EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Who do y'all prefer?

I've got an idea in my head of what I want, but its gonna take a special hand and someone willing to try something new.

I like Billy cook ranch cutters,

Got one for 15 yrs and gets better and better.

I agree that a cook saddle can be great if you get a good one but I'm looking more into the custom direction.

Not sure if you can you can buy from them but if you know someone that works for tdcj they have some really great saddle makers and leather workers if I remember right its $5 plus material but I could be wrong on the price.

Try John the saddle man out of grand saline. I took one off his hands at the canton trade days and it is top notch. I bet he could build anything you want.

Ross Bullinger, Quitaque, Tx. Ross does fantastic work.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.255816871102101.81193.100000213694355&type=3

Jim Plantt, Fairfield,  Tx.

The best saddles out there are a coats saddle. Larry coats will build them however you want

x2

X3 they did everything that I asked from them!

Luke willams , RockinW saddles in peggs, ok

He is on ethd (rockinw) but I haven't seen him post in a while. Ive never had one of his saddles but seen a lot of his work and it looks top notch for sure!

I've got saddles and/or tack in the barn from Larry Coats, John Piland,  Ross Bullinger, Jason Senior, Don Gonzales, Luke Williams and many more.

My next saddle will be made by Luke Williams,  Rockin W. In Peggs, ok.
His is the perfect balance of working tack and artistry.   His stuff looks great and works even better.

Coats

Rico saddlery Greenville tx. He made mine and I've seen a bunch of his others. I like his work and their very good heavy saddles. He does custom work

(http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz78/chase_9322/BD344A47-DE0E-4EC9-8D94-644A7CE851DD-6086-000008192576B8F6_zps145b3ef9.jpg)

(http://i815.photobucket.com/albums/zz78/chase_9322/19BDA849-024A-4A79-B906-72162B1380B9-6086-00000819008210E0_zps00071655.jpg)

my buddies thought it would be cute if they got me on Howard Counsil  list ;D he said not a problem but dont be offended if i die before he gets it. he probably wont ever complete what real customers he does have . i see him all the time an he aint in the best of health. but he s at every day in his shop

Anybody ever had dealings with Slade Saddle Shop out of Luling, TX?

BAIV,

    I recently sold a custom Slade saddle.  Long story short...

In 1997 a man had Slade build him a saddle, about time he took delivery of the saddle, he was indicted for fraud and sent to prison.  The saddle changed hands a couple of times, made it from Brenham, to New Mexico, and finally into my hands in La Porte.  A few months back I had just purchased a couple of Larry Coats saddles, and the Slade wasn't seeing much use, so I called Slade and told them that if anyone was interested I'd sell the saddle.   They called back and said the original owner was out of prison, and had just taken delivery of new custom saddles, and they thought he would be interested in mine.

That week the man drove down and bought his original saddle back.  It also happened to be the first saddle he had ever had made, so he was pretty tickled to get it back, and I was happy to cash the check!

Other than that saddle, I have had a few dealings with Slade.  In one such dealing, they dismantled my deceased father's sea turtle boots, and made me some knife sheathes out of the sea turtle.

Slade does fair work, but I don't believe they are on the same level of craftsmanship that Luke Williams, Coats, Wike, etc...