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 first stages of design to their completion and all of them had design features and techniques that I had never before attempted. Some had aspects that, to my knowledge, had never been executed by anyone. A few of them have been collaborations with three or four other craftsmen (silver, rawhide, hardware, tree, leather). The artistic and technical challenges this work has presented has been very gratifying to me personally. Working closely with a great silversmith has added another important measure of satisfaction as well.
Virtually every saddle I make is considered a one-of-a-kind project but if you are interested in a saddle that transcends the working class category in to the realm of fine art, I would like to invite you to attend the TCAA show opening at the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City in mid-October (link!). I also produce work at this level on a commission basis. Give me call for details about museum quality saddles for the discriminating collector.