Description
Ahmad Khan 14k/Sterling Cheyenne 1" Ranger set for Maida's of Houston with belt.<br>Applied diamond monogram as shown, any decent jeweler would be happy to remove<br>it just to keep the diamonds and gold on top which is worth a few hundred<br>wholesale, or with the materials already on hand perhaps they would re customize<br>it for a discount. I'm sure Ahmad Khan would do it.<br><br>Here I'm offering a 2 1/4 wide X 2 3/8 long four piece set was made by premier<br>silversmith Ahmad Khan. Unlike other Cheyenne buckles, this one is considerably<br>thicker silver and gold. The keeper measure 1" 1/8 and the tip 1" wide X 1 5/8<br>long. the belt is American alligator hand made high quality on great conditions<br>made by MAIDA'S of Houston TX. , size 36.Please note: the buckle has been<br>previously USED but excellent conditions, quite heavy as well.Buckle measure 2"<br>1/4 wide X 2" 3/8 long and has overlay 3 initials letters full fill with<br>diamonds (MJR) . keeper measure 1" 1/8 . tip measure 1" wide X 1 5/8 long.<br>History record from the master: Ahmad was the top silversmith with Bohlin for<br>many years and has made buckles for President Ronald Regan, Larry Hagman (JR),<br>Roy Rogers, Clayton Moore (Lone Ranger), Gene Autrey, Burt Reynolds, Robert<br>Wagner and Stephanie Power (Hart to Hart).Now is your chance to join such<br>illustrious names. It is rare for Ahmad's buckles to be offered for sale<br>especially a 4 piece Cheyenne set.<br><br>Ahmad remembers the plang of steel hammers as the Master Silversmiths molded and<br>crafted pieces of precious metals into flowers, leaves and intricate curves<br>imitating the beauty of nature eternally preserved in silver and gold. He<br>revered these masters of trade as classical Italian sculptors, creating beauty<br>out of raw marble harvested from the earth, except this time the marble became<br>silver, gold and bronze. The smell of burning kilns is still vivid in Ahmad's<br>memory when he served as an errand boy in the silver shops as a young boy<br>growing up in British Guyana, before he was old enough to qualify as an<br>apprentice.<br><br>Cowboys and their trusted horses, Western outlaws and heroes with their<br>holsters, s and spurs - all seemed like a fantasy world for young Ahmad. It<br>seemed to be so far away, so out of reach, but he dreamed of someday heading up<br>North to the land of America, the land of the cowboy.<br><br>At age sixteen, Ahmad was finally old enough to apply for an apprenticeship with<br>one of the Master Silversmiths. He proved worthy of becoming an apprentice by<br>showing the Masters his artistic talent in wood and "Off White" carvings he made<br>during his breaks as an errand boy. Ahmad was somewhat apprehensive at first to<br>show his talent in mere wood and "Off White", but he apologized to the masters<br>explaining that his means of life could not allow him to purchase valuable<br>pieces of gold and silver in order to perform his carvings. The masters were<br>immediately impressed with this young man's natural talent and perseverance when<br>they saw that he had saved all of his earned money to purchase his own carving<br>tools.<br><br>It was four years of hard, dedicated work and study under the Masters until<br>Ahmad himself became a Master Smith. Under the master's teaching, Ahmad learned<br>the centuries old secrets and tricks of the trade. He had mastered how to<br>design, mold and copy any artistic form into gold or silver in the same<br>perfected fashion of his mentors.<br><br>With his tools of knowledge and gifted talent, his original inspiration to<br>become a silversmith would finally take Ahmad away from his homeland to the land<br>of the cowboys. He would depart from his family on his voyage to the States, to<br>become the artistic craftsman for cowboys.<br><br>Upon his arrival to America, Ahmad inquired about the great tradition and<br>craftsmanship with the Bohlin Shop in Hollywood, California. He had learned of<br>the Bohlin shop being the most exclusive and one of the largest silver shops in<br>America, with a notable list of patrons. Mr. Bohlin was a legend in Hollywood<br>who literally carved the way for the craftsman tradition. He rode with Buffalo<br>Bill Cody and on the last stagecoach in this country. Tom Mix, Gary Cooper,<br>Clark Gable and Buck Jones were just a few of his Hollywood patrons, not to<br>mention the voluptuous Mae West who commissioned Mr. Bohlin to make a silver<br>telephone for her personal use.<br><br>As protege to the famous Master Silversmith Bud Phillips, Ahmad reached<br>popularity with Hollywood celebrities between 1981 and 1987. He created<br>masterpieces of wearable art for such distinguished patrons as Roy Rogers and<br>Dale Evans, Gene Autry, Clayton "Lone Ranger" Moore, Montie Montana, Burt<br>Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, Larry Hagman and even President Reagan. This list goes<br>on to include other famous actors, politicians, musicians and cowboys. Ahmad is<br>quick to share that President Reagan proudly wore his 4-piece, 3-color, 5-A, 18K<br>gold and sterling silver buckle set during his presidency which was given to him<br>as a gift by country singer Lee Greenwood. He was so impressed by the buckle<br>that President Reagan personally called back to highly compliment the designer<br>and craftsman of the piece. Texas Congressman Frank Tijeda once called Ahmad to<br>personally praise him for his work saying that he constantly receives<br>compliments for the craftsmanship and beauty of this custom silver buckle. "It<br>gives me a sense of pride when I see a famous figure wearing my art pieces,<br>knowing that my initials are on the back of the buckles that hold up the pants<br>of some famous and influential people," Ahmad jokingly admits.<br><br>His first Hollywood break came when he was hired by the highly respected Bud<br>Phillips at Bohlin Company to work on the project to make a replica of the<br>famous Tom Mix spurs for actor/stuntman Dean Smith. The original spurs were hand<br>crafted by Mr. Bohlin himself, but when he passed away in 1980, Bud Phillips<br>searched for a Master Silversmith who had the ability to carry out the Bohlin<br>tradition. He took Ahmad under his wings and fully trained him for making<br>western wearable art. "I always admire seeing a young Master at work," Bud<br>Phillips declared as he quietly observed the young master Ahmad at his<br>workstation. Bud Phillips himself started in the early 1930s working for<br>Hollywood legend Gene Autry, and worked with the Bohlin Company for over 44<br>years. From his home in Santa Barbara, Charles Sample, a fourth generation<br>Silver and Goldsmith who is also considered to be one of the original Bohlin<br>legends, likewise praises and respects the craftsmanship of Ahmad's work. When<br>Mr. Sample once asked Ahmad about the passion and integrity he pours into his<br>work, Ahmad simply responds, "It is an American Dream what I do... to glorify<br>the American cowboy."<br><br>Currently, much of Ahmad's work can be found on display at the Gene Autry<br>Museum, including Clayton Moore's spurs and holster buckle. The Gene Autry<br>saddle is one of the most popular exhibits, which displays some of Ahmad's<br>masterful skills of reconstruction.<br><br>Along with precious metals, Ahmad also works with precious stones to add a<br>sparkle to his art. The most popular western pieces make use of diamonds,<br>rubies, emeralds, sapphires and topaz as ornamentation. Ahmad's claim to fame is<br>the fact that he is able to reproduce any photograph or design into any desired<br>specification on silver or gold. It is no wonder that Ahmad's artistic qualities<br>have earned him the title of the "Michelangelo of Silver and Gold" for his<br>museum quality and perfection.<br><br>I was an employee of the Bohlin Company as a master Goldsmith and Silversmith<br>from 1981 through 1988, and an independent contractor doing work for them until<br>2002. I am no longer employed by the Bohlin Company. However as an independent<br>Silversmith, I have made many special custom pieces for Bohlin Company as well<br>as for reputable domestic and international companies. As a Master Goldsmith and<br>Silversmith, my work speaks for itself. I am also featured in the book, "Bohlin<br>Saddle Maker to the Stars," by James H. Nottage. He was formerly curator of the<br>Gene Autry museum.<br><br>The wearable art of the Old West returns to life in the masterful hands of Ahmad<br>Khan. The same hands that sculpted and carved the western look for the Hollywood<br>cowboy is now made available to both private collectors and to the public at<br>substantial savings directly from Ahmad. Ahmad's dream was finally fulfilled<br>when he opened his own silver shop in Hollywood. Now patrons can have<br>custom-designed wearable art crafted by a true Master Silversmith with the<br>quality and authenticity expected only by private collectors. To preserve the<br>lost art of Silversmithing, Ahmad, "The Legend", "The Myth", has re-educated<br>qualified jewelers in the lost art of Gold and Silversmithing to perfect the art<br>of his unique fabrication. His masterful skills will always preserve and be kept<br>alive in every one of his pieces since they embody a part of him. "My work takes<br>part of my body and spirit from me, each piece takes with it a part of my sight,<br>my sweat, my muscle and tears." Private collectors and the general public are<br>both welcome to contact Ahmad's Western Collectibles and speak to Ahmad himself<br>by calling (323) 913-5813, or visit his silvershop at 1321 Talmadge Street in<br>Hollywood, California 90027.
