Onomea
Well Sir,
I don't recall for certain how many hours I spent watching ol' saddle makers ply their trade...It was a bunch to say the least.
I guess I come from a long line of 'Makers' and everyone seemed to be a building or makin' something all the time.
My Mother was a dressmaker, she sure turned out some fancy ladies dresses and such.
Dad, was forever working on some special project or mending a saddle or harness.
Ya just couldn't run to town everytime something needed fixin'. We were a do-it-yourself or do without - kinda bunch.
Made myself a fancy gun belt when I was first allowed to carry a handgun around the place there for doing chores and riding fences.
Just for sport you know. The holster was a hand-me-down, but fit and wore good enough for a kid.
After I 'aged' some and was big enough to hang around the corrals whenever
my Dad and his cronies were shooting or just passing the time of day.
I studied every man's holster and belt rig in every detail...
Why some of them there old gents would pull their fancy outfits off and let me examine their leather
shucks up close.
One thing leads to another...
Be it snuffy cowponies or broncy mules bustin' up the equipment, ya got fix it. (BTW, that pony right there was fixin' to get eared down...
He was a good 'n' but sure could bog his ol' head and jar ya to the gills the first thirty or forty yards. Ya'd better be purdy salty.)
My old saddle I still ride and a new one I built for ol' Cookie, a fine feller that we had slingin' hash in our mountain hunting camps.
Then along came...The Rodeo Days,
(Spur'n one out at Ol' Cheyenne)
Nah, not me...Much to his Mother's great dis-pleasure, our Son became a Bronc rider in collage
and rode the PRCA circuit, till a little blonde headed Texas gal came along...
During the rodeo years I made an untold number of 'leggins' for all his pards.
Some were plain and some were just 'plain ol' ugly' like the Bull Riders Special above.
Then, there's my bull elkhide Chinks when they were new. (The same pair you see in some of my firearm photos.)
Well that's about enough of that there...
One of My favorite rigs for the hills
or just goin' to town...With a 3 1/2" N frame
Just making 'em really good and stout. And sometimes purdy too.
Su Amigo,
Dave
