So to speak...

Rob Sigafoos - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 12:11pm

This is a set of salad servers I made for some horse-owner friends I'm having dinner with this weekend. These are made from stainless steel snaffle bits. Now, I know that a lot of you neigh sayers will think that trotting out a lame idea like this is simply beating a dead horse. However, I feel it is time to take the reigns and run with it (sorry- this was just asking for bad puns).
Wharton Esherick had this great tradition of bringing a small gift he made to the host whenever he was invited to dinner. I think a real test as to whether my work is any good is to continue this tradition and see if my dinner invites increase or decrease…
Rob

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Bit by Bit

Nic East - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 1:07pm

What do I get if I invite you to dinner? Every little bit counts. Beautiful work and well made too!

Nic East, Jim Thorpe, PA USA
Creativity begins with a novel thought.

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Nic- Thanks for your

Rob Sigafoos - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 8:08pm

Nic-
Thanks for your thoughts. I guess, though, that we are going to have to corral our puns...
Rob

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Hi Rob, the salad servers

eligius1427 - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 7:49pm

Hi Rob, the salad servers look great and I love the tradition(and the puns). I like the use of the bits, seems very appropriate for horse owners. Looks like you've got some time in polishing too. You'd definitely get invited back for dinner if you showed up to my house with these(although I wouldn't know that the heck a snaffle bit was). Nice Work.

Do you own horses as well?

Jake

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Hi Jake! Thanks for your

Rob Sigafoos - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 8:11pm

Hi Jake!
Thanks for your thoughts. I am not currently a horseowner, but I was a farrier for 30 years before I shifted gears and started on the artistic side of the craft. I have always been captivated by the way animals move.
Rob

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Gety up

Chuck Girard - Tuesday, June 24, 2008 - 10:51pm

Rob,
Great Job, I especially like the the Polished Finish. Very Cool! How big are these peices? Oh yeah if your ever in Phoenix we do like to eat in the Wild West to!
Ride em Fabricator
Chuck

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Snaffle Bits

Nic East - Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 7:00am

To clarify the uncertainty about Snaffle Bits, They are a somewhat archaic way of controlling unruly horses. They lay across the horse's tongue and are probably uncomfortable. When the reins are pulled, the tongue is pressed down and this allows a somewhat brutal control of the animal. Watch Ray Ainsworth on cable TV for details or see this link; Oh yes, and they cost anywhere from $20 to $150! The ones that Rob showed were put to a far better use than controlling a horse! Nic East, Jim Thorpe, PA USA Creativity begins with a novel thought.

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Thanks Chuck! The "mouth"

Rob Sigafoos - Thursday, June 26, 2008 - 7:07am

Thanks Chuck!
The "mouth" section is 5 1/2" (bits are usually sized by mouth size). The rings (before modification) were 3".
I probably spent a bit too much time polishing, but that's all part of the learning curve...
Rob

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Nice

warren - Sunday, June 29, 2008 - 12:41pm

Rob,

Very nice what you did with the bits. Look really great. Back many years ago a brother in law was a ranch hand. Since I was working on copper he wanted me to make him some bits. Something about the copper makes there mouth more saliva. Never did make them.
warren
http://www.metalrecipes.com

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Open invitation at my house....

SteelyJan - Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - 7:36am

Beautiful, Rob......

I used to ride (in my past life) ....these are wonderful and what a nice thought. I guess you had this dinner invite in advance??? You are more then invited to my house for dinner...name the date. FYI: I'm a good cook....creative.... food, metal it's all the same.
I really like the idea of a hand made gift bring-along.
Got me thinking. Janet R.

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