© Dawn Kish

SPUR MAKER

Leon King is matter-of-fact when it comes to talking about his handcrafted, custom spurs. He says that his pieces are increasing in value — but he's "gotta die first" before they really become collectors items. King made his first set of spurs after ordering a pair out of a catalog. "I didn't like them," he says. "I had a real good shop class in Tucumcari [New Mexico], so I thought, I'll try and make a pair, and they turned out fairly decent." Fifty years later, the self-taught spur maker keeps busy by outfitting rodeo champions, professional cowboys and local ranchers. Each pair has been commissioned, as works of art often are — you won't find his spurs on the Web or in stores. King spends 12 to 20 hours manipulating pieces of stainless steel until he's shaped them into his spiky masterpieces, which are numbered and cataloged because, well … "it makes them a little more valuable."

— Kathy Ritchie

Information: King Spurs, 928-386-2013 or 928-289-9460

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