Quite shocked.

Wally said:
Just got back from BETA.

All I will say is, if you are about to buy a saddle, from an English saddle manufacturer, whose address and credentials say "Walsall" all over them, ask them, and look them in the eye and make them tell you the truth, ask them where their saddles are made.

You may be as horrified as I was. :poop:
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Yes and it's been going on for ages!! wish i'd known you were going Jo..i should of gone on monday but had to much work!!
 
Wally, is it a brand you used to work for by any chance? (A brand I never liked but annoyingly seem to fit my horse really well and he goes really well in it!)
 
poohsmate said:
i was thinking about this the other day..i know how much it costs to make a saddle, and what the mark up is and there is a healthy profit to be made making them in this country.
So i just figure that if people are getting saddles made in india/china or any other country, they are doing it because they are being down right greedy!!!
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This!

Also, looking at it from the other angle, these 'made in England' saddles that appear on eBay for £300 new.... OK, tot up the materials, using, let's say an Aulton and Butler GP spring tree, and, for argument's sake Sedgwicks leather/panel. Add flocking, furniture, and making time. £300? I think not! Not unless saddle-makers (who are skilled craftsmen after all!) are willing to work for about 50p an hour! ;) When Paul trained, he was told that a dedicated saddle-maker can make, alone, 1 saddle per week.

The consumer must be thoroughly confused!!
 
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Last set of English Leather Pairs harness I made cost me £300 in brass furniture and buckles alone! at trade prices.

You cannot make a saddle in this country, using English leather and reputable trees fro £300 and make much of a profit.
I am not going to name names, just be aware when you are buying from what you think is a Walsall based saddle makers, ask them direct where their saddles are made if you want to buy British.
 
Wally/Poohsmate....what's your opinion on this.

Hypothetically...

The stud nail/saddle nail can be made in any design. Let's just say they are made with the words 'Made in England' on them, because they (the NAIL!) are made in England.

Then, this English-made nail, with 'Made in England' which is completely true, is nailed into a saddle made in Craptackistan.

Is this stating the saddle is 'made in England' - is there a lie here? Because the nail really was....

Something we were talking about recently and thinking.... "Hmmmmm".
 
Wally said:
Last set of English Leather Pairs harness I made cost me £300 in brass furniture and buckles alone! at trade prices.

You cannot make a saddle in this country, using English leather and reputable trees fro £300 and make much of a profit.
I am not going to name names, just be aware when you are buying from what you think is a Walsall based saddle makers, ask them direct where their saddles are made if you want to buy British.
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We've just finished a pairs harness Wally, and yes, the brass furniture was over £300! :eek: From 'that place where we can get all our trade supplies from'. I rang them and listed everything we needed for this job, and when I got the invoice I nearly passed out!!
 
Kis Vihar said:
This!

Also, looking at it from the other angle, these 'made in England' saddles that appear on eBay for £300 new.... OK, tot up the materials, using, let's say an Aulton and Butler GP spring tree, and, for argument's sake Sedgwicks leather/panel. Add flocking, furniture, and making time. £300? I think not! Not unless saddle-makers (who are skilled craftsmen after all!) are willing to work for about 50p an hour! ;) When Paul trained, he was told that a dedicated saddle-maker can make, alone, 1 saddle per week.

The consumer must be thoroughly confused!!
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Yes..i was thinking ,more of the well known names who have saddles made overseas for maybe half the cost of making them here..!
 
We used to churn out between 4 and 8 in a week. Depending on the style. All the cutting was done for us, all the machining was done for us, If there were any apprentices we might cajole them into doing some casing for us, and straining up trees.
 
Totally understand why you cant name names Wally - you've given people food for thought and it's up to anyone who wants to know, ask the relevant questions and do some digging for themselves.

Very scary stuff though ....
 
Am now very worried that lovely old second hand Black Country saddle that I love very much now............... is made in Pakistan and will add to Tobes problems :hot:
 
sjp1 said:
Am now very worried that lovely old second hand Black Country saddle that I love very much now............... is made in Pakistan and will add to Tobes problems :hot:
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Copied this off their page

We are committed to providing you with the best possible product available. We have declined the mass production demands and remain with tradition continuing to use and source quality British materials, from the initial stages of the wood laminated Spring Trees complete with 10 year guarantee to 100% wool flocking, English leathers and skilled craftsmanship, found at the benches of our factory in Walsall, England

If this saddler is one of the ones - i'd be seeking legal advice as their site is clearly misleading.... The only way YOU will know is if YOU phone them tomorrow and quiz them

Not meaning to sound horrible but this could turn into a witch hunt, it's up to anyone who is worried to find out for themselves. And I mean this in the nicest possible way.
 
I would be going on the prices of the saddles based on the above comments - a black country or SC saddle is not going to be £300 :)

It will be the cheaper end, and probably mass market off the peg stuff... in theory!
 
OK now really worried I purchased by IDEAL Jessica saddle for £900 new it fits like a dream. It was made in Walsall or so I was informed.

It does state that the finest leather was used and the tree was made in england personnel as long as all the leather is english and the tree was made by a master saddler I am not concerned where it was 'put together'. The stitching looks good and seems good to an untrained eye. It was fitted by and indepentant master saddler and checked again after 20 hours of use.

In my mind I can do no morfe to protect my horse. should I be worried

edited to add on the ideal website it does not actually say made in the UK just based in the uk.
 
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