Old Hamely Saddle

[steveh]

Randy,

Reguarding that #580 stamp. I looked in my Mcmillen Saddle stamp catalog which I believe was in bussiness in KC Missouri in 1936. The 580 stamp is a spade, but the #560 looks very similiar to what I can see on your saddle, a very geometric 25 petal flower 5/8 " diameter, with about 1/8 inch center. It may be that they miss read 6 as an 8 ?

Steve

[Randy Cornelius]

I bet I will never find one of those. It would be a good project to try to build a new one just like it.

[bruce johnson]

Randy,

I have an old Hamley catalog reprint along with shreds of a real one, and saddle E203 is the Daisy Mae, as Ronny said. The picture they show in the catalog has a 12 or 13 petal flower used. I am sure they could have used whatever flower a customer wanted. They also show other saddle models with 7 petaled flowers in that pattern, and a five petal with the squarish tips. That "daisy basket" pattern was pretty commonly used back then by several makers. I would suspect from the numbering that it is an old McMillen stamp too. The border stamp sure likes a commonly used McMillen pattern (want to say a #328). I have a couple old stamps that were reported to be McMillens and matched up to catalog impressions, but no numbers. Not sure if any McMillen stamps were ever numbered themselves.

Regarding the "triangle" tree. At least in the 1942 reprint, Hamley's still had their own tree shop. Someone with more knowledge than me knows, but I am recalling that Duff Severe went to work for the saddle shop and his brother went to work in the tree shop after the war. The catalog shows the E203 as being built on the Improved Association tree. But they have a saddle model called the New "Triangle". It was model #580X. The Firefly, was model F616 and was built on the "regular triangle tree". These trees both had the fork of the low form-fitter with a 14" swell. The difference between these two "triangle" models was the cantle dish and slope. The picture of yours looks to me all in the world like their Association. The triangle saddles pictured have the typical undercut swells and backsweep of their form-fitter swells, and welted swell covers. Some of the improved Assoc models they show were welted, and some weren't. It would take someone better than me to do a swell cover on a form-fitter and not welt it. Doesn't look like yours is welted. I'll bet you breakfast yours is an Improved Association tree.

[Randy Cornelius]

Bruce you are right as ususl, one of the numbers on the back of the cantle that I gave them was the number E203. It looks to be an association tree and no the swells are not welted. Someone took a lot of time to form thoses swells.

The saddle went back to it's owner last night and he was pleased with my work on the saddle as well as the home work I done on the history.

Randy

[skip]

very informative and interesting post, I really like seeing the old Hamley's there is a lot of history in leather and saddle work that the Hamley's new store is trying to keep up.

I greatly appreciate seeing nice work and the fact that Randy got the history for the owner, that is going the extra mile for his customers. I am sure the owner didn't mind paying his bill no matter what it was.

[gtwister09]

Randy,

If none of the McMillen stamps match the saddle you could take some detailed pictures and possibly do a clay form to have someone create one for you. Just a thought.

Regards,

Ben

[steveh]

Randy,

McMillen tool is still in bussiness,the #560 stamp can be made. There phone Number 573-374-7880

Steve