RARE SCREW-OUT NECK EAGLEHEAD SPURS

RARE SCREW-OUT NECK EAGLEHEAD SPURS

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$1,550.00

Quantity Available: 1

Item Code: 1202-1333

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Call 717-334-0347,
Fax 717-334-5016, or E-mail

These finely-detailed eagle-head spurs measure a mere 4-inches overall, with the projecting eagle heads and necks extending about 1-7/8 inch from the back of the heel band. The eagle’s heads with crests are deeply cast and chased, with eyes, beak and feathers all sharply rendered, as are the feathers completely covering the necks and spreading out along the heel bands to either side for about two-thirds of their lengths where a geometric cross-hatched pattern takes over, ending near the very tips, which are bent inward and pointed. The rowels are brass, dished at the center, and given an impressive 18 points.

These are rare on two counts. Not only are they eagle-head in pattern, an elegant pattern usually associated with officers and often with high-end presentations, but they are also “screw-out neck,” in design, where the necks of the eagles have tapering conical iron tips that screw through the heel bands to penetrate into the heel of the boot, held in place by the pressure created against the pointed ends of the heel bands against the front faces of the heels under the sole of the boots. These are firmly in place in the heel bands- we have not tried to force them to unscrew and would not recommend doing so, but the screw threads are clearly visible on the projecting points inside the heel bands, clearly identifying the type.

Schuyler, Hartley and Graham illustrate two patterns of “Screw-out Neck” spurs in their 1864 catalogue as No. 205 and No. 206. Both of those have rather plain necks, though No. 206 has a lightning-bolt like shape to it, and both have heel bands with holes at the ends for attachment to the sides of the boot heel by screws, so that with the necks and rowels might be removed but the heel bands would remain in place. Crouch, Historic American Spurs (1998,) illustrates two screw-out neck examples, both of which he says also have heel bands pierced for screw attachment- one (CV49) with a screw holes on sides of the heel bands at the ends and the other (CV48) with a heel band that wrapped around the heel of the boot and, he says, was screwed into the front face of the heel, though the holes are not evident in his photo (and perhaps he was mistaken on that point.) This clearly uses the same “wrap-around” style with the ends of the heel bands bent inward, and clearly were not screw fastened. The ends of the heel bands are rather pointed and one might argue they were to be pressed into the sides of the heel, but it seems more likely they simply rested against the front face of the heel and the screwing of the projecting point of the neck through the heel band into heel of the boot created enough pressure to hold it and the heel band in place, with the added benefit that when the neck was unscrewed the heel band could be removed also, as with some of the “box” patent spurs.

Horse equipment and spurs are collecting categories in which these would find a good home, as would an officer’s display or collection focused on high-end presentation grade officers’ material. They are a great combination of art and history, as well as elegance and ingenuity.  [sr][ph:L]

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