Replica of an original J.S. Collins saddle by K.T. Monson for sale

ONE OF A KIND

This saddle pictured is a K.T. Monson made replica of an original J.S. Collins saddle made in 1887 from Miles City, Montana, U.S.A.

The tree manufactured for this saddle was hand made by “Swanke Saddle Tree Co.” copied from an original early 1880’s Lehman tree made by “T.E. Meana tree Co.” of Denver, Colorado. It has been revised to fit modern horses with a 6” wide by 8”high, 90° semi Quarter Horse bar angle and a 4.5 rock according to the Denis Lane cards.

The border tooling on this saddle was done with a “McMillen tool Co.” diamond stamp that is close to 100 years old in order to keep the tooling period correct. The flower tooling in the seat dish is patterned from an original 1800’s saddle made in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. All the leather is hand cut and fit. Also all the sewing is by hand using waxed linnen thread. No machine sewing at all. The skirts and all other parts are cut from copies of original patterns along with written documentation of dimensons found in old catalogs.

This one of a kind 16”, 1/2 seat Sam Stag rigging saddle would have been used and valved by cowboys and trail drovers througout the West in the late 1800’s.

Specifications: 16” seat, cantle lean to 16.5”, 1/2 seat flower dish, 3 1/4 x 3 1/4” domed old time horn. 3” all wood stirrups.

This beauty is for sale. The fixed price is 9800 $ + shipping and handling. For questions and/or more information please contact K.T. Monson at Swanke Saddlery in Billings, Phone +1 406 259 9227 or in Europe, Fritz Riedl at Backyard Saddlery, Phone +49 1522 8690339.

K.T. Monson at Swanke’s Saddlery in Billings, Montana

The maker: K.T. Monson lives close to Billings with his family, horses and chicken. For more than three decades he is Ben Swankes right hand and himself a saddlemaker extraordinaire with a special interest in special saddles. Also he is a bullhider, machinist and expert for firearms. He loves Mexican food and Irish folk music.

Before he joined with Ben Swanke he started and rode cutting horses for Buster Welch. And if he doesn’t weave colorful traditional Navajo blankets on a selfmade loom, he has fun with his two Soraya geldings.