This is the last article in our Guide to Buying Used Saddle series, and if you have already gone through the last two articles I hope you found them useful. In this article, I will go over some key areas to look for when assessing any possible repairs that may need to be performed on a used saddle that you are considering to purchase. Continue reading
Guide to Buying Used Saddles Part 2
This is the second article of our Guide to Buying Used Saddles, and in this section we will discuss the pricing structure of the different types of used saddles in the market. As we spoke about in the previous article, the buyer with the most knowledge wins. Continue reading
Guide to Buying Used Saddles
Whether you are looking to buy a used saddle from an individual or from a retail store that sells used saddles, it’s a good idea to do some research in some key areas of the used saddle market. This guide to buying used saddles will get you started on the road to buying a quality used saddle. The first thing to understand is what makes a “good used saddle.” For me the definition of a good used saddle has three key qualities that I’m looking for when purchasing:
- Making sure the saddle tree is not broken
- Knowing what brand the saddle is and whether it is worth repairing
- The price of the saddle compared to the market value
My Leather Floral Carving Tool Roll
In this video, I go through the tools that I use everyday for my leather floral carving. Everybody has their own preference when it comes to stamping tools and this is what I use. Continue reading
Cutting Ears on Custom Saddles
One of the most difficult steps in building custom saddles is fitting the saddle seat and cutting the ears. In this post I will show you my trick for insuring that every saddle ear you cut will be perfect. Whether you are a beginner or you are a seasoned veteran, this tip will take the fear out of tackling this step. There are many different ways to accomplish this, but here is my process. Continue reading
Tooling a Leather Wallet
For many of us that start in leather work, we start by making small leathergoods such as wallets, belts, and knife sheaths. In this video I show you my process of tooling a leather wallet. Everyone has a different approach to tooling floral design so keep in mind there are other ways of doing this. Continue reading
Fitting a Saddle Seat on Custom Saddles
Putting in a saddle seat when building custom saddles is a process that can be a little challenging even for a seasoned saddle maker. In this video I show the process I use for getting the initial fit on a saddle seat during the build process. Continue reading
Slicking Leather Edges
Everyone has a different process when it comes to slicking leather edges on their leather projects. There are always more than a few ways to skin a cat, but this is the process that I use and it works well for me. Continue reading