TroyWest Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Here's a saddle I recently finished. I always enjoy seeing everybody elses saddles so I hope you enjoy seeing mine. I collaborated with Jon Watsabough on the tree. It's an O.Y. with a leg cut. I made the conchos also. They are sterling on sterling. Customer wanted crosses on them and I put his brand on the middle concho. I showed my latigo holder because this is the first saddle I've used this new firm stamp on. It's from Tim Harper at Harper Mfg. I won it several yrs. ago and forgot about it. I called him recently to say howdy and he said hey, I owe you a firm stamp! So thanks to Tim Harper! Feel free to critique me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Timbo Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Once again Troy........WOW!!!! Beautiful saddle, the tooling is world class as is the whole!!!!!!! Thank you very much for posting. It gives us all high aspirations!!!! Tim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greg gomersall Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Troy do you tool the binding on the roll after you have sewed it or do you fit it, take it off to tool then put on. Thanks Greg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TroyWest Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Timbo, thank you very much! Greg, I tool my basket binders on the bench but I prefer to tool the floral carved on the roll, as I did this one. I just have more accurate borders this way. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JRedding Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Nice job Troy, neat and clean as always. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bruce johnson Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Always a pleasure to see pics of your work. I get something out of it everytime. Note to self - more "over and unders" and crossing stems. Thanks for sharing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shelly Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Troy - I've never tooled the floral binders on the roll - have been wanting to do that, basically like you have said, to do the set stamps on the bench, and the carved binders on the saddle - is there a procedure that needs to be followed in order to keep the carving looking crisp, deep, etc?? I've wondered if the binder needs some type of block under it to support it as it's being tooled - I don't expect any problems with carving it in, the tooling part is my biggest concern.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
buffalo Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Dang you do some beautiful, clean work. Buff Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kseidel Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Troy, Very nice saddle. Balance and proportion are excellent! Great color too! No critique for any visible flaws. Personal preferance point... borders around front and cantle conchos and rear and swell conchos over tooling. Not wrong, just something I notice on a lot of great saddles that seems out of place to me. Is there a rope strap? If so, how did you do it? Do you put any wrap over your horn before rubber for roping? My compliments on a great saddle. Thanks for posting the pics. Keith Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cowboy Crafts Online Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Troy, Great looking saddle. Do you rig alot of saddles that way. I was thinking of building a calf roper and rigging it the way you did. Do you think it holds up well. I am sure you do or you wouldnt build it that way. Ashley Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Go2Tex Report post Posted October 29, 2008 ditto wow! Love those scrolls. That is SOME knife control..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Craw Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Hey Troy! Once again, you have produced a beautiful work in all aspects. I have a question about the background. It appears to be a pebble surface, but not lined up in rows like a bar grounder. Could you tell us what tool you used? Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TroyWest Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Jim Redding, Thank you! Bruce, Thank you! I'm a little disappointed you didn't comment on the leg cut on this swell, like, hey, that isn't in the same place as my L.T.M. So go ahead, ask me. Buffalo and Go2Tex, thank you guys. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TroyWest Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Troy - I've never tooled the floral binders on the roll - have been wanting to do that, basically like you have said, to do the set stamps on the bench, and the carved binders on the saddle - is there a procedure that needs to be followed in order to keep the carving looking crisp, deep, etc?? I've wondered if the binder needs some type of block under it to support it as it's being tooled - I don't expect any problems with carving it in, the tooling part is my biggest concern.... Shelly, Thats one of those 10 million dollar questions. You know we all do things differently. Al Stohlman tooled his on the bench, Chuck Stormes told me he tools everything on the bench, seat dish, binders, horn tops, etc. I've tooled so many on the saddle I don't even mind doing it anymore. The only thing I can say is you want a pretty firm roll, which we custom folks tend to do that anyway. I've never put anything, block etc. under mine. Just try one and see if you like it. I mark and cut my borders, sketch my pattern, cut it, then put my drawdown strap on to hold it tight to tool. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TroyWest Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Troy, Very nice saddle. Balance and proportion are excellent! Great color too! No critique for any visible flaws. Personal preferance point... borders around front and cantle conchos and rear and swell conchos over tooling. Not wrong, just something I notice on a lot of great saddles that seems out of place to me. Is there a rope strap? If so, how did you do it? Do you put any wrap over your horn before rubber for roping? My compliments on a great saddle. Thanks for posting the pics. Keith Keith, Thank you for your comments. I'll have to think on those borders around the conchos. It's certainly more trouble to put them on there. I have seen guys put borders around their rig rivets and I really don't like that. For anyone who reads this those rivets are domed brass rivets from Weavers. They are tough to snip off but they shine up purdy. There is no rope strap. This guy is a team roper and he didn't even want a rig carrier on the offside. I wrap the horn if they want me to, usually latigo wrap on a roper. Thanks again Keith. Troy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TroyWest Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Troy,Great looking saddle. Do you rig alot of saddles that way. I was thinking of building a calf roper and rigging it the way you did. Do you think it holds up well. I am sure you do or you wouldnt build it that way. Ashley Ashley, Thank you. I do rig quite a few this way. I built a saddle for a calf roper 2 yrs ago , skirt rig front d- rig rear. He told me a year later he will never go back to a conventional d-rig. Howard Council told me he builds a lot of calf ropers with a skirt rig if they will let him. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Shelly Report post Posted October 29, 2008 I understand - I think I will do that on the next few I have to do with floral binders, which are coming up pretty quick. You do beautiful work, really clean, and the lines are great. I also noticed that you did this one without any welts at the leg cut - nor did you pull more slack to the back of the fork and cheat it there and have to lace it...very nice work! I assume it's about 7" high in the gullet, but that may not be a good measurement - depending on the bars, etc...I'm getting ready to build on a few of Jon's trees, and I'm hoping my end results will be a 'step up' in the right way! Trees are pretty enough to just not want to cover the darn things!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TroyWest Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Hey Troy!Once again, you have produced a beautiful work in all aspects. I have a question about the background. It appears to be a pebble surface, but not lined up in rows like a bar grounder. Could you tell us what tool you used? Mike Thank you Mike. Sorry, but these are Ellis Barnes bar grounders. Maybe this picture wll show up better. If not, I may need the help of a kid. I can't tell even from this photo, but they are bar grounders. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kseidel Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Troy, You did an inlaid seat with full cantle padding. Can you show a picture of the cantle ear and explain how you constructed the padded seat? This is done very well and does not show an awkward cantle ear transition. How did you tie it all together? Keith Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jwwright Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Great work as always Troy. JW Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hidepounder Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Troy!.......Fabulous job...you're tooling is impecable...I love the way you double bevel the swirls...that's a pain in the ***to do but it really pays off. This is top notch work! Good flow, nothing forced in your design. The first thing that grabbed me though, was that you rigged it in the skirts! I love that! I've tried to get so many guys to start doing that but they just won't. They don't think it's strong enough for roping. 99% of Bill Porters roping saddles were rigged that when I was there and the ropers were team tying in them! That's abuse! And what that rigging in the skirt does for the rider is big too...really takes a lot of bulk out from under you. I just can't say enough about this saddle! I want it! WOW Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike Craw Report post Posted October 29, 2008 Thank you Mike. Sorry, but these are Ellis Barnes bar grounders. Maybe this picture wll show up better. If not, I may need the help of a kid. I can't tell even from this photo, but they are bar grounders. Troy, Thanks for the quick answer, and I know what you mean about needing a kid to help. Groucho Marx had a line about being so simple a five year old child could do it... I can see from a couple of areas in the photo you included that it was done with a bar grounder. I got a bar grounder in a set of tools from Ellis Barnes, and it's the first bar grounder I've ever actually been able to make work, so they may not be as hatefull as I always thought they were. Thanks again for posting your saddle, and for being so willing to share your process. Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elwood Turner Report post Posted October 30, 2008 Great looking rig Troy, a pleasure to look at and learn from. Thanks for posting. Elwood Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TroyWest Report post Posted October 30, 2008 I understand - I think I will do that on the next few I have to do with floral binders, which are coming up pretty quick. You do beautiful work, really clean, and the lines are great. I also noticed that you did this one without any welts at the leg cut - nor did you pull more slack to the back of the fork and cheat it there and have to lace it...very nice work! I assume it's about 7" high in the gullet, but that may not be a good measurement - depending on the bars, etc...I'm getting ready to build on a few of Jon's trees, and I'm hoping my end results will be a 'step up' in the right way! Trees are pretty enough to just not want to cover the darn things!! Shelly, Thank you again for your very kind words. The gullet on this one is 7 1/4" high and Jon's trees are beautiful enough to hang on the wall for decoration. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ArtS Report post Posted October 30, 2008 Wow that is beautiful work! If I ever finish my second saddle I was going to post some pictures but after looking at the last few posted here I think I'll keep it to myself. I love seeing this quality of work. It's very inspiring. Art Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
