Need Saddlebag Pattern

[Dwight]

Actually . . . I don't need the full saddlebag pattern . . . just the part that goes behind the rider . . . 

The distance between the two bags is one dimension I need

the width of the top . . . at the center is a second dimension

AND . . . the radius of the half circle cut out to ride up against the saddle . . . 

The rest is a no brainer . . . 

I want to make a set of saddlebags for a project . . . and maybe sell them later . . . just want them to be of the right dimensions that someone having a horse would want to buy them.

Thanks for all your help . . . 

I was thinking if someone cared to do it . . . lay your saddlebags down on the floor with a 1 foot ruler laying next to them and post a picture.  I can "interpolate" from there . . . close enough.

Thanks . . . may God bless,

Dwight

Edited August 28 by Dwight

[Littlef]

Tandy has a 1917 saddle bag pattern in their leather craft library.   I tried to post it but its like18.6mb, and over the size limit.  My email is capped at 10mb.  

this is the link.

1917 Saddle Bag Pattern Pack — Tandy Leather, Inc.

 

[Dwight]

1 hour ago, Littlef said:

Tandy has a 1917 saddle bag pattern in their leather craft library.   I tried to post it but its like18.6mb, and over the size limit.  My email is capped at 10mb.  

this is the link.

1917 Saddle Bag Pattern Pack — Tandy Leather, Inc.

 

Thanks Littlef . . .  whole lot more in there than I wanted . . . they'll be plain . . . kind of bags a cheap critter like me would have carried.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Littlef]

3 hours ago, Dwight said:

Thanks Littlef . . .  whole lot more in there than I wanted . . . they'll be plain . . . kind of bags a cheap critter like me would have carried.

May God bless,

Dwight

You’re welcome sir.  They seem to be way more fancier than what most people would use… but hopefully it gives you the dimensions you were needing. 

[Goldshot Ron]

I would be pleased to send you a pattern.  Here are a few that I have built.  Let me know which one you would want a pattern for.  As you said, the part that goes behind the cantle is the foundation for constructing the bags.

Ron

[Dwight]

2 hours ago, Goldshot Ron said:

I would be pleased to send you a pattern.  Here are a few that I have built.  Let me know which one you would want a pattern for.  As you said, the part that goes behind the cantle is the foundation for constructing the bags.

Ron

Good looking work, Goldshot Ron . . .  those would make a bad lookin horse's image perk up.

Looking at some of the TV westerns and movies . . . some of the saddlebags looked to be maybe 18 inches square . . . 5 or 6 inches deep . . . not the 10 inch variety that is sold on Etsy and Ebay these days.

I don't travel much . . . maybe 2 days gone at a time . . . and a pair that sized would carry all of my needs.

I remember them pulling the saddlebags off with a rolled up blanket . . . and the horse N saddle went into the livery.

I'm kind of attempting that for myself . . . 

Got a lady down the street with a couple horses . . . may just go down there and snoop around.

But keep up the good work . . . you are an asset to the forum.

May  God bless,

Dwight

[Goldshot Ron]

Dwight,

The kind of saddle bags that you mentioned are usually nylon bags.  I'd have to measure my old US cavalry bags, but 12"x12" x 5"deep are about as large as you would want for leather saddle bags.  I have made bags out of chap leather to cut down on weight, that would be an alternative to nylon.

Also, thank you for the kind words.

Ron

[Dwight]

5 hours ago, Goldshot Ron said:

Dwight,

The kind of saddle bags that you mentioned are usually nylon bags.  I'd have to measure my old US cavalry bags, but 12"x12" x 5"deep are about as large as you would want for leather saddle bags.  I have made bags out of chap leather to cut down on weight, that would be an alternative to nylon.

Also, thank you for the kind words.

Ron

Thanks, Ron . . . 

[bland]

@Dwight I don't think you would like a saddle bag 18 x 18 x 5.  They would get under you leg or hang way back (about 6 inches on a square skirt saddle) interfering with your horses movement.  They would also hang way down on the side getting in the way. 

The old cavalry saddle bags are pretty big and I think the measurements there are in the range of 13 x 10 x 4.  You could include a cantle bag on top and still tie your jacket/blanket on top.  

To your original question about dimensions.  There is some "it depends" in the calculations.  All saddles are a little different.  Do you have a saddle handy? If not I can give you measurements from mine.  

The distance from the cantle to the edge of the rear skirts on my 4 saddles average 5 1/2 inches.  The bag opening/lid should be just below where the cantle ties in at the seat ear where the conchos and saddle strings are (if it has them there).  Rear saddle strings are about 12-14 inches apart again not all the same. The distance from the center of the cantle to the level of the where the bag starts is about 8 inches so overall in the 16 inch range.  

As far as the arc on the cantle it also depends on the saddle tree maker some are a little flatter on the back.  I would just take some paper/posterboard for a pattern and cut the general shape then you can scribe a line on your pattern with your compas.  

I don't punch my tie holes until I can see where the rear saddle strings hit on the bag.  

Take that for what it is worth.  

 

 

Edited August 30 by bland
added content

[Dwight]

1 hour ago, bland said:

@Dwight I don't think you would like a saddle bag 18 x 18 x 5.  They would get under you leg or hang way back (about 6 inches on a square skirt saddle) interfering with your horses movement.  They would also hang way down on the side getting in the way. 

The old cavalry saddle bags are pretty big and I think the measurements there are in the range of 13 x 10 x 4.  You could include a cantle bag on top and still tie your jacket/blanket on top.  ......................   Take that for what it is worth.  

 

 

Thanks Bland . . . I thought the cavalry bags (and Matt Dillons) were somewhat bigger . . . but not ever using them . . . I had no clue.

Your info hits the spot . . . just what I really needed . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[rktaylor]

Dwight,

I'm a little late to the game, but this is my pattern. The holes match the strings on saddles I build. That curve should fit a lot of saddles. You can leave the front ear off if you want. I use it to attach the bags. The saddle bags in the photo are really heavy leather. They were my first attempt. 

Best, 

Randy

[Dwight]

9 hours ago, rktaylor said:

Dwight,

I'm a little late to the game, but this is my pattern. The holes match the strings on saddles I build. That curve should fit a lot of saddles. You can leave the front ear off if you want. I use it to attach the bags. The saddle bags in the photo are really heavy leather. They were my first attempt. 

Best, 

Randy

 

 

Thanks, Rktaylor . . . I'm going to my Tandy store probably in a couple of weeks . . . will be buying probably a side . . .  and am leaning a lot more toward making a really pretty pair . . .  all stamped and such . . .  

Next problem will be finding "THE" pattern I want to use on them . . .  I like flowers n such . . .  but it is a bit overdone sometimes . . . not sure where I'll go with it . . .  just gonna look.

But your set has the general "look" of what I want.  One thing I will do for sure though is make the center connector piece just one cut of leather.  Will be more expensive that way  . . .  but it'll achieve a lot of the look I want.

Thanks again, may God bless,

Dwight

[fredk]

I can send you the Tandy pattern pack for saddle bags

[Dwight]

6 hours ago, fredk said:

I can send you the Tandy pattern pack for saddle bags

OK . . . appreciate that . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[Dwight]

On 8/31/2024 at 3:42 AM, fredk said:

I can send you the Tandy pattern pack for saddle bags

Got it . . . 

Saw three different offerings . . . don't know why but my computer balked at two of them . . . some silly excuse "Cannot be downloaded"

But one came thru . . . and it seemed to have everything.

Thanks again . . . may God bless,

Dwight

[fredk]

Thats very strange. Which one did you get? I'll resend the other two in different PMs

[Dwight]

4 hours ago, fredk said:

Thats very strange. Which one did you get? I'll resend the other two in different PMs

The download said "saddlebag pattern pack"  . . .  and was 921 kb in size.  That was the generic Tandy one . . . just showing a typical bland saddle bag building.

It wouldn't tell me anything more.

The second one . . . 15mb size . . . had all the designs / flowers etc . . .  I got out my bully club and made it down load . . . 

The third one . . .11mb size . . . said it originated from off leatherworker here . . . and either the info was moved . . . or one of us did not have permission to view it . . . 

I'm good with the other two I think . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight

[fredk]

They came straight from my files. I open all three in Adobe to make sure they were worth sending.

I'll try #3 again

[Dwight]

16 hours ago, fredk said:

They came straight from my files. I open all three in Adobe to make sure they were worth sending.

I'll try #3 again

I actually got out my computerized bully club . . . threatened it severely . . . finally got it.

Thanks fredk . . . it's gonna be a while . . . but I'll pop the results in a couple months.

I actually have an M14 rifle I have to build first . . . 

And right after breakfast today . . .  gotta put on my all white robbing suit . . .  lift the lid on my beehive . . .  rob the ladies of about 25% of the work they did this summer.  That and getting it all in the jars and on the shelf . . . shoots a cannon ball sized hole in my Monday.  

Stinking goldenrod usually doesn't hit full bloom here until the 10th or 12th or so.  It's there today . . .  it'll ruin the honey if I don't get it now.

My wife has some chipping and painting she has laid out for me  . . .  have slid around it all summer . . .  am about to get nailed I think.

May God bless,

Dwight

[fredk]

Say 'hello' to your bees for me