ABOUT

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We have been building saddles for nearly 30 years. We fit saddles to both horses and riders, creating a solid working tool th

We have been building saddles for nearly 30 years, learning and perfecting our technique. We fit saddles to both horses and riders, creating a solid working tool that is strong, durable, functional, and also beautiful. Every saddle, or piece of leatherwork that comes from our shop is handmade by me in Texas, using only American sourced leather.

The Art of Saddlery is a dying one – each flower and leaf is meticulously hand carved into the leather. Edges are burnished. Belts are lined. Beautiful quality you can see, and feel, in the old, Cowboy Tradition.

How would you describe your maker style?

I do mostly custom orders but I follow three rules: 1) Function 2) Fit, and 3) What the customer wants and needs.
How did you become a saddle maker?

I apprenticed under a saddle maker for 6 years. I started working on only building my own gear, and tack, and others started asking me to build things for them. My leather work has grown from something of a hobby I did in a shed, to now running a full saddle shop.
What sets your saddles apart?

All saddle makers have their individual things – it comes down to customer preference. The devil is in the details, they say. Handmade cinches, quality hardware, and these things show in my workmanship. Each saddle is fit to the horse and rider. I don’t have a production line – I do every piece myself. When I was apprenticing, I was told that they can put one of two things on your tombstone – here lies a saddle maker, or here lies a man who made a bunch of saddles, but not both. Good things take time, and attention to detail. I want to be known as a saddle maker.
Who are your clientele?

I make things for everyone, even people without horses, but ranch hands and day workers are a huge part of my clientele, because they spend all their time in a saddle, working with their equipment, and need it to function as it should. I’ve developed repeat customers because they know my products deliver what they need.
What drew you to saddle making?

I wanted good quality tack. I had broken a saddle about 30 years ago, and I couldn’t find anyone to fix it, or who knew how to fix it properly. So I found a saddle maker to teach me how to do it. I apprenticed under a saddle maker who had been building saddles and doing repairs for over thirty years.
Why did you choose to be a Saddle Maker?

It’s part of the “Cowboy Tradition.” It’s a dying art, and I enjoy it. There is nothing like the smell of leather and a cup of coffee in the morning and creating something brand new every day. I love making my mark on a piece of the Western Tradition.
Where do you source leather? And why does it matter?

My saddles are made using only Hermann Oake leather – it’s American sourced and tanned leather. Where it’s made matters.
What does it mean to you when you hear the phrase “Working Cowboy Tradition or Style”?

To me, that means that: 1) the tack, or leather item functions as it should, and 2) it is as comfortable and practical for the horse as it is the rider, and 3) it looks good while functioning, and 4) durability.
What sets your work apart from other production-line work?

Quality parts, quality leather, attention to detail. The little things that people may not know for sure why my products are better, but they know they are holding quality. It’s the finishing touches – liners, stitching, edges finished & dyed.