It was about 1987, and I was trying to gain traction with my saddlemaking business with a main street location in Salmon, Idaho. I’d become acquainted with a local rancher who was related to an old timer in the area by the name of Sid Williams. Sid had been a mink rancher and did some […]
Archives for 2012
Wood Post Swell Fork
This is a nice letter from a customer: Dear Cary, After speaking with you the other day, I thought a lot about our conversations over the past couple years. When I first talked to you I thought maybe I was looking for something similar to a cutting saddle that I could rope on, and that somehow evolved […]
The Classic Halfbreed on a Swell Fork
The halfbreed saddle has become a classic over the last twenty years or so. Most of the ones I’ve made have been on a Wade tree. This was a nice exception…it is a Lewellyn tree made by Warren Wright. The front (fork) is thirteen inches wide and is covered without a seam. I’ve taken extra […]
2012 TCAA Saddle
I hadn’t considered making a miniature saddle until a couple years ago. This is my recently completed saddle for the 2012 ‘Cowboy Crossings’ exhibit opening at the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City. Several months ago I was visiting with my mentor Chuck Stormes about half scale saddles. We agreed that a common mistake is […]
The Ground Seat
Saddle makers are often asked what a person should look for in a comfortable saddle. Though it is a fair question, a simple answer is tough to come by. The key lies in what is called the ground seat. Although many riders are unfamiliar with how the ground seat is constructed and how it works, […]
Grandpa’s Woolies
My paternal grandfather, Theodore John Schwarz (b.1896) came to Idaho in the 1910’s. This is a pencil illustration by my first cousin Todd Schwarz rendered from a photo of our Grandpa Schwarz. This was a time when woolie chaps were extremely common among the cowboys of the day in much of the west. All the […]
It seemed like a good idea at the time…
The story of the 2009 TCAA Woolies began in 2007. I’d been looking for a source for good quality angora goat to use for chaps and unfortunately almost all the hides available had hair that was too short for an attractive pair of woolies. I eventually discovered a tannery in Texas that sold goat hides […]
Testimonial: Rick & Marcia
The first saddle Cary made for us was in 1997. Already Cary had a reputation for doing thoughtful and meticulous work, and we couldn’t have been more pleased or proud of that saddle. It is still as beautiful and functional today, as it was the day we picked it up. Since then Cary has gone on to […]
For the Collector
Since the founding of the TCAA in 1998, I have built nearly twenty unique, collector category saddles for an average price of nearly $30,000, all of which have been collaborations with some very good silversmiths (Scott Hardy, Mark Drain, Mark Dahl, R. Schaezlein & Son) Almost all of them took over a year from the […]
Thoughts on Craftsmanship
Over the years, I have approached fine craftsmanship as a process…a journey of refinement. There has been an ongoing, deliberate effort to make the next saddle better than the last. It is a study of integrating function and art, the two ideals at the heart of fine craftsmanship. This commitment has required a certain amount […]