Molly Each

The belt buckle, long a status symbol for cowboys and bikers, has hit the fashion mainstream and trader-turned-blacksmith Wesley Groot has taken this trend for a run. He began blacksmithing as a hobby, but it wasn't long before he created his first buckle while playing around in his workshop. "I made a buckle out of metal left over from a piece I did for a charity auction," Groot says. "I liked it, so I made a few different designs for friends. It really snowballed from there."

The snowball effect prompted Groot to start his own company, City Boy Forge, which specializes in custom-made belt buckles. From a small building on the West Side, Groot manufactures each accessory by hand--from the original design to the final polish. "Construction begins with the decoration," he says. "A flower, an astrological sign, whatever the client wants. After the decoration is completed the steel back of the buckle is forged to shape and finished. Then the back of the buckle is signed and inscribed. Finally the other parts that hold the belt are attached and the buckle is buffed and waxed." Since the crafting of each buckle requires tedious attention to design, repousse, blacksmithing and welding, completing each one can take anywhere from a couple hours to several days. Prices ranges from $225-$250 for copper or brass to $135-$180 for steel.

Buckle designs have ranged from fish to stars to Texas, and the ideas come from both Groot and his clients. "Sometimes I make a design for me, then somebody sees it and buys it. Other ideas are provided by clients who know what they want and trust me to make it happen." While Groot's buckles can be found in a few small stores here and in New York City, for now he is content to conduct business through his Web site, cityboyforge.com. "I want to grow without losing that one-to-one relationship with my clients," Groot says. "Finding a retailer that cares as much about keeping your pants on as I do is not an easy task."

(2006-07-11)

Also by Molly Each

Gayborhood Guide
They saw that there were gay guides for all other major cities--New York, San Francisco, LA, Seattle and yet Chicago, a city that boasts a 400,000 person turnout at the annual Pride parade and a plethora of diverse communities, didn't have a single book for the gay tourist.
(2006-06-21)

Shelf Life
For the fourth installment of its storytelling festival "2nd Story," Serendipity Theatre Company is taking it up a notch
(2006-04-25)

The No-Name Bar on the Corner
There is no eye-catching sign, no colorful board boasting nightly specials and no trendy outside decor. In fact, if it weren't for the neon Old Style and Schlitz logos in the dimly lit windows, you would never notice the tiny bar on the corner of Chicago and California
(2006-03-28)

about Newcitychicago | about Newcity magazine | advertising | privacy policy | FAQ | employment