Adding Knee Rollls To An Ap Hunt Saddle

[awharness]

Hi I need to do a job for a friend, as a friend! I need to add knee rolls to an AP hunt saddle, what weight and type of leather works out well? Foam? How thick? And where's the beast place for the foam? -Andrew

[dirtclod]

I have worked on a few hunt seat saddles. But never have done the knee roll. The one's i have seen have a piece of 4 to 5 ounce suede on that part for the a better grip i guess. Just a guess but i think their filled with wool flocking i think it's called ( the same thing they stuff the pads with ) or they might be hair stuffed. Mast was the only place i ever found that had the hair. Or you might try neorprene something like a 1 inch thick and trim it down with a electric carving knife. You might ask around and see if anybody has a old neoprene pad that is tore or their not using most of them were about inch thick.

[Kevin]

Hey Andrew, 4 1/2-5oz leather, veg tanned panel hide is the best, but I haven't seen any for a few years, most anything will do, chap leather is fine just won't form as easily. Windmill Saddlery may have the stiff foam or you could use felt.

I couldn't tell you how many rolls I used to take off saddles, now everybody wants them. We do some on some dressage saddles that look like something off of a Peruvian bull fighting saddle.

Kevin

[awharness]

Thanks Kevin, Ive been going to call Windmill to see what they recomend or about the foam. but I do have felt in the shop. This girl is a "10" and I dont want to mess up her saddle! I need to score a date out of it! She doesnt want suede! So basically outline the knee roll, cut the flap and make a new section to sew on (like most stock) Or just cover the felt with the chap leather and sew it on top of the flap?

Thanks

-Andrew

Hey Andrew, 4 1/2-5oz leather, veg tanned panel hide is the best, but I haven't seen any for a few years, most anything will do, chap leather is fine just won't form as easily. Windmill Saddlery may have the stiff foam or you could use felt.

I couldn't tell you how many rolls I used to take off saddles, now everybody wants them. We do some on some dressage saddles that look like something off of a Peruvian bull fighting saddle.

Kevin

[spur2009]

I have had to replace or install a number of knee rolls or pads. I agree you should make rolls from 4-5oz suede. I stuff the rolls with the sheep fleece that I clip

off of scrap pieces of sheep left over from relining saddles. This sheep fleece is also real good for stuffing bucking rolls and restuffing pads on enlish and

aussi sadddles (a job I really hate). Good luck.

[Kevin]

Whoa,

Are you talking about knee rolls or a padded flap?

Kevin

[awharness]

padding the flap, not blocking them out like a dressage saddle... I saw that you had mentioned the dressage saddle... I was thinking about hacking up a saddle I have at home before I attempt it on the customers saddle

-Andrew

Whoa,

Are you talking about knee rolls or a padded flap?

Kevin

[Kevin]

OK then,

you need soft foam rubber, and Windmill does not have that last I checked, and I don't know who does. I used to glue a couple layers of neoprene together for that. You should probably have about a 6oz. piece of leather on the bottom and 5oz on top.

I have never done a satisfactory job without taking the flaps off the saddle. I've tried just taking the saddle nails out, thinking that would give me the clearance needed to stitch, but the saddle creates enough leverage against the side of the machine to make the stitching look bad. Even hand stitching, flipping the flap back and forth makes the stitching look choppy.

Some of the newer saddles have really soft thick foam like they sell at material shops, I don't know how well it will hold up though. They usually have air vents ( hoes punched) in the bottom piece of leather like a sofa cushion. I had one the other day that whistled from so much air going in and out and the holes being too small.

Let me know if I can be of further help, this was the first thing I did that made me the saddler at the shop,

Kevin

[TackCollector]

Don't use suede unless the customer specifically wants it. Smooth leather is in vogue now, and suede is out of fashion. (I am not a saddle maker, lol. I just dropped in to read.)

[Kevin]

The last post is correct. You cannot take care of the suede and the nap will wear off in two weeks and then it will be slicker than the grain side. A few decent saddles had suede out, but mostly just old Argentine saddles using split leather. I haven't seen any since the mid '80s.

Kevin