how many in the group are saddle makers?

[Blake]

Hi Everyone

I'm a little curious as to how many in the group are saddle makers or are serious about becoming one.

Also where are you located?

Thanks

Blake

[ClayB]

Hi Blake,

I have made a few saddles with the help of a local saddle maker, and a couple more on my own. I took some classes in Sheridan a few years ago too. But I don't really consider myself a saddle maker. I enjoyed making the ones I did, but most of the guys around here that make saddles say most of the money is in fixing them and that is something I don't want to do. And then today a guy stopped where I was working and said " I had a wreck with my horse and tore the rear rigging off my saddle, can you fix it?" and the saddle is now in my basement.

I am in North Dakota.

I know there are several real saddle makers on this forum.

Clay

[bruce johnson]

Blake,

I live in Oakdale, CA. We are known as "The Cowboy Capital of the World". A few other towns claim it, but we have festivals and history to back it up. It is a historically a ranch and rodeo town. On the edge of the Sierra foothills, some mountain packers above us. I build, rebuild, and repair. I do a lot of other leatherwork as well. I am also a student of history, and enjoy collecting old books - cowboy poetry, true 1st person accounts, and vaquero/western history.

Bruce Johnson

[Johanna]

I counted 19 (that I know of for sure) from the member list. Come on guys, introduce yourselves. Oops, excuse me, there are three ladies on my very unofficial list.

Johanna

[gary]

I have to come clean on this one as I've lurked in the shadows long enough. I make saddles but I'm not a saddlemaker.

When I left the Army I did train with a Master Saddler. He only made English saddles. I could/can never get to grips with English saddles - find they're a bit too fiddly and not the most comfortable to ride.

I learned to ride in Namibia when I was posted there and my tutor was a German endurance rider so all the saddles were nice and comfortable. I've also ridden some military saddles in the UK and South Africa (some good, some bad, some awful). Since then I've developed a liking for American stock saddles for both me and the horse I'm riding (I feel they're kinder for long rides).

Several years ago I decided to make my own saddle which I'm still using and my horse prefers it to ones I've bought (even the really expensive ones).

I now make the odd saddle for other people (using the Stohlman and Dave Jones books) - not many, as people prefer to buy factory made because it's nice to see stacks of them in shops and they seem to like staples instead of screws and clicker-die cut parts instead of hand cut.

I still get English saddles to repair and reflock (reflocking is a pain but it has to be done).

My horse is getting on a bit and she'll need a new saddle soon as her withers are dropping (and mine too, probably) so I'm preparing to go the whole hog and put everything I've learned into her next custom-made saddle.

Just a quick question - (and I know there will be no quick answer) but which company has the best reputation for saddles trees? (You have to go a long way over here to get anything but Ralide and even they are as rare as rocking-horse pooh.) Bearing in mind that, if they're not good as getting the size right, I'll have return shipping costs, insurance and taxes to outlay.

I've been looking at Superior Saddle tree company with their ultra-hide covering (we're moving to Scotland which is wetter than my curent location) and the anti-damp/wet protection ultrahide appears to give makes it look like the front runner. Also, my contacts with Superior have been good and they've been very helpful; a couple of other companies haven't event bothered to reply to me.

And one other question - though I've ridden McClellans and some McClellan variants - if there are any McClellan afficionados reading this - how good are they as an all-round, doing-nothing-special-in-particular-just-riding, saddle for everyday use?

Good job this is in the 'Off Topic' thread as I've wandered a bit. Okay, a lot.

Gary

Edited April 6, 2007 by gary

[Ronny]

Hi, my name is Ronny and I am a saddle maker. I built my first saddle in 1972. I learned in Ariz.from several makers and later moved to Idaho where my wife and I owned the South Fork Saddle Shop in eastern Id for almost 20 years. We moved to Oklahoma 5 years ago and are semi retired. I still build around 15-20 saddles a year. I raise a couple colts a year and spend quite a bit of time roping at home.

This is my first experience post anything, so bear with me if I screw up. Later, Ronny

[David Genadek]

Blake,

I've been looking for help for months and have been getting more response on my adds from other saddle makers wanting me to send extra applicants thier way. There doesn't seem to be much interest in saddlemaking as a career anymore. There has been a shortage of saddlemakers for years. This means there is an ever growing opportunity in our industry. I know I could easily keep 15 or 20 makers going if I could find decent people instead I raise prices and give bad service to keep the orders under control. For the past several years I have been training Amish because it is type of work they like. I pay them the same as I would the English so I am very well recieved in the community but it is a lot of extra work when your crew is at a different location.

I think part of the issue is that as a rule leather workers don't charge enough for thier work. I have looked at some of the guides that are out there for pricing saddles and they are joke. Second thing you don't have to be in this to long before you realize you have to know a whole lot more about horsemanship to be successful than most saddlemakers ever dream of. Unfortunately, saddle schools teach techniques of construction but nothing in the way of saddle design theory. I have been watching a discussion on another list about saddle trees, it is very sad. How ignorant our profession must seem to serouse horseman.

David Genadek

[Blake]

Wow! I thought we would get more replies.

Hi Ronny. Welcome to the group. We will look forward to your posts. Who did you work with while you were in Arizona?

Hey Bruce. I thought Bandera Texas was the Cowboy Capital? at least they said it was?

Is anyone planning to be in Texas for the Boot and Saddle Makers Roundup this fall? I was kind of thinking that if enough people on the list responded and some were going then we might plan to get together for a sassparilla during the show.

Blake

[Blake]

Just a quick question - (and I know there will be no quick answer) but which company has the best reputation for saddles trees? (You have to go a long way over here to get anything but Ralide and even they are as rare as rocking-horse pooh.) Bearing in mind that, if they're not good as getting the size right, I'll have return shipping costs, insurance and taxes to outlay.

I've been looking at Superior Saddle tree company with their ultra-hide covering (we're moving to Scotland which is wetter than my curent location) and the anti-damp/wet protection ultrahide appears to give makes it look like the front runner. Also, my contacts with Superior have been good and they've been very helpful; a couple of other companies haven't event bothered to reply to me.

And one other question - though I've ridden McClellans and some McClellan variants - if there are any McClellan afficionados reading this - how good are they as an all-round, doing-nothing-special-in-particular-just-riding, saddle for everyday use?

Good job this is in the 'Off Topic' thread as I've wandered a bit. Okay, a lot.

Gary

Hi Gary

I really don't recommend the ultra hide. And in my opinion Superior doesnt have the best track record for quality and fit.

I have no idea about your budget so you will have to decide what you want to spend. Bowden does a decent job and some people use Batie for their trees.Steele is another. I use a maker (Bill Bean) and Quality Saddle tree co.

and I am very happy and confident with them both.

If you need addresses or information I will be happy to help you as much as I can. If you will contact me off list I will be happy to send you a few links that you may find interesting.

(removed addy to prevent spam~Johanna)

Kind Regards

Blake

[Johanna]

I'm going to move this to the Saddlery section. Maybe this topic just isn't getting noticed in "off-topic". Please share your links with all of us! There are no rules here about having to take subjects off-list, unless they concern private matters between individuals. Blake, I edited out your email addy from your post because the spam bots will get it on the forum. Anyone can click your name and send you a PM or an email (if you have those options enabled) and the addresses can't be found by the web crawlers that way.

Johanna