Latest saddle build.

[EdOdgers]

[Mulesaw]

looking good!

[bj139]

Beautiful work!!!

[Goldshot Ron]

Beautiful saddle Ed.  What do you do to get your rough out parts so smooth, without the ragged fleshy areas?  I see a lot of thought has gone into the planning and construction of this saddle.

Thanks for sharing, Ron

[battlemunky]

Is that beaver on those parts?

[EdOdgers]

Ron:  Thanks.  The rough-out parts (seat and fenders) are selected from clean smooth hides with some character (veins).  I also sand them after parts are rough cut using an orbital sander hooked up to a vacuum.

Battlemunky:  The buck rolls are made from beaver tail.  It's an incredibly durable leather with a lot of character and interest.  Pricey but my favorite.  Always gets comments.

[Goldshot Ron]

Hey Ed, Just saw something else that tickled my interest; I like you breast collar dees.   Where do buy your hardware.  I buy most of my hardware from Weaver, but it would be nice to have something special, other than J. Watt's (which is nice, but somewhat too Southwestern for my taste).  

Thanks, Ron

[battlemunky]

22 hours ago, EdOdgers said:

Battlemunky:  The buck rolls are made from beaver tail.  It's an incredibly durable leather with a lot of character and interest.  Pricey but my favorite.  Always gets comments.

I had a member on here give me two tails that I'm going to use once I get my shop usable again. It looked familiar. It is a very curious leather and I smile every time I get to handling it. I love that you used it on the saddle!

[rdl123]

That saddle is a serious inspiration Ed - Beautifully clean work!

[EdOdgers]

On 5/30/2021 at 2:15 PM, Goldshot Ron said:

Hey Ed, Just saw something else that tickled my interest; I like you breast collar dees.   Where do buy your hardware.  I buy most of my hardware from Weaver, but it would be nice to have something special, other than J. Watt's (which is nice, but somewhat too Southwestern for my taste).  

Thanks, Ron

Goldshot Ron;  The breast collar D's are actually Watt hardware.  They are some of the few 'plain' items without the faux engraving.  I'm in agreement with you, I prefer the plain hardware unless it's actually engraved.  The silver set on this saddle is by Ryon Edmonds.

 

7 hours ago, rdl123 said:

That saddle is a serious inspiration Ed - Beautifully clean work!

rdl123; Thanks Ron, much appreciated.

[MLGilbert]

That looks fantastic Ed! It all looks incredibly well put together, truly something to aspire to.

[Goldshot Ron]

Thanks Ed.  I used his plain rigging rings for my last saddle and was impressed by them.  I'll have to check out is plain B/C dees.  

[rktaylor]

Ed,

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and now your work on this forum. There's a lot to like about that saddle.

Randy

[EdOdgers]

8 hours ago, Goldshot Ron said:

Thanks Ed.  I used his plain rigging rings for my last saddle and was impressed by them.  I'll have to check out is plain B/C dees.  

I've used the Watt 5053 plain rig plates (they call them "Front Flat Plate" #04152) and the rear rig plates for flat-plate rigged saddles; Good quality and very symmetrical.  However, I almost always use 550 plates for inskirt rigs and I don't feel the Watt 550 plates (they simply call them "Inskirt Rigging Ring" #04132) allow the design flexibility I want.   Unfortunately they have a flat, horizontal recess cast into the plate where they assume the skirt leather should end.  Problem is I don't want a flat spot on my skirt there.  IMO it looks like a wart on your nose to have that flat spot on a rounded skirt.  So I find them unusable for anything but a square skirted, inskirt rigged saddle, which I have yet to do.  The 550 plates on the saddle pictured are generic cast SS that are commonly available from Panhandle or Montana Leather, and others.  Before they quit making them I used Harwood 550 plates and thought they were the best.  I've also used Bork 550 plates in bronze or cast in nickel bronze to come closer to matching the other SS hardware. 

The reason I use 550 plates for inskirts is that the bottom of the plate can extend about 2 1/4" below the skirt/rig leather.  Plates such as the 5053 or 777(powder river), which I might use in a flat-plate, the rig/skirt leather has to extend down to the bottom of the plate.  This would create an excessively deep appearing skirt when the rig is moderately low or a "dropped 7/8" rig position like this one (6 1/2" from bar bottom to rig bottom and 1 5/8" behind full).  With anything but the 550,  I just can't get the balance and line that I want with the skirts.  Bork and Watt make another rig plate that some folks use for inskirts that has a similar drop.  The Watt version is called "Dual Purpose Plates."  It has the space to add a leather plug for stitching.  I used some of these when Herb Bork first developed the style but quit using them after seeing over time and hard use the plates gap away from the leather just enough to be unsightly. 

By the way, the flank buckles on this saddle are Watt's plain roller flank buckles.

[Samalan]

Beautiful work!

[desullivan]

Nice work!!!!!!

[Try1234]

Very well done!.

[dfrensdorff]

Beautiful ! … What topcoat do you use after dye?  

Edited December 18, 2022 by dfrensdorff

[Hags]

Nice job! And I get excited about holsters!

Edited December 18, 2022 by Hags
Spelling and content

[EdOdgers]

Reply to dfrensdorff:  Top coat on stamped portions is Tankote.  Finish process begins with 3 coats oil, then lacquer resist, followed by antique past (medium brown in this case), then Tankote.