Website of Tree Maker Rod Nikkel

[greg gomersall]

Hello; My name is Greg Gomersall. I built my first saddle in 1985 and have been making my living crafting rigs since 1987. As for Rod Nikkel's trees, I was one of Rod's earilist customers and continue to use him to this day. The construction, appearance and fit is exceptional. Today there are more good treemakers than at any point in history. People like Rod & Denise along with Ben Swanke, Rick Reed, Glenn Christman, Bill Bean, Keith Gertsche just to name a few have elevated the level on what is available to the discriminating maker and consumer. Credit goes to people like Walt Youngman, Ray Holes, Chuck Stormes, John Machoud and Dale Harwood for the basic design and construction style these trees are developed along. Each of these current makers does things a little different from one another just as we as saddlers do little things individually. Mr. Genadek thinks that the Bowdens are produceing the best commercially available tree around but I would suggest he take another look. Trying to compare the Bowden's trees to the ones made by the people I have mentioned above is like comparing a Yugo to a Porsche. I realize that someday someone may develop a better type of tree than what we are using today, many have tried in the past and so far all have failed to top a good handmade wood/ rawhide covered tree. I would like to offer Mr. Genadek to oppourtunity to let me put one of his Trees to the test here in the Great Basin Desert. If he is willing to work with to send me a tree which will fit the type of horses I ride (I also ranch on the side) I will build a rig with it to ride myself for a year and then report my thoughts on the results here on this site for everbody to see and read. David does this sound reasonable to you? Thanks Greg

[Alan Bell]

Hey Greg, I met you at the seminar with Dale and Steve in OKC. I would love to see how Mr Genadek's saddle trees compare to the Wade trees that are being made in the Great Basin. As you may recall finding a good tree maker was a big concern for me. It is nearly impossible to find a true Wade tree made east of the Rockies! Most are "Wade style" trees at best. I have found that a lot of the issues Mr. Genadek is speaking of are solved in the Wade trees of the Great Basin including bar width which is one of the main changes Dale made to the Wade at the suggestion of Ray Hunt! I don't think Ray used 3D imaging to come to this point he has just saddled and ridden literally thousands of horses! The Wade saddles I rode made by Great Basin makers on Great basin trees ARE different than what I can find in Texas and further East unless they were shipped from somewhere West of the Rockies (Wyoming is kinda a cutoff point east of the Rockies) I am not a "saddlemaker" but I have made saddles. I am not a Buckaroo but I ride a Wade and rope with a 60' rope and train Bosal a Freno here in the Heart of Texas! I like to be able to say I am riding a horse I raised and trained using a bosal I braided and roping with a reata I braided and sitting a saddle I made. My main issue is that Mr Genadek seems (in my view) to talk down to the others in this forum even when he makes an effort to not do this. Just my point of view. He may be the humblest man God ever put in front of a piece of leather I am just speaking of his post here. I would however like to inquire one thing of him if I may. I read his post saying he is a "Master" Saddle maker and has been considered a "Master" leather carver since his teens. Who bestowed these titles on you and What are their credentials in bestowing these titles? As a martial artist I am wary of folks that claim to be "Masters" (this has nothing to do with my being an American of African descent) In college everyone said I played drums BETTER than the guy that had his "Masters" in percussion because I played Jazz with more feel so since then I have always questioned what and why someone is considered a "Master". A high school drop out once explained music degrees like this "The first person to give out a Degree didn't have one; he was just good at what he did!" Made sense for music; makes sense for leather work! Not trying to offend and I would love to have another source for good quality Wade trees so hopefully David's trees will be just what I have been looking for!

Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell

Edited May 30, 2007 by Alan Bell

[steve mason]

Howdy Allen;

If you want some true custom made trees there are some great tree makers you could try, I use the same treemakers as Greg, Rod nikkel and Glenn Christman. Both excellent tree makers, so they have long waiting lists, or they are not taking orders from new customers to keep the waiting list down.

But there are still other options out there. You can try give Ben Swanke of Billings, Mt a call. I have not used his trees personally, but I have heard good things about them, I do know that Don Butler uses them and I think Chas Weldon does(not a 100%positive of that) so if those guys are using them that is a pretty good recommendation. If you would like to try a tree from a custom maker, give Sheridan leather outfitters a call, I know they try to keep a few trees around from custom makers like Rod Nikkel, Rick Reed and Bill Bean, maybe some others to. If you need some contact info for some of these tree makers just PM me.

I guess my point is it doesn't matter where you or your tree maker are from, the trees can be shipped to you, for example both of my tree makers are from Canada and ship around 1/2 of their orders to the US. If my tremakers lived in Italy or Australia I still would get trees from them. Their trees are just that good.

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

Another tree maker who hand crafts all the excellent trees he puts out is Warren Wright of New Zealand. Dale Harwood acts as his rep. in the States. Warren has been building trees for a lot of years, and can turn out an amazing number of trees in a year considering that they are all individually hand done by himself. I don't think he sleeps a lot.

[Alan Bell]

Thanks for the info on tree makers. I have gotten trees from Warren through Karin Harwood I was hoping to find someone in the US that I could maybe call if I had special request or the like. I like Warrens trees and I know that in the last 20 + yrs Dale has only built one saddle on a tree he did not make and it was a Warren Wright tree at the Seminar Greg and I attended. He had to modify his patterns very little. I will try and find someone in the fall when I caught up and maybe if Rod isn't to swamped I get a chance to use his tree!

Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell

[Cowboy Crafts Online]

Alan,

Welcome to the site. I would highly recomend Rod's trees. I have used many other factory tree's before ordering trees from Rod this year. The reason I swithed, was that I wanted to raise my quality of saddles and by going with Rod's trees that has happened. You will not be disappointed

Ashley

[greg gomersall]

David Genadek it has been a month since I posted my offer to test one of your trees and post my findings here on this website. You have not responded, I guess sometimes silence speaks volumes. Greg

[David Genadek]

David Genadek it has been a month since I posted my offer to test one of your trees and post my findings here on this website. You have not responded, I guess sometimes silence speaks volumes. Greg

Yes, silence does speak loudly. Your challenge was childish ,one sided and had nothing to do with the points being discussed. Firstly at no time did I say anything about Rods skill has as a craftsman or a make any comment about the quality of his workmanship. Nor did I ever compare Rods work to what Bowdens do. If you want a fight go to a bar, the purpose of this forum is education.

I did challenge commonly held beliefs in the industry. I am sorry you all feel so threatened by these simple ideas.

David Genadek

[greg gomersall]

David the point of the discussion was not regarding any particular tree maker but whether or not what they are doing works. You jumped down everybodies throat saying they are wrong and that you had arrived with a new concept that is light years ahead of the industry. I was offering you an opportunity to share and test this concept in a working enviorment but it appears you were the childish one and took your toys out of the sand box and refuses to play. If you want to get into personal attacks please keep in mind I am pretty good friends with a couple of your previos employers and as for skeletons in my closet it's full but the closet has never had a door on it to cover the contents. Lets keep the conversation on a higher level. I am still willing to try one of your trees and I am pretty sure we could work something out if you are willing to discuss it. Greg

[dsenette]

i thought you guys had calmed down? one more outburst and this thread is closed....how hard is it to keep it civil?

I'm closing this thread since the title is "Rod Nikkel- Tree Maker" and the topic has gotten off track.

Johanna

Edited August 9, 2010 by Denise