spur2009

I would like to offer a suggestion on restoring you N Porter taps. If they are indeed as dry as you say you must take real care in taking them apart. If you try to disassemble them as they are now the old dry leather will break on you for sure. Wet down the taps with luke warm water and take apart while the leather is still damp. After you have them apart wash real good with saddle soap or I use dish washing detergent and rinse well. While the leather is still damp apply first coat of oil. Use either pure neatsfoot, olive oil or 100% vegetable oil. Aloow oil to penerate before applying second coat. Strongly recommend 2 or 3 coats of light oil rather than 1 heavy application. Hope this has been some help to you. By the way I do a lot of restoration work for several large museums in the U.S.

Cotton rope was used as a wrap from the 1880's up thru the l940's for daly wraps. Rubber was not used and slick leather was to hard to control and wore put horn wraps in a hurry. I haven't seen a working hand use cotton rope wraps since I was a button in West Texas. Actually I think it works alot better than mule hide used today and rubber is fine for arena roping when you want to lock up your dalliesbut useless for running your dallies. To install a rope wrap is kind of hard to describe but will give it a try. Get a length of old cotton rope (like real heavy clothes line or sash cord rope say about 1/2" in diameter. Take first turn around horn over the ropes bitter end and continue wrapping untill you aresatisfied with amount turns on your horn and how thick a wrap you have and then thread your standing end ooof rope back down under the turns and trim off excess. Ihope this makes some sense to you cause I ain't sure I understand what I just wrote. Good luck anyway.

Your saddle is is fine shape from the pictures. However, I believe myour saddle is well over the ten years you have been told. Monroe would not have made the saddle. However, his son-in-law still operates the original shop in Trenton, Mo. One of my reasons for aging your saddle is because of the laced strirrup leather. They were very popular in the early days and were still in use through the 40's and early 50's. You will still find them in use on some saddles today, mostly reproduction types. However, I do have them on my personal saddle and they are a pain in the neck when changing stirrup leather lengths or stirrups - I go bewteen taps and oxbows. Without seeing your saddle first hand I would guesstimate its value at bwteen $750 and $1200 with a probable price of $1000. Have seen the latigo sewn to the skirts on older saddles but none like yours for years. The powder river rigging plates also makes me believe your saddle in late 40''s and they are still very very popular today for flat plate riggings and inskirt riggings. Hope this helps a bit.

Sure enjoyed the pictures and post. I'm getting right long in the tooth but still maintain and use my hot roll. Like you, I reckon I,m getting a littlesoft around the edges, got a 2" foam pad in mine. Helps an old punchers back.

Howdy Todd. Reckon I can help with your home made dye problem. I amke it all the time. Your problem is white distilled vinegar..you can let it set for weeks and will never make a useable dye. The thing to do is use apple cider vinegar. Will completelyy disolve steel wool in 2-3 days. Strain in to clean container (I use a coffee filter) and you are ready to go with a great black dye. Try this for finishing your edges. 1 part elemers glue to 4 parts water. Apply to edge and burnish with a piece of canvas or old levi leg. Good luck on your project hoss

I certainly agree with the above post concerning takinbg your time and I too think you should reconside taking the saddle apart, if you do proceed slowly and do not remove the cantle binding as they are hard to replace if you haven't done it before. I generally use pure neatsfoot oil but on some jibs olive oil or pure veg oil works quite well. Apply in light coats and allow each coat to set up. Apply first coat while leather is damp from cleaning as it will allow for better penetration of the oil into the fibers of the leather. Be sure to oil both grain and flesh sides of the leather whereever possible.

Very Nice job!