Saddle Makers?

[mrnatural78]

First, I am new fairly new here. I found this site from a google search and registered. My name is Doug Thompson and I live in NW Indiana. I would like to learn how to make saddles. Does anyone know of good books or online resources that show saddle contruction? And what constitutes the different types of saddles? I have been working with leather for a few years now. I have accumulated a large selection of tools, including a cobra class 4 machine. I mostly work with veg tanned 9/10 oz whickett and craig or herman oak. I order direct from w&c, or through weaver or springfield. I started with knife sheaths just for my own use and found I really enjoyed working with leather. I am now getting into tooling as well as making messenger bags. To be honest, I seem to want to try my hand at making nearly everything. I am trying to learn saddle making even though I do not ride horses. For me, saddles just seem to be the top tier of leather craft. I am also drawn to the history and traditions of it, but that is just how i am. I have a great appreciation of american history and old time ways. In todays disposable society I appreciate craftsmanship and things made well and built to last. I appreciate heirloom items that can be handed down to my own children. I would love to find someone to study under but there doesn't seem to be any saddle makers near me. I have a few saddle and tack stores close but they all sell off the shelf products from large production companies. I currently work in a skilled trade. I am a professional tattoo artist. I've been working in tattoo shops for 20 years. Because of my current trade I do not underestimate the value of a good apprenticeship. As well as learning the history and traditions of a trade. I have only been able to find one saddle maker in indiana. His name is Ron Ross, located in St Joe, Indiana. From looking at his website and his work online he seems very good and has been in business since 1959. Does anyone know of his work? Does anyone know of anyone else in Indiana...preferably the north west part of the state? Any help anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

M, if you get the books by All Stohlman, they are very well illustrated and will get you a long way down the road. There are others out there that are also good, but; for starters I would suggest these. I've been using mine for over 20 years and still refer back to them from time to time.

Bob

[mrnatural78]

Thank you. I actually purchased it this morning. As well as the Jeremiah Watts dvd. Both based on recommendations I found I the saddle section here. There is a ton of great info on this site.

[johnv474]

If you look towards fine leather goods, many of the traditional ones descended from ones made by saddlers... who were the closest we had to a leatherworker capable of making anything he was called upon to make.

You can learn an awful lot by learning to make straps of all sorts. When a person can make belts of all types as well as watchbands or keychains or whatever, then the fundamentals learned will apply elsewhere. Sewing long straps will help you figure out how to sew in in straight line, at the consistent distance from the edge. The skills of skiving, sharpening, sharpening, rivets, etc. Would apply to saddlery , well.

[Calait]

Thanks, I am looking to do a 26" western Girth for a riding treatment center.

[mrnatural78]

I'm far from a master but I can sew straight and cut straight. I've made a living as a tattoo artist for the last 20 years so I have good hand/eye coordination and a steady hand. I will admit there was a steep learning curve to operate my cobra class 4 though since I had never used a sewing machine before. I'm just now starting to play with some basic border tooling. I'm picking that up fairly quickly. Again, my art background helps a lot. A lot of filigree and flower type carving/stamping designs I can draw easily without a pattern. I draw things like that for tattoos right on people's skin with disposable surgical markers and then tattoo it. What I'm struggling the most with is not knowing much of anything about saddles. Things like the types of saddles and what makes one a roping saddle and another a barrel saddle or what not. I know almost nothing about how a saddle is constructed or what constitutes a good saddle and what a bad one. I'm learning quickly though from reading this site.

Edited February 9, 2016 by mrnatural78

[Ken Nelson]

I started out with Harry Adams Saddlemakers shop manual and the Stohlman series. I had a friend up in Montana that talked me through some puzzles. After 60 some, I worked for a really good saddlemaker for a year. Real education. I had two college boys do apprenticeships in my shop when I was in New Mexico. Took them 3 saddles to turn the corner. Both got good, really good in a year. HTH Ken

[mrnatural78]

I hope that at some point I will be able to work for, or apprentice under, an experienced saddle maker. There doesn't seem to be any in my area. The only one I can find is over two hours away from me. I mentioned him in my first post. I have been emailing him over the last couple days and I will be spending a couple weeks studying under him in the fall. Would the saddle makers here say that they see more people coming into this business or a decline in people making saddles during their career? I know in my experience, in most things it seems real craftsmen are dwindling and everything is being mass produced....cheaply. I'm wondering if this trend is evident in the saddle world as well.

Edited February 9, 2016 by mrnatural78