Have You Ever Seen These?

[THein]

A fellow brought me a saddle to do a few things to. When I looked it over, I was surprised at the rigging hardware. I've never seen these before and I've been around saddles since I could walk.

The casting says, "EZ Rig Pat. May 1815" . There's more words on the top where the rigging wraps around but I can't get it out in the open enough to make it out. The saddle is made by Riley & McCormick, Calgary Alberta, s/n 404 date unknown.

I'd be curious to know more about them if anybody has any knowledge of their history and how widespread their use.

Thanks,

Terry

[bruce johnson]

Those EZ dees are on most bronc saddles. I've got my great grandfather's saddle from the early 30s at the latest and it has EZ dees. I kind of think they originated in Pendleton at Hamleys but I am not sure on that. In a Hamley catalog reprint I have from 1942 they show them on bronc saddles as well as on a few using saddles. I keep a set on hand, and maybe use them every other year. I'll attach pictures of a dee off and then on a saddle. You can see on one view how they shaped them to a slight curve to not sidesore as much.

[spur2009]

Bruce - Those EZ Dees are indeed first introduced by Hamley. I have two pair of right old ones on hand. I have made a number of Assn Bronc saddles and worked

in a saddle shop in SDAK in 1975 that made the "Hawkeye Hensen" endorsed bronc saddle. All use the EZ Dee. Hope to see you at the IFOLG show in a

couple of weeks. Boomer

[bruce johnson]

Boomer,

I am wondering if they didn't come out with the EZ dees about the same time as they got the original deal for the Committee saddles. I have a Hamley to restore with the paperwork from the late 20s and it has them also. We are not going to make the show in St Louis, too much other travel this year with family stuff. Next year we are hoping to make it to Albuquerque.

[isabelle]

Hey, i'm curious I have one at home. with the ez ric...and stamp on the back 1223. Did anybody know the year of making and the retail rpices from back there and the one now. I'm not interrested at all in selling this saddle. lol. Just curious

[Saddlebag]

I lived in Calgary for years before R&Mc moved downtown. I never knew them to make saddles. Kenways had a plant on 10Ave S. I was in there. The foerman told me they bo't the rights to make TexTan saddles in Canada. It was common back then for a retailer to have their name put on a saddle, rather than the manufacturer's.