Real saddlers??

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Toby_Zaphod

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I've got an Otto Schumacher bridle, which was very expensive & that needs a new nose strap, the one on the bridle is showing signs of wear & needs replacing. All I want is to give the strap to a saddler as a template & for them to make me a new one......simple you'd think............but...............no not simple!!

Trying to find a real saddler who actually makes things rather than being a glorified retailer in our area is difficult. I approached a well known saddlers who actually bought out a manufacturing saddlers some years ago & asked them, only to be told that they don't manufacture anymore they just buy in.

It's so sad that there don't seem to be the craftsmen & women around anymore. My wife was a bridle stitcher by trade years ago & would hand stitch the strap but she isn't a leather cutter. Where are the skilled people!!!! :(
 
Try cirencester saddlers, not sure where in the midlands you are so might be a bit far though. You can always call them and drop the strap in the post if you can be without it for a few days? They do the IR bridle and are 'proper' lol!
 
I'm a real Saddler but I'm a bit far from you, trained the old fashioned way to hand make saddlery back in 1987-88, including designing, making, repairing, fitting,making and using hand made threads which sadly you don't see very often now as well as flocking saddles, everything a saddler used to be!
Been told I'm an antique ( that was the polite word !)
Oz :)
 
Sally who is based at RB Equestrian has done some real quality repairs for me to leather work - it might be worth contacting her to see if she can do it, not sure if that is too far but its just south of Milton Keynes. She is not part of RB, she rents a workshop from them but they can transfer you to her if you call the shop.
 
ThePony said:
Try cirencester saddlers, not sure where in the midlands you are so might be a bit far though. You can always call them and drop the strap in the post if you can be without it for a few days? They do the IR bridle and are 'proper' lol!
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Do you mean Sidney Free? If so, yes, proper old-fashioned saddler.
 
cremedemonthe said:
I'm a real Saddler but I'm a bit far from you, trained the old fashioned way to hand make saddlery back in 1987-88, including designing, making, repairing, fitting,making and using hand made threads which sadly you don't see very often now as well as flocking saddles, everything a saddler used to be!
Been told I'm an antique ( that was the polite word !)
Oz :)
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Yes, two round here are past retiring age now. Why does no one want to do this anymore?

The other problem is leather in not the same quality it used to be either.
 
marmalade76 said:
Yes, two round here are past retiring age now. Why does no one want to do this anymore?

The other problem is leather in not the same quality it used to be either.
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Too right there!
Even when I was training back in 1987 our teachers at Cordwainers were telling us the leather wasn't as good as when they trained, some MANY years before.
The leather now is processed from cattle that really hasn't had time to mature.It's the massed produced world we now live in I'm afraid, everything must be done as quickly as possible to make a profit.
I find the leather is often dry too, it's not curried as well as it used to be.
Bakers is by far the best leather which is the last remaining tradional tannery left in the UK and the price of the hides reflects this but it is the best.
Best leather comes from Aberdeen Angus cattle that's been naturally grass fed, they tend to mature slowly which makes great leather.Making cattle grow too quickly makes leather with growth marks on the shoulders which shows up on the leather, it's also more "pappy"
Oz :)
 
Toby_Zaphod said:
I've got an Otto Schumacher bridle, which was very expensive & that needs a new nose strap, the one on the bridle is showing signs of wear & needs replacing. All I want is to give the strap to a saddler as a template & for them to make me a new one......simple you'd think............but...............no not simple!!

Trying to find a real saddler who actually makes things rather than being a glorified retailer in our area is difficult. I approached a well known saddlers who actually bought out a manufacturing saddlers some years ago & asked them, only to be told that they don't manufacture anymore they just buy in.

It's so sad that there don't seem to be the craftsmen & women around anymore. My wife was a bridle stitcher by trade years ago & would hand stitch the strap but she isn't a leather cutter. Where are the skilled people!!!! :(
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I noticed your based in the Midlands. Have you tried Milners saddlers in John o Gaunt? I know they make their own stuff anyway so i'm sure they'd be happy to do that for you. They're quite pricey but always do a cracking job. :)
 
You could try getting in touch with Laura Dempsey - based in Warwickshire, she's mostly known these days for side-saddles but she is a very good craftswoman and made my friend's horse the most fabulous made-to-measure bridle from scratch.
 
cremedemonthe said:
Too right there!
Even when I was training back in 1987 our teachers at Cordwainers were telling us the leather wasn't as good as when they trained, some MANY years before.
The leather now is processed from cattle that really hasn't had time to mature.It's the massed produced world we now live in I'm afraid, everything must be done as quickly as possible to make a profit.
I find the leather is often dry too, it's not curried as well as it used to be.
Bakers is by far the best leather which is the last remaining tradional tannery left in the UK and the price of the hides reflects this but it is the best.
Best leather comes from Aberdeen Angus cattle that's been naturally grass fed, they tend to mature slowly which makes great leather.Making cattle grow too quickly makes leather with growth marks on the shoulders which shows up on the leather, it's also more "pappy"
Oz :)
Click to expand...

It seem to be coated with something these days, too shiny. I miss the leather that was a natural tan when you bought that darkened as you oiled it. I don't think English leather is the best anymore, I've seen Argentinian (sp?) saddles made of nicer leather than English.

I had wondered if the 30 month thing had something to do with it.
 
marmalade76 said:
It seem to be coated with something these days, too shiny. I miss the leather that was a natural tan when you bought that darkened as you oiled it. I don't think English leather is the best anymore, I've seen Argentinian (sp?) saddles made of nicer leather than English.

I had wondered if the 30 month thing had something to do with it.
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The London Tan you mean, like this

LONDONTANSTUDDED.jpg


Lovely chestnut colour it used to mature to!
Alot of our leather starts off in Argentina I believe now and is finished off over here in the few tanneries we have left, it's so dry though when you cut into it to start using it, that's why I make my own leather conditioner and slap some on before I use it and dress the leather with it if I make new work up before the customer has it, it keeps it supple and well conditioneed.
 
Yeah, with no coating/varnish/polish or whatever it is the put on leather that makes it look like leather meant for car seats, hand bags and leather jackets!

I still have a few pieces of tack that were originally tan (they're not tan now!) that date back to my early childhood, still look good and perfectly serviceable!
 
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