Dave Murray grew up near Los Angeles, and after moving around a lot as a kid, left home with his twin brother Dan at the age of 15.  They started working in La Mesa, CA at a roping arena on the weekends, and also making leather tack, calling their business “Murray Brothers”.
While training horses, Dave broke his leg really badly when he was 19 years old, and was on crutches for almost a year, during which time he started making bits.  He later worked for Ed Bohlin and learned to engrave from Gary Gist.
Dave traveled all over Europe by motorcycle for a few years, doing silver and gold work along the way, all the while admiring and being inspired by the European artwork and architecture.
He went to Hawaii in 1982 where he made jewelry, hammered coffee pots, etc., and  in 2011, realized that he really missed making cowboy gear, and decided to move back to California and then on to Montana.  He started making belt buckles again,  numbering each one, and marking them “Murray Brothers”,  a throwback and continuation of the “cowboy silver work” made when he was working with his brother, who has since passed.
Dave never makes two things alike—every piece is a one-of-a-kind piece.  He says “I hope I’m a better engraver today than I was last week.”
Dave’s silversmithing and engraving is some of the very best and most unique that we have ever seen!