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gothcowboy

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About gothcowboy

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  1. gothcowboy
    Glad someone stepped up and ID'd it - beat me to it. I have a few Bona Allen saddles. FWIW - oiling a really dirty old saddle like this doesn't clean it, it just soaks the dirt in. You could use a mild detergent like diluted Dawn dishwashing detergent and a super soft baby toothbrush, clean out all the crevices, rinse with water and a rag. When it's dry you can use a less greasy heavy duty conditioner like Oakwood Leather Conditioner. With a saddlelike this, you may take a couple days to condition it. It's had years of neglect to make up for. Adding oil to decades of filth is like "washing" your dirty hair with axle grease. Soap and water cleans (think shampoo), rinse really well, then you do a conditioner. Clean first, then condition. Also, having that leather damp will give you an opportunity to reshape the skirts over a day or so as they dry. After the leather is moisturized they don't shape as easily, or set as well.
  2. gothcowboy started following Singer 111W105 - Anyone Have One?, Ugly Seat Replacement, Quick Change Stirrup Buckles and and 2 others
  3. gothcowboy
    I picked up a project saddle, an old Cow Country production saddle, and it's turned into a horrible thing (of course). It needs new everything, so why do I persist? Well, because before I tore into it a whole bunch I already got new fenders for it, re-dyed and conditioned it, etc.. I knew it needed a new seat, but figured it wouldn't be too difficult... until I took the old one completely off. Turns out the old padded seat is two pieces of leather that joins in the center under a section of padded seat leather. There is no solid piece of leather as a seat to put new padding and leather on - it's literally the two jockeys sewn to a disintegrated seat, and that old disintegrated seat is what went up under the cantle binding. Then, underneath the old seat is some yucky old hair felt nailed directly to the tree, right over the strainer. It's nasty. I'm sure I'm not the first person to discover something like this. Short of killing it with fire or cutting a completely new seat, jockeys, etc., what's a good solution here? Should I just reassemble it with new heavier leather to replace the old padded section, than pad that piece, or reassemble it exactly as it was built with the skimpy padded seat section holding both sides together? I appreciate any tips!
  4. gothcowboy
    That's pretty interesting about the stirrup buckles. I'm going to see how the Tough-1 brand works. I have a feeling they may not fit as tight or smooth, but it remains to be seen. As far as the stirrup pegs and special blanket pin setup goes, they used to be marketed on standup cards on the counters of tack stores back in the day (sort of like replacement spur rowels), and I can almost remember what they looked like, except I cannot for the life of me remember who made them. There's a chance there may have been an ad for them in an ancient Western Horsemen magazine or something, but I haven't looked. All that would tell me is who made them, and I doubt that company is still in business, and certainly would not still be manufacturing such an obscure setup. I was hoping a cowpoke had some new old stock hoarded away someplace, waiting for that one day someone like me would actually need them. That looks unlikely.
  5. gothcowboy
    Hi Josh - Thanks for the link, but that's not the same kind of pins. Attaching a pic, just for the visual. Originally, there was a special type of blanket pin that went through the two pins that go in the holes on the stirrup leathers. I'm attaching a pic similar to the type of "safer" blanket-style pin that used to come as a set with the pegs. Somebody made earrings out of that style. Still on the hunt for those Harris-style buckles. No joy so far.
  6. gothcowboy
    I know I've seen them someplace, but does anyone know where I can find quick change Western stirrup leather buckles like those used on Harris (and a few other brands') saddles? I found some similar (imports) by Tough-1, but those appear to be plated hardware and I'm looking for something more durable that won't rust, probably stainless steel. Worst case scenario is I replace the old Al Ray buckles with Blevins, but my hands are telling me no. I've really developed a dislike for them. I'm also trying to find replacement pins for an old set of stirrup leathers - the kind that had a peg through each hole, then something similar to a blanket pin went through them. I can't for the life of me remember what they were called, or who made them. I used to see them in old catalogs, and every once in awhile on eBay, but I haven't seen any for years. I'm old enough to remember when they were still sold in tack stores! I'm trying to replace some old corroded ones, just for the sake of keeping the saddle original. Any help is much appreciated!
  7. gothcowboy
    The horn, gullet, conchos/strings and shape of the seat in relation to the cantle all look Mexican made. A lot of Mexican made saddles wind up in the US, so it very well have come from the States. Usually, a view from the front will better show the shape of the fork and gullet, which are also pretty easily identified as Mexican made. It looks to be in very good condition though.
  8. gothcowboy
    Thanks a bunch! and sorry to hear about your clutter-induced accident. I know those well... I figured it for about 50's era, maybe super early 60s. Has brass hardware and 3.5" galvanized bells still in good shape, minus one missing tread. It needs a few other updates, but nothing major except for new fleece and strings. I've cleaned it and still conditioning it, but other than the norm it really doesn't have insurmountable issues for a saddle its age. All in all, it's still a tight little rig and I'm really happy with it. I'd just like to keep it original, for the most part, hence my search for stirrup pins and sawtooth rosettes.
  9. gothcowboy
    I recently acquired a vintage roughout roping saddle in its original condition. It has 3" wide fender adjustment, with the old bolt and blanket pin system. From the marks left, it doesn't appear the stirrups were ever adjusted with the old lacing system, and definitely never Blevins, though lace adjustment may have been replaced with the bolts and pin system shortly after purchase. Naturally, the pins are missing, so the former owner used baling wire in their place. I'm wondering if anyone knows approximately when the pin system was in its zenith to help date the saddle. (I rode in an old JC Higgins in the early 60s that used the bolt and pin adjusters, FWIW.) There are no maker marks that I've yet discovered, though I have not yet pulled back the seat to find any marks that may be on the rawhide tree. I'd like to find replacement pins if anyone knows of any (I remember they used to be sold on cards at tack stores eons ago!), and I'm also trying to find replacement leather rosettes with the old sawtooth edge. Pics attached. Any insights are appreciated. Thanks!
  10. gothcowboy
    I believe I may have seen an extra cover plate in the drawer that came with the table it's on. Not sure if it's the correct cover plate yet. The whole thing needs to be cleaned, it's so filthy. The motor underneath says "Lawrence M. Stein" in Chicago, speed 1750, 1/4 HP. I believe that's older than dirt, from what I can find about the Lawrence M. Stein company. Once I get it clean and together I'll strongly consider replacing the motor.
  11. gothcowboy
    Aha! That's what I thought. Thanks so much for the photo, because it helps fill in the blanks for me, visually. I need to order a complete walking foot assembly, as well.
  12. gothcowboy
    Awesome intel - thanks! Anything related to industrial machines is all new territory for me. I used one years ago, but it was a completely different type of machine, and knowing how it worked, or its components, weren't a consideration at the time. Now that I own this behemoth, I have no choice but to get it figured out. It's missing the belt from the motor to the machine, and the belt at the end of the machine. I know I can pick those up on eBay. And it appears to move like a walking foot, but only has a single foot. To me, that was odd right off the bat. I don't know if it's missing part of the walking foot, or that's just the way it is.
  13. gothcowboy
    It's not a Singer 111w105, it's a 111w103. Pays to have your glasses on, I guess. At any rate, I can't find a user's manual anywhere. I can find parts manuals, but not user's manuals. Any help would be appreciated.
  14. gothcowboy
    I just committed to buy an old Singer 111w105. I don't know much about them other than they're old, and they weigh about as much as a refrigerator. Has anyone had one? The foot looks like this in its current state. Any intel would be appreciated. This is a little side project I may live to regret!
  15. gothcowboy
    Looks very early 70's, and has not had much love. I would not bid over $100 because it needs a lot of TLC, and that's if there is no dry rot or cracking on important parts like the stirrup leathers. A saddle that neglected would also have suspicious stitching. There's not much about it that makes it worth more than that in its current condition, and it isn't particularly collectable.
  16. gothcowboy
    I know I've seen this saddle before. Seems to me one that looks like this was advertised in Western Horsemen magazines around the late 60s to very early 70s. Unfortunately, I don't have those stored here at home, so I can't say definitely. It was a small ad, black and white, that ran middle-to-back of the magazine. I can remember everything about it but the name - argh!
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