Sumith Prasad
The ninth episode of Paramount Network’s Western series ‘Yellowstone’ season 5 ends with a tribute to the loving memory of Billy Klapper. He was a famed bit and spur maker renowned across the country for his one-piece spurs, which captivate Rip Wheeler in the episode. Klapper appears as himself in the show, specifically when Rip arrives at the former’s forge to pick up Lloyd Pierce’s bit. The old man’s dedication and commitment to the traditions surprise and evoke respect in the cowboy. As Cole Hauser’s character remarks, Klapper was truly a one-of-a-kind figure in the world of cowboys and ranchers!
Billy Klapper Was a Mentee of the Legendary Adolph Bayers
Billy Klapper was born in Lazare, Texas, on April 19, 1937. After his formal education, he worked as a ranch hand at prominent Texan ranches such as Buckle L Ranch in Childress and Y Ranch in Paducah. Even though he grew up as a cowboy, he eventually realized that his real calling was to make bits and spurs, which led him to the revered Adolph Bayers. With his mentor’s help, he built his first bit in the 1960s. Klapper made his creation using a floating spoon mouthpiece with a brass roller and silver conchos on the cheekpieces. He learned a lot from his master, most prominently the latter’s technique to make spurs using a single piece of steel.
Klapper’s reputation as a bit and spur maker grew in no time. In 1968, he decided to commit to making them full-time, leaving behind a life as a cowboy or ranch hand. He conceived over 1500 bit and spur patterns/designs combined, establishing himself as a pioneer in the cowboying and ranching world. What made Klapper a towering figure in the industry was his collaboration with cowboys. He listened to what his customers wanted and made his productions accordingly, enhancing their functionality. Since his bits and spurs were forged with inputs from cowboys, horse trainers relied on him throughout his lifetime.
In ‘Yellowstone,’ Lloyd makes Rip pickup a bit called Klapper 27 as a priced possession. In real life, the case is not any different. “The first [Klapper] bit I ordered was a 27 because all I ever heard was, ‘You’ve got to have a 27,’” Shannon Hall, an Oklahoma rancher and cutting horse trainer, told Western Horseman. “His number 27 bit, everyone has tried to copy it, and nobody has ever got it right,” J. Martin Basinger, a celebrated author who wrote extensively about Adolph Bayers, added in the same interview. Klapper’s reputation even reached Taylor Sheridan, the co-creator of Yellowstone, who wears spurs handcrafted by the former while working at his Four Sixes Ranch (6666 Ranch).
Billy Klapper Passed Away at the Age of 87
Billy Klapper passed away on September 10, 2024, in his home in Pampa, Texas, in the presence of his two daughters. Even though the family hasn’t specifically publicized the cause of death, it appears to us that the bit and spur maker died of natural causes. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Roberta Klapper, who passed away in August 2021. In addition to his daughters, Deborah Yeates and Elizabeth Wilson, he is survived by six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, four stepchildren, and twenty-three step-great-grandchildren.
Klapper died as one of the few masters who relied on old-school spur-making techniques. Even though he is no longer with us, the bits and spurs he created for over five decades will continue to shine as his legacy. Many in the world of cowboying regard him as the greatest bit and spur maker, along with his mentor, Adolph Bayers. “Bill Klapper is right there with Adolph Bayers. […] I know that’s a pretty big statement to make, but I’ve seen so many others who don’t use the same [blacksmithing] methods. I think Bill Klapper and Adolph Bayers are the end of really great spurmakers that just get a piece of steel and hammer it out, and turn out a great product,” J. Martin Basinger added in the Western Horseman interview.
As Rip perfectly concludes, Klapper’s passing was the end of an era. Still, his legacy and commitment to his craft remain as guiding lights to cowboys even today. As ‘Yellowstone’ celebrates his life and career with a well-deserved tribute, we wish to join the makers of the Western drama in sharing our heartfelt condolences with not only Klapper’s family but also the entire cowboying industry.
Read More: Did Lainey Wilson’s Abby Leave Yellowstone?
