Big Sioux Saddlery

I agree with everything you said above. I should have said, "assuming the quality IS better in the handmade product." We see this with saddles. I see some pretty poor "handmade" saddles. Fact is, I've seen a lot of production saddles that I would trust further than some of the handmade ones, even if the handmade saddles ARE made in this country. So yes, the quality has to be there to start with in order for this justification to be valid. I believe in my product and work hard to make sure it will never come back to me because of inferior materials or workmanship. Hours spent do not guarantee a quality product. The "know-how" has to be there and then if it is indeed a better product, it should be worth more, although it's not always going to be worth the time spent making it. That's the balance, one has to evaluate if the extra time spent making something by hand justifies the increase in cost. If it doesn't then you either have to accept less, find a better (more cost effective) way of making it, or quit making it. There are things that I made when I was first in business. After a few years, I realized that even though they WERE better than anything that was commercially available, I simply couldn't charge enough to cover my time, so I quit making them. People still wanted them, but they didn't want to pay for the time. Too bad, so sad. I can't work at a loss to ensure someone else gets to have a cheap hobby. I use clickers, sewing machines, other various tools and machinery to make my job easier and faster, and hopefully better. I still consider my product handmade. There are some arguments I don't buy on handmade being better. Stitching for example. There are always going to be things that HAVE to be sewn by hand, no matter how many sewing machines a guy owns. I don't buy the theory at all that hand stitching is always better than machine sewing. I have wallets out and about that are 25 years old, carried on a daily basis. They were sewn by machine and the stitching is still intact. Poor machine sewing is in fact inferior to good hand stitching, but that's not comparing apples to apples. You won't get an argument from me that there is a lot of "handmade" garbage out there. I see it on a regular basis. This is a perfect example of where advice given does not apply to every situation. Sometimes it's easy to assume that someone starting out knows more than they do. Something simple that is so obvious to those of us that have been in business for years, or decades, may be completely foreign to someone new to the craft. If a person is going to use the argument that handmade is better than production to sell their product, then you better have your ducks in a row and have VALID reasons, and be able to back them up, on why it may actually cost less in the long run to buy a decent handmade product. It's kind of like buying batteries for my pickup. I'll spend the extra money to buy GOOD batteries that I don't have to run to Walmart every 14 months to get replaced on warranty because they're junk to start with. It is a waste of my time, it's inconvenient, and plus I hate Walmart. Some people don't mind buying cheap and replacing the item every 6 months. I'd rather spend the money one time and save myself the hassle of having to go back into town to buy it again.

I'm glad you can laugh about it as you will likely get a lot of it. It has less to do with the quality of your work and more because you are new and every relative and friend of a friend will hit you up for leatherwork at a cut rate price because they ARE a relative or a friend (of a friend). At least that's what I experienced when I started out and for years afterward. Most people have no idea the amount of time that we, as craftsmen, put into our products, and by how much they are superior to most of the off-the-shelf stuff made in another country. Some are so ignorant as to think that as a small shop, opposed to not being a big business, we have no overhead and can work cheap. Sometimes I feel like at least half of my job is educating my customers.

I use a cloth wheel loaded with various types of compound on an electric motor (not a bench grinder). I always let my splitter blades go way too long before I take them out because I hate the job. It's not so much the danger part of it as it is taking the time to do it and then getting the blade set back where I want it when I'm finished. The only blade I haven't taken out yet is the one out of my big splitter. . . 18 or 20 inches. That one does scare me. Sometimes for a quickie job of stropping, I rub some compound on a piece of leather and pull it backwards through the splitter. It "kind of" works.

I used a shop press for years before I got my clicker. In fact, I STILL use it if I have maybe just one or two things I need clicked out and don't want to clear off the clicker bed and fire it up for one or two cuts. When I bought it I still had two young boys at home and clicking small parts with that press was a great job for them. There are other things I use the press for also, wet molding as mentioned above, is one. It has a permanent place in my shop. It is a cheap tool.

I guess I always thought of it as the other way around. Machinery is cheap compared to labor. I buy any given machine one time, and then it works for me. Hopefully doesn't cost me anything more than the purchase price and occasional maintenance, and of course having the money tied up. Myself, well I have to eat every day and I don't have to tell anyone what it costs to live these days, even if I DO live pretty cheap compared to many. If you were to ask just about any business, they will tell you their biggest expense is labor. If the owner's labor is less than anything else in the shop, he's not paying himself enough. I understand the whole experience and quality thing, but I still think that we, as leatherworkers, do not value our time as much as other trades. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I urge ANYONE in the leather business (whether it's a REAL business or just a hobby) to get and read Bob Brenner's book "How to Establish Prices for the Saddle Maker or Leather Worker." It will give you a better understanding of all the costs involved in making something. Speed and better quality work will come with experience and while nobody starting out can expect to charge the same as someone that's been doing leatherwork for 20 years or 50 years or whatever, you still need to value your time and understand how to figure your prices. Maybe if you intend to make just a few things for friends and family, it's not a big deal, but word gets around and people see your stuff and pretty soon you've got orders and have no idea what to charge. Kind of like what's happening to you with this wallet, HavenHillJay. Best of luck to you.

And THAT, my friend, is yet another reason why I choose to remain single:-) My money is my money, my truck is my truck, if I screw up it's my own fault, and NOBODY is spending my hard earned money to buy stupid shit that I don't approve of while bills go unpaid. Been there, done that, never doing it again. And he STILL asks to borrow money from me.

Well, I guaran-fricking-tee you I can't live on what an Amishman does. Lol For one, because I have insurance premiums, as much as I hate them. And I do have to have a vehicle. I don't have time to sew my own clothes or my kid's, because I'm too busy making a living. (No spouse here with a good income, in fact no spouse at all, and just the way I like it). My "newest vehicle is a 2002 Chevy S10, that I just bought last May. My "second" vehicle I bought new in 1999, has 216,000 miles on it, is getting to be a pile of rust, and will likely be the one and only new vehicle I'm ever able to buy. I don't spend much on myself. Id be willing to bet money that I live poorer than any of my customers, and probably poorer than most of the people reading this. I have NEVER had cable TV, or satellite or whatever they call it. I grow as much of my own food as possible and cook our meals from raw ingredients. I do have internet, obviously, but only because I need it for the business and it's pretty much required now if you have a kid in school. I wear clothes for work that are mostly hand-me-downs. And I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. I'm not bitching, because I'd rather live the way I live and do what I love than to be a slave to some A-hole that wants to retire in their 40's. (Yes, I really did work for that person) BUT I do live about as cheap as anyone can live and still have running water and electricity. And BTW, I DO know 2 different people (not Amish) that live without running water. No kidding, in the year 2016, neither of these people have running water in their house.

Well that certainly is another side to the story, and thank you for sharing it with us. And I'm not being sarcastic, I really mean it. Honestly, it sounds a lot like the Amish. Talented and experienced "English" (their name for anyone white who isn't an Amish person) leather craftsmen typically do not have a lot of respect for the Amish. I can't imagine other trades are much different. They contribute very little to "our" system or society, while working cheaper than any of us can even hope to, and sell their (oftentimes) second rate products on "Amish Craftsmanship". Some of the sloppiest work I've ever seen has been Amish work, and that goes for leatherwork, carpentry, concrete work, masonry, etc, etc. Not a hard and fast rule, but pretty common. The bad thing is that they can work so cheaply, that it instills the idea in the minds of prospective buyers that everyone should be able to work that cheaply, and because that "Amish Craftsmanship" is so firmly entrenched in the publics mind, they have no idea that in many cases the raw materials they use are junk. The solution: I'll never, ever beat 'em on price, but it doesn't take much to beat 'em on quality. Those that can't tell the difference and are buying on price alone, well I decided 15 years ago that I really don't want those people as customers anyway. I agree that the wages of some of the skilled trades have not increased at anywhere near what other industries have, medical for example. It is a problem, or more accurately maybe just another symptom of the real problem.

Umm, actually that's pretty well near gone in MY rural area too. Big farmers competing against other big farmers to get bigger and will use any means to do it. I'm in the southeastern part of the state and we USED to be pretty rural. We are close enough (ten miles) to what is for us, a city, 180,000 people I think (?). A majority of the people that live within 50 miles of this "city" work in said city. They did not grow up here, and they do not have the same rural values that were present when I grew up. And it's not just them, it is a lot of the "real" rural people also. When I grew up, I thought farmers were the most down to earth, honest, good, hard working people in the world. I think my grandpa's generation, that was true. Now (and I may get me ass blasted for this) I think farmers are some of the most greedy, whiney, self-centered, hypocritical welfare recipients the country has ever seen. What changed? I think it's the third generation thing someone mentioned above, coupled with an out-of-date farm program that helps the rich become richer and pays people for NOT farming their ground. And as far as the "illegals", I agree with you JLS. Those people show up for work and do the job they're paid to do, and would rather be working than have some vacation time. A young Hispanic man came to my shop a couple years ago. I have to admit, I was a little leery. I visited with him a little bit and any preconceived notions I had flew out the window. It was refreshing to listen to him!! He was on vacation that week, and works for a large dairy about 20 miles away from me. He gets one week off a year. The rest of the time I think he works 7 days a week, but Sunday is a "short day", only 4 hours. Married, with several kids, he was born in Mexico and his family moved to Chicago when he was very young. He was in a lot of trouble as a teenager. His parents shipped him off to South Dakota to some relatives, who ended up kicking him out of the house. Long story short, the kid turned his life around. I asked him what his goal in life was. He said, "just to be happy with what I have, and watch my kids and grandkids grow up." That conversation with that young man left a lasting impression on me. A lot of "our" youth could take a good lesson from him.

I know you're making a joke here, but it really could be! I never really thought of it that way but coming from an agricultural background and an agricultural area of the country very well could have something to do with it. Or maybe it's just a curse imposed upon random people.

Bingo!!

YES! My brother-in-law is in a management position at a dairy plant in another state. They have, in the past, bottled milk for Walmart and HATE Walmart for the exact reasons you stated. And I believe that Walmart has done more to hasten the acceptance of this mindset than anything else in the country I fight this battle daily. The reason there is no demand for something repairable is in part because labor has gotten so ungodly high. My automotive repair shop is at $85 and hour now. When I tell people I'm at $45, they say "Oh that isn't bad". But then I tell them how many hours it will take to reline a saddle or put in a new seat. About half of them go buy a new cheap saddle for not a lot more money. I think part of our problem is too big a percentage of our income goes toward things that do not : 1. Keep us alive. 2. improve our standard of living 3. Make us money. The number one drain on income that I can see is insurance premiums. I know, I know, where would we be without it "If something bad happened"? That is how those scumbags have gotten the American people to buy the useless crap for the last 75 years or so. Fear. Nothing more, nothing less. As far as I'm concerned, insurance companies rate right down there with most lawyers, leaches and bottom feeders who will bleed you dry and when the money's gone, oh well too bad, so sad. As far as providing jobs, how many people grow up thinking, "Ya know, I'd really love to work for an insurance company when I grow up!" I believe it is the mind numbing number of useless jobs that people are forced to do to survive that contributes to the epidemic drug and alcohol abuse in this country. Big business DOED NOT WANT small business. Small business and sole proprietorships steal their labor force. Some people are not cut out to run their own business, but I know many, many people who would like to try but are locked into a job that they can't afford to leave. Oftentimes, it is what I call a "useless" job. At he end of the day, there is nothing more than what you started with, except more money in the pocket of the CEO. My son worked at a call center for a couple years because he couldn't find anything better. He despised every waking hour of every day spent at that job. THAT is a perfect example of what I call a useless job. People want to see the fruits of their labor. At the end of the day, I want to see some progress. I don't care if it's a cantle binding that I sewed, a belt that wasn't there this morning, or a colt that made some progress since the day before. When a person spends a miserable day at a job that he doesn't like, with people he doesn't want to be with, that makes up a high percentage of his waking hours, and his life. Life is both too short and too long to spend it doing something you hate! Is it any wonder the poor guy stops at a bar to get numb on the way home or picks up a six pack (or twelve pack)? Give these people a job they can take some pride in and feel like they accomplished something and made a difference, then you will see change. But what comes first, the chicken or the egg?? Where does it start? Takes a smarter person than me to figure it out. I'm just extremely grateful that for the time being at least, I can make a living doing what I love. Millions are not as fortunate.

Yep, right again!

I will be sure to try this! I have everything on hand except the Eucalyptus. I was a little concerned that it might be difficult to find in my area, but a google search revealed that is readily available in drug stores. I am looking forward to seeing the results. Many thanks!!

Thank you, Lois. Do you use this as a final finish on new equipment or just as a conditioner?

I've actually been thinking about this all day. The American people have gotten lazy. That's a generalized statement and doesn't apply across the board, but many would rather sit and play on their smartphone than get their hands dirty. Greed has turned America into what it is today. It's not enough to farm 1000 acres, let's farm 10,000 and run all the little guys out of business. Those people are in every community. Enough is never enough and when you go to the site that shows how much those guys have gotten in government subsidies, it'll make you want to puke. The very same people who elected the new president on the promise of making America great again are some of the same who shop by price and will bitch and complain when prices of consumer goods go up due to increased labor costs (and other costs) of moving industry back to this country. The very same people who bitch and complain about everything being made in China are the ones who order online garbage because the "Made in the good old USA" stuff is too expensive. It's going to take one heck of a smart and dedicated bunch of people in government to turn things around and if it happens, it won't happen overnight, or in 4 years, or even 8. I don't plan to see it in my lifetime. I'm not the brightest bulb in the socket, and I don't even pretend to know much about politics, economics, or how to run the country, but I do know that it's going to be one hell of an undertaking to make this country what it once was. Lots of wisdom in what you say Tinker.

Good idea, I would never have though of that. I tend to get locked in to not looking beyond what's available to the leather trade as a leather preparation. Thanks for that! Any great ideas for leather finish? I'm not pleased with ANYTHIING I've tried. I hate the acrylics, Neat Lac is too impermeable and I think it makes the leather hard, I like the look of Tan Kote as well as anything, but any exposure to water and the nice look is gone, so it's not good for saddles.

I buy my Roo and cut the lace myself, then I can cut it to whatever width I need. The darn stuff is expensive, but it lasts me quite awhile. Even so, I cringe when I have to buy a hide. It seems like one of those types of leather that I never really get compensated for. Weaver lists the one hide price at $14.66 a ft. but they aren't very big, 5-7 ft.

Great blog, but you forgot the part about what happens when things go really bad! I think I've uttered more really foul cuss words while sewing leather than at any other time, except maybe perhaps when working or sorting cattle or horses:-) And I prefer dead silence when I'm sewing, anything else is too distracting. Half the people that come in comment on why I never have a radio on. I think I'm more focused and efficient when I'm not half listening to a bunch of blabber.

I think that may be a good compromise for your young horse at this stage of his life. The better trainers that I know all have quite a few saddles, some of that being just so they can saddle half a dozen and let them stand or turn them out while they work another, but also so they can fit a wide range of horses. That can get expensive, but then the "horse habit" has never been known to be cheap!

I am thinking it would tend to split. It takes a pretty good piece of leather to withstand that process. I've even had latigo split. I'm not a fan of laced swells (had too many of those to repair to be a fan) but if I was going to do it, I'd be tempted to use Roo. Very thin and very tough, so it lays flatter. Edit: Above comment was for the swell lacing. For strings, I've looked for a better alternative to the latigo that's available to us today. Not sure if EB would be a good choice or not. There is a big difference in the EB from different tanneries. I've used mostly W & C and I don't believe it would be a good choice for strings, or swell lacing for that matter.

Rising in the back is often a sign of a saddle that is too wide in the front. Removing the shoulder shims would make it come up in the back even more. Just my opinion, as saddle fitting is one of the most controversial subjects known to man. I even came across a website of a lady that's been building saddles for many more years than I have, and she claims we all saddle our horses with the saddle set too far back, and that the bar pads should be up OVER the shoulder blades and the rigging set further back to keep the saddle there. She claims many of the sore backed horses are made sore by the bar pads sitting BEHIND the shoulder blades, and gullet widths need to be much wider, 8 inches or even more. Her saddles are much in demand by the barrel racing crowd. I'd have to see the proof to be convinced, but she is very adamant on her theory.

Most people nowadays use the synthetic threads, if fact, I'm told it is difficult to find a good quality linen. You do not need to run the thread through a wax pot, although some choose to. Hard wax is normally not used anymore; a liquid or cream consistency thread lube is typically used if anything. Machine thread is available from any number of sources. I t comes put up on one or two lb. spools. For that machine you will want a size 277 or 346. I buy mine from Weaver Leather and it works well for me. I've had trouble in some of my machines with thread from other suppliers, although a Landis One seems to tolerate about anything you put in it. The pre-waxed hand sewing thread however will likely be too heavy and gunk up your machine. You will probably want two spools of thread, one for the bobbin and one for the top. Oftentimes, this machine likes the bobbin thread a size lighter, although that is not always necessarily true. Depends on what you're sewing and your needle size.

I would call them and inquire on the status of the order. What did they tell you when you ordered? Two weeks wait time just isn't that long when ordering from a tannery.

As much as everyone hates Weaver these days, I gotta confess, I buy a lot from them. If I have enough of one kind of leather to order at one time I'll order direct from HO. I've never tried any of the other distributors. I use so many different kinds of leather, and if I get my order over a grand at Weaver, everything gets a whole lot cheaper. Quality can vary widely from them though, as they buy TR. Last order I was on the fence over some russet harness. Weaver could ship immediately and HO was going to be a little bit of a wait. I ended up ordering from Weaver because I was going to come out around $100 ahead with the all the other stuff I needed. The leather left a lot to be desired. If I had been cutting reins I would have been in trouble, but as it were, I could cut around the defects because nothing needed to be over 32", and most no more than 22". Montana Leather's price of $225 doesn't sound too bad. I've never ordered from them but heard nothing bad neither.