BondoBobCustomSaddles

Either way works fine, it is just a matter of how much to charge and what the customer will pay. I have done them both ways and it takes about 3 times as long to do it in the round. If you want to make a profit you can figure how much both ways and present it to the customer. Stitched properly will be just a strong, remember not to stitch across the strap or it will weaken the strap. Bob

Hey Clint, love to hear others talk about the horse traders back in the good ol days. A good friend of mine and the guy that really got me started making and repairing saddles, Bobby Jacobs, loves to talk about those days with Cletus and the rest. He sure has some interesting stories! He is still tradin saddles but not horses any more. Bondo Bob

That's walkin in tall cotton! Treasure the walk! I'd give my eye teeth for that treasure trove. Bob

So here is the latest, I have to appologize for the pic, but; as usual, as soon as it is done they want to pic it up. They promised me they would send me some pics with the horse tacked up. I will send them along as soon as I get them. Now while this apears to be a fairly simple saddle, there is a lot going on here and I will try to elaborate as to how this saddle was designed (by the owner). First, the owner is an old time horseman, that knows exactly what he wants and that drove the design in a lot of different ways. He wanted a saddle similar to his barrel racing saddle in weight and style (Complete with cinch, rear cinch, breast collar and all, it weighs in at 28 1/2 lbs.), since he rides 4 to 5 horses a day 6 days a week, and wants to make quick changes from one to the next easily. Second, he wanted a deep seat with a 5" cantle and a smooth seat since he finds a lot of the time he is turning from one side to the other and looking back and so on a lot. Third he wanted it to have a wraped horn since he does pony a lot on the trails. Forth, he wanted a big Dee so he could easily rig and unrig the girth from one horse to another. Fifth, he wanted to sit right down on the horse and wanted extreme cut-outs to get his legs down close and not work on his knees too much ( some of the horses that he rides could best be described as WIDE LOAD!) this is also why this saddle has a tin seat strainer instead of leather ( if I put him any lower, he will be sitting inside the horse!). Sixth, he wanted the horn while wrapped, to be small enough around so that he could just throw his breast collar center ring up over it while switching from one horse to another. Seventh, he wanted the rear billets to have a forward cant to them. Eighth, he also wanted the breast collar dees to be mid high on the saddle, and sticking out so that he could easily snap and unsnap the collar during changes. Ninth and finally, he wanted dees between the cantle and the rear jockey so he could strap on a bed roll or rear trunk or whatever. A lot of stuff going on for a reasonably plain saddle, however; that's what you get when you have a custom saddle made. All in all he was satisfied, which is the goal when you take on a commission to build something. He had one made last year and wasn't happy. He sold it almost as soon as he got it, and came to me. Well, that's pretty much it on this saddle, except that he has just ordered one for his wife, so it will be the next one coming up. Please feel free to critique, I am always interested in people's opinions. Bondo Bob

Dwight, I have made quite a few, usually for folks that have breeding stallions. What I do is skive both sides from full thickness, (13-15 oz.) to a feather edge, over about 3 inches or so, ( always skive both on flesh side) then glue them together so that they make a smooth overlapping joint, and hand stitch slightly over the edges of the joint. It will make a strong flexible joint. Not had any problem with any of them. I also put a three layer knob on the end of the ones I make. Much like the way you anchor the leathers on a saddle horn. The strap goes through the first layer, attaches to the second layer ( rivets) and then the bottom (first layer) the center anchor layer, and the top are glued together and stitched like a saddle horn. Makes a good strong knob on the end for grabbing. Hope that helps, just remind the lady that the cows stop growing once they are skinned and so there is no 25 ft long pieces to make it with no seams. Bondo Bob

I usually like to point out things I like about somewone's work. In this case that would take several pages! The kind of work we all seek to emulate. Bondo Bob

Darc, as always, neat, clean, and well balanced! Very pleasing to the eye. Nice Job. Bob

They make different grades of velcro. The strongest will work nicely, you will have to get it off the internet though, they don't carry it in normal stores like Joann's. Bob

Darc, I am not a web designer either, however; I think Twister pretty much has hit it on the head pretty well. I also like the black and white pics, gives it an old timey feeling. Kind of reminds me of when I was a kid looking at saddles in the Sear and Roebuck catalogue but; that's a another story. I would only add some color samples on the Misc page. Also a basic price page for your wares. It will keep you from having to answer/justify a lot of questions from "tire kickers" on why a high end fine made saddle cost what it costs. I know people in this end of the country seem to relate better to a "hourly rate times hours labor plus materials type of cost" ie. 100 hours X $35 per hour + $1000 mat = $4,500 senario. I love looking at top quality work, such as yours and some of the others on this sight. Bob

Andy, The highest compliment that one can give is to copy your work. I am sure that there are many that will and do just that. Very nice! Bob

Denise and Andy have hit it pretty much on the head. As for that old wives's tale, I have been told that also, and have only worked on one saddle that hase been "dunked", in over 20 years, and it came from out in Nebraska or Kansas some where. At that this saddle was dunked in some kind of oil, maybe vegetable oil. Made a real mess to clean up and repair, the owner paid dearly for the work. On the other hand, have opened up many, many old saddles made by a lot of really good makers from the past and as yet, have not seen even one by a competent maker that was not blocked. 'Course I'm up here in Michigan and there are not a lot of folks that make there living "in the saddle", so I can't speak for the rest of the country, just the stories we hear up here. Bondo Bob

I sew and rivet Bob

Hey Gramps, First, I use 10-12 oz on most all applications that require the use of latigo. If it needs to be thinner that that, I just split it down to the desired thickness. Second, there are some that advocate not using latigo on applications, however; that is a matter of personel choice, I almost always use it on cinch straps unless otherwise specified by he customer. Third, I have use latigo from several sources and the sides that I get from Wickett and Craig, and Seigle of California, and always been good. Bob

Hi JM, well I have some info for you on those seats. First, I was a seat system engineer for Lear Corp back when those seat were developed and made. There were several leather suppliers that were used to supply the original hides for the prototypes and eventually the production seats. Given the age of the vehicle it is likely that they were supplied by Siegle of California. There are only a few high end vehicles made in America that actually use Top Grain Hides for their seats. The King Ranch version is one of them, the Harley Truck and other specialty type vehicles are the others. All the others use second split with a grain pressed on it and then a urathane top coat, they also do not make the whole cover out of leather. In a lot of the panels on the seat cover they are using special high grade vinyl, hence the words "leather seating surfaces" in the advertising. In some cases the vinyl actually has better wear characteristics and is used in high wear areas by design. Back to your particular seats, the likelyhood is they do not have a urathane coating on them. Best suggestion is, however; that you pick a flap that does not show and do your testing on that. You can reach up under the front seat where the cover goes down and under the seat pan and you will find that it is attached with a plastic clip strip to the seat pan edge. If you take the strip and roll it rearward it will come off and the flap will pull out forward to give you a good piece of leather to experiment with that will not show when you re-install it. Bear in mind at this juncture the best thing you can do is use a non-oily reconditioner as you do not want it to end up on your pants! Hope that helps. If you need any other info just send me a note. Bondo Bob

"Necessity is the mother of invention." You have done yourself proud with the rehab of the "parts bin". I love to see people use inovative talent to solve a need. Very nice job! Bondo Bob

Hi there! I am also from MI. I think that you will find that aside from the many talented folks from all over, there is quite a contingent from Michigan, and they are all willing to help. All you have to do is ask, and lots of pics. Everybody likes pics. Welcome to the sight! Bondo Bob

Huntet, I see the same things that Bruce and Denise see. To me the saddle is sitting too far forward in most of the pics. It give the appearence that it is going uphill when it should be more level. The fact that it looks uphill indicates that it is sitting up on top of the withers and not "just behind". I too would also be interested in what that lump is and what is wrong there. Can you turn the saddle over and point with your finger where the lump is in a picture. I had that "horse uncomfortable " feeling on a horse that is built similar to yours. Pictured is a saddle that I made for him, note that this is a cutting saddle, and it is a close contact wide open seat on a Buster Welch tree, and sits down on the horse and gives the appearence of going downhill because of a really flat wide open ground seat, what I am pointing out to you is more where the saddle is actually sitting on his back. If I were there, I would probably first look into that lump and get it corrected, and second, if all else looks correct, sit the saddle rearward like Bruce and Denise have also indicated. Bondo Bob

Hard to tell by this picture, but; it looks like this horse is a well put up 1/4 horse type relatively wide, (my personal preferance). I suspect that you may be looking at the width of the gullet being too narrow and not fitting as Most of the others have pointed to. That Simco looks to be easily 7" to 71/2". Your new saddle needs to be similar in gullet width and angle, with a similar twist and rock. I would put the saddle on the horse with nothing but a piece of cotton sheet between the horse and the saddle to keep the saddle clean, and then lounge the horse for a couple of rounds so the saddle settles into the position it is going to migrate to. Then look it over real good, with a flash light between the bars up under the seat, under the rigging, under the bars all along the length the saddle and so on to see if it sits down flush without gaps between the bars along the length, also look to see if the bars are touching at the top the same as at the bottom of the bars. They should. Also, with the saddle now in position where it is going to ride, pay attention to where the rear cinch is. I could be too far rearward now and acting like a "bucking cinch". If you rig her up like a rodeo horse, expect her to be one. Of course this is all conjecture, we need you to take a bunch of pics , with and without the saddle and where it seems to fit correctly, and where you have been trying to put it, with and without a blanket and so on, and also tree specs. That will help one of the many really good horseman here to assist you in your problem. While I was writing this I see that Keith also chimed in. Like I said there are many really, really good horsmen here, the more information you can give the better help you will get. Bondo Bob

Try this guy. I have seen his work, and it is very nice. Ted N. Estes 5055 Conns Creek Road Ball Ground, Georgia 30107 (770) 893-1201 Bondo Bob

Hey Bruce, that is really a nice piece! It is always nice to aquire an old piece of equipment that has been kept up. Amazing how it just works ....better! Guess that is because there is something to be said for "the old fashioned way"! I know that you will use it with the care it deserves. Bondo Bob

It's always nice to know your work is appreciated. What goes around comes around my friend! Beautiful Tiger tail! Now you need to make a sheath for it! Bob

Storm, send me an address and I will send you one. Bondo Bob

Earlier this year, I posted some pics of the chaps I made for my Grand Daughters for Christmas. Some of you asked that I post some pics once they actually got to a show with them on. These are a couple of pics of Rachel at her first show of the year up at Mich. St. (Go Spartans!) This is the first western class she has ever been in. Up to now it has only been english. Hope you like, and thanks for the interest. Bondo Bob

Chris, very nice! Also Welcome home! I can't wait for the day when all of our brothers in arms are on home soil! Thank you for your service. By the way, if you are now out and have even a hint of problems with your health that may be connected now or in the future, don't wait to file with the VA via an advocate like Disabled American Vets or American Legion, or the like. You will be dealing with just another government agency that is possibly the slowest and most inept of them all! I know from experience, still trying to get some help after 41 years! Sincerely, Bondo Bob

CJ, I am sure that you will find someone here on this sight that will be interested. How much are you asking for this saddle? Bob