Trying To Educate Myself On Tree Styles(Will James, Assoc.)Etc. How Can I Learn More?

[Huntet02]

I can't seem to stay off the "Saddle gallery" love looking….just a buyer/user thats interested in learning what to look for in the way of "quality" trees/styles. My main interest is "ranch roping/wades" I think the Will James tree design is my favorite but want to learn more on the association, mod assoc etc. Am I correct that these are the "tree" name and or style of maker?

Not sure I nderstand all the intricacies involved. Where can I go to learn more on the different styles/trees of wades?

THanks love this site

Edited August 27, 2010 by Huntet02

[Tkleather1]

Well a Wade is Not the same as an Association and an association is not the same as a will James. those I do know. An association has large swells and a wade is a slick fork as far as the others I dont have the answers and I am sure that there are other differences as well but I am not a saddle builder, but I ride both a wade and an association.

[jwwright]

Huntet.................The names you mentioned are just names given to types of shapes of swells / forks. A Wade is one type of slick fork. A Will James, Assoc., Mod Assoc are all swell forks. Most tree makers make their own version of all the fork styles you mentioned, and many more. The quality of the tree has nothing to do with the "style" of fork.....................a good tree maker, such as Rod / Denise Nikkel, or Jon Watsabaugh, or any other handmade tree makers visiting here (I don't intend to slight anyone) can make a very high quality tree in just about any style a person wants. JW

[bdt46]

Huntet- go to Bowden Saddle Trees website and look at their tree catalog and you can see the names and styles of some popular trees. They can be made to whatever specifications you want

[Rod and Denise Nikkel]

Some people have the idea that a certain name equates to a specific fit or use. Maybe the original company who named the tree did but once other makers started copying that type of fork, the name simply goes with the shape of the fork. It has nothing to do with how the tree fits on the horse. Our gallery http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=gallery&module=user&user=1524&do=view_album&album=112 has pictures of some of the common tree styles we make. If you google images of the different fork names, you will get an idea of the variety of shapes people call by one name...

There are a few good threads on Wade saddles here on LW. Check out:

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=1907

http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=8781

[Huntet02]

JW thanks... Ok let me see if I can somewhat reverberate in my own way....Association, Will James etc are different types of Swell/ Forks on trees, with a wade being a slick fork. Wade as I see it is lesser to stay out of the way of roping ... baby steps but I think I was on the correct track.

Thanks Rod & Denise and all yes I tried to read everything on here before posting but knew I would miss some... WOW your tree gallery really helped especially a visual person like myself. We love to read "Eclectic Horseman" mag and view the beautiful saddles on "Ranch World Ads" so this is where some of our questions are coming from. My husband and I argued about the association I said it wasn't a wade tree..... and my cousin was looking at the used "Hardwood" listed.

Edited September 1, 2010 by Huntet02

[jwwright]

Huntet.................you're headed in the right direction.........a Wade is one type of slick fork. As for a Wade being out of the way for roping / as opposed to a swell fork ? Not in my opinion. It doesn't have anything to do with it. If the fork was getting in my way roping...........I'd know that I wasn't roping very good and needed more practice. Swell fork...........slick fork..........it's all about personal preference. I don't like a slick fork of any kind. I've had a couple (wades) over the years..........one of which I made. They rode just fine...............but I just couldn't get to liking how they looked. Too buckaroo for me, probably. JW.

[Huntet02]

what exactly does "Slick" fork refer to ? I compared Rod & Denis'e swell tree vs. wade and trying to understand the different, I always thought the wade saddle (tree) was much smaller in the pommel or swell area meaning not much to hit your knees on if bucking ...well I was going to also put the other pic on here but now can't get back to their gallery without losing all this.

[jwwright]

A slick fork is one without (at least not much) swell to it...........................Wade, 3B, Weatherly are some examples of a slick fork. Yes, not much to hit your thighs on if riding a bucking horse..............not anything to catch you either................which is why many people put buck rolls on their slick fork saddles. Here a couple photos of saddles I've made. One is a Wade (slickfork), the other is a Heavy Buster Welch (swellfork). JW

[Denise]

Tina,

A "swell fork", in general terminology, will be wider across the middle than where it joins the bars. It "swells" out and then comes back in at the bottom to join the bars. A slick fork is widest at the bottom where it joins the bars. The narrower they are on the way down, the "slicker" they are. Our widest "slick forks" will go out and then pretty much drop down straight to the bottom so they still classify as slick forks even though they aren't very "slick". When a lot of fork styles were first made they had a specific width, stock thickness, etc. etc. Over time others look at the basic shape and say "I like that" and copy it, but they make slight changes. Others say "I like that but I want..." and change it some more. So over time the name simply refers to the basic shape, and even that varies between makers. All the other specs are changable. Fortunately, there are some people still around who can give us the history on some of the originals.