Saddle Bags - Update

[Silver Creek Slim]

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I am kicking around the idea of making a set of saddle bags. I got a pattern pack from Tandy Leather. There are 10" and 12" patterns.   I am thinking of making the 12".  It has one strap. I was wondering if there were pictures of period saddles and how many straps did they have?

Slim

[Irish Dave]

Slim:
I suspect there were nearly as many different bags as there were saddle makers etc. with some common elements included. I've see them with any number of straps.

The common military bags of the late cowboy period had 3 straps. I recall seeing many bags (originals and photos) with 2 straps and even some with single straps, although most of the single-strap bags that I recall were of the smaller variety.

Don't know if this helps much, but I'm sure you'll get some additional replies.

[Silver Creek Slim]

I have done a search of the Solomon Butcher collection. Most of the saddlebags look like this.



Which, as Irish Dave said, "...although most of the single-strap bags that I recall were of the smaller variety."

Slim

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Howdy!  Saddlebags are way cool.  I got a set of Cavalry type bags with 3 buckle straps on each side from Cabellas.  I got them and the canvas liners for a bit less than $100.  They've gone up since then.  The bags are fairly large and made by TripleK leather.  I've also been told by 2 or 3 leather workers that they are pretty good bags for the price and that they wouldn't be able to make them for what Cabellas charges.

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Silver Creek,
If you are building a personna within a specific time frame, you need to determine what time period everything you are using would have been made/manufactured and taylor your equipement to it, if you are throwing your gear together haphazardly, then it doesn't matter. 
Do you own a horse and saddle? just curious. I am in the process of making a set of southwestern Native American saddle bags that would have been in use by such tribes as the Apache Comanche, Kiowa and Navajo. If you want to see what a sample of this type of saddle bag looks like, go rent the DVD or Video of "The Missing" starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett. Two Natave American friends of mine worked on this fiilm and supplied me with photographs that show the saddle bags up close. If you dont have need for saddle bags a better choice might be a Portmanteau. You can see these in Cabelas, they have been used for over 200 years and are still being made. I have one of these that I have added saddle strings to that I carry extra ammo and firearms in.

OCB

[Silver Creek Slim]

Thanks for the suggestions, pards.

Slim

[Steel Horse Bailey]

Slim, those Catmandous (Whoops!  Wrong song!) er . . . portmandous (please excuse any spelling errors) can also be had from Cabellas and probably made by Triple K for about $115, iffn I 'member rightly.  Plus shippin', natcherly.

[Silver Creek Slim]

My employer gave me enough X-mas money to buy a set from the local Fleet Farm for $73 + tax. It is made by Weaver. It is 12" with two straps.  Also, the night I got them, I branded the backside of each bag. 

Slim

[Delmonico]

I bet that stunk up the house.

[Big Hext Finnigan]

You use a runnin' iron?

[Silver Creek Slim]

Delmonico,
It left a little bit of an aroma. 

Hext,
Nope, I don't use a running brand like Delmonico does. 

Slim