Wenny

Good idea, TomG! Maybe some glue-on gems!

I think Tom's got it right. After trying acetone with only marginal success, I ended up scraping with a blunt knife to get the hard stuff off, and then scrubbing lightly with more acetone. Good thing I planned on dyeing the leather anyway. It looked pretty beat-up but the dye helped, and you have to look pretty close to see where all the work was done. It's nothing fancy, but perfectly fine for a day on the trails or as a spare. Here's some before and after pictures.

I picked up a leather bridle that's in good shape except a teenage girl glued plastic jewels all over it. I figured they'd pop off pretty easily, but I was wrong. I don't know what kind of adhesive she used, but it is NOT letting go. I started with soap and water and when that didn't work, I went to an all-natural, biodegradable goo-remover spray. That didn't do much so I gritted my teeth and sprayed on WD-40. The plastic came off then, but there's a hard glue residue that I just can't budge. I'm not going to use the bridle if I can't get this stuff off, and I only paid a couple bucks for it, so I'm ready to try anything you guys can suggest. And no, I don't know what kind of glue she used. I wish I did -- it's really amazing stuff.

While I dream about building saddles someday, I'm pretty sure that's all it is -- a dream. Right now I fix up saddles for resale and clean and repair tack strictly as a hobby, for the pleasure it gives me to see a smart rig on a spankin' horse. I'm not going to need an industrial leather splitter or a heavy duty sewing machine or anything; just my workbench, a place to store my waiting saddles and to hang bridles, etc, and the stand for the saddle I'm working on. We're going out to look at the actual sheds today, not just pictures in the brochure. I hope I can remember all the tips you guys have offered and use them to make a good choice. And Bruce, I just want to say that that is a pretty sight, that horse in your profile pic. It's tiny -- but am I right in that he's wearing a bosal hackamore? That's a beautiful stop on a loose rein, and boy is he well under. Gorgeous. Made my day.

Exactly the sort of info I was looking for, thanks! I checked the specs and the one we're considering does have 16" joint space and full length door hinges (as well as the decorative ones which are just there to look nice). I'll have to ask about the roof. I like the 15 year warranty, too. I'm going to check out the Better Built ones, too. Always good to have a comparison to help make a deal. What else should I keep in mind? I'm 5'10"-- I don't want to have to duck around in there, or bang my head. What's rveryone'e experience with the height?

My husband is tired of sharing his garage space with my saddles and tack repairs, so we are looking into getting a wooden shed kit to put in the back yard. My own workshop! Costco is offering some good deals where they even assemble it for you as long as you have the space for it clear and level. We're looking at spending around $2000 for something at least 8x12'. Has anyone else used one of these as a workshop? I usually have 3-4 saddles to store as well as my 6x3' workbench. I figure with the workbench on one side and saddle racks on the other, I'll still have 6 feet in between to move around. Is that going to be enough? The building we're looking at also has a window which should provide some nice light. It's like this one, but with only one window (it may be a discontinued model and that's why it's on sale) http://www.costco.com/Wilmington-12'-x-8'-Wood-Storage-Shed.product.100033503.html What features should I be looking for? I've never had the chance to choose my own workspace, and I'd hate to get something and then realize three weeks later that I should have taken (insert workshop issue here) into consideration.

I prefer a light coat of the traditional Neatsfoot oil (pure, not the blended "Neatsfoot compound") for a base coat after a good wash with ph neutral saddlesoap, and once the oil has soaked in, then Dr Jacksons Hide Restorer or any good wax leather treatment. Stuff with beeswax is usually good, and the wax is what you need to bring up a shine. Oil won't shine.

Here's one on Amazon for about $8. http://www.amazon.com/conservation-restoration-objects-wholly-leather/dp/0877491801/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid= Good luck with your saddle!

From Russel H Beatie's book "Saddles": For those interested in the restoration of old, hard, brittle leather to a soft, pliable condition, I recommend John W. Waterer's "A Guide to the Conservation and Restoration of Objects Made Wholly or in Part of Leather", and Per E. Guldbeck's "The Care of Historical Collections", which has a section on leather. British Museum leather dressing can be obtained from the Fisher Scientific Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Before using the dressing, it is necessary to clean the leather with Toluene (use care: Toluene is highly inflammable). Another leather restorer is Neutralfat SSS Leather Restorer, obtainable from the Ventron Corporation, Danvers, Massachussetts. Instructions for the use of these products can be obtained from the suppliers. The book is from 1981, so I have no idea if all of these products are still available. I googled British Museum leather dressing and it seems to still be around. It also turned up this page: http://nautarch.tamu.edu/CRL/conservationmanual/File7.htm about leather cleaning and conservation. Good luck!

If you're talking about that grey-black gunk that accumulates on the inside of the fender where it lays against the horse, I use warm water and saddle soap to soften it up and then scrap GENTLY with an old smooth plastic butter knife I have. I would never do this on the smooth side of the leather, but it seems to work really well on the rough side. Sometimes that gunk is pretty thick. Once it's clean, follow up with a good conditioner.

I found some pictures in an old issue of Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal from Dec 2003 that have pictures of a saddle exactly like this one! Mine doesn't have the RT Frazier stamp, but otherwise it's a perfect match. I was right -- it's an astride saddle from around 1914-1928. I also contacted Myron Razor at Hillcrest Saddlery (http://www.hillcrestsaddlery.com/saddles.php) because he had some saddles were similar and he said "You are correct in that this is an "Astride" style saddle-also known as a "Canby". It is a very lovely and interesting piece and appears to be in unusually good condition. It would be considered to be in the "Plantation" genre of saddles." Restoring it is beyond my humble skills, and it doesn't fit my horse anyway, so I guess I'll see if I can find a buyer -- who won't get quite as good a deal as I did, but will be lucky all the same! Thank you for your help and input. It's nice to have a resource where we can share information and help each other out.

I took some more pictures. You can see that there was a horn. I've seen pictures of similar saddles with horns and without, but the lacing and gap does not appear unless there is/was a horn. I'm sure when I remove the lacing and piece of plastic inserted in there, I'll see the mounting holes where the metal saddle horn was. I just hope I can find one to replace it. There is a western-style rigging underneath as you can see here. The stirrup leathers hang from a metal bar like english stirrups, but the stirrups themselves (at least from what I've seen in the few pictures I've found) were wooden western-style, sometimes with a small tapadero covering. At some point in its history, someone repaired this saddle with assortment of roofing and other nails. I'd like to replace those with ones more in keeping with the time period of the piece, so that they all match. That's what I meant by replacing hardware. Maybe I used the wrong term. I'm new to this. I paid $34 and another $17 shipping. Not to bad, I think! Here's another picture showing the underside (with tatty fleece).

Picked this up the other day at a thrift shop. It cleaned up really well, and while it still has a way to go (new brass saddle horn and hardware, new fleece, stirrup leathers and etc) I'm really pleased with my bargain. I'm thinking it's an Astride saddle based on comparison to the pictures in Russel Beatie's book, "Saddles", pg 114. Haven't been able to find much online. I've ordered a back issue of Leathercrafters and Saddlers Journal that has an article on Astride saddles, but it hasn't arrived yet. Can't find a maker's mark anywhere. I'm wondering if anyone here could help me with the usuals: age, maker, etc.