Latest Saddle

[hidepounder]

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

[Mike Craw]

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

[Elwood Turner]

Great looking rig Troy, a pleasure to look at and learn from. Thanks for posting. Elwood

[TroyWest]

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.

[ArtS]

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

[TroyWest]

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

Keith,I've already shipped it but maybe these pictures will suffice. I fit the seat with the leather still in the inlay part, and let it dry, then marked the inlay section so that it would come to exactly the base of where my binder would be. Then I cut that line only with a swivel knife so that when I tooled the seat jockeys I would have more than just that narrow piece at the handhold to hold the seat together as I tooled both seat jockeys. Then I put it back in exactly the same holes and let it dry. Then I cut out the inlay section. Fit the foam to the hole, etc. just like an inlay. I did put a fairly heavy piece of skirting under that foam from the base of the cantle up over the roll for 2 reasons. 1- to create a firm and secure Cheyenne roll, and 2- because I needed this seat to have a finished seat size of 14 1/2" so it would take out a little seat length.I did put a brass escrutcheon nail in the seat at the base of the cantle. It does give me confidence that the seat is firmly planted, but I'm not sure I really like the way it looks. At least you can see what I'm talking about from this photo. Does that answer all your questions? You know when we do stuff like this, there is no instruction manual. We just have to figure out a way that works for us as we go and hope it looks good when we're through.

Great work as always Troy. JW

J.W., I really appreciate it.Troy

[TroyWest]

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

Thank you Bob,

I'm surprised you could tell from the photos they were double beveled. It is a pain in the patooty but I just dont think they look good anymore without it. I love a skirt rig too and the hardware we have for 'em now is really stout too. I really appreciate your comments.

Troy

[TroyWest]

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

Mike, the bar grounder he sent you is the exact size that I used on this saddle. I use bar grounders on everything. You do need a couple bigger and one smaller of that size to have a nice set to tool with. He sent me that set and asked me to tool a small panel for him. I think you'll like them after you get used to using them.

Great looking rig Troy, a pleasure to look at and learn from. Thanks for posting. Elwood

Thank you Elwood

[TroyWest]

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

Art, I appreciate your kind words very much.

[Doug Mclean]

Troy

You are a very accomplished saddle maker. The workmanship show the pride you have in your craft and your saddles are ready to go to work. I have never seen a saddle finished on the OY tree. I would like to try one from the looks of this one. Very nice work and thanks for sharing.