English Saddle Pictures Some Of The Stages

[gmace99]

I was going through some pictures and found my file of a English style saddle I made a year or two ago. I have about 100 or 200 pictures of the stages of making this saddle. This is just a few stages.

[barra]

Excellent tutorial.

[JAZZMAN]

Saddle making , what an amazing skill to posess, i would love to learn how to do this one day but it takes everything i have got to make keyfobs and coasters at the moment, but maybe one day.Thanks for sharing.

Edited May 10, 2015 by JAZZMAN

[gmace99]

Thanks Jazzman.

I still make small leather goods like key fobs.

I am a professional saddler and one of my hobby's is leather work. I sometimes do key fobs if a kid comes into my store I will do a quick demonstration and make them a simple key fob then let them stamp their initial on it. The big smile that comes on their face when they see that stamp on the fob is worth the little demonstration. Then I give the fob to them.

There are a lot of skills used in making fobs and coasters that you need to make a saddle. You cut the leather,edge strip, stain and polish. A saddle in part is just a bigger version of a key fob.

I noticed from one of your posts that you are new to leatherwork, You are going to enjoy it so much. I still get a sense of achievement and pride every time I complete a job.

[JAZZMAN]

Thank you so much for taking the time out to give me some words of encouragement , it really means a lot to me. It is aslo nice to know that a professional like yourself is doing their bit to encourage youngsters to become interested in hand crafts. I know a lot of people would not feel they have the time to show young people their skills but without people like you in the world crafts such as this would eventually dissapear. I am no youngster anymore but i know i have never forgotten those times as a young boy when someone older took the time to show me a little kindness, it never leaves you and contributes towards the person you become as you get older,take care my friend. Peace.

Edited May 11, 2015 by JAZZMAN

[MonicaJacobson]

Wow, it was awesome seeing pictures of this. I've seen several in-process pictures of Western saddles, but none of English. Thanks!

[gmace99]

Monica I have well over a hundred photos of the stages involved in making a saddle. Far to many to post. However my intention is to post some in answer to questions people may have. For example if someone askes how to put a new seat on I may post the pictures of that part of the job. I also have half of the saddle making on DVD again far two big to post as its over two hours long.

If I get to retire this year at the ripe old age of 55 then I hope to do some short you tube videos to help people out.

[JAZZMAN]

If I get to retire this year at the ripe old age of 55 then I hope to do some short you tube videos to help people out.

Well i for one cannot wait for that to happen, i will keep my eyes posted on you tube.

[AdamTill]

Would love to see the rest eventually! I'm just finishing up my first western saddle, but I know my wife would love it if I could do her up a new dressage saddle as well. Much tougher for Joe Average to get the trees required though, plus then there's the black art of stuffing panels

Thanks for posting!

[gmace99]

Adam My favourite part of saddle making is flocking/stuffing. It is a art to get it right. It is worth your time learning how to do it. As you can make some good money in the USA doing it. A full reflock would take less than a hour to do and if I remember correctly you charge 250 to 300 dollars to do the job in the USA less a material cost of around 20 dollars. That sounds like a good hourly wage to me.

If you would like to see some more saddle making pictures look on my other businesses Facebook page I have some on there. www.facebook.com/dosthillsaddlery/photos

Then if you get the bug and want to do more just jump on a plane and come on a course. Not only can you learn you can eat Haggis and black pudding, drink whisky hear bagpipes and you might even buy a kilt.

[smirak]

Adam My favourite part of saddle making is flocking/stuffing. It is a art to get it right. It is worth your time learning how to do it. As you can make some good money in the USA doing it. A full reflock would take less than a hour to do and if I remember correctly you charge 250 to 300 dollars to do the job in the USA less a material cost of around 20 dollars. That sounds like a good hourly wage to me.

If you would like to see some more saddle making pictures look on my other businesses Facebook page I have some on there. www.facebook.com/dosthillsaddlery/photos

Then if you get the bug and want to do more just jump on a plane and come on a course. Not only can you learn you can eat Haggis and black pudding, drink whisky hear bagpipes and you might even buy a kilt.

I don't know anything about making a saddle, but I did grow up riding. However, I just want to come drink whiskey!

[gmace99]

Smirak

One should only drink whisky for medicinal purposes. It is a great cure for many things after all they do call it the water of life.

Uh oh I just had a cough. Best I run for some of the golden medicine.

[NormaMoore]

Thank you for the photos. I recently picked up an old english style saddle, but I've never seen one put together the way it is. It is a monoflap, but this thing is really old, I'd say over 100 years. It is stamped Manufactured by S B Swaggerty. The under panels are stamped 1810. Other then that I see no other markings on it, but it isn't sewn like any of the newer saddles. Have you by chance ever run across anything like this? I'm reverse engineering it (I was an alteration seamstress for 30 years lol), but even the flocking appears to be of horse hair, not wool. The tree is cracked, but I bought this more as a curiosity piece then in hopes of repairing it. 

Thanks for any information on this type of saddle. 

Norma

[Matt12345]

Norma,

Stewart B. Swaggerty was born in 1874 and died in 1937. I found a little info on him via the internet. His business is listed in the General Rating Book: Ratings on Tanners, Leather Manufacturers 1924. Additional info shows he was a saddle & harness manufacturer living at 1200 Greenfield Avenue, Nashville.  He was 63 years old and married when he died of high blood pressure and myocarditis on April 24, 1937 at Nashville's Protestant Hospital. Both he and his son (KIA WWII I believe) are burried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Nashville. The remainder of his family lives in Knoxville (descendants of his 8 brothers and sisters).

I too have an exceptional example of an English saddle made by him. It's at least 83 years old, probably more. I purchased it from an estate sale in Nashville. It retains both stirrups and all six lashings hanging down. When I press into the cushion, there is a slight crinkling sound (horse hair vice wool perhaps). I can look into the sides and see the same type of stitching as your photos show. I'll take some photos and upload soon. Thanks for your post!

Matt

[NormaMoore]

Thank you Matt. 

You were able to find out a lot more about the maker then I was I appreciate it and I would love to see photos of the saddle you have too

Norma

[EdOdgers]

Great photos!  I'm a western saddle guy but appreciate seeing the process and craftsmanship that goes into the other half.  Thanks.

[Sheilajeanne]

Horse hair was commonly used to stuff things during that era - sofas as well as saddles! The had lots of it, so why not use it?