Field Brothers - Edwin George Field

Beautiful early California spade bit with Poco spade mouthpiece and floral stamping in the silver, both hallmarks of bitmaker John Chester Field

The Field Family has produced bits and spurs for 5 generations in Santa Barbara starting around 1870 when Edwin Field (1820-1900) moved to California from Connecticut. Edwin had two sons, John Chester Field (1862-1954) and Frank Field (1865-1942) who worked in the family shop and produced bits and spurs. John Chester has two sons and a daughter, Edwin Donald Field (1896-1983), F. Frank Field (1904-1981), and Marguerite J. Field Thornburgh (1899-1985) who was one of the few woman known to have ever produced bits and spurs. F. Frank marked his work “F.F.”, his two siblings did not mark theirs. Edwin Donald had two sons who also worked in the family shop, Edwin George Field (1920-2012) and Walter Eugene Field (b. 1922). The two brothers worked together and marked their pieces “Field Bros.” from 1945-1948. When working for himself, Edwin George marked pieces as “E.G. Field”. The Field family had a distinctive style and frequently used silver wire inlay in spurs and copper rollers on the braces of bits. Ed was a renowned, 4th generation bit maker who lived in Paradise, near Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County and learned his craft from his grandfather, John Field. John learned from his father (Ed’s great-grandfather,) John Field, who came out west with John C. Fremont’s California expedition, then returned to Connecticut, pack up his tools & gear, ultimately returning to Calaveras and then to Santa Barbara. Ed’s father (Edwin Donald) made spurs inlaid with silver and sold his products through Jedlicka’s Saddlery in Santa Barbara. Ed’s aunt, Rita Thornburg, made bits while putting her sons through college. Ed learned his trade while a grammar and high school student and also worked on ranches and for the US Forest Service

The Field family may have originated in Connecticut but with 5 generations of Californians they are about as native as the Spanish Vaqueros. John C Field was born in Downieville, CA in 1850 and moved to Santa Barbara when he was 9 years old predating even Al Loomis in Ventura County.

All of the ironwork and silverwork is incredibly crisp and sharp and in pristine condition.

Asking 1500 obo for the bit.