Attention collectors, show exhibitors!  This is a beautiful embossed stainless steel Open Heart #10 pattern bit in very lightly used, well maintained vintage pre-owned condition with a rare copper covered low port roller made by Al Tietjen of Reno, Nevada.  The close up photos show the makers mark which says "A. Tietjen" above and "Reno, Nev" below,  Al's stainless steel bits are very collectible, and I have not seen this mouthpiece combination ever offered on one of his bits.  When Ernie Marsh began selling bits under the Marsh Bros label, this mouthpiece was not offered.  This is a very well made bit with a 5/16 inch tapered diameter by 4-7/8 inches wide with a 1-1/2 inch tall copper hooded roller curb mouthpiece for taste and salivation.  The light port provides mass for weight distribution as well as tongue relief.  Like all Tietjen Stainless bits, the mouthpiece is also stainless steel.  The total shank length is 7-1/2 inches and the purchase is 2-3/8 inches for a 3.15 to 1 leverage ratio and weighs in at 15 ounces.  This stunning bit is a must have for any serious bit collector and will make a great addition to your bit collection.

Al Tietjen grew up on a ranch and from his early years, he possessed an inherent interest in cowboy gear.  He partnered with Elmer Miller to open a custom bit and spur shop in San Francisco, California.  Miller, of the acclaimed Elmer Miller School of Bit and Spur Making had been a rancher, too—in Paradise Valley, Nevada, and while the two men were making a living in San Francisco, Miller’s father died, and he inherited the ranch.  When Tietjen was drafted into the Korean War in 1951,  Miller took the business with him to the ranch.  After returning from the service, Tietjen returned to Miller's ranch and worked with Miller in haying and making bits and spurs.

In 1954, Tietjen married and made bits and spurs in his spare time.  In 1968, he realized the potential of mass producing stainless steel bits based on his old patterns.  He ran the stainless steel business until 1985, when foreign competition forced him to shut down.  After closing the mass production bit business, Tietjen went back to his original handmade methods, and created bits and spurs for a limited clientele until his death in 2009.

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