Weldon Bledsoe, born February 17, 1916 in Margaret, Texas. He was a Ft. Worth engraver who in 1950 had just moved
from New Orleans and was doing work for Haltom Jewelers. Bledsoe liked gun
work which Haltom did not handle. He heard of Cole Agee and soon visited him at
his shop.
Cole felt that there was ample business for both of them and readily shared
his skills, even disclosing his special shortcuts. In due time Weldon was introduced
to the cattle brand design. Agee is believed to have personally tutored Bledsoe as he
began working cattle brands himself. Cole Agee gave the Texas cattle brand
booklet to Weldon. Agee died in 1955 of a presumed heart attack or stroke. Weldon
Bledsoe kept the booklet until his own death.
Weldon told David Harris on several occasions that Agee was a gambler and
he suspected fowl play in his death.
After graduating high school, and attending college, Weldon Bledsoe was
drafted into the U. S Army prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a
Surgical Technician, but after World War II broke out he requested and was
assigned to flight training. He was trained to fly the B-17, later qualifying in the
B-25 and C-54. He flew 25 missions in the South Pacific and European theaters.
His crew was one of three surviving crews returning from one of the war’s most
strategic raids, knocking out the infamous ball bearing plants in Schweinford,
Germany.
After the war he attended a trade school in Los Angeles on his G. I. Bill and
chose jewelry engraving. He intended to return to Texas and engrave silver
decorations for parade saddles. However, he never cut a single one. As stated prior,
he worked for a jewelry engraving firm.
One source claims Weldon Bledsoe stated that contrary to what some believe,
he was never actually a student of Agee, but was permitted to observe him five or
six times. He said Cole taught him a few tricks of the trade, shortcuts, and angular
usage of the hammer and chisel.
According to some collectors, even their scroll work can be difficult to differentiate. The Agee/Bledsoe cattle brand work was 100% alike to the extent that they
agreed upon individual patterns which neither would ever duplicate. Weldon almost always engraved the '2 Lazy 2 P' brand. Weldon said that Cole engraved the 'Bar None' brand as his mark. It has even been found on some of Agee's scroll work.
Some sources claim Cole Agee never signed his work, however David Wade
Harris states that he has seen one signed. “It is a Colt Woodsman engraved in
cattle-brands. and signed by Cole in a brand that is just a ‘CA’”. After engraving
many firearms Weldon decided to come up with a signature or “mark”. He used
‘B’ with ‘W’ in the top loop ‘H’ in the bottom loop.
As stated earlier, Cole Agee did 15 or 20 cattlebrands. Weldon Bledsoe
estimated that he had done 300 to 400 cattle brands. Some of the most valuable
Agee Bledsoe cattlebrands have been gold plated.
In 1991 Bledsoe was approached by “The Texas & South Western Cattle
Raisers Association” of Ft. Worth to put the cattlebrand on 200 Winchester 94AE
.45 commemorative carbines and 150 colt .45 “Brand Inspector Centennial” pieces.
Weldon declined explaining that he was too far into semi-retirement to take on
volume work. The Association sent the work to an engraving firm. Their work was
excellent, but not the real McCoy.
David Harris told this author the following concerning Weldon Bledsoe and
Cole Agee:
“Weldon almost always engraved the 2 lazy 2 P brand on his cattle brand
guns. I also know that there is at least one gun out there
that is signed by Cole Agee. I have seen it. It is a Colt Woodsman engraved in
cattle-brands. and signed by Cole in a brand that is just a "CA".
“Weldon always talked about how fast of an engraver that Cole was. He said
that Cole could engrave a cattle-brand gun in less that 6 hours. Weldon said he
could do one in about 8 hours.
“There are always people that want to spread bad rumors about people like
Weldon and Cole, maybe to make them sound more exciting. I knew Weldon very
well. Just to keep the record straight, he was a very good man that would give you
the shirt off his back. He didn't smoke, drink, or any other notorious thing. He was
always happy and smiling.
“I remember when Weldon was teaching me to engrave. He was older now
and his hands would shake alot. He would hold his hammer in one hand and His
chisel in the other, and as his tools approached the work, they would shake
uncontrollably, but when they made contact with the work piece, they where under
absolute control. Weldon was amazing to watch as he worked. Just watching the
way he worked is what inspired me to be an engraver. He was truly a craftsman.
“As Weldon got older he began to lose eye sight. About the last year that he
engraved, he could only see out of one eye. He went blind before he died. I
remember seeing him in the hospital waiting room and walking up to him and
shaking his hand in greeting. He said, "I know you, I recognize your voice, but I
can't see who you are." He had not seen the doctor yet, but had apparently just lost
his sight. He seemed very worried, but still smiled and had a happy disposition."
Cole Agee is believed to be the first to engrave cattle brands followed by
Weldon Bledsoe whom Agee mentored. In the 1980’s, Weldon taught David Wade
Harris who now carries on the same tradition began almost a century ago by Cole
Agee.
Harris takes pride in the traditional method and tools he uses. He knows of
only one, maybe two other engravers, who still make their own tools. "I try to keep
the tradition alive that Weldon taught me," Harris said. "I still do it all by hand with
a hammer and chisel.”
from New Orleans and was doing work for Haltom Jewelers. Bledsoe liked gun
work which Haltom did not handle. He heard of Cole Agee and soon visited him at
his shop.
Cole felt that there was ample business for both of them and readily shared
his skills, even disclosing his special shortcuts. In due time Weldon was introduced
to the cattle brand design. Agee is believed to have personally tutored Bledsoe as he
began working cattle brands himself. Cole Agee gave the Texas cattle brand
booklet to Weldon. Agee died in 1955 of a presumed heart attack or stroke. Weldon
Bledsoe kept the booklet until his own death.
Weldon told David Harris on several occasions that Agee was a gambler and
he suspected fowl play in his death.
After graduating high school, and attending college, Weldon Bledsoe was
drafted into the U. S Army prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor. He served as a
Surgical Technician, but after World War II broke out he requested and was
assigned to flight training. He was trained to fly the B-17, later qualifying in the
B-25 and C-54. He flew 25 missions in the South Pacific and European theaters.
His crew was one of three surviving crews returning from one of the war’s most
strategic raids, knocking out the infamous ball bearing plants in Schweinford,
Germany.
After the war he attended a trade school in Los Angeles on his G. I. Bill and
chose jewelry engraving. He intended to return to Texas and engrave silver
decorations for parade saddles. However, he never cut a single one. As stated prior,
he worked for a jewelry engraving firm.
One source claims Weldon Bledsoe stated that contrary to what some believe,
he was never actually a student of Agee, but was permitted to observe him five or
six times. He said Cole taught him a few tricks of the trade, shortcuts, and angular
usage of the hammer and chisel.
According to some collectors, even their scroll work can be difficult to differentiate. The Agee/Bledsoe cattle brand work was 100% alike to the extent that they
agreed upon individual patterns which neither would ever duplicate. Weldon almost always engraved the '2 Lazy 2 P' brand. Weldon said that Cole engraved the 'Bar None' brand as his mark. It has even been found on some of Agee's scroll work.
Some sources claim Cole Agee never signed his work, however David Wade
Harris states that he has seen one signed. “It is a Colt Woodsman engraved in
cattle-brands. and signed by Cole in a brand that is just a ‘CA’”. After engraving
many firearms Weldon decided to come up with a signature or “mark”. He used
‘B’ with ‘W’ in the top loop ‘H’ in the bottom loop.
As stated earlier, Cole Agee did 15 or 20 cattlebrands. Weldon Bledsoe
estimated that he had done 300 to 400 cattle brands. Some of the most valuable
Agee Bledsoe cattlebrands have been gold plated.
In 1991 Bledsoe was approached by “The Texas & South Western Cattle
Raisers Association” of Ft. Worth to put the cattlebrand on 200 Winchester 94AE
.45 commemorative carbines and 150 colt .45 “Brand Inspector Centennial” pieces.
Weldon declined explaining that he was too far into semi-retirement to take on
volume work. The Association sent the work to an engraving firm. Their work was
excellent, but not the real McCoy.
David Harris told this author the following concerning Weldon Bledsoe and
Cole Agee:
“Weldon almost always engraved the 2 lazy 2 P brand on his cattle brand
guns. I also know that there is at least one gun out there
that is signed by Cole Agee. I have seen it. It is a Colt Woodsman engraved in
cattle-brands. and signed by Cole in a brand that is just a "CA".
“Weldon always talked about how fast of an engraver that Cole was. He said
that Cole could engrave a cattle-brand gun in less that 6 hours. Weldon said he
could do one in about 8 hours.
“There are always people that want to spread bad rumors about people like
Weldon and Cole, maybe to make them sound more exciting. I knew Weldon very
well. Just to keep the record straight, he was a very good man that would give you
the shirt off his back. He didn't smoke, drink, or any other notorious thing. He was
always happy and smiling.
“I remember when Weldon was teaching me to engrave. He was older now
and his hands would shake alot. He would hold his hammer in one hand and His
chisel in the other, and as his tools approached the work, they would shake
uncontrollably, but when they made contact with the work piece, they where under
absolute control. Weldon was amazing to watch as he worked. Just watching the
way he worked is what inspired me to be an engraver. He was truly a craftsman.
“As Weldon got older he began to lose eye sight. About the last year that he
engraved, he could only see out of one eye. He went blind before he died. I
remember seeing him in the hospital waiting room and walking up to him and
shaking his hand in greeting. He said, "I know you, I recognize your voice, but I
can't see who you are." He had not seen the doctor yet, but had apparently just lost
his sight. He seemed very worried, but still smiled and had a happy disposition."
Cole Agee is believed to be the first to engrave cattle brands followed by
Weldon Bledsoe whom Agee mentored. In the 1980’s, Weldon taught David Wade
Harris who now carries on the same tradition began almost a century ago by Cole
Agee.
Harris takes pride in the traditional method and tools he uses. He knows of
only one, maybe two other engravers, who still make their own tools. "I try to keep
the tradition alive that Weldon taught me," Harris said. "I still do it all by hand with
a hammer and chisel.”