Traditional Western with a Refined Touch
Posted on July 27, 2008 by Stuart Kerty
Clint Orms Engravers & Silversmiths aren’t your usual belt buckle makers. Clint has elevated the craftsmanship of belt buckles beyond traditional rodeo trophies to heirloom-quality jewelry, without losing touch with the true Western heritage.
Clint’s learned much of his trade from his father, who retired from rodeo competition in the 1950s and went on to design western clothing for the landmark cowboy shop, The Cow Lot, in Wichita Falls, Texas, which closed recently after an amazing 54 year run.
Clint started polishing belt buckles at 12 years old for his father’s company and went on to hand-tooling belts and eventually designing his own buckles by 15. Mix into this his saddle-making and silversmith skills and you can see the influences that guide his work.
While many of Clint’s creations follow traditional Western imagery, his artistry has led him into much more elegant and ornate designs.  He now crafts his designs using sterling silver, 14 and 18 carat gold in different colors. While some of his designs cost a few hundred dollars, others feature diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies and can sell for many thousands of dollars.  Â
But the gold and the jewels are not the only reason for the lofty prices. Some of his more complex designs are made from hundreds of individual pieces, all meticulously soldered together, engraved and polished, taking up to 200 hours of painstaking labor.   This effort goes deeper than just producing a nice product or cool fashion trend. He sees his buckles as heirloom quality that would be passed down from generation to generation.
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