Does anybody here restore leather saddles?

[my spoiled chickens]

I just cleaned up a bunch of leather saddles for the first time before I sold them and I found it quite therapeutic, does anybody do this as a side hustle or just for fun or even as a career? Are there any tips or tricks on it?

 

[ShrekDawg]

This sounds really interesting and neat

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I used to when I was a kid to make money. I would offer to clean out peoples old barns in exchange for any tack I found. I found some really rough and ugly looking pieces that cleaned up quite nicely. This would have been 16 years ago and I was getting $100+ for bridles breast collar sets and $200+ for the saddles on eBay. I found a lot of people were more than happy for me to take their old stuff just to get it out of the way. One thing I found was cleaning and applying oil in thinner layers then letting it dry then re-applying had better results than one thick layer. Taking your time and doing multiple coats really gives that nice deep shine. Even some of the roughest leather with enough love can become supple like butter. You will also get more money if you learn how to polish any metal on tack and if you can find old real silver bits and spurs then clean them up nicely those can go for a pretty penny. I once had a lady let me go through her barn and I found a gorgeous antique looking bridle with silver. I cleaned up the leather, polished the silver and put it on EBay for $25 starting bid. It sold for $300 at the end of the auction and my little 13 year old jaw dropped lol

 

[my spoiled chickens]

I used to when I was a kid to make money. I would offer to clean out peoples old barns in exchange for any tack I found. I found some really rough and ugly looking pieces that cleaned up quite nicely. This would have been 16 years ago and I was getting $100+ for bridles breast collar sets and $200+ for the saddles on eBay. I found a lot of people were more than happy for me to take their old stuff just to get it out of the way. One thing I found was cleaning and applying oil in thinner layers then letting it dry then re-applying had better results than one thick layer. Taking your time and doing multiple coats really gives that nice deep shine. Even some of the roughest leather with enough love can become supple like butter. You will also get more money if you learn how to polish any metal on tack and if you can find old real silver bits and spurs then clean them up nicely those can go for a pretty penny. I once had a lady let me go through her barn and I found a gorgeous antique looking bridle with silver. I cleaned up the leather, polished the silver and put it on EBay for $25 starting bid. It sold for $300 at the end of the auction and my little 13 year old jaw dropped lol

Awesome!

 

[my spoiled chickens]

This sounds really interesting and neat

Well, I want to start doing it and since I live in an area with LOTS of farms and horse arenas I figure there will be demand for it, and I have lots of saddles to practice on.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Well, I want to start doing it and since I live in an area with LOTS of farms and horse arenas I figure there will be demand for it, and I have lots of saddles to practice on.

That’s awesome!!!

 

[my spoiled chickens]

That’s awesome!!!

I live above maryland and near the harrisburg expo center and 30 mins either way from the York county fair and the Carrol county fair

 

[ShrekDawg]

I live above maryland and near the harrisburg expo center and 30 mins either way from the York county fair and the Carrol county fair

Oh nice

 

[my spoiled chickens]

Oh nice

yea! we have been blessed with this farm

 

[my spoiled chickens]

Ive decided to start up a small tack cleaning business.
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