Tex Tan - Hereford brand History

[pella]

Hello,

i do have 2 "vintage" Textan saddles (maybe from the 70's-80's) and i am curious to know more about them.

One is stamped Hereford brand - Tex tan of Yoakum

Other is stamped Hereford brand - Tex Tan Kenway leather co On both there is a bull but they are of different design (Yoakum look best!)

My Yoakum is of much better craftmanship than the Kenway.

I want to know wich one is the oldest? What is that Kenway leather co?

I read somewhere Tex tan was called texas saddlery before the 1940's.

Do someone know how to read their serial number?

My Yoakum is stamped 72-59289 (My guess was that it's made in 1972?! maybe not at all! lol!)

and it is fitted with "movable from a center anchorage" round disk on the front of the bars, to follow curve of shoulders as the horse move?, something experimental i guess...

I find nothing on the Kenway

thanks

I place a picture of my "Yoakum"

[AndyKnight]

The kenway one would have been made in Calgary Alberta. sometime between 1968 and 1973 ( my guesstimation. Textan bought out Kenways in Calgary arounnd that time.

The adjustable tree that the one made in Yoakaum texas has is one of the worst inovations in the evoltion of modernTrees.( My opinion.) I know they were in the catalog when I worked for textan Kenways around 1972.

[pella]

thank so much Andy! Is that mean Kenway close in 1973?

Is there suposed to have difference in quality between Yoakum and Kenway: one best quality and other entry level/low cost saddles per example?

So maybe thats why a lot of Kenway around in Quebec if they were made i Canada. I dont like much the adjustable tree either because it make a round "bump" on the front of the tree, anyway, the saddle dont fit my horse, i cannot use it, but regardless of that, the saddle is well made (for a a factory saddle).

One thing i dont like about the Kenway i have, is the fiberglass seat (strainer?) it begin to brake around nails, and it cut surface of a stirrup leather on one side. The saddle tree stitching is coming apart under the stirrup, it look like nylon lace instead of rawhide, do nylon wear faster than rawhide lace?

[AndyKnight]

Textan closed the the calgary factory around 1973 -74 ,not sure of the exact year.

Textan -Kenway were textan saddles made in Canada. Not to be confused with Kenway saddles made prior to Textan 's acquisition of Kenways

The Calgary factory (textan) made saddles out of the American catalog from Textan Yoakum.

All the patterns and dies etc. came from the yoakum plant. The year that I worked for them they were realy struggling with quality. which may have been part of the reason that they closed the factory.

Nylon laced trees are inferior to rawhide laced trees. Once nylon wears through in one place it tends to un ravel.

This takes me back a few years!!

[pella]

thanks a lot andy