Saddle in progress.

[Dan V]

Hey Robin, thanks for posting this, it's great watching. I really admire the craftsmanship. When you get a chance, can you tell us about the tree?

[bowtech36]

That looked awesome, it's like and episode of ''how its made'' I enjoyed the pictures very nice job.

[Mike Leonard]

Great stuff Robin! This is the Norton Roper I presume? Are you going to use a flat plate rigging or and in-skirt on this one?

[R Severe]

Dan & Mike
The tree is indeed the Norton Roper, This one has a 12" fork and a 3 1/2" cantle. The bars are semi Quarter horse spread. The horn is 3 1/2" high and the top will finish right around 3 1/2"

Mike, the rigging will be a inskirt in front with a 2 1/2" dee in the rear. The deep round skirt is dropped in front so the plate is almost as low as the flat plate but the saddle will finish a little lighter. The riggin will be a 7/8 position.

I'm getting way behind on pictures, need to catch up to where I'm at in the shop. I'll get more loaded on the confuser and post them when I get the chance. RS

[R Severe]

As the seat drys the wrinkles get smoothed out by using the draw down strap and a rub stick.

Your bending the the leather in two different directions so it can be a challenge sometimes.
after the seat is smooth and dry it's set aside and the plugs are cut outta the ground seat for the stirrup leathers. you have to be carefull not to score the rawhide as that makes a weak spot.

[zachvu]

Robin, I love what you're doing! I've always been interested in this, but never really saw the process. If you have a chance will you explain some of the "why's" in saddlery? I'm wondering why the rawhide is nailed if it's sewn all the way around, why the cutouts in the front of the seat, and what was the compound on the seat? Leather and glue?

Thanks again for the thread!!

[R Severe]

Zach, no thanks needed.
The rawhide is nailed to hold it down on any inside curves as it drys. It would try to bridge if the nails wern't there and without the pounding as it drys. Rawhide is very light when dry and stops the wood from breaking as it won't allow a splinter to pop up. It also takes all the skrews and nails of the leather going on with out loosing strenth.

The cutouts in the front of the seat is where the stirrup leathers go on top of the bars. The bottom of the bar is notched for them in the wood, so it won't sore the horses back.

The ground seat is four peices of leather glued together and shaved for shape. The seat itself is a single peice of leather that is wet so you can shape it to match the ground seat.
All of the seat peices go in wet and then dry as you work on them.

The next couple of pictures show the last peice of the ground seat and the back of the cantle. The front peice in the dish of the cantle is shaved so the nail dimples are smooth and won't affect your comfort. These two peices are the start of your cantle binding ( the stitched seam that holds the seat together.




The last picture shows the seat in and the cantle binding tacked in place and ready to sew.
It and the horn are sewn by hand, this binding is called a strait up binding.

[R Severe]

Next I'm gonna work on some way to hold this outfit on a horse. This customer wanted to try a inskirt rigging after using the flat plate on his other saddles. But needs to carry a rifle at times so were gonna put a dee in the rear.

First picture is of the skirts in progress. The rigging plate is sewn & riveted in and the sheep skin is ready to be sewn. The stirrup fenders are in the picture as well.



Here's the skirts on the saddle.



This saddle is all about function but has a little bead border and some scroll cutting in places to dress it up, heres the horn cap.

[zachvu]

Awesome! Thanks for the explanations and again for the thread...I'm loving following the build.

[R Severe]

The wrap is on the horn and the rear dee is installed in this picture.
I've got some more pictures I've got to load in the computer to get caught up with where the saddle is.
It will most likely be tomorrow before I get them loaded. I'll get the stirrup leathers in and training, rear jockeys are on now. While the stirrup leathers train I'll finish all the strap work and tugs / rear cinch.

[Cowboyvon]

Thats real nice... I just had another one made that is real similar.. James Morris made it for me I haven't even picked it up yet

[R Severe]

Brett, I'd love to see you post a picture when you get it. RS

[R Severe]

Heres the rear jockeys on and bottoned down.

Next is the stirrup leathers & fenders, they have Blevins quick change buckles and are twisted and wrapped. The picture shows them in the trainer using the drawdown bar.



The last picture is the finished saddle ( still putting a breast collar together to match)
I'll be back tonight and give a few more details and maybe a few thoughts on saddles in general. Thanks for coming along. RS



and to any political types, I Did Build This

[sheimer]

Mr. Severe, Thanks for this post. I find my self checking often for your new additions to this thread.

I know just enough about saddles to be dangerous. This leads me to a few questions...

I see that this saddle is a "northern roper". I also see that it has an in-skirt rigging. What is the strength difference between a flat plate, D ring and an in-skirt rigging. I've never had any fail, just a question.

I also am wondering what is the average time for a saddle from start to finish invested for you?

I am very impressed with your craftsmanship. It is second to none.

Scott

[R Severe]

Hi Scott, Quick repley while eating lunch.

Thanks for the complements. The tree is called a Norton Roper. It was designed by Parr Norton who was a cattle rancher in east- central Oregon. He was also a very good roper and at one time trained a world champ. cutting horse. He wanted a tree that worked well in the arena and was also good for outside roping and general ranch work. He went to Hamley's in Pendleton and worked with the treemaker and saddlemakers there to come up with a very popular tree.

If installed right there is no difference between the rigging strenth. The inskirt gets a bad rap from some of the ways it gets installd, so do the others for that matter. The inskirt is the lightest in weight but the stirrup leathers wear on the mounting leather over time. If watched it isn't a problem. Flat Plate is the heavest rigging but also easyest on a horse as it gives as they move. Both the inskirt and flat plate give you great stirrup freedom.
The dee rigging is the traditional ropers rigging and is a good one. The only downside to it is if you start coming back from a full double it also starts costing you stirrup frredom. Weight wise it falls between the other two. Inskirt adds the least amount of bulk.

Time on each saddle varies depending on how fancy they are ordered or the options that are picked.
This saddle the way its orderd and counting the tree runs real close to a hundred hours. Thats not counting tree drying time.

Hope I answered your questions.
Thanks RS