This is a J.R. McChesney unmarked bit with an 8-star silver inlay shield on each side. McChesney is probably the biggest name in the production of antique Texas style bits and spurs. His shop was the largest west of the Mississippi for a period of time, and he employed many other famous makers at one time or another. McChesney was a very industrious man and worked hard and diligently doing all types of blacksmith work until the demand for his bits and spurs drove him to start the McChesney Bit and Spur Company which produced catalogs to drive sales from its location in Gainesville, Texas. McChesney would move the operation to Pauls Valley, Oklahoma in 1909. McChesney pieces were generally unmarked though some were marked with a small arm and hammer logo that were sold through Shipley’s catalog. McChesney saw the decline of the bit and spur business coming and tried to get into other profitable work but never could find another industry to suit him, he died of a heart attack in 1928. Among the well-known makers that worked in McChesney's shop are included: Clyde Parker, P.M. Kelly, Tom Johnson, and others. McChesney also supplied Shipley’s business for a period of time before they had a falling out.
