Superior Stirrup Leather Buckles

[bruce johnson]

Art asked about these stirrup leather buckles in the thread about Steve Brewer's saddle. Here is a picture of a set. They make them in two post sizes for thick or thinner leathers. I kind of like them, nothing to rub and wear out, and they stay in place.

[ArtS]

Thanks Bruce.

ArtS

[Timbo]

Thanks for the pics but how do they work?????

Tim

[bruce johnson]

Timbo,

In a nutshell. The piece with the posts rivets onto the fenderleg/lower leather. The posts extend through the holes in the billet end of the leathers. Tho top post on the securing plate is oblong. The securing plate will only go over it at a 90 degree angle from the leather. Slip the plate over and twist is parallel to the leather. Set the bottom hole in the plate over the bottom post, and pull it down to secure it.

As far as how they work, some customers like them. Kind of like everything else there are fans of all of the different buckles. I have some barrel racing customers who really like the Veach fast buckles. Some people like one Blevins style or another. Some guys prefer lacing. I am sure there is someone who likes the Al-Ray buckles, but I haven't met them yet.

[DirtyDusty]

Hate to ressurect an old post, but I couldn’t find the answer anywhere. 

What thicknes do the 2 sizes cover? I see 2 sizes listed on several sights. They just say fir thick leather and medium thickness. What oz. range would that equal?

[rktaylor]

I used the short post model on some 9-10 oz leather on a kids saddle.  I assume the long post fits 13-15 oz.

Randy

[DirtyDusty]

19 hours ago, rktaylor said:

I used the short post model on some 9-10 oz leather on a kids saddle.  I assume the long post fits 13-15 oz.

Randy

Ok, thanks. 

[Ken Nelson]

They are about all I use on the saddles I build.  You have to pull the leather strings through the hole below or they will come unhooked and loose the "clip".  Not maybe but how soon.   They last forever, have less bulk than Blevins type buckles and being stainless steel, they don't rust or corrode like Blevins do.

[Josh Ashman]

+1 to everything Ken said. Also, the longer posts will work with 13-15 skirting. 

[EdOdgers]

I'm in agreement with Ken, Bruce and others.  Superior are my go-to buckles.  Most riders like them once they understand how to use them.  Less mechanically minded folks might get confused and prefer the familiarity and simplicity of the Blevins.   Choice is good.   Another small plus is that they save a couple of ounces in weight compared to Blevins.  I only use the longer post models and sometimes wish they were a bit longer (for leathers over 13 ounces, you can't add a reinforcing strip).  One minor complaint is that the grooves cut in the posts for the clips are a bit sharp and tend to grab the sides of the holes punched in the leathers, sometimes making the posts hard to pull out for adjusting.  To alleviate this, I soften the edges of the grooves with emery paper and also burnish the holes.

Lately I've seen interest in the Farrow style buckles sold by Ron's or Sipp'n Glass.  Super simple, compact, light and they don't mar or scrape your latigos.  I like them but I've had some hard-riding users tell me that durability is an issue (not the hardware but the locking lace and leathers).

****An important caution to add:  For Superior Buckles, I add 5/8" to the length of the stirrup leathers compared to Blevins.  For the Farrow style I add 3 3/8" to the stirrup leathers and 2" to the leg of the fender.

[DirtyDusty]

Will the superior buckle work with twisted stirrup leathers, the sand as Blevins?

[Goldshot Ron]

Yes they will.  I have used them also on lighter weight leathers using light leather and nylon webbing.