TroyWest

I use a dog ear on my rig connectors as well, to be a smooth transition up over the rig as has already been stated, but I also slightly bell the bottom of this piece as it provides wear leather protection for the bottom edge of the skirts, on that bottom stitch line. I also cut this out of good leather.

Jay Lynn Gore, my good friend (903) 883-3626 Caddo Mills, Tx.

All these answers are on the money. I just covered a mod. assoc. yesterday, no welt. My next saddle is a mod. assoc. and the customer requested no welt, but it's about his 5th saddle. I don't charge extra on new saddles but I once had an order for a guy who sent me 11 pages of what he wanted. One request was a 16" swell with no welt. I charged him $100.00 extra and did it on the 1st try. I'm sorry I didn't take a picture. I built a couple of ranch cutters last year. These are the only ones I put a hidden welt on. It's totally accepted in cutter world but I don't like it on cowboy saddles at all. It's easy to do but it just aint punchy enough, and it does tend to gap over time. I really prefer no welt but when I do I'll put the welt to the front like a bronc saddle, for the same reasons. If you lock up on the swell your not against the welt. Another thing I do is after putting a nail at the base of the swell in front, at the gullet, I'll take my dog pliars and pull at the front stirrup leather groove to put a nail up by the handhold. Then I'll take my rubbing stick and push that leather down from horn to middle of swell base and then to front side and then to the back. Then I'll take my french hammer and using a thick piece of scap leather against the swell sort of beat that leather down the middle in the same process, then to the front, to the rear, just splitting the differences. If the leather is to stiff to the front, direct more to the rear, If not just split the differences. I do have contact cement under there and this method works for me. Hope I explained it adequately. Here are a couple of pictures of mod. assoc., One with a welt and one without.

Tina, that really is excellent work.

Hi Randy, Yes, you did see that saddle at Wichita Falls a few years back. It won Best of Show that year. Sorry to show you something you've already seen. I really have quite a few more pictures. I'll try to get some up soon. Troy

Thanks Nick, but I no longer work at West Brothers Saddlery. I built a shop at my home about 4 years ago. My brother and I get along great, always have, but he works there and I work at my shop. My web site needs updating but it iswww.troywestsaddles.com

Hello Tim, Thank you for your kind words.I certainly don't want to be discouraging, but encouraging. We all have places we can improve in. I'm not where I want to be but I'm not where I used to be either. We can all do more than we think we can. I'll keep posting, you keep working. Troy

Thank you Bruce. I've read a number of your posts and they are always right on the money. I think you make an excellent moderator. Keep up the good work. Troy

Thank you all for your kind compliments.Yes, you did see this saddle in the Leather Crafters and saddlers Journal.

Howdy folks, My friend Jon Watsabaugh told me about this site and I have enjoyed reading it. I would have put a picture on here a while back but I'm terribly computer illiterate. I read how to post a picture on here, but it might as well have said zippity do dah. I thought a post held up a fence. Until recently I thought a mouse was a rodent, a download meant get the groceries out of the car, upload meant put the hay on the truck, and a megabyte meant a big 'ol dawg had hold of your rear end. So I figured out what to do. Find a kid. Fortunately my lovely daughter was downstairs and she patiently helped me. If you saw me typing this you would shake your head and say, somebody shoot him. I really can't type either. At any rate, I am a saddlemaker. I make my own trees, make my silver, and of course build and tool my saddles. My daughter really is'nt a kid anymore, she's 19, pretty as a picture, and she really does shake her head and laugh when she sees me typing. Since she helped me do this we used pictures of a saddle I made for her several years ago. All the conchos are shaped like hearts, the horn cap, and frog are hearts and the inlaid seat is as well. Hope you like it. Troy