gary

As I use a pricker, in almost all circumstances, to make the initial stich marks, the stitches sink into the leather as I stitch so there's no need to pound them afetrwards (and pointless too as the stitches have 'sunk' into the leather and are, in the main, below the surface). Gary

I have also found that using chisels for some cuts is quicker easier and less error prone than using a knife. Buttonhole punches, Pippin or Round, are used over here for saddlery and some military leather items. One of the main suppliers for saddlery related products in UK is Abbey Saddlery (www.abbeysaddlery.com). They supply tools as well and have the punches listed.

Thanks everyone. Because of your informed and helpful replies, I'm changing my ideas drastically. Verlane has also given me some excellent advice and help. Thanks again Gary

Hello everyone, Thanks for the welcome and thanks for the replies I've had on the saddle tree question. I'll work through them and keep you updated. And Happy Easter to everyone. Gary

I have to come clean on this one as I've lurked in the shadows long enough. I make saddles but I'm not a saddlemaker. When I left the Army I did train with a Master Saddler. He only made English saddles. I could/can never get to grips with English saddles - find they're a bit too fiddly and not the most comfortable to ride. I learned to ride in Namibia when I was posted there and my tutor was a German endurance rider so all the saddles were nice and comfortable. I've also ridden some military saddles in the UK and South Africa (some good, some bad, some awful). Since then I've developed a liking for American stock saddles for both me and the horse I'm riding (I feel they're kinder for long rides). Several years ago I decided to make my own saddle which I'm still using and my horse prefers it to ones I've bought (even the really expensive ones). I now make the odd saddle for other people (using the Stohlman and Dave Jones books) - not many, as people prefer to buy factory made because it's nice to see stacks of them in shops and they seem to like staples instead of screws and clicker-die cut parts instead of hand cut. I still get English saddles to repair and reflock (reflocking is a pain but it has to be done). My horse is getting on a bit and she'll need a new saddle soon as her withers are dropping (and mine too, probably) so I'm preparing to go the whole hog and put everything I've learned into her next custom-made saddle. Just a quick question - (and I know there will be no quick answer) but which company has the best reputation for saddles trees? (You have to go a long way over here to get anything but Ralide and even they are as rare as rocking-horse pooh.) Bearing in mind that, if they're not good as getting the size right, I'll have return shipping costs, insurance and taxes to outlay. I've been looking at Superior Saddle tree company with their ultra-hide covering (we're moving to Scotland which is wetter than my curent location) and the anti-damp/wet protection ultrahide appears to give makes it look like the front runner. Also, my contacts with Superior have been good and they've been very helpful; a couple of other companies haven't event bothered to reply to me. And one other question - though I've ridden McClellans and some McClellan variants - if there are any McClellan afficionados reading this - how good are they as an all-round, doing-nothing-special-in-particular-just-riding, saddle for everyday use? Good job this is in the 'Off Topic' thread as I've wandered a bit. Okay, a lot. Gary

My first post so I hope it's helpful. You don't need to worry about getting the number of holes on the plug and the outside of the scabbard the same. If you find you're going round the inside line of stitching (i.e. the plug) faster than you're going the outside line (the scabbard) [which is the way it always happens] you just need to 'lose' a stitch every now and then on the inside line of stitching. This is the method I use when stitching round boxes. Gary