For more than a century, the O.K. Corral has embodied the spirit of Tombstone as it was in the 1800s. In the back, by the museum, there is a memorial to the golden years of the city in the form of a blacksmith shop that stood for decades. Until recently, this memorial was hollow and vacant, but now it is yet another slice of nostalgia that makes both the O.K. Corral and Tombstone a unique representation of the Wild West.

While visiting Tombstone, Todd "Grizz" Mace saw the blacksmith shop was without a blacksmith and asked for a job.

Although Grizz may be new to the O.K. Corral, he is no newcomer to the world of blacksmithing. Originally from Idaho, Grizz has been blacksmithing since the age of five when his grandfather, Irvin Mace, taught him the tools of the trade.

"I take iron and steel, burn a coal forge and place the iron and steel over that fire so I can melt and re-shape the metal," Grizz said. "I make everything from spatula sets to bulls heads, rams heads, dinner bells and branding irons for barbecue grills."

Grizz's most popular items are his hoof picks, dinner bells and rams head tools.

Grizz even makes custom orders, pricing items based on the amount of hours, metal and coal used per item. Some items take about 20 minutes to make, while others can take almost a whole day.

"People really love the stories from the old West," Grizz said. "The authenticity of the whole facility of the O.K. Corral is my favorite thing about working here."

Fellow O.K. Corral employees like having Grizz around.

"Having a blacksmith gives us an opportunity for our visitors to get an authentic experience and for Grizz to sell the things he makes," said Don Taylor, manager of the O.K. Corral. "People get to see living history because Grizz does it the old way and uses all original tools. This allows us to give our visitors a much more rounded historical experience at the O.K. Corral."

Grizz offers tourists and locals alike a slice of authenticity they were not given before. Grizz only uses tools dating back to the 1800s, and everything one sees hanging from the blacksmith shop is handmade.

"If anything, this makes the O.K. Corral seem even more authentic because Grizz has tremendous credibility and experience," Taylor said. "His work is really what people would have seen and heard back in the 1800s."

"It's nice to have him here," said Burton Webster, employee of the O.K. Corral. "Grizz really knows what he's doing and makes quality products. I think it is especially important because people need to get involved in what's going on. People would rather see live stuff than dead stuff. People love buying things after they see the person actually make it. Grizz is a major plus for the place."

If you go

O.K. Corral

308 E. Allen St., Tombstone

Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week