Posted 2017-04-18 9:27 PM Subject: Bit stamped with a cross?
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I have an old sweet iron ring snaffle (5/8" two-piece) with a tiny Latin cross stamped on the mouthpiece. Does anyone here know who the maker is? It’s a nice snaffle with good weight and is very balanced.
Posted 2017-04-19 9:29 AM Subject: RE: Bit stamped with a cross?
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Posts: 3815 Location: The best kept secret in TX
LabRat - 2017-04-18 9:27 PM I have an old sweet iron ring snaffle (5/8" two-piece) with a tiny Latin cross stamped on the mouthpiece. Does anyone here know who the maker is? It’s a nice snaffle with good weight and is very balanced.
Posted 2017-04-19 10:52 AM Subject: RE: Bit stamped with a cross?
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When my camera zoomed in it looked more like an anchor than a cross. Which lead me to Google search anchor stamp. I think I answered my own question. North & Judd? This baby is old.
Posted 2017-04-19 11:19 AM Subject: RE: Bit stamped with a cross?
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Posts: 3815 Location: The best kept secret in TX
If it is North and Judd it is very old. However, I don't think it looks much like the anchor maker mark. BUT marks can rub off easily and that may be why you can't really see the bottom of the anchor. North and Judd started in 1832. They supplied bits, spurs, and other hardware to the US Army during the Civil War, the Spanish-American and World War One. They bought out a company known as the Buermann Company in 1926. After that they were pretty much non-existent. If you can find a collector you may get a few hundred for it in the right condition. Retail you're looking at about $50-$100 sold as a working bit to the right customer in the right condition.
Posted 2017-04-19 11:33 AM Subject: RE: Bit stamped with a cross?
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That is so cool! Thanks so much for the information. I doubt I'd sell it because it's still being put to work. It's heavy and doesn't pinch anywhere. I use it on colts all the time. I talked to my mom and she said she took it off of an old harness set that she received many years ago.
Posted 2017-04-19 11:39 AM Subject: RE: Bit stamped with a cross?
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Posts: 3815 Location: The best kept secret in TX
LabRat - 2017-04-19 11:33 AM That is so cool! Thanks so much for the information. I doubt I'd sell it because it's still being put to work. It's heavy and doesn't pinch anywhere. I use it on colts all the time. I talked to my mom and she said she took it off of an old harness set that she received many years ago.
I wouldn't doubt it. If you are interested in buying more you can find many of them on eBay. Snaffles weren't very popular on riding horses in the army, shanks were used more often than not, but if you did a search on eBay for a harness set you could most likely pull a snaffle bit up by accident. Hope that helps.
Bit stamped with a cross?
