pella

That look nice!! Beautiful! I like this seat with no hand hole. A question i have about loop seat: I'm wondering if that part can tear over time if someone often push the stirrup on the front? Or the slot accomodate all the move? forward and back. Regardless of that question, i do think the loop seat look GREAT!

If you can find a similar "synthetic leather" material (maybe something for upholestery), i would remove the old swell cover, hoping the glue was not too hard, unstitch the welt, then trace the pattern on the new fabric, stitch, then install them. Should not be as hard as leather to install. Since it is not a leather saddle, i dont see the need to have it upgrade. You could maybe install oval patches with round nails too over the old cover? Like they put on the swell when worn.

thanks Bruce for precision, i was not sure what mean "trip". I think i still dont know what mean exactly "trip" but i understand the event.

poor horse...!

The saddle i have here is stamped "471" on the front jockey. Thanks for the details, very interresting and i can see i was on the good way about no metal concho and age of the saddle. Did you change the rigging dee? Naive question to Bruce: Do the horse make the trip "saddled" in the train?! Anyone can tell the style of the tree (fork) i have? I am still in "study" about these. It is about 13¼ swell and thick stock. I post more picture of the "acorn" or "shell" motif for comparasion and reference. Also a picture of the front fork.

Hennessy: interresting, maybe the saddle i have was made by jumbo for the texas farm supply. Conchos are original? Do your saddle have a screw on horn? Tree bars are wide and short too, 21", it's 6" gullet. They fit my own 14hands very well. But just dont look confortable for me, i'll try it for a little ride when finish. My friend dont care, it's her first saddle. I feel better now to go and put time on refurbishing the saddle :-) Another feature is the all-leather ground seat and still in good shape.

hi bruce and thanks for helping me i'll post a picture of the maker mark for reference. It is stamped "Texas farm supply co" The horseman line Houston , texas Fitted with original "laced" stirrups leathers. I also like the sea shell pattern, even if it is a little naive. I dont trust much the rigging as it is punched and laced just over the steel rigging dee. The leather could probably brake anytime, 80 year old dry leather, and the owner just put a pint of oil on the saddle, thats a bad combination. I saddle soap it to try remove as much and soften the leather. I will probably change it for new leather. The nails are rusty, and the saddle was repaired by a poor leatherworker :-( he put a new "real wool on synthetic backing" over the old sheepskin and without removing the skirts!!! He even manage to make splits in the synthetic wool... Tree feel solid. Question: on the saddle, the horn is covered on a certain way, as seen on picture below, and there is a X screw (dont know the name in english) so thats not original, do you think there was a screw there? Or someone put it to hold the leather? It look ugly. I want to put it like original, i want to remove the cheap star conchos, i think that was a later addition. Someone know when these commons concho came to life?

Hello, a friend bring me a Houston Texas mark 1930's maybe 40's saddle(?), for me it is an antique to display...but she buy it to ride it. I tell her i will need to open it to be sure it is safe for her...considering the age of the saddle. Surprise, the rawhide on one bar is craked and eaten around steel rivets. Wood is not craked under the rawhide, for what i can see. I would be happy to tell her she can use the saddle :-/ its for trail. Anything to do to add strenght without removing the tree from the seat? Is this particular place on the bar critical (take a lot of pressure)? The dark place under the bars are probably oil, the saddle was over-oiled thanks for your help .

Sorry LEPAGE Press-tite Green Contact cement water based

I discover a water based contact cement available in hardware store around here. It work very well, it hold even greasy leather lining and work great on kodel fleece for saddles. Written to be moisture and heat resistant. It is longer to dry but i do someting else while it dry and finish with a hair drier. I do not SMELL NOTHING!! After getting a tumor (read cancer) concerning "birth defect" as it is written on my toluene contact glue, i dont want to smell that stuff anymore. Even outside in the summer. Might not be caused by the glue, but it probably do not help. I may try the toluene free glue but dont know if it much less dangerous? Well i am happy with my new glue and it is more "environmental friendly" if i may say. Be careful. a leatherworker who want to be healthy!

Did you ever try Odernix on aniline leather twinoaks? I try the soda paste on a leather scrap and thats very warsh, it do remove the top coat and the dye. I read we could place the skunked leather in a bag 24h+ along with a pot of baking soda to absorb the odor. I would be afraid to soak the leather. Maybe diluted white vinegar applied couple of time...but baking soda is no after the test i done...well, if that would be done, the piece would need a new dye and lots of cream. Look like there is no magic answer (maybe Odernix?) No one experience peroxide? I try on leather scrap and it dont look to warm at first sight.

One of my client had is dog sprayed by a skunk, so now the collar is intolerable as it smell strong. Anyone experience / good tips on removing odor without scraping the leather? I was thinking about, let the time go...and the odor will fade... or any leather cleaner may help?... She was thinking about baking soda and peroxide...sound harsh. thanks all

Here in Canada it is frequent for dogs, sometime humans if you dont take care, they even eat my chikens once...little cute monsters... No skunks in UK?

But anyone experience HOW to remove odor from the dog LEATHER COLLAR!! without damaging... thanks for tips

I dont understand that one? Well, i look at your web site, and it is well made and interresting, i am sure some people will very appreciate your information to restore their saddle themself. Not a fan of ivory or any detergent but well...if really dirty or oily...maybe...i never try that BUT i think yellow saddle soap after a so harsh washing is not enough to feed leather, i would feed with oil and/or heavy cream ( i use sedgwick leather care) like don explain. Maybe you could precise it is not always necessary to remove the seat? From part 6 to 7 the seat is gone i was a little lost as it is not really explain. For part 7, i can say i like to place a string in the hole of the leathers so it is much easier to put stirrup leathers back after. Most of time leathers go over the bars, and not on a metal fitting like on the saddle illustrated on your web site.

Beautiful work Don! I love the marking lines and the piping on gusset make it look very nice. Will you make a leather or fabric shoulder strap?

oh! yes, i misunderstand you! Ok i just take a look on zack white web site : http://www.eleatherworks.com/product.php?p...=490&page=1 and they say the double butt in tanned in europe. Pretty cheap compare to sedgwick, it is same price as leather tanned in usa. I'd like to try it. When i say "drier usa leather" i dont mean cardboard leather, i mean very high quality, but just less stuffed.

I would add that these hide are without any cosmetic/blemish defect.

rdb: hum... never eard about Sedgwick leather raw stock coming from usa? But the only thing i am sure of it that it is "cured" in England (so possible to be tanned outside) http://www.je-sedgwick.co.uk/profile.cfm I order regulary Sedgwick from england and it have a beautiful waxy coat. Compare to usa bridle leather: I think difference is in the finishing, greasing mostly (curying), much more fat/waxes content than a drier usa bridle leather. When displaying "new" product, it sure appeal the eye. It is also agreable in hands. It break down quite fast (unless a particulary super strong butt), become very supple. I cannot compare to Zack, never use it. Sometime i get a better hide from Usa tanned stock, talking about tightness of fibers, all cows not created equal...but Sedgwick for sure cost me twice the price of an USA hide (in Canada) here someting made out of sedgwick "shinny" leather

thanks jw I do cut a strip 1¾ to use on my saddle to test it. You are rigth on less bulk but i do feel unsafe, so i make 3 fold instead of two around rigging...(and i am not sure if it is much stronger than 2 fold?) so as much (or more) bulk for me. I could use it for pony saddles maybe. Probably with very best, strong and tight fibers leather it is ok. I find my hide stetchy so it will be even thinner than 8oz with usage. The boutin (salz) look less stetchy and is probably better for ligth weight quality cinches tie strap.

I just receive my latigo samples from Boutin, look nice!! 3 lovely browns...russet is quite dark! The brown is dark havana and the cognac is a beautiful medium brown. Their red is good looking too, it is dark. thanks, i will order my next side there. I know about any chrome-veg leather is not really burnishable, i use saddle soap on a rag for that. I was very mad this month i ordered a 9-10oz red latigo from a canadian cie and i receive a 8oz side! GRRRR!!! I cannot do latigos cinches with this hide, now i am stuck with it untill i find a usage...Next time i will precise i NEED at least 9oz MINIMUM!!!!! on the butt of the hide...Dont know were they guage it, only place i find a 9oz was on the neck unusable part... :-| Let say it was the first and last time i'll order there. I even precise it was for cinches. Thats the disavandtage when you dont have saddlery leather supplier around...and need to order by mail, hum...money wastage.

8-9oz (and if it is on the 8oz side) will not last as long, were bit is attached, you can maybe line this part. Keep your blade very sharp...thats will prevent cut fingers ! For reins, 8-9oz is thin too. But if you use the best part of hide, and put lining on bit attachment, that may help...

top leather is skived in the center of noseband. I use another thicker skived leather for lining, i glue 2 round leather lace on it, then moisten the top leather, glue it on the lining, shape it with a little tool like a spoon around laces, thats tricky to get it straight. Then i have to cut the edges straight (you may want to cut noseband larger first because with raising, is get narrower), sand, dye, finish, glue that part on the calfskin padding, then stitch. well, a lots of steps. I'll try to put a picture of "inside" (i have a sample piece here) the raised part to show you, you'll understand better.

english work i go with about 10oz but i preffer to go heavier with western headstall, especially if it is not lined, about 13oz. But you need to skive buckle return even under the buckle not to have a big blob and to be able to buckle properly.

yé! thank you all for the positive comments!! I am always proud when i finish an english bridle like that as it is a lot of job and precision. I got the price i ask for...not everybody can afford, so thats not what i do most of the time... I dont know if clients really understand all work involved, sometime i say hand-stitched and they understand "ha ok, hand-stitched with a machine" ha ha ha! I do have a picture of an halter bridle i made based on the cavalry pattern, i'll post it later.