Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Saddle Repair

Good for you , Jim.
I like to pitch in also when I see a need . Luckily I have a leather/ harness sewing machine in my shop for repairs. (That way I can overbuild to the ridiculous, but I am happy) Good on you for your time and effort for the girl.

Dip it in the water trough, then stick a handle through it to turn the stirrups out, then let it dry.

Excellent work , dude. That leather craft is a dying art. Not many do it anymore. I am in the process of rebuilding my saddle that I have had since early 80's. It is a labor of love.

Nice work Jim, I had to look it up, a man that makes, and repairs saddles, and harness is saddler. A lost art for sure.

A guy who could do nicely making custom holsters and scabbards?

I think you found a nice "side hustle"
Truly nice work.

Had a saddle stand many years ago that had a steel plate with notches cut that fit the corresponding part on a piece of steel of wood going longways, with a sideways piece that fit in the stirrups. Was grand because you could turn the stirrups and put them under weight. If you do it when oiled they take a set that stays as opposed to soaking them in water that'll just dry out the leather and then you're looking for cracks at the stress points. Key has always seemed to me to put the turn in with weight in the stirrups. Had some buddies that bought saddles with stirrup leathers that were turned and wrapped with rawhide. Always thought that was neat, but I quit riding horses with my own saddle for a paycheck a long time ago, and my willingness to spend $$ in that regard as gone too when I have an old standby that does more than well enough. So I just keep a stick stuck in there to keep things turned.

As you well know grabbing that offside stirrup can be kinda critical lol.

I'm told there was a man in Sac City Iowa that repaired, and even would make a saddle. He'd cut down a burr oak tree for the saddle tree.

Our local hardware store hand a man that just did repairs on harness, combine, and windrower canvases.

Those days are long gone.

almond joy got real milrlk chocolate coconut and munchy nuts too

Ha! On the topic of saddles, and tack. I was on our gliding rounding up cows when the off billet broke. That's the opposite side from the chich. If you horse back riding is exciting, try horse billet "riding!"

Pays to check the condition of your tack before throwing a leg over.

That is a right professional job, probably not very many saddle repair shops around anyway. I was surprised we still have a boot repair shop in town, I guess he makes holsters also.

If it's the one I'm thinking of, they do sheaths too. And a damn good job of it. Buddy uses them, has had a couple made for knives I made him.

I like Jim stitched and riveted it. I don't know that I've seen many that way. Usually just rivets.

That's professional looking work for sure.

Nice looking work.

Lots of tack shops around here.

I grabbed the leathers and give em a big twist.

They stayed that way.

It took a long time.....the work is a bit shoddy.....but at least I dont charge anything!

Give her a double your money guarantee Jim.

Ha!

That skirting leather was kind of expensive.....but if I charged for it I am sure I wouldn't enjoy it as much.

That’s gotta be the wrong way to do it. That’s how I do it!

Ole Mike only knows two things about ducks.....and they are both wrong.