Picking up the set of spurs from the weathered wooden workbench, Dan Atkisson admires Lady Luck Ironworks’ handiwork.

“Nobody else has made a set of spurs like this,” he smiles. “They’re one of a kind.”

This pair of spurs is special. Atkisson’s friend and business partner, Tyler Brown, helped make the spurs for his girlfriend, Jonna. Her name is beautifully engraved in nickel silver on each of the spurs.

Both young cowboys love fancy spurs. Because neither claim to have any money, they decided to make their own.

There’s an old saying in western circles that every bit and spur maker started because he couldn’t afford what he wanted.

“Now we wind up building for everyone but ourselves,” Brown says.

Both young men grew up farming and ranching. They live to cowboy — ride, rope and work cattle. And like so many youngsters who grew up in this profession, they also learned to weld, smith and build.

From Hobby to Craftsmanship

Good friends since childhood, the two started tinkering around with a forge and anvil in January 2011. Their fascination with taking a chunk of steel and shaping it into a graceful, sweeping pair of silver spurs morphed from a hobby to a seasonal business, especially during the holidays.

Brown came up with the name for the budding business — Lady Luck Ironworks.

“Tyler was having no luck with the ladies, so he decided to call our business Lady Luck Ironworks,” Atkisson says. ”But his luck has changed. Today he enjoys the company of a steady lady.”

What started as bits and spurs soon mushroomed into metal work including belt buckles, bracelets, conchos, knives, and buckles for horse headstalls. Clientele can be found on both coasts and points in between.

“Most of the people who buy our creations are working types — cowboys and cowgirls,” Atkisson says. “We pride ourselves in keeping prices affordable for the average person.”

Both of these young metal craftsmen love the pleasure of seeing the end product of their labor. They enjoy knowing that somewhere a cowboy or cowgirl will strap on a set of their spurs and wind up using them on a working horse. They also know their work will stand the test of time and the owner will enjoy and cherish their Western hardware.

The boys never turn down the challenge of building something new. If it’s made out of steel and silver, they’ll build it.

Every item that leaves their shop is handmade using nickel, silver or polished steel. Some of their handiwork can be overlaid with silver, brass, copper or sterling silver.

Atkisson sketches the floral designs incorporated in their western creations. Engraving is also done the same way. Original artwork is their trademark.

Spurring Business

Throughout the last four and a half years, their fledgling business keeps steadily growing. Lady Luck Ironworks has yet to spend a dime on advertising.

Word of mouth has helped increase their business. Satisfied customers telling their friends about Lady Luck Ironworks is worth its weight in gold, Brown says.

“When a customer buys a pair of spurs or a nice, new buckle, they’re itching to show it off,” he continues. “And the first thing people ask when they see it is, ‘Who made that for you?’”

Their Facebook page has also helped grow the company. Here, the cowboy artisans receive constant traffic.

Amidst the continual clanging and banging, four cattle dogs keep Atkisson and Brown company. They lay sprawled and sleeping throughout the shop.

Nearly every time a customer walks through the door, Trip, Cat, Dog or Nellie greet the visitor with a friendly wag of the tail or lick on the hand.

The Rooks County metal workers spend long hours on their craft. When someone is chomping at the bit (no pun intended) for a set of spurs, Lady Luck Ironworks burns the midnight oil to ensure the project is finished.

A wooden “Wall of Shame” hangs prominently in the southwestern corner of their shop. It displays some of their earliest works to remind Atkisson and Brown of their humble beginning.

Walk-in traffic occurs almost every day, including the day Kansas Living visited their Stockton workshop. Through the door, a lanky, young cowpoke walks into Lady Luck Ironworks.

“Are they done?” he asks.

A few days earlier, he’d dropped off a pair of leather chaps ripped up during a bull riding mishap.

Taking the chaps off the counter, the young bull rider straps them around his slender waist. A broad smile breaks across his face.

“They’re golden.”

Another happy customer. Another soon-to-be referral.

Business is chugging right along at Lady Luck Ironworks, and cowboys Dan and Tyler enjoy what they’re doing.