Blackbirdhills Andy Report post Posted March 2, 2015 Hello everyone here, First of all, I'd like to thank you all for the great tips and topics here! I'm doing Leatherwork since 2 Years now, and with a new work-shop coming in our new home, I'll be ready to take the next step and make my very first saddle. I've been reading, and watching everything about saddles I could in the last half a year, and I visited courses and schools about horses, saddles and their physiology.... I'm planning to build my first one (maybe 2 simultaneously, one for my lady, one for me) on a wade tree (if everything goes well on one of rod nikkels). And I am thinking and sketching now the parts of my first saddles. I'm a huge old-time fan, so I came up with this sketch of an old timey sam stagg-style front rigging, connected with the back rigging. Now all of you professionals out there, your opinion is very important to me! I wanna learn from the best and keep up the good work and tradition! :-) Is there any point on this (rough) sketch you wouldn't recommend me to try? Thanks a lot in advance! Greetings from switzerland, Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AdamTill Report post Posted March 4, 2015 I'm no expert by any stretch, but I don't think you're going to be able to have your rear rigging ring on top of the edge of the tree bar like that,. The leather will be wanting to follow the curved top line of the bar, and if you're not willing to pound the rigging ring into the same curve, it will tend to stick out a bit. As an aesthetic thing too, the straight rear rigging lines don't compliment the curved skirt line. Nothing functional at issue, but it's just a suggestion. Good luck! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbirdhills Andy Report post Posted March 4, 2015 (edited) Hi Adam, First of all thank you for your answer! I think maybe I'll have to draw the thing proper; it's just a rough sketch, so the rear rigging position is not exact and thought trough yet, it's just there to show that the rigging is gonna have a rear one too... Anyway, good points you mentioned there! Sorry for not being more exact! :-) Thanks, Andy Edited March 4, 2015 by Blackbirdhills Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AdamTill Report post Posted March 4, 2015 No problem, nows the time for lots of cheap sketches rather than expensive leather Here's another option that I noticed with a quick search. Same general look, but the rear rigging is separate from the front. https://dennisranch.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/100_2291.jpg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbirdhills Andy Report post Posted March 5, 2015 Adam, That's exactly my thinking too! ;-) I have looked at that same picture a couple of times before, and another member sent it to me as well. It's interesting, and I think I'm gonna contact the maker to get a little more information on it... However, I'm still wrapping my head around the version I did, since my saddle(s) would be covered with a back jockey, I think it would be easier to have a smoother look, 'cause the way it is on the picture, there's 3 layers of leather, and they would cross underneath the jockeys, so that would be a bulky story I guess... Thanks from switzerland, Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Sioux Saddlery Report post Posted March 5, 2015 Andy if you want the rear rigging leather separate from your rigging hobble (many names for it, that's just what I'm calling it here), you could modify the pattern from the picture so that the rigging hobble attaches in front of the cantle point like many rear riggings do. Follow me? I've seen quite a few modern saddles designed that way, cutting saddles in particular. You eliminate a layer of bulk that way where the rig hobble would cross over the rear rig leather, but some might argue that you add a layer of bulk in front of the cantle point. Careful pattern making and careful skiving and it will work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbirdhills Andy Report post Posted March 5, 2015 Hello there, Thanks for your feedback! I was sketching and drawing today, did you by any chance mean something like this? :-) Nice Saddles that you build! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Sioux Saddlery Report post Posted March 5, 2015 Andy, in the top sketch the rear rigging and the rig hobble are one piece, and that'll certainly work. But if you wanted them separate pieces of leather, you could run the rig hobble up to the tree just in front of the rear rig leather, not overlapping. I don't have any pics of this method, and I'm not sure if a search will gain you any because most pics don't show the rigging very well, being covered by the seat jockey and fender. I've even seen the rig hobble hand sewn to the skirt, not going up to the tree at all! I don't remember what make of saddle it was, but it was a better-known, well made saddle. Maybe throwing you too many options here, and confusing you further in the process. There's nothing wrong with incorporating your rig hobble into the rear rig leather, except when it wears through where the stirrup leather rubs over the top, it's a little more of an extensive repair. Gotta get my butt to work now, but if you have more questions, just ask and i'll help if I can Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbirdhills Andy Report post Posted March 6, 2015 Thanks a lot, I think I get what you mean now! :-) Anyway, my goal was not to separate them in the first place, so I'll stick with the combined solution for now... I will continue to draw and I have an old, broken "cheapo" saddle here where I can check all the stuff I'm working on... And someday, I'm gonna order that tree! ;-) Thanks a lot again, it's good to know that there's people out there willing to help! :-) Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rktaylor Report post Posted March 11, 2015 Andy, My suggestion would be to build them one at a time. Preferably yours first, so you will have more experience when you build your lady's. I was building my second and third simultaneously and ended up really only working on one at a time. If you are full time leatherworker it makes sense to be working on two at a time, but not for us hobbyists. It will be a rewarding journey. Enjoy, Randy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbirdhills Andy Report post Posted March 11, 2015 Hello Randy, Thanks for your suggestion! Yeah, there's always something to do while the glue is drying, right? ;-) In fact, even my mentor, who's a master saddle maker, does only work on one saddle at the time... I will order two trees at once, because I live in switzerland and shipping etc is expensive. But when it comes to building the saddles; I'll take my time! So one at a time will be my choice too... Have a nice day/evening, Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oltoot Report post Posted March 12, 2015 When I was much younger and working in a full scale shop, I worked on as many as 5 at one time but kept each one separate in my young mind. Of the 5 maybe 3 or all would be custom orders. In most cases, no 2 would be alike. As you said,there is always something to do while the glue (or the leather, itself dries) Having said all that, it looks to me like you could still benefit from trying out something before deciding whether or not to duplicate or modify it for future use. One (ha ha) disadvantage to that could be that #2, because of that trial and improvement process turns out way better and then you would have the difference to live with or maybe even decide to make a #3 to incorporate all the experience and subsequent pondering which could then mean #4 ad excitem. By then you might be the old guy teaching somebody and telling them what you went throught to get to where you will be trying to start them out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blackbirdhills Andy Report post Posted March 13, 2015 Hello there! Well, if I look at my finished pieces, there's always one (or two ;-) little things I know I can do better on the next one, even if it's just me seeing it... And I guess that'll never change, right? :-) We are always learning and moving forward, and that's what I like about Leatherwork... There's so much to learn and know about, and I don't think it'll fit all in one lifetime? And if we ever come to a point where we stop learning, we'll probably lose- or allready have lost- the love for our craft... BTW: I'm definitly planning to do a nr. 3 and 4 and 5 etc, but first of all, I need a decent nr 1 and 2! haha :-) Andy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
