oldtimer

I finished this rig a couple of weeks ago on a 16" Meana tree from Timberline. The leather is from Tärnsjö Tannery, Sweden, embossed with an alligator pattern. I have named the saddle " El Cocodrillo", alligator in Spanish. I´ll keep it for my own use - I hope ! / Knut

Congrats, Steve ! 38 years is a lot of experience! / Knut

Agriculture was the main occupation so the common folks were driving their horses. Riding was a military, upper class matter. In those days Sweden was a powerful country in Europe, fighting wars in Russia, Poland and all over Europe. One of the biggest problems for the cavalry was the small size of the swedish horses, 13 - 14 hands ( similar to the Iceland ponies ) at the time so the government imported stallions from the baltic states, Germany and other European contries to improve the breed and to gain size. Although the cavalry horses were small they carried their riders and gear ( total ~300 lbs) all the way to Russia, and down Europe and won many battles. The Swedish cavalry tactic was to ride "Knee by Knee" and brake through the enemy lines like an arrow point. Many Swedish cavalry officers ( noblemen by birth!) started their carreer as mercenaries and officers in foreign armies and brought their riding skills home from many places around Europe. Today , riding is a female sport in Sweden, I´d estimate 95% of all riders are girls/ women. The men are found in the harness racing sport, which is big in Scandinavia ( driving heritage !) . I think there are only two tracks for racing ( gallop) in the country. / Knut http://www.google.co...ved=0CBoQ9QEwAA

A few pics from a Swedish museum showing saddles and bridles from the 15th century, used by kings and nobility. http://www.lsh.se/skokloster/ridkonst/sadelsamling.html http://www.lsh.se/skokloster/ridkonst/betselbilder.html / Knut

My experience is that their "outstanding customer service" does not include Europe!

Tippmann quality control ??????

I need a pic of a cinch loom. Anyone?? / Knut

Thank´s David! Pop Wagner´s videos got me started ! Where can I buy mohair for a cinch? / Knut

Please , don´t take all credit for this harness , NoahL ! http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18798 / knut

Got your mail today! Thank´s Art ! / Knut

Back scratcher - maybe? I´d call it a general pupose scratcher , you could scratch both here and there with it ! / Knut ( actually, I don´t think it is a tool for leather)

One of his edgers or french edgers handles. / Knut

I have a set of Rampart edgers that need new handles, so I have planned to make new ones on my lathe. I like the shape of Ron´s tools, so I´d appreciate if someone out there could mail me a simple sketch and dimensions of a handle from Ron´s tools. / Knut

I would use warm water . Wet the leather - and I mean really wet , which would even out the differences in color. ( I dare not suggest an hour in the water trough) / Knut

I have a charro saddle tree in my shop, and I´m a bit concerned about about the shape of the bars. They are straight as a board on the bottom side, no rock at all, so the tree has only contact with the horseback at the front and back edges, . So far I have not found a horseback it would fit so I guess it will end up being a wallhanger in my shop. I won´t use it on a horse! In the latest copy of The leathercrafters & saddlers Journal mr Dick Sherer, a known Colorado saddemaker, made the same notice about the bars from a visit in a Mexican saddle tree shop. The tree is well made , but ........... / Knut

New saddle without fleece lining ? Western saddle or English ?

I guess the seller has a reason to love Ebay!

From the looks of the saddle I´d bet a dime or two that it has it´s origin in south or central America. I might be wrong, but either way, I would not spend even one dollar buying it ! And roping from a saddle like this one, could probably become the adventure of your life, maybe shown in Animal Planets "Untamed and uncut". IMHO there are far better reasons to love Ebay.

You are right, Bruce. It is a shoemakers tool for rasping the pegs inside a pegged shoe. / Knut

I bought a book on the subject from High Country Horse, LLC. "A do-it -yourself guide to improvements, repairs and complete rigging of crossbuck& Decker packsaddles" and it covers most of what you need to know to make a pack saddle. www.highcountryhorse.net / Knut

Hej. Jag kom hem från Tärnsjö igår kväll. Ska ha kurs på sadelmakeriskolan i höst, tre veckor, så vi klarade ut tider o logistiken igår. Det är ganske intressant att spankulera runt i garveriet i se hur det går till att göra läder. / Knut

The saddle in the pic is a "squaw saddle". You can find some info on the subject in " Man Made Mobile", from Smithsonian Institution, http://si-pddr.si.ed...ndle/10088/2438, unfortunately no pics from different angles, but interesting reading about saddles from the early Wild West. The peg below the "horn"was often a piece of deer antler and was used for attaching the travois to the saddle, by hooking a strap over the peg. Some more pics: http://www.bbhc.org/...c/PIMAction.cfm The warrior/ hunter saddles were made of two pieces of buffalohide, sewn together and stuffed with grassor buffalo hair. My 2 cents ... / Knut

Pick up trucks becomes an addiction, once you have had one you are trapped. I bought me an old 4 WD Nissan King Cab (-90) a couple of years ago, a scarred old warhorse that served me well, and last summer I was seduced by a 4WD Nissan Frontier -05 ( 4 banger diesel). Couldn´t resist - bought it! What would life be without a pick up or two? Everyone should have at least one ! I hope Santa will bring me a Dodge Ram coming Christmas! / Knut

A beauty ! What tree did you use? / Knut