by Jayne Skeff
First appeared in the High Noon e-newsletter.
(You can see two of his buckles at my Beal’s Cowboy Buckles website)
“The only thing we get is raw material and when it leaves, it’s a work of art.” And that has been happening for 129 years at R Schaezlein & Son of San Francisco. Works of art in silver and works of art in gold.
Talking to Rob Schaezlein, fourth generation silversmith in a line of masters, you are immediately taken with his passion for history and passion for the heritage arts. It’s a history that goes back to 1882 when his great-grandfather, German born Robert Schaezlein I, set up shop in San Francisco creating society badges and flatware. Quickly gaining a reputation for impeccable silverwork of the highest caliber of the day, his business thrived and grew in tandem with the legendary era of San Francisco when the finest craftsmen settled there to satisfy the needs of the gold rush barons. Almost destroyed by the major 1906 San Francisco earthquake which left their shop in rubble and ruins, he salvaged what he could and moved his shop by horse drawn wagon to the basement of his home where it remained for the next 57 years. By this time, Rob’s Grandfather, Robert F Sr., had begun working with his father, taking their work to another level and creating their now recognizable style and high standards of art for saddle makers such as Visalia Saddlery and the legendary Levi Strauss Company.
After World War II, Rob’s father, Robert F, Jr., joined the family business training under German master engraver Fred Newmeyer. Taking their work and designs to yet another level, fine hand-cut lettering and ornamental engraving became the hallmark of their impeccable work.
“I used to spend a lot of time with my dad, helping out in the shop in small ways doing basic stamping and a lot of cleaning up,” recalls Rob about growing up. “I went away to college and when I returned in the 80s I had a choice – to pursue a career in business or join my father at R Schaezlein & Son. I realized, in my heart, that if I didn’t join my father, that the business would likely eventually disappear – I didn’t want that to happen. So, I began to learn from my father and as I did more, he did less.”
Learning from three generations of masters definitely has its reward and today Rob Schaezlein is regarded as one of the finest silversmiths in the country if not the world. He’s not comfortable with the accolades though, and he’s wonderfully humble about the works he creates. Humble to the point where he feels art is his weakest talent yet what he designs and what he creates is most certainly art. “That’s actually the hardest part of this – often the design takes much longer than the actual product. It has to be perfect down to the tiniest detail. I’m obsessive about doing a really good job and I hope people will notice.”
Notice indeed! Rob’s work is featured in many of the finest shops in the country, all done one at a time and all done by Rob. No mass manufacturing here. “That is a problem, I just won’t go there, I won’t sell out. It’s not who I am nor who I ever want to be.”
Rob’s designs are typically rich in tradition but lately, he’s been stretching the envelope a bit with some more contemporary designs. “That has been fun, stretching my creativity, but my heart still goes to tradition.”
Is he still in the basement of his great-grandfather’s house on Clay Street? No. After all, some traditions do eventually have to change.
Whether contemporary or conservative, it’s his world-class designs that make him such a treasured tradition for the High Noon family.
Visit Rob on Facebook at R. Schaezlein & Son or his website: www.handcrafted-belts-buckles.com