Critiquing Saddle Construction

[rktaylor]

Saddle Experts:

I guess I am doing this a little backwards, but I am trying to improve my saddle building skills after I already built one. But, as I plan for the second, I am trying to be more systematic. I would like to end up with a saddle that no one would ever guess it was only the second one I ever built. Thus, my questions are:

1. What are the first things you look at when critiquing a saddle to assess quality, first class construction?
2. What do you feel are the most common mistakes made or overlooked by novice saddle makers?

I want to make sure that I don't get to some point in saddle construction (that the experts feel is critical) just to think 'that's good enough.' I have books and DVDs to help me in the process and plan to build on my library, but I want to know what your eye is drawn to when you first look at a saddle.

Thanks in advance for the tips.

Randy

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Randy, like many leatherworkers I am always looking at others work to improve my own. So, with that said, what I have come up with is that the attention to details tells the story. If you look at the saddles made by guys like Keith Seidel, Troy West and others, regardless or weather it is a fully tooled saddle, or just a working saddle, or anything in-between, if you look at the details, they are always impeccably done. 1) how tight the ear cuts are, 2) how tight the jockeys fit behind the cantle, 3) how well the cantle binding is molded around the bottom of the back and bottom of the cantle and if it is done without any cuts to relieve wrinkles up underneath, 4) Are the skirts centered in back, 5)and one of my pet peeves, how well is the finish on all the edges. These are the things that I always look at when I look for the quality. If these have been accomplished with care and finesse then it is a sure bet that the saddle is done well. Take a good look at some of the saddles on Keith's web sight. If you discount the fact that he is an exceptional artist and his work is beautiful, you will see that he pays attention to the details first.

Bob

[rktaylor]

Bob,

Thanks for the insight. Attention to detail. I was afraid someone would say that. I always look for the complex solutions first, but I suppose if you do all the little things right the rest takes care of itself. I have looked at Keith's saddles and also Troy West's. They are certainly worth striving to replicate.

I noticed most of your points were on the rear of the saddle. I did not get the jockeys tight enough on my first saddle, so I need to improve. I really like the way Jeremiah Watt spikes the rear jockeys to get them tight. Actually his entire approach of using a center line on everthing made sense to me. I think my ear cuts were ok, but this is a really visible area so I need to pay attention.

I figured somone would point out edge finishing as it really does make a difference in appearance. I am still practicing that on some other projects. Since it will all be hand sewn, I am still trying to build those skills.

Again, thanks for the repsonse.

Randy

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Hi Randy, well you re getting the idea of what I was talking about. As you make saddles you will find things that are harder than others to accomplish, and you will began to focus on doing those better, that is what will make you a really good saddle maker. In a conversation with Bob Park, he called it "a passion for making really good saddles". He said there are a lot of guys out there that have a passion to make good saddles and those that have the passion to do good tolling, but; only a few that have a passion to do both. That pretty much sums it up. As for focusing on the back of the saddle, really I look all over the saddle, but; the areas that I described seem to be , to me where folks "seem to cut corners". I agree with you about draw spiking the jockeys to get them down tight. Also, You will also find a section in Al Stohlman's books about that and also how to get the outer edge to really lay down by cutting a wedge out of the center of the jockeys to force that edge down when draw spiking them. Don't be afraid to really spike them tight. The tighter the better. As for the edges, I concentrate on all the edges front back, skirts, hand hole, horn, jockeys, billet holders, literally every edge on the saddle, whether it shows or not. You never know when some butthead ;^) is going to lift up a piece of leather to see how you finished it underneath! I have gotten to where every time I pick up a piece to fit or tool or whatever, I take a little time to work on the edge. By the time it is time to finally assemble it for the last time, the edges are almost where I want them to be.

Hope this helps you in your quest to make a good saddles. Like I said I am always looking at others work to help improve my own.

Bob

[Ruark]

First thing I do is look at the woolskins. If they're synthetic, I'm done right then and there. Then I check the lacing on the front D rings (since 99% of what I look at is full double rigs). If the lacing is loose, that means he rushed and laced it while it was still wet, which tells you a lot about him as a saddlemaker. And I look to see how strongly the front rigs are built - the leather going up under the front covers, and make sure they're even and square.

Then I look at the skirts from the front and back for evenness and both sides being as much alike as possible, and make sure he didn't do anything stupid like drive a nail up under there, and the grain on the woolskins is going in the right direction. I check the cantle binder stitching to see if the punch awl was turned the right way so the stitching won't tear out.

If the saddle has strings, I check how good a leather they're made of, and check to see if they're thoroughly oiled, preferably with mink oil. A lot of people just stick any old string through there. I also check to see if it's run under the woolskin, not through it, that's a small touch a lot of people don't bother with.