Help With Recondition

[greyhawk]

Thanks oltoot for the the info don't think i'll take it apart will leave as much as possible am not that confident at the mo totake things apart. lol i take it's ok to replace the comchos??

Thanks again guys!

What do i do about the specks of paint?

Edited April 18, 2015 by greyhawk

[greyhawk]

How many cleans would you suggest for the saddle also can't seem to find a makers name anywhere. Thanks

[Thor]

So here are some pictures of my saddle.

Mine is number 2 of that saddle maker. Number one can be found at the Williams Lake Cowboy Museum in British Columbia and is dated to the 1880s.

I hadn't used it for years, but after the fact that it fits a horse got through the SPCA almost perfectly I started using it again. All I've done was cleaning it well with a glycerin based saddle soap and oiling it a couple of times. As you can see it's due for re-cleaning and oiling again.

It's not uncommon if you cannot find a saddle makers name for such old saddles. Sometimes you may just find initials on some place of the saddle.

[greyhawk]

Beautiful saddle Thor very Nice. Thanks for sharing them.

[greyhawk]

What sort of leather would you use for the strings? Thanks

[Wenny]

I cut 1/2" strips of latigo leather to make my own saddle strings.

If you have to replace missing conchos, just stay as close to the style of the original ones as you can. There are some fancy conchos out there, but they won't look right on a historical saddle.

[greyhawk]

Thanks i think i will have to replace conchos nothing much left of them as you can see by the photo they need replacing this is what i thought i replace it with.

[Saddlebag]

I've set more than one dry saddle out in a good rain for a few hours. While the leather is quite damp it gets a good soaping. No hurry to oil it until it's set for 5 days. It may get a second cleaning which helps rehydrate the leather and then it may get oiled while the leather is still damp. Warmed oil is used. It is checked daily and more oil may be added as some areas will really soak it up and others not so much. When I'm satisfied it sits for another 5 days to give everything time to penetrate as deeply as it's going to. Saddles get caught in the rain when ridden in and it's good for the leather.

[Thor]

I'd be very hesitant on doing that. First off those old saddle trees may or may not have a rawhide cover. Second, if they do, you don't know in what condition it is. You may get too much water onto the tree. I left one of my saddles out in the rain once, cause I had to get out of the bush... Took me quite a long time to bring it back to life. Needles to say that it never looked the same as it did before.

Maybe it be worth to order this issue of the leather crafter's journal http://www.leathercraftersjournal.com/product.cfm?product=162. This has been suggested to me.

Since you decided to replace the straps, and yes it is latigo leather. It usually comes in red and yellow. Since yellow are the ones used on your saddle you might want to find those. I'd use 8 to 9 oz. or 3 to 3.5 mm.

To replace your rosettes you will need 2 different sizes. You will get most of the stuff at the UK Tandy Leather store. You can phone them up and talk to them. They are very knowledgeable and helpful. I usually phone them before I order in Spain as this is the way it's organized now.

[greyhawk]

Hi Thor thanks once again for the input Think i take yor advice on putting the saddle in the rain i don't fancy that was a little worried about that suggestion .Thanks Thor.