Full Quill Ostrich Roper

[TroyWest]

I was talking with Clay B. and Crystal the other night in the chat room and they asked me to post pictures of this saddle.

I actually made this several years ago for an old trick roper. He saw the pictures of the saddle we made for Pres. Bush and called and ordered a saddle.

Then he called back and said," I've been wearing these ostrich boots for 20 yrs. and they held up real well. Whats the chances you could cover my saddle with ostrich?"

I said " I think I can do that."

It took 4 full ostrich hides to completely cover this saddle.

I'm really not a fan of ostrich saddles, but as ostrich saddle go, it turned out O.K.

Then he called back and said," I want conchos just like the ones on his saddle."

I said, I can do that."

Then he called back and said," What's the chances you could put a diamond in the middle of the star on those conchos?"

I said," I think I can do that."

Now I really had never done that before, but I figured if anybody can do it, I can learn. So I called my cousin, who cuts precious stones for a living and asked him how to do it, and he told me over the phone. Then he ordered some diamonds for me. We used what is known as a tube setting, which means a silver tube completely encircles the stone, holding it with much greater strength than a prong setting.

I sure didn't want some horse slinging his head with a bit and knocking the diamond across the arena. Anyway, here it is.

Then he told me what he wanted on the horn cap, and on the cantle plate, insisting that I use 14k gold for the letters. The small letters on the horn cap I could purchase, the letters on the cantle plate I sawed out with a jewelers saw.

Hope you enjoy the pics.

Troy

[Crystal]

Troy - Thanks for taking the time to post this. Can't say I have ever seen an ostrich saddle with diamond studded conchos before. Beautiful! Have to also say the story is as good as the conchos and plates!

Crystal

[hidepounder]

Wow Troy...you're amazing! The saddle and the silver are both beautifully done! And what a great client!

[Ian]

Wow, Troy, that's about as high end as it comes. That saddle surely has got to made the future saddlemaking books. Who says there's a recession?

[TroyWest]

Troy - Thanks for taking the time to post this. Can't say I have ever seen an ostrich saddle with diamond studded conchos before. Beautiful! Have to also say the story is as good as the conchos and plates!

Crystal

Thank you Crystal,

I thought the story might answer a few questions about how this thing came to be, and why it was done the way that it was. Thanks again.

Troy

[TroyWest]

Wow Troy...you're amazing! The saddle and the silver are both beautifully done! And what a great client!

Thanks Bob,

I really appreciate the comments. Yes, he was a great client. Someone who knew what he wanted and had the money to get it.

Troy

[TroyWest]

Wow, Troy, that's about as high end as it comes. That saddle surely has got to made the future saddlemaking books. Who says there's a recession?

Thanks Ian,

I really appreciate your comments.

Troy

[gtwister09]

Troy,

The silver work looks really nice. Not sure that I would have picked an ostrich saddle either. Your President's saddle was certainly a nice saddle and it was saved years ago in a tickler file (pictures and all). Most of the West Bros. site was placed into a tickler file.

Regards,

Ben

[jwwright]

Outstanding craftsmanship in all things concerned as usual Troy. JW

[Colman]

Troy,

That is one nice piece of Craftsmanship!

Johnny