. — If you consider Ed Bohlin to be the finest saddle maker in American history, then it would be tough to beat the quality of the his personal parade outfit — the spurs of which sold for $236,000 to a private collector at Brian Lebel’s January 22 Old West Auction. It is an auction record for a pair of spurs. Bohlin’s spurs were part of the “Big Saddle,” his personal parade uniform that took him and other top Bohlin artists 14 years to complete. Everything but the spurs is in the collection of the Autry Museum of the American West. With extremely detailed and intricate work in leather, stainless steel, silver and gold, the spurs earned recognition from the moment of their creation, gaining exhibition at the 1967 World’s Fair.

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