Texasbr Report post Posted December 28, 2012 Hi guys, brand new to the forum but not to the art of leather work. I started back when I was 10 never done anything extreme, here lately I have gotten really caught up into braiding. I'm a professional bull rider for a living so building my own bull ropes became a great way to save some money (atleast after the first dozen I attempted) Wanting to build a saddle, brothers are ropers it will either end up being a barrel saddle or practice saddle...if it turns out good enough it's staying in my house on a saddle rack lol First question: What kind of tree should I go with? I have rode many saddles but know very little about them. I will of course will be wanting it to be a roping saddle...is there a honest difference? I know all you people that have built thousands of these are rolling y'all's eyes by now but I'm willing to learn. I don't plan on buying a kit (outrageous price) I have access to great leather. Can I get patterns for saddles, if so where? I have a old ranching saddle I'm gonna be talking apart and what not for a reference. I have a great amount of tools, most likely but what I need as I go. This will be a drawn out build, I will be doing it when I have the time and energy in between rodeos. Thanks guys and any and all responses are appreciated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted December 28, 2012 Best suggestion I have is to look up Rod and Denise Nikels, and consult with them on what you want to do. They build trees and can guide you to the best saddle for you, your horse, and the purpose of the saddle. After that, a bit of money in the saddle making encyclopedias should give you all the information you HAVE to have, plus you can easily stick a place holder in a book. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Texasbr Report post Posted December 28, 2012 Awesome! Thank you for the advice, I will start looking into that. I understand saddle making is all new ball game so I'm in no rush to start and finish with it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aurelie Report post Posted January 9, 2013 here you've got nice advices from above :D give a try at Al Stohlman encyclopedia (3 vol) : a bunch of advice in there and Rod 'n' Denise saddle tree is one of the best choice if you're in the USA Keep us posted on how it's going! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PcCowboy Report post Posted June 4, 2013 Go to this webpage for a quick overview of how a saddle is put together. You can see the order of putting one together. http://www.lewissaddleshop.com/Birth/how_to.htm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
