BADGES! Do we need those STINKIN’ BADGES?
By Deacon Will SASS 24170 Life [aka] William D. Bell
”Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges!” thus uttered Gold Hat, as played by Alfonso Bedoya (1948) “the Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, written by B. Traven.
SASS gives each and every member an official badge when he or she joins up. The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language defines “badge” as a NOUN:
1. A device or emblem worn as an insignia of rank, office, or membership in an organization.
2. An emblem given as an award or honor.
3. A characteristic mark.
We wear our SASS Badge as an emblem of our membership in an organization we are proud to belong to. We give special badges to REGULATORS as an emblem of honor to those men/women who have been ambassadors and helped to propagate our sport. It definitely is a characteristic mark of each member. Like many of us, I’m sure you have stopped off at a local sandwich shop or convenience store on the way to or from a match in your cowboy gear while proudly sporting your SASS badge, when someone just has to ask just what it’s all about. They see the clothes and badge … and a conversation just seems to erupt. I know of several SASS members who began their pilgrimage by asking someone about their outfit and badge.
When GOLD HAT uttered those famous/infamous lines about ‘stinking badges’, it became a part of our society and cultural fabric. SASS has offered the standard member’s badge, also a Sterling Silver version, the Life Member in a gold tone as well as the antiqued looking Regulator and Territorial Governor’s Badges to those designated to wear them.
If Gold Hat had the opportunity to have joined SASS, he would have understood that we need badges. At a recent Regional match someone was selling a neat badge that proudly had engraved on it.. “STINKIN’ BADGE”… yeah I bought one.
I believe most of us like to look at the older original badges worn by our heroes. Some were very ornate and beautify crafted, while others were stamped out of ‘tin’ or crafted from coins. The originals of these items can and will bring big bucks to the collector/historian. There are fakes out there that are close to the originals and where there is money to be made, subterfuge and fraud will enter. I can say that I once owned an original TEXAS RANGER badge made from a Mexican coin. Unfortunately, someone wanted it more than me and it disappeared from my collection.
Owning and displaying badges that are ‘active’ may violate some state and federal laws. I won’t even attempt to discuss this here, but be aware of this fact and be aware when and where you may actually own certain badges. 911 has had a definite effect on this situation.
For information on Texas Ranger Badges go to and click on “BEWARE FAKES“ at http://www.texasranger.org/ .
Almost every SASS Posse/Club has a distinctive badge designed for their personal taste. The Posses my wife and I shoot with all have a badge designed to announce to the world that they are proud members of an organization. The badge sends a clear message to those observing us by way of it’s design, material it is made of and color. It’s kind of a first and lasting impression to those who meet ya for the first time. We have taken advantage of the opportunity to acquire a badge from each of the clubs we shoot with. It shows our pride in being associated with the fine bunch of sportsmen and women in our shooting fraternity.
My home Club, Paden’s Posse recently decided we need a badge to show our pride in the sport, organization and people we associate with. After observing what other clubs had done and the suppliers they used, we started asking questions of the different manufactures and received varying answers to the same questions. All were anxious to get our business and went the distance to secure our order. Some suggestions from our perspective on this issue are as follows:
1. Have a design in mind and put it on paper or a medium that can be shared with the maker. Most manufactures can make pretty much what you want and will charge accordingly….ain’t nothing free… they ‘are’ in business to make money.
2. Many manufactures will charge a set up fee for a custom design. Almost all have stock designs that can have names added with so much charged per letter. I actually had several companies make up stock badges with our name engraved. They were the least expensive and still had a good quality look to them, but wasn’t what we wanted to reflect our image.
3. Material of the badge’s construction will vary the cost and look. A nickel silver material has a different look than a gold plated badge. Sterling silver has a nice warm, soft look to it. Sterling will take a patina over time and get to look antique if that is what you desire…. or it can be kept polished.
4. Finish on the badge must be considered. A raw material finish whether polished or brushed may be what you desire, or a plated finish that is polished or antiqued is also available. Some companies use a lacquer sprayed on the finished product to help it keeps it’s brilliance or shine from wearing. A clear powder coat finish is very tough. If you want to engrave the badge after they are produced, the finish
applied to them may make a difference. Some plating and coatings will chip and flake if gouged by the engraving tool. (I do engraving and can tell horror stories of this happening.) Some manufactures will sequentially number badges and engrave individual names on each badge… this usually drives the end costs up, but if that is what you want, by all means go for it.
5. Be prepared to pay a one time set-up fee for them making your badges. This is to make the molds or dies to produce your badge. This is negotiated before the actual badge is made and all design factors are confirmed. One hundred fifty dollar fee is not uncommon for a custom designed badge. Figure this cost in to the final cost of each unit. The more units you order will cause the cost to be spread over a larger number of units and the actual cost per unit is lowered.
We recently had the pleasure of dealing with Claudia at RUNNING BUFFALO, 227 North Street, RATON, NM 87740 < http://www.runningbuffalo.com/> After contacting them, we sent a design via internet…they sent a fax with a copy of the design for us to finalize. We decided on sterling silver with a six point star design and our posse name on the front with some swirl engraving to compliment the finished product with a bright polished surface. We left the back of the badge plain and I engraved a number on each badge. There is enough room for the individual member to engrave his/her name SASS number etc on the surface. We left it un-coated so it would be easy to engrave,
Now that WE all have badges or are planning to get them…. I would make a suggestion. How about establishing a display at the SASS Museum with each Posse’s badge to be displayed for everyone to see and appreciate. I may never have the opportunity to visit your individual club or posse or shoot with you, but I could have the opportunity to see your badge and know we share the same interest while admiring what you want the rest of us to know about you by your badge.
Deacon Will SASS 24170 Life (Paden ’s Posse)
10583 Jasmine Drive
Lincoln, DE 19960
302 422-6534
dabl@dmv.com
Paden's Posse badge as executed by Running Buffalo.
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