Old Time Saddle

[Misfits]

Don,

I too know nothing about saddles. I Like the simple lines and the Outstanding carving! I hope one day to tackle making one. You are an inspiration in that respect...Nice work!

John

[Don101]

Don, where did you get your tree?

What other resourses did you use for technique on fitting parts?

GH

the tree is a couple of years old that is the same trees styles that were used by the meanea company, built by a mark hows i believe thats how its spelt on the saddle was written old time wade 05, i got the tree from a friend that happened to have a spare one over,

as for resorces i used pics of original old saddles from the cattalogs of that period and based a lot of the design on saddles that are in the book cowboys and trappings of the old west, i also used the original saddles that i have for basic messurments although the seat sizes are smaller, but most of it was eye judgment to fit to the tree,

i looked alot on Clays pic page to see where he cut for fitting the fork and seat and basically took it from there, but before i did any thing i thought about it twice and once again i didnt make any wrong callculations to my knowlidge and i only scrapped one piece, i reedid the fork as i wasnt happy with the scollops that were under the gullet, Don

[Don101]

Don, that is exceptionally nice work. My first saddle don't look that good and it weren't that difficult either. I like the nice scalloped edge on the felt. Very nice. You sure went the extra mile to make those concho's like that, and they look pretty good for not having a punch. One thing you may have done to cover up the line, what I do sometimes is using a small pear shader on each pedal. So it looks like a flower. The line would mostly be gone.

Very nice work Don, hope to see more of your inspiring work here.

Bob

ah you noticed the line yes i wanted to make everything my self, ok i could have bought a packet for a coupl of bucks but its not the same as doing it yourself, good tip about the pear shader ill remember that i did think about stamping around with a half moon but thought it would be to fancy for a working cowboys saddle of the 1880s, Don

[karl]

Hey Don,, Thats one fine job! Welcome to the world of saddle makers. It kind of gets in your blood. I see you took my advise an plugged around the skirt. You did one fantistic job. Now like everyone is telling me, now that I finished my saddle, "Now you got to get you a Horse"! Karl

[pella]

I LOVE your saddle! Is is beautiful and the carving too. Congrulation, i hope to make a saddle that look as nice for my first one too ;-)

What did you find the most difficult?

[D.A. Kabatoff]

Hi Don,

good job on that saddle... that's a fine looking piece of work. As a few people mentioned, that is a challenging style of saddle to put together and to do a nice job of it (like you did) is even tougher. Especially like the job you did with the square skirts... making them look square on the back end gives most people fits. Tell me about the thread you used... is that yellow linen? Don't see that much anymore, but it has a really nice effect on your saddle.

Darc

[Don101]

I LOVE your saddle! Is is beautiful and the carving too. Congrulation, i hope to make a saddle that look as nice for my first one too ;-)

What did you find the most difficult?

there were a few things i found difficult as it was new teritory i supose, the gulled covering was a bit hard with only one pair of hands, carving the seat on the tree was a real pain and diddnt turn out as nice as i would have liked it felt as if some times i needed to break my wrists to get more flexability and get around some of the corners, covering the rings on the riging was also not an easy task, and the cheyenne role, the rest was normall leather work and went ok i had to just think a couple of times before cutting or how i was going to put it together.

Hi Don,

good job on that saddle... that's a fine looking piece of work. As a few people mentioned, that is a challenging style of saddle to put together and to do a nice job of it (like you did) is even tougher. Especially like the job you did with the square skirts... making them look square on the back end gives most people fits. Tell me about the thread you used... is that yellow linen? Don't see that much anymore, but it has a really nice effect on your saddle.

Darc

yes it is yellow linen and it is still available over here ive had that large role a good few years and cost then about $30 but it is still around and i like using it on stuff, Don

[pella]

well, i'm not a master in carving, so to me it look very nice, and most of all, i like the style of the leaves, scrolls and flowers, i like the littles points you made on the big flower, on the petals. Tooling is also a style i like, i would be proud to ride this saddle :-)

i am surprise you dint talk about the seat, thats something i am afraid of.

Yellow linen thread, i buy some lately at Abbey saddlery, they carry it on a regular basis.

Hey, may i say it must be a pain in the butt to hand-stich felt and leather?! Maybe easier than a sheerling?

[greg gomersall]

Don On the next one fit your seat, figure out where your lines and borders are, then take it off and tool it on the rock. You will be much happier this way. The only piece I tool on the tree is the fork cover. Also the bottom edge of your front jockey could be lower so that it would be more inline with the rear jockey. Other than a couple other minor details you should be very proud of what you have done . gutten-tog. Greg

Edited February 7, 2008 by greg gomersall

[Cecil]

Well after months of slowly puting this saddle together its finished, it was a good learning prosess as the next one i do there would be a few different things and ways i would go about it, for the first i am happy, let me know what you think, Don

Don - The saddle is beautiful. It is very clean and uncluttered.

[Don101]

Well got to try the Saddle for fit on a friends Quarter horse the saddle it self was OK but just a little to wide in the gullet for the horse, well it wasn't built for it but nothing a saddle blanket wouldn't cure, so overall i was pleased with the results, Don

[whithead]

Awesome saddle!

Where did you get the stamp(s) you used for the border?

Also, I am new to this foum and looking to build a saddle...what is the ClayB"s you refer to? If it helped you it may save me some stress as well....

I think I saw your series of building photos as a link was posted by someone on the CASCity site...I didn't recognize that until I saw the photo of you on the horse.

Again - Great job...you should be proud of your success!

Edited February 28, 2008 by whithead

[Don101]

here is a close up of the stamps for the border, the stamp was a tandy stamp that i filed to be more like the old stamps used by Meanea and collins the wheel used to be made by macmillan i dont know if they are still doing anything and the lines beader was also made by myself from a large bolt and filed to shape, i didnt realise that judge had posted the saddle on cascity but yes it is the one, and the ClayB i was on about is amember here take a look at his photo albums, Don

[mudman]

Evcellent job for the first one!

[SCOUTER]

Don, The saddle is beautiful! All of your work is reminiscent of the golden age of western leathercraft. I am curious as to your location. Your profile notes Germany... Is that so? Is there a big following for the American west in Germany? Thanks for posting!

[Don101]

You wouldnt beleve how serious the wild west is over here there are thousands of reenactors, thousands is probbably an understatment, we have reenactors from AR , fur trade hudson bay the northwest company, indians through out the periods from dog society to mohawks, we have CW, cowboy to wild west show reenactors, buffalo hunters, rough riders, indian wars and even ww1 and ww2 reenactors..... phew,

im of to the anuall Buffalo hunters camp next weekend, and in a couple of months its the indian council

[Sandy Robbins]

I know i am a little late replying. But I think you did a beautiful job! This was a hard one for your first time. I am anxious to see the second one! Keep up the good work!

[Grunt]

Awesome job Don !!!

You have definitely achieved a high level of attention to detail. Very nice job indeed.

I can vouch for the enthusiasm of the German people for American Western stuff. When I lived in Germany my best friend and I would go a gasthaus that hosted a line dance club on Friday nights. The place was always packed. The owner thought we were crazy until she stuck around for a while then she got in on the act. Although some of the outfit some of the fellas wore would have gotten them some strange stares here in Texas. In fact when my German friends found out I was moving to Texas they proceeded to give me the run down on Bars and Honky Tonks to go to when I arrived. They make the trip over here to the States once or twice a year.

Thanks again for the pictures Don. Really nice work.

Regards,

Nick

[Tangent Creations]

Absolutely amazing! You inspire me to start on the tree I've got sitting out in the shop..... I too want to build an old time saddle and have yet to do more than minor repairs on existing saddles...

You did a wonderful job! How do you get the finish to be so even?

[Echo4V]

I know I'm way late on posting to this thread but I'm amazed that that is your first saddle. Building saddles is my ultimate goal but I"m a long way from that right now. However, I have thought of redoing my current saddle with the felt padding instead of shearling so I'm curious about how that felt is working out for you?

I also noticed on this thread that your saddle was featured on another site/forum during the construction and I wonder if you have a link to that so that we could all see how it went together?

As far as how good a job you did on this saddle, if it were for sale I'd buy it. First saddle or hundreth I think it's beautiful.

David

[froginthefog]

Outstanding Don.. May I ask what type of finish you used.

kelly

[ArtS]

Absolutely beautiful. Very well done.

Art

[Don101]

thanks again for the compliments,

as to the link i dont want to spread fals info on how things are done, as i stated on the reenactment site its on, its how i did it, so what i want is a pro saddle maker to volentier and ill send him or her the link and they can rip it apart and let me know if its ok to post, Don