Video Episode of Hands on YouTube: Irish saddlery in 1981

paddi22

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 December 2010
Messages
6,232
Visit site
I love their old bridles, the leather is so soft! I always try and buy up any i see on second hand sites for sale. Often people sell them off as old bridles for almost nothing. The leather is just so soft and buttery!
 

cremedemonthe

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 March 2011
Messages
5,614
Location
Was Caterham on the Hill, Surrey now Wales
Visit site
Exactly how I was trained, hand made threads, making our own edge stain with pearl glue, we'd flock seats and knees rolls too. Methods I still use today when I make any saddlery which is very rare now as no money in it, although we hand stitched all our saddlery and avoided machines especially on the rubbered rein grips, we spot stitched those by hand as less stitching along it's length to perforate the leather (weakens it). Points on the riding bridles we'd use bridle points, egg points (as in the vid) you can do quickly compared to bridle points and egg points were for harness and show bridles, so even then in 1981 they were starting to lean towards mass production probably because of the quantity of work they had to make it was the quickest way to do it even if it wasn't always traditional. May have been regional variations too though.
Oz
 

OldNag

Wasting my time successfully....
Joined
23 July 2011
Messages
10,994
Location
Somewhere south of the middle
Visit site
Exactly how I was trained, hand made threads, making our own edge stain with pearl glue, we'd flock seats and knees rolls too. Methods I still use today when I make any saddlery which is very rare now as no money in it, although we hand stitched all our saddlery and avoided machines especially on the rubbered rein grips, we spot stitched those by hand as less stitching along it's length to perforate the leather (weakens it). Points on the riding bridles we'd use bridle points, egg points (as in the vid) you can do quickly compared to bridle points and egg points were for harness and show bridles, so even then in 1981 they were starting to lean towards mass production probably because of the quantity of work they had to make it was the quickest way to do it even if it wasn't always traditional. May have been regional variations too though.
Oz

Interesting you say that about bridle points. I absolutely hate seeing egg points on bridlework - I love to see a good bridle point. But they seem to be disappearing fast.
 

Pippity

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 February 2013
Messages
3,320
Location
Warrington
Visit site
Interesting to see that the cheekpieces and reins were sewn onto the bit. I guess there wasn't as much changing bits around back then.

I've googled but can't find an answer - what are egg points and bridle points, and what's the difference?
 

ElectricChampagne

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 August 2016
Messages
1,700
Visit site
My grandfather's business was leatherworking and he knew them fairly well. Would often make a piece or two to see if he could manage it.
I used to love the smell and feel of the leather in the workshop he had. he often made the collars for the work horses too.
 

little_critter

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 June 2009
Messages
5,758
Visit site
Interesting that the leather used for the bridle was only coloured on one side, the inside looked ‘raw’. That was fascinating to watch.
 

cremedemonthe

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 March 2011
Messages
5,614
Location
Was Caterham on the Hill, Surrey now Wales
Visit site
It used to be that all "posh" bridles (i.e. for showing, and hunting) were sewn in. I remember (and I'm not that old) cleaning show bridles that had the tiniest stitches....
We used 12 stitches to the inch back in the day but further back 16 to the inch wasn't unheard of, which is HARD to stitch!
Most modern bridles etc are stitched 8 to the inch or there abouts, the smaller the stitching the better quality as a rule.
Oz
 

Keith_Beef

Novice equestrian, accomplished equichetrian
Joined
8 December 2017
Messages
11,376
Location
Seine et Oise, France
Visit site
We used 12 stitches to the inch back in the day but further back 16 to the inch wasn't unheard of, which is HARD to stitch!
Most modern bridles etc are stitched 8 to the inch or there abouts, the smaller the stitching the better quality as a rule.
Oz

When I repaired a pair of reins for my riding school a few months ago, I did 16 stitches to the inch, just to see if I could do it... Even on such a small piece, it was quite hard for me, as a beginner.
 

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,198
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
I'm glad this popped up again as I meant to watch it previously.
I was surprised they used synthetic wool?
 
Top