Speaking of saddles........and leather...........

[Ranchy]

from JingleBob's thread about tack..........my dad is letting us try to restore his old saddle that he bought as a teenager (c. 1950). It has had many years of abuse from the rain that we used to get every year, like we have this year.

Does anyone know any product that will restore the moisture to the leather, and take the "curl" out of it?

Thanks!

 

[Jinglebob]

Get some Skidemores Leather cream. He's out of Laraime WY. Then when you have the grease, get the leather very, and I mean very, wet, so that you can shape it back to what it was originally. Then as it dries out, keep wiping the Skidemore's on it. I think it's the best you can do for them. They need the water to get it softened up enough to shape and it also opens the pores in the leather, so that it can take on the oil or grease.

Skidemores is all they use on the antique saddles at the King Saddlery Museum, in Sheidan. It's great stuff and not expensive if you buy it by the pail.

Good luck!

Oh, and when you have it wet, it wouldn't hurt to wipe and try to get the dirt and gunk off from it. If it had lots of oil in it at one time, it will take awhile to get it thouroghly wet. don't rush it or you will crack the leather. You can even press the leather between two boards, to straiten out the skirts and fenders.

 

[Ranchy]

Thanks, JingleBob!!!!!!! You're a sweet :heart: !!!!!!!!!

It's actually pretty clean, before I ever started taking it apart, I cleaned it up real good, then cleaned everything I didn't get the first time, after it was apart. It's really in great shape, considering.........it's the only saddle dad ever had, so it saw lots of hard use......... His old stud, Sandy Bob (after a horse his favorite uncle had, who was named for the Sandy Bob in the song, I'm sure) got loose, and spent a few days wandering the range with it on............. :roll: So it's been through some tough times. :lol: Wish they still made em like that. :lol:

My saddle is about as old, it was my inheritance from my great aunt (wife of the uncle mentioned above, who will be 101 in November) when I started riding. By that time, she was gettin up in years, and about ready to slow down. She gave me her saddle, and Uncle Joe gave dad the saddle he'd used, at the same time. They were matching saddles, made for them in the 50s by their son-in-law at the time.......I believe his name was Cotton Estes, but not sure. :?

Anyway, back to the subject...by good and wet, do you mean I could (should?) put it in the horse trough for a few days?

Thank you for your suggestion, it sounds like great stuff, and as soon as Fair is over, I'll be looking for some of that.......:nod:

 

[the_jersey_lilly_2000]

Before and after pictures!!!!!!

 

[Ranchy]

LOL!!!!!!! A little late for the "before" pics, but I can do some while I continue from where I'm at now........

Gotta admit, I haven't done much with it for about a year........it's just sittin up there on the rack, in pieces, so maybe it does need cleaned up again...... :roll: :? :lol:

 

[Jinglebob]

Thanks, JingleBob!!!!!!! You're a sweet :heart: !!!!!!!!!

It's actually pretty clean, before I ever started taking it apart, I cleaned it up real good, then cleaned everything I didn't get the first time, after it was apart. It's really in great shape, considering.........it's the only saddle dad ever had, so it saw lots of hard use......... His old stud, Sandy Bob (after a horse his favorite uncle had, who was named for the Sandy Bob in the song, I'm sure) got loose, and spent a few days wandering the range with it on............. :roll: So it's been through some tough times. :lol: Wish they still made em like that. :lol:

THEY DO. JUST GET A GOOD CUSTOM MADE ONE. AND IT WILL BE AS GOOD AS THAT ONE.

My saddle is about as old, it was my inheritance from my great aunt (wife of the uncle mentioned above, who will be 101 in November) when I started riding. By that time, she was gettin up in years, and about ready to slow down. She gave me her saddle, and Uncle Joe gave dad the saddle he'd used, at the same time. They were matching saddles, made for them in the 50s by their son-in-law at the time.......I believe his name was Cotton Estes, but not sure. :?

Anyway, back to the subject...by good and wet, do you mean I could (should?) put it in the horse trough for a few days?

I SURE WOULDN'T THROW THE WHOLE SADDLE IN AS IT WOULD BE HARD ON THE TREE. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE ANY LEATHER PARTS REMOVED FROM THE TREE, THEN YES, SOAK THEM IN WATER UNTIL THEY ARE THOUROUGHLY SOAKED UP. THEN AS THEY ARE DRYING OUT, YOU CAN STRAIGHTEN, BUT BE CAREFUL NOT TO CHANGE THE SHAPE ON ANY PART, SO THAT IT DOESN'T FIT BACK TOGETHER. BY STRAIGHTEN, I'M TALKING THE SKIRTS AND FENDERS IF THEY ARE CURLED UP. ALSO, AS IT IS DRYING OUT, KEEP PUTTING ON SOME OIL OR GREASE. YOU MIGHT NOT GET IT BACK TO WHAT IT WAS LIKE WHEN IT WAS NEW, BUT YOU'LL MAKE IT A LOT BETTER.

IF THE LEATHER ISN'T REMOVED FROM THE TREE , REPEATED SOAKINGS ON THE TOP AND ANYWHERE YOU CAN GET TO, WITHOUT WETTING THE TREE, IS THE BEST WAY. USE A SPONGE AND A LOT OF TIME!

LEATHER IS JUST SKIN AND IT DRIES OUT JUST LIKE YOURS. SO WE NEED TO PUT THE NATURAL OILS BACK IN THAT WOULD COME FROM THE CRITTER IT CAME OFF FROM, OR SOMETHING CLOSE TO THAT TYPE OF OIL. THAT IS WHY I ONLY USE PURE NEETSFOOT OR SKIDEMORES, DEPENDING ON THE LEATHER AND WHAT I AM TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. NEETSFOOT GOES ON NEW, STIFFER LEATHER. SKIDEMORES ON NEW SOFTER LEATHER OR OLD STIFF LEATHER. WORKS FOR ME. IF YOU CAN'T GET SKIDEMORES, USE PURE NEETSFOOT, BUT I'VE HAD BETTER LUCK WITH SKIDEMORES. IF YOU WANT TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE, TRY IT ON A VERY SMALL PIECE OF THE LEATHER. WHEW! ENOUGH INFO! LOL



Thank you for your suggestion, it sounds like great stuff, and as soon as Fair is over, I'll be looking for some of that.......:nod:

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LARAMIE WY 82070

THIS IS THE NUMBER AND ADDRESS. TELL HIM R DENNIS SENT YOU!

THIS IS ALL I USE ON MY BOOTS AND I'VE HAD GOOD RESULTS ON RAWHIDE RITAIA'S AND REINS AND ROMALS ALSO.