Blake

Hello David You need to post pictures of this tree on a horses back so that everyone can understand your theory on placement and fit and please show the balance point of the seat at the same time. The pictures are very vague, You need to point out what is unique about it. You might cover the rigging too. Kind Regards Blake

That is a fabricated piping or welt. It is usually a synthetic round plastic or nylon core and then covered or wrapped with a light weight leather. If you look closely under the flap on the side you can see where it is sewed in. Blake

Welcome Tim We aren't that far from each other, I'll have to drop in for a visit next time I'm over your way. Do you have a store front in town or .........? Blake

Hello Ron Bruce has a valid point about Tex-Tan/Hereford. Your saddle has all of the earmarks of a copy/knockoff probably done by either Southern Saddlery or possibly Buford Saddlery. A model done for Hereford would have Hereford on the fenders whereas if done for someone else would have their name even though the saddles are identicle. It was common practice back in that era to job out certain saddles to maintain production levels so it was not uncommon to sometimes see duplicate saddles with different makers names or no names at all. It was also common for companies to furnish materials/parts/componants to individual small or home shops to do assembly. This is still done today to certain extents. (workmans comp & employee costs promote these practices) Unless a name is clearly stamped on a major or permanent part of the saddle then it is pretty safe to assume the above circumstances. You are welcome to PM me off list if you would like further elaboration.. Blake

Thank You every one for your interest. Blake

This Machine is SOLD! Thank you for everyones interest. Blake

I have a Landis 3 machine that has been in storage that was my primary stitcher before I moved my shop and downsized. I am asking $1000.00 or will trade for tools or whatever.Its not doing anyone any good in storage and I don't anticipate having a use for it again as I also have a campbell. This is the complete head only without a table or motor. I do have needles and awls along with a couple of extra bobbins that will go with it. I sold and shipped a companion machine a couple months back and it was pretty expensive so it would probably be best if it were picked up at my shop in North Zulch, Texas. If anyone is interested , PM me and I will give you a number to contact me and answer any questions. Thanks for your consideration. Blake

Hello Adam Abbey Saddlery and Crafts is across the pond but ships to the US and has a good selection and sells to the small shop. Smith Worthington is here in the US. You can probably Google search them both for contact information. If you only need a couple of pair I have some on hand. Blake

http://gemosphere.tripod.com/gemosphere/swivel_knivesx.html This is the link I have for Henley Blake

Hi Steve I have never tried the Stingray but you sure make it look good. What kind of machine do you sew it with and needle type? Blake

Hello Bruce I use a high density foam from a company called Rubatex. It is essentialy a very durable insulating foam used on commercial cooling and refrigeration equipment. It is rated for out door use and is UV resistant as well. Contact them and they will send you a sample sheet. I don't have the product number that I use right off the top of my head but I will look it up. I keep a couple of thicknesses up to 3/4" so I can use it with or without the plug as a few people like a bit more cushion. I have a lot of saddles still in use well over the twenty year mark with inlayed seats and all are holding up well. It is a great combination when used with English Veg tan Pig Skin which you can get from Seigals. Its a little pricey but comes in some good earth tones and is easy to work with. It cases pretty nice so it forms nicely over the plug and foam and wrinkling is not an issue. Blake

He actually wrote a few things while working at Porters according to the late Bob Dellis. He passed away while living in Kerrville Texas and is buried there if anyone is in the area and would like to pay their respects. There was a decent article about him in one of the leather magazines that predated the LCSJ. Blake

The Bob Beard swivel knife has been traded. Thank You to everyone that inquired or offered to buy. Blake

Hi Ryan Try calling the Manufacturer of the saddle . If it is a production saddle then more than likely the tree is still available and will probably be a little cheaper than getting a duplicate made and the old leather will usually fit better too. What is the brand name of the saddle ? Maybe me or someone elase on the list will know who supplies the trees for that particular company. Blake

Hi Tony I have a 305 that I have had for years and it will always have a home here. It is a basic easy to use easy to work on machine that will take a decent array of needle sizes. I use it for spur straps, books, saddle bags etc. I have made a few pair of chaps/chinks on it when my flat bed was down. It does a nice job on shoeing aprons and about anything where you would want a medium duty machine. I modified the foot on mine so that it is smaller and smoothed off the bottom a bit so that it doesn't mark up the leather but left enough so that it doesn't effect the feed. Campbell Bosworth can supply parts if you ever need them and the bobbins and needle systems are the same as the Adler only affordable. Blake

I have a Bob Beard Swivel knife serial # 23 with very little use ,1/2" Bbl with a new 1/2" blade. I would like to trade for a 3/8" Henley with a 1/4" blade. This knife has the fine knurling and that is the only reason that I am parting with it as I prefer the coarser knurling that is on the Henleys. Blake

"Common Sense" being the Key phrase here. I agree with Jon. Good Job Denise. Blake

There is a book "The Complete Handbook Of Leathercrafting" by Jane E. Garnes ISBN 0-89874-899-2 published by Krieger Publishing co. 1981. location Malabar Florida 32950 This book has a lot of information on dyes and raw material along with a lot of misc useful information in general. I would imagine that it is probably out of print but may find one on Amazon or through a used book dealer. I picked my copy up at the Pan American Leather Fair in Miami some years back and have found it useful and interesting. Blake

Hello Elton & Luke Thats two great answers! I have an order in process now with Rod and I will see if he could add a few stray pieces in with the shipment when its ready. Meanwhile if my old hide wears through before it gets here I will head to the feed store or Pet Smart. I priced a side of heavy Rawhide today and its pretty much the same as an imported side of leather. I don't ever use it on saddles as I don't especialy like the way it wears or ages in a humid climate. Thanks for the advice. Blake

Hey Everyone Does anyone have a source for heavy Rawhide 7/8 oz or better in small quantities or pieces 8" x 8" or bigger. I need to reface a couple of my home built tooling sticks and sure don't need to buy a whole side just to get around 3 sq. feet. Thanks for any help. Blake

Sounds good. Pm me off list and we can exchange E-mail addresses Blake

Hi Susan There is sure nothing wrong with a little education. I have made saddles for the Spanish Mustang along with the Keiger and of course the little Florida Cracker horse which has its roots with the Spanish Mustang. You are correct that no one has made a tree especially addressed to the Spanish Mustang but that doesn't mean that they don't exist under different titles. The fit its self is not difficult but how the saddle is finished as far as rigging, skirts, etc does have a bearing. May I ask Who you are using for your trees? Can you be a bit specific about what you will expect from your saddle design and how it will normally be used? Kind Regards Blake

Hello Susan It is a pretty simple and straight forward process. Use the Dennis Lane card system and order your tree from one of the makers on this list or from Dennis himself. Pick out the saddle maker of your choice depending on the attributes that you are looking for. Agree on a price and delivery. Plunk down your money, send him the tree and wait. If you don't feel comfortable measuring the horse yourself then you can make arrangements with someone that is qualified and knows the system. I haven't found the ( fill in your own blank here )Mustang to be hard or difficult to fit or different in any extreme way . Just keep in mind that you get what you pay for. ( Garbage In.....Garbage Out ). A saddle maker that makes his living at the bench will treat it as any order and will produce it on a schedule and with great care as that represents his pay check. A well made custom tree will not be cheap and if you are asking the saddle maker to work with you in a new design where you may be changing things to get it fine tuned then you may/will have to pay extra. The first one will be the most expensive settling on the design and after that you will need to negotiate with the same maker or someone else to manufacture the saddle for you at a price that you can retail. Blake

Hello Randy I have a Roberts Co. #5 which is very similiar difference being a split heel for pulling tacks. If you are interested we can do some trading. It is in VG condition with a clean smooth face and the wood on the handle is also good with no splits or serious dings. I have no idea of the age.

Hi Everyone JUST MY OPINION HERE. I think most Saddle Makers will agree that you will always be a student. There is simply more out there than you can learn in a lifetime. Some of us have learned to specialize and become as good as we possibly can at our choices and there is always a learning curve involved just to discover or decide on our choices. That being said, It helps tremendously if you have at least some idea which direction you would like to go with your education and root out and simplify your approach. If you want to build working stock saddles then concentrate in that area and overlook trail or endurance saddles. Once you get established then you will have the resources and more than likely the contacts to branch into other areas if you choose. A lot of Makers, Myself included will take on a student if he/she is sincere and willing to put the effort forward to do it right. I have always tried to work with a student so that we could work around his schedule and trust me , that can be difficult when the student is supporting a family and has bills to pay. You can cram a saddle into one week of instruction and learn a lot but miss just as much and more because you simply overwhelm and overload yourself so try to set something up that will work with your personal learning abilities. If you work with an established Maker then I would suggest that you go in with an open mind and not cloud his instruction with information from books or other peoples opinions. There will always be contradictions in instruction from one source to another and it will be up to the student to choose the information that he/she wishes to apply and this usually comes from trial and error at the bench and in the field. Books and tapes are great learning tools and I have a decent library myself and sometimes go to them to learn a new technique or method but that doesn't mean that it is the final say. If you can at least spare a week to work with someone at the bench to get the basics (two would be much much better) then the books and tapes will become much more clear and you will get more out of them. Kind Regards Blake