Latest Saddle

[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.

[Mike Craw]

One more question Troy,

This saddle looks to have been antiqued. If it was, didn't it require a resist of some kind (Neat Lac, Sheridan Resist...)? Would that be done only on a saddle for display, or is that not a problem on a working saddle?

Mike

[TroyWest]

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.

Thank you so much Doug. I really love my job and feel very fortunate to cut hides with a simple knife like they did 100 yrs. ago. But I do like air conditioning, down here in Texas. I think you would like an O.Y.

Thanks again,

Troy

[TroyWest]

One more question Troy,

This saddle looks to have been antiqued. If it was, didn't it require a resist of some kind (Neat Lac, Sheridan Resist...)? Would that be done only on a saddle for display, or is that not a problem on a working saddle?

Mike

Yes, you are correct. I have used and experimented with both of these products. I have applied the resist, let it dry, then applied oil to see if it would penetrate. It takes a while, but it does go through. Thats on a new finish. Point being, over time those guys are gonna want a wash-oil and I want to be able to wash and oil and have the oil do some good. This guy is a roper and he ropes big time. It is not a display only saddle.

A finish that I've found that doesnt go away is resolene. It is an acrylic finish that oil will not penetrate and it stays on the leather for years.

I certainly wouldn't antique a rough or smooth-out, and I dont typically antique a basket stamp, which are generally going to be working rigs. But if I'm gonna spend the time to full flower carve a saddle like this I'm going to antique it unless the customer doesn't want it. I have found in a few years you cant tell it was ever antiqued and it simply looks the same color as any other saddle that was carved and not antiqued. I know of no detrimental aspects, longterm, of using an antique finish.

I did build a full flower carved saddle one time for a guy and antiqued it and when he came to pick it up he said, I can't ride that saddle, Its too flashy to ride with the guys I ride with. Can you sell it and just make me a basket stamp just like this one? I sold it and built him another one.

[Mike Craw]

Wow, it seems like anybody who ordered a full carved Troy West saddle would have some idea of what it was going to end up looking like! I don't guess you had any trouble selling it.

Thanks for the info on antiquing a working saddle. I wondered why many of the custom saddles appeared to have been antiqued, and now I know. I appreciate you sharing your experience.

Mike

[Billy P]

Hey Troy, I don't know jack-crap about building a saddle, and if I were a saddle maker I'd have move from S.C. or starve to death. I do know good work and what I like and I just love that saddle. I've just started to really look at the saddle section and learning a lot that I can use on the little stuff that I do. I sure envy you and all the other people who have the knowledge and talent to make those great saddles. Here in my section of S.C. most people want a deal, that being whatever is cheapest. I saw a fellow recently that I've known all his life, he told me his oldest daughter is into barrel racing and they have several horses. He said that he had just bought a custom saddle for her from Louisiana. Nothing wrong with saddle makers from Lousisana, just that he paid a little over $400.00 for a custom saddle for her to use barrel racing and the horse already had what looked like the hair rubbed off, and possibly a sore starting on both sides of it's shoulders below the withers. It didn't seem to me that the saddle was fitting the horse right, but he got a deal on the saddle and the poor horse got sore spots. Somehow with all the saddle building talent out there it ain't fair to the horse. Anyway good work on the saddle and you and the rest of you people keep showing them because we all appreciate it a lot. Billy P

[TroyWest]

Hey Troy, I don't know jack-crap about building a saddle, and if I were a saddle maker I'd have move from S.C. or starve to death. I do know good work and what I like and I just love that saddle. I've just started to really look at the saddle section and learning a lot that I can use on the little stuff that I do. I sure envy you and all the other people who have the knowledge and talent to make those great saddles. Here in my section of S.C. most people want a deal, that being whatever is cheapest. I saw a fellow recently that I've known all his life, he told me his oldest daughter is into barrel racing and they have several horses. He said that he had just bought a custom saddle for her from Louisiana. Nothing wrong with saddle makers from Lousisana, just that he paid a little over $400.00 for a custom saddle for her to use barrel racing and the horse already had what looked like the hair rubbed off, and possibly a sore starting on both sides of it's shoulders below the withers. It didn't seem to me that the saddle was fitting the horse right, but he got a deal on the saddle and the poor horse got sore spots. Somehow with all the saddle building talent out there it ain't fair to the horse. Anyway good work on the saddle and you and the rest of you people keep showing them because we all appreciate it a lot. Billy P

Thanks Billy P. I got a real kick out of your response.

[cowboysaddlemaker]

Hi Troy, I just found out about this site it is great! I have always enjoyed seeing pictures of your saddles, as usual your tooling is exquisit. Alan

[TroyWest]

Hi Troy, I just found out about this site it is great! I have always enjoyed seeing pictures of your saddles, as usual your tooling is exquisit. Alan

Hello Alan,

Welcome to the forum and thank you for the compliment,

Troy