silverchip
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
I haven't posted for a while, This is part of a job that has hung on FOREVER!!!! finally the last big piece is done(I hope).:beatup::beatup::beatup:
Gullet cover for a sadldle
- Thread starter silverchip
- Start date
Marrinan
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
That is beautiful work. That is going to be on fancy saddle. Fit for Gene or Roy or Tom Mix. Hope to see the finished work. Fred
Brian Marshall
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Only ever did two of these... had bad dreams for months after - that there were more yet to do.
Or cantles... those were a lot of fun too.
Brian
Or cantles... those were a lot of fun too.
Brian
Marrinan
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Are silver parade saddles making a comeback? I recall that the Rose Parade put some restrictions on the weight that a saddle could be. Years ago we had one with must have been two hundred silver diamond Conchos on a black saddle. It had seen better days and a few were missing and the leather cracking. Some one stole out of the tack shed in the sixties when silver was a whooping $2-3 an ounce. Had a big silver horn all bright cut with roses as I recall. Lucky if they got ten bucks in the pawn shop.
Funny that Rose Parade restriction. A true drum horse, The queens drum horses carry two 90 pound silver drums plus the mounting device plus the saddle and the drummer in full regalia for royal processions of her guard. Fred
Funny that Rose Parade restriction. A true drum horse, The queens drum horses carry two 90 pound silver drums plus the mounting device plus the saddle and the drummer in full regalia for royal processions of her guard. Fred
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Brian Marshall
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
That weight limit is inclusive of ALL of the tack (including blankets and pads), EVERYTHING the rider is wearing and unfortunately... usually an overweight rider.
Most would pass - but for the extra weight the rider is carrying on himself/herself.
Brian
Most would pass - but for the extra weight the rider is carrying on himself/herself.
Brian
Brian Marshall
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Back long before 911, I had a really close rush job to do for the Rose Bowl. It was a complete new serape - fully covered in silver.
I had something like a week to make, engrave, mount the silver and sew on the lining leather.
Got down to the last day. Called the client and told him we were about 6 hours shy of making it.
He said keep going. Gotta have it. There's a roundtrip plane ticket in your name at SFO.
So, I gathered it up, drove to the airport, and kept stitching it together by hand while waiting in the terminal for the flight.
People started gathering around asking what I was doing. I explained...
Kept hand stitching all through the short flight.
Finished it as we landed. Got a round of applause from the crew and passengers.
He was standing there waiting for it when I got to the terminal.
With cash - and an extra coupla hundred "bonus"...
Went straight to a motel and got 24 hours of sleep. Hadn't had more than 2 or 3 hours a day in 8 days. Those were the days when I could drink 4 or 5 pots of coffee a day.
Brian
These days you'd get arrested for possessing a coupla harness needles and an awl in an airport.
Or straight jacketed and locked up in a rubber room - for trying to do sumthin' like that...
I had something like a week to make, engrave, mount the silver and sew on the lining leather.
Got down to the last day. Called the client and told him we were about 6 hours shy of making it.
He said keep going. Gotta have it. There's a roundtrip plane ticket in your name at SFO.
So, I gathered it up, drove to the airport, and kept stitching it together by hand while waiting in the terminal for the flight.
People started gathering around asking what I was doing. I explained...
Kept hand stitching all through the short flight.
Finished it as we landed. Got a round of applause from the crew and passengers.
He was standing there waiting for it when I got to the terminal.
With cash - and an extra coupla hundred "bonus"...
Went straight to a motel and got 24 hours of sleep. Hadn't had more than 2 or 3 hours a day in 8 days. Those were the days when I could drink 4 or 5 pots of coffee a day.
Brian
These days you'd get arrested for possessing a coupla harness needles and an awl in an airport.
Or straight jacketed and locked up in a rubber room - for trying to do sumthin' like that...
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Jesse.beckham
Elite Cafe Member
How did you lift the leaves? My plan to learn engraving was to try and replicate Sheridan style leather carving. I would love to know the process you go through to get the leaves like that. I am assuming you are using a molding tool to do the shading on the flowers, where a thumbprint would be used on leather? Thanks ahead of time... Great work by the way!
Jesse Beckham
Lost Penguin Leather
Wichita Falls, Texas
Jesse Beckham
Lost Penguin Leather
Wichita Falls, Texas
Brian Marshall
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
I will look before I jump, next time Jesse.
Not much of an excuse to offer, other than that I was tired at the time and must have confused the images of Dave's work in my head... Sorry
Brian
Not much of an excuse to offer, other than that I was tired at the time and must have confused the images of Dave's work in my head... Sorry
Brian
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Marrinan
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
I read somewhere recently that Roy and Dale came out with a line of plastic saddles for the Rose Parade. I think it was the articles about the sale of their museum but can't remember for sure. The picture was of a white saddle with red roses though.
Yes Brain you would be on the permanent no fly list but you sure put in the supreme effort on that job. Fred
Yes Brain you would be on the permanent no fly list but you sure put in the supreme effort on that job. Fred
rod
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Big chunk of silver to work with, Dave,
Tell me the pros and cons of engraving big stuff?
Come what may, you made a really fine job of it, and nicely photographed!
Rod
Tell me the pros and cons of engraving big stuff?
Come what may, you made a really fine job of it, and nicely photographed!
Rod
dlilazteca
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Very nice
Carlos De La O III
Carlos De La O III
Willem Parel
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Really beautiful, fantastic 3d flowers.
silverchip
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Obviously, there are pros and cons to this kind of work. The most obvious is designing a pattern that covers and balances well. The next is time, all of this is done with about 4 tools, all of the background is cut in with a square graver.All of the shading and is done with a square graver then the heavy lines are beveled with a flat graver. The little wriggle shade accents are done with a round bottom graver. The pedals are lifted with a round bottom graver turned upside down.
I suppose the biggest challenge is the time it took to learn how to use the computer to create transfers that work and the time it took to engrave it. For a silver engraver this would be an eternity of about forever!!!!!
I suppose the biggest challenge is the time it took to learn how to use the computer to create transfers that work and the time it took to engrave it. For a silver engraver this would be an eternity of about forever!!!!!
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RDP
Elite Cafe Member
Beautiful work Dave!, thanks for sharing the tool details as well,
Richard.
Richard.
Beau Compton
Member
Dave, Very nice work. Beau
John P. Anderson
Elite Cafe Member
Nice work. It looks like your having fun pounding away all day. Your not short of work ethic either. Send Leonard and I a bucket of that.
I sure like all the silver work I'm seeing even though I grew up in a horse world where shine was for city slickers.
Thanks for sharing.
John
I sure like all the silver work I'm seeing even though I grew up in a horse world where shine was for city slickers.
Thanks for sharing.
John
Ron Spokovich
Elite Cafe Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2012
- Messages
- 436
Years back, we had a saddlemaker here named Bernie Holtz, who's since passed away. From memory, and I'd seen the photos, he'd made a saddle for Roy Rogers that was adorned with nearly 100+ pounds of silver, and made a custom sheath for me for a custom knife I had a friend make. The knife has, sort of, an African motif to it, and I designed enough brass on it to provide enough of scrollwork that I have yet to put on. While I'm not up to speed on computers or posting photos, someday I'll do up the knife, and post some photos of the whole thing. Perhaps some of you guys were acquainted with Bernie? The tack shop is since long gone, but I understand he did a lot of work.
golden forge
Elite Cafe Member
Dave, always amazing what you can do with silver.
Is this for one of Pedro's saddles, and what kind of tree is it for, Hope or maybe a Wade?
Dave B
Is this for one of Pedro's saddles, and what kind of tree is it for, Hope or maybe a Wade?
Dave B
silverchip
~ Elite 1000 Member ~
Hey Dave , no, this is one of Chuck Stormes saddles. It will be on a Visalia 3-B I think. I guess I have done silver for some of the best Saddlemakers in North America and count my self very lucky for that.
golden forge
Elite Cafe Member
Visalia,,,,, yup I can see the pommel shape now, thanks.
Luck will only take you so far Dave, I think you may have surpassed that some time ago. :bow:
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