M. MORALES. CATALOG NO. 5

M. MORALES. CATALOG NO. 5. MANUFACTURER OF THE MOST COMPLETE LINE OF HAND FORGED BITS AND SPURS IN THE UNITED STATES. Portland, Oregon. Press of Harnden & Co. 1st, 1925.

Mike Morales (1888 – 1934) born in Mexico, was a master silversmith and highly celebrated maker of California-style cowboy bits and spurs. In 1902 he apprenticed himself for a period of 4 years to the master craftsman G.S. Garcia in Elko, Nevada, which deeply influenced his distinct California style. In 1910 he opened the prestigious bit and spur department for Hamley and Company in Pendleton, Oregon. In 1920 he established his own bit and spur company, M. Morales, at 384 North 24th Street, Portland, Oregon. Morales’ business prospered in Portland where he employed many bit and spur makers to fill orders for his work as well as other items such as stirrups, saddle trimmings, belt buckles, conchos, etc. In 1927 Morales moved his business to Los Angeles where he opened a shop at 2213 Sunset Blvd. and hired Philip Fredholm who had worked for Bohlin. Morales seemed to be a bit indifferent to marking his work, but, when he did he used a squashed M, sometimes two of them. The design for this M was clearly inspired by the squashed H of the Hamley and Co. mark. Mike’s earlier work for Hamley and even prior to that was occasionally marked as “MIKE MORALES MAKER”

His California bits and spurs featured fine silver overlay, intricate hand-engraving, and his signature raised “peacock leaf” design. Catalog #5 illustrates the famous pattern no. 42. He is also credited as the first maker to craft spurs from a single, hand forged piece of metal.

A scarce, highly sought after, Morales Catalog. About 28 of the 50 pages have ink that bleed thru them. However, each of the items illustrated can be clearly seen, including the famous pattern no. 42 on page 18.