Beautiful antique Nevada cheek spade bit by Alsalio Herrera. Bit is unmarked as very few ever were, but it's pretty easy to distinguish his engraving. Mouthpiece measures 5” across. Asking 1150 or best offer.

Alsalio Herrera was born in Mexico and learned bit and spur making with his father. He moved around to Hornitos and Visalia, California before he ended up at G.S. Garcia’s shop in Elko, Nevada. Herrera worked for Garcia for 17 years as the master engraver at the shop and Herrera was responsible for training many of the other famous and skilled bit and spur makers on this site. Herrera helped develop the famous foliated motif found throughout Garcia’s catalog and was also helped design and produce Garcia’s famous World’s Fair Gold Medal Saddle. Herrera is in many ways the father of the Nevada style of bit and spur making, that spread and crossbred with the more Mexican styles found in California.