The creation of the Truckle custom belt buckle starts with a piece of raw metal and a vision to see the final product. What follows is a meticulous dance between hand-crafted tradition and precision, where decades-old techniques meet modern tools in a tiny workshop in rural Dammeron Valley, Utah.

At the helm of that workshop is the man bringing that vision to life: Andy Andrews.

A former rodeo cowboy, Andrews is the present-day owner and craftsman at A Cut Above Buckles, a family-run custom belt buckle company in this scenic part of southwestern Utah’s mountains and red rocks.Now, Andrews is applying this blend of tradition and innovation to a unique new product designed specifically for Ford truck owners: the Truckle.

Order the Ford Truckle

The limited-run Truckles, a belt buckle designed to house a Ford key fob for 2018 and newer models, will allow for the most stylish version of hands-free access and key management that truck owners may ever experience.

Retailing for $200, each Truckle is a unique expression of western style that, as Andrews says with any buckle, “represents a special moment in time.”

From the initial sketch to the final polish, each Truckle created by Andrews’ shop represents hours of careful work: heating metal to exact temperatures, shaping it with hammers, and engraving details so fine they require magnification to perfect.

This is craftsmanship at its purest form, where each Truckle bears the unmistakable mark of human hands guided by experience and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

It’s the same dedication that echoes through the 50-year legacy of the Ford F-150, from the assembly lines in Dearborn, Michigan, and Kansas City, Missouri, with each model year building upon the last.

It’s the principles of durability, of purpose, and of solving real-world problems that drive artisans to perfect their work, and to show that quality comes from the patient refinement of a craft over generations.

Andrews, who grew up in New Mexico, is a lifelong cowboy and longtime Ford truck owner (he bought his first in 1969) who has rodeoed basically since he could walk.

In the rodeo, he competed with Native American and Hispanic cowboys who were also incredibly skilled silversmiths. Andrews was curious and would watch them work, eventually teaching himself silversmithing in the 1970s and 1980s, making jewelry and learning to engrave.

After retiring from the rodeo, he moved to Los Angeles where he further developed his design and artistic skills, working with a sample maker named Ruben Delgado to bring his designs to life. Then, in 1999, he got his big break when his longtime friend Ronnie Williams — then the president of the International Rodeo Association — called Andrews.

He wanted to give their world champions something more memorable and offered Andrews a contract. The rest is, as they say, history.

“I didn’t even have a company or anything at the time,” Andrews said. “But he told me he trusted me and knew I could do it. He sent me a contract, and it said ‘A Cut Above Buckles’ on it, so I thought he’d given the job to somebody else. I called him, and he said, ‘No, I named your company for you since you didn’t have one. And I want you to make them a cut above all the other junk that’s out there.’ That was the first order I ever got.”

What followed was a still-in-place contract as the official buckle maker of the International Rodeo Association, where Andrews would go on to create prized custom belt buckles sought by rodeo winners across the U.S.

In 2023, the business was honored with the legacy award by the Bull Riding Hall of Fame for Andrews’ many contributions to the sport.

A Cut Above is a family-run American business that’s roped in two of his daughters — Kellyn (website/digital operations) and Amanda (shipping and repairs), his son-in-law Kyle, and his granddaughter Taylor (design).

And yes, that sample maker from 1999, Ruben Delgado, still works with Andrews on each buckle produced by A Cut Above.

“Honestly, I just like the idea of family being involved,” Andrews said. “But there's a caveat to that. And the caveat is we all have to be very forgiving. We have to be very tolerant, and we've got to pick our fights very delicately. And we've been able to pull it off. I think that alone is the biggest accomplishment — that we all get along, that we all have each other's backs, and that we care deeply about each other's welfare.”

The limited-run Truckle officially debuts on Oct. 10, 2025, when Andrews will be at the official Ford Experience area within the “Truck Zone” at the State Fair in Dallas, making buckles live and in-person.

Lou Dubois is an award-winning journalist/brand creative leader and the founder of Lou Dubois Consulting, located in Park City, Utah.