New Saddle - Wade Vaquero Style

[JAM]

Hi, all,

Here's my 4th saddle - it's a vaquero/buckaroo style Wade on a tree from Rod & Denise Nikkel:

Wade fork

Wade bars, 93 degrees

16" seat (rides like a 15-1/2" seat)

all-leather ground seat

all hand-stitching

5" Taylor cantle

4" horn cap

3/4 single ring rig (4" bronze rings from Bork)

4" treads in roper-style stirrups

full stirrup leathers

Hermann Oak leather

Being just my 4th saddle, there is still much to learn - so I welcome any and all critiques.

Thanks,

Julia

[alb]

Fantastic!!!

I'd love to see the top of the horn and a close up pic of the carving on the fender if you happen to have additional pics.

Nice job on the hidden stitch on the cantle binding.

Ann

Hi, all,

Here's my 4th saddle - it's a vaquero/buckaroo style Wade on a tree from Rod & Denise Nikkel:

Wade fork

Wade bars, 93 degrees

16" seat (rides like a 15-1/2" seat)

all-leather ground seat

all hand-stitching

5" Taylor cantle

4" horn cap

3/4 single ring rig (4" bronze rings from Bork)

4" treads in roper-style stirrups

full stirrup leathers

Hermann Oak leather

Being just my 4th saddle, there is still much to learn - so I welcome any and all critiques.

Thanks,

Julia

[Steve Brewer]

Jam,Looks nice and clean to me.I would turn my cantle a little bit more to keep your binding from rubbing on me.Over all nice job

[Tosch]

Hi Julia,

we have'nt been in touch for quite a while. I was wondering what you were up to. Now I know.. great saddle!

Thomas

[jwwright]

Very nice Julia, good job. A couple things I would suggest.....................the cantle binding as Steve suggested, and I think I see a few "flat" or "straight" places on your skirt & rear jockey lines, maybe. Could be the camera angles. Also, as a matter of personal preference, I like to see a bit more length to the rear jocks for balance. Congrats, and nice job. JW

[JAM]

Fantastic!!!

I'd love to see the top of the horn and a close up pic of the carving on the fender if you happen to have additional pics.

Nice job on the hidden stitch on the cantle binding.

Ann

Thanks, Ann! Here are pics. The hidden stitch is not as perfect as I would like, but it's better than it used to be

The cuts are freehand - I use dividers to mark spacing for the "pollywog" heads, then cut the pollywogs, then cut all the curves (first all the curves that go away-and-to-the-right, then all the curves that pull toward-me-and-to-the-right). It's a crutch to do them that way, I know, but it's how my fingers work best. I am not nearly as good as I hope to be one day - my heroes and inspiration are Claire Kehrburg and Rick Bean - and of course all my practice pieces are SO much better than the real pieces

Julia

Jam,Looks nice and clean to me.I would turn my cantle a little bit more to keep your binding from rubbing on me.Over all nice job

Thanks, Steve - good call. I hadn't even thought of that, but now that you point it out, you are absolutely right.

Hi Julia,

we have'nt been in touch for quite a while. I was wondering what you were up to. Now I know.. great saddle!

Thomas

Thanks, Thomas! Yes, it's been a long time! And it's taken me a year and a half to finally finish this saddle (that's what comes from dithering as you go instead of having an overall plan before you begin).

Julia

[JAM]

Very nice Julia, good job. A couple things I would suggest.....................the cantle binding as Steve suggested, and I think I see a few "flat" or "straight" places on your skirt & rear jockey lines, maybe. Could be the camera angles. Also, as a matter of personal preference, I like to see a bit more length to the rear jocks for balance. Congrats, and nice job. JW

Thanks, JW - these are good calls. The curves need work - it's not the camera angles <ggg> (I need to learn to use a french curve, I think). As for the jockeys - the skirts are an inch too long in front and in back (I think) and I knew that but didn't realize it until after the tooling, and at that point I didn't want to cut new skirts (I didn't have the leather). You are right, I should have lengthened the jockeys to balance the extra skirt length (and to give the bars a little more coverage).

I'm having trouble drawing patterns for the full curve skirts I really want - the ones I see in pictures of other saddles.

All these points will definitely go into the next saddle. It is so worthwhile to post pictures here and get input from all of you!