About Western Heritage

For the past 33 years we’ve been the West’s premier manufacturer of custom cast items. Our hand-made products encompass the spirit of the West, offering the most unique, timeless designs around. Specializing in custom-made bronze, silver, gold and silver alloy casting, the superior quality of our products ensures each original piece will last a lifetime.

Family owned and operated since 1976, Western Heritage is now in its second generation of ownership by tradesmen in the Lynch family. Our commitment to quality stems from our own Western heritage, allowing us to provide only the most original designs that truly represent the best of the West in metal-smithing. Our talented team of tradesmen cast items by hand every day so that each and every piece is made to order.

We proudly serve a long list of State and Federal agencies with our custom products, including the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and numerous others. Our products include belt buckles, lapel and hat pins, award plaques, knives/multi-tools, embroidered patches, briefcases, desk accessories, metal coasters, clocks, mugs and much more.

Our ideals are based on those of Western heritage, when standards were based on dignity, respect and quality. The quality of our products speaks for itself – we never let anything leave our door without several inspections and approvals.

Pat Lynch: Founder
Founded by U.S. Forest Ranger, J. Pat Lynch. In the late 60’s Pat wanted to give his buddies something unique with the U.S. Forest Service insignia on it. He used the center of a Yale brand lock that had the U.S.F.S. insignia on it and turned it into a key chain. It wasn’t long before it was more than friends that wanted these key chains and Pat found himself selling these for $3.50 to folks all around the country in the agency. This evolved into a belt buckle design that became the official uniform buckle. By 1976 Pat found himself and his family so busy selling key chains and belt buckles that he felt it was time to leave the Forest Service. Pat learned how to cast his own products from the best in the casting industry, Eddie Bell. He built a foundry in Encampment, WY and we were off and running.

Pat could make a living without losing his life to being out of the wilderness he so loves. In 2001 Mike Lynch took over the reigns of the company. He moved a large part of the operation to Loveland, Colorado. In this new community Western Heritage was able to spread it’s wings a little more and have more local resources to grow. Adding processes and being closer supplies has really made a difference.

As for Pat, as you can see to the left, he is still enjoying being in the wilderness, when he is not casting in his Wyoming foundry.

Mike Lynch: Owner/President
Mike grew up working at Western Heritage Company as the company was started around the kitchen table. He was first employed as a keychain maker at the ripe age of nine. After high school Mike had enough of the buckle business and went into the military, first attending New Mexico Military Institute on an ROTC scholarship. After completing all the work to be a commissioned officer, he started all over at West Point and graduated into the Infantry. When his military time was complete, he continued his education with an MPA from University of Colorado, and attended University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, where he decided the possibility of working on Wall Street was not his thing. Mike went into the software business as a sales manager until 2000 when that industry tanked. Suddenly, that crazy buckle business looked not so crazy anymore. Mike began managing Western Heritage in 2001 and took over ownership in 2006. “I am blessed to have a job, where I can’t wait to come to work everyday!”