oltoot

The blade will end up being more important. And IMHO hollow ground is the way to go, all other things being equal, and you must have properly cased leather to start with.

If you can get a hold of some saddle catalogues from the teens and twenties, that might help some.

I would offer this perspective: think about a naked man on a naked horse and then fit the necessary stuff in with the least possible interference with that beginning relationship. Smooth out some things by softening some angles. And remember, when it's right it feels good and not strained

could be as simple as skipping when work is crowded or pushed a little.

All the notes prove the complexity of the topic. One easy way out is by using the tool simple little available from Tandy for injector razor blades and one handed use. A little filing can change shape of the opening for different uses. For me, actual draw gauges became collectibles as opposed to daily using tools.

Ditto and if it has the fiberglass covered tree, even less. Somebody might make use of it to sack colts. Just for more knowledge you might use some of the hardware to tie things down closer,

Shoulder about mid way between back and belly

It is fiberglass covered (cloth & resin) wood. Probably made for resale to Sears or Monkey Ward via catalog sales

I think yes that in the very beginning of things, tree making and nearly mass produced saddles had to be one coordinated undertaking

Prior (exactly, I don't know) to 1982, CS would hand out orders and parts to any and all takers, then buy back the finished products within a specified time frame and 'fill' the order. It got too hard to handle and they increased their in-house capability and started doing it all with employees was my understanding if that helps you?

Most problems are solved by waiting twice as long as you think you need to for something to dry, the maybe some more.

We could say that this is a current description of the Great American Dream (that will survive, I believe) Stolen from the Indian, built by the slave, trolled by the trash=battered but shining through for all

My combo (that's the key) was a solid (welded steel) bench, 6" thick (gravestone) granite and rawhide mauls. Result was thunk, thunk (barely discernible for most stamping to solid whack for cutting 1 3/4" or 2" pointed straps. At comparable weights poly was a little louder than rawhide

FYI only, the preferred surface of old for many for cutting was aspen. Kiln dried logs milled down. With sanding and flipping, surface lasted awhile. For die cutting and punching, pieces of rubber belting from thrashing machines or paving equip. Now, I would ask a chef or butcher.

The only thing that I could offer would be for the hobble hanger to be about 1" longer so that hobbles would hang down straighter