 Edward Fred Blanchard was a popular early spur
maker in the southwestern part of the United States. He was born
near Magdalena, New Mexico on September 26, 1894.
Blanchard was a true cowboy spur maker. He worked on various ranches
in New Mexico and
made bits and spurs as a side line.
From 1940-1948, Blanchard was in Datil, New Mexico during the summer months, working for the Forest
Service as a fire lookout. He worked in Monticello, New Mexico
during the winters of those years as a cowboy. Many of his spurs made after the mid 1940's were marked
with the town and state of manufacture. San Antonio, N. M. is one such mark.
Datil, N.M. and Monticello N. M. are others. The New Mexico
marked spurs are
very collectable.
Blanchard moved to Arizona in the
1950's. He went to work for the Boquias Cattle Company in
northwestern Arizona as
a ranch cook. During that time he made spurs with the Seligman, Arizona
 mark.
Then Blanchard moved to Yucca, Arizona where he had a ranch. He
made most of his spurs while he lived in Yucca,
Arizona. The spurs are usually marked inside the heel band with
one of six style numbers...2,3,4,5,6,8 and PS for plain steel, SS
for stainless steel, or TS for tempered (or tool) steel and E.F. BLANCHARD YUCCA ARIZ
(or other place name) in all capital
letters. Since all Blanchard's spurs were hand crafted, some
stamping differences and errors were made. Apparently, many of his
early spurs were unmarked. Custom-made spurs were
sometimes marked differently, often without style numbers, and many have silver overlay
decoration in the form of designs or brands. 
During Blanchard's time in Arizona,
he marked spurs with the state abbreviations ARIZ and AZ. The AZ
markings can be dated as being made after 1963, the year the United States Post Office
instituted two letter state abbreviations to go with the new zip code
system.
Porter's Saddle Company of Phoenix,
Arizona carried Blanchard spurs in their store. Walls Pharmaceutical
Company gave the spurs as premiums to medicine buyers in the state's
cattle feedlots.
Blanchard's spurs were popular in Arizona,
New Mexico, and southern California. Some also made their way into
southern Colorado and to Texas and Montana. The spurs are expertly
crafted and today's working cowboys still really like the way the spur fits a boot.
 Blanchard's work evolved over time from forged one-piece spurs to
welded, polished spurs. He also made spurs using
stainless steel beginning around 1946. Stainless steel is an extremely difficult metal to work with.
Blanchard produced high-quality stainless steel spurs using an
acetylene torch.
One unique feature of most of
Blanchard's spurs is the angled swinging style of the button.
Short shanks and wide heel bands are also a definite mark of
Blanchard's style. The number-4 style is the only one that
has chap guards.
Blanchard continued to make spurs
into his 80s and died in Kingman, Arizona in January,
1982.
Click on the links
below to see more.
Blanchard Spurs - How to tell
an authentic pair.
E. F.
Blanchard Spurs - Examples Blanchard spur photos and stories
from our visitors.
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