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Robin,

While you are discussing the Wade would you mind discussing several other slick fork variations that are popular in the great bsin country. The Weatherly, and the 3B visalia?

I have a friend who hunts with me from time to time that has a Jerimiah Watt Wade that he won at a big loop Californio rodeo, and he has a Weatherly he won for a bronze that she skulpted. I have ridden both saddles, and a Weatherly that Chester Hape out of Wyarno, Wyoming built for my son. I liked all of these saddles but the weatherlys both were super heavy, ofcourse that could be the leather and such but they all were out of the good heavy herman oak I am sure. I was just wondering what the differences might be I have also looked at some 3B's but never relaly rode one.

A little one finger typing while eatin lunch.

Great pictures Desert Dweller, where were you?

High Country, I've heard the same story related with Cliff Wade, but I've also read another version. Nobody left that I could ask about it so I'm carefull not to relate anything containing the name of the saddle owner.

Mike, I'm not real sure about the history of the 3B. I've never made one and only worked on a couple. I should pull a tape out the next one I see.

We have made three of the slick fork trees for years. The Wade & Denny Hunt are Identical except the Denny Hunt has a metal horn and is a bit thinner in the fork front to back because of it. Same bars and cantle as the wade.
The Weatherly is just a bit higher in the gullet than the Wade, it also has the metal horn. Lots of the guys in the Nevada desert have ordered Wade's that are also higher in the gullets, some higher than the weatherly.

A cast Magnesium bronze horn adds 1 1/2 lbs to a saddle tree. Lots of tree outfits will laminate forks to try to stop them from breaking, that and 15 oz. leather can add weight fast. There shouldn't be a huge weight difference between the wade & weatherly.

The big plus to the all the slickforks I've made listed above is the bar pattern. It's a wider bar than any other tree I make, and displaces more weight than some of the longer bars in some of the roper trees. This keeps the ends of the bars outta the kidney area on even the short backed horses we all look for today. Here's the cool thing.

The gullet at the rear of the 8 1/2" fork is narrower than most other forks and gives you a nice narrow tree profile while at the same time giving you a wider bar.

I'll try to get a picture up of what I mean tonight. Better get back to work.

I was gonna scan some older pictures last night, but my scanner got colic or sumpthin.
I don't have pictures of the older trees on digital so I'll have to wait a couple months for my next wade tree.

The old wade trees very seldom had a cantle higher than 3 inches, you could get otta them real quick if in a jam. ( a horse on steep country like Hells Canyon hitting ice comes to mind)
A post type horn was unheard of, most were 2 1/2" tall with a cap around 4 1/2 to 5 inches. The horns had a fair amout of pitch ( higher in front than the rear)
Most saddles were ordered with the wade cantle binding. It was a cheyenne roll that was wider at each side than in the middle. You see very few of these nowdays.

The influence of the desert buckaroos is changing what folks think of as a Wade. Some of the changes are great some maybe not so good in the steep & deep canyons.

Back to my original question at the start of this thread. I'm interested in what tree's you guys are riding in what kinda country. I've personally narrowed down my choices to a couple tree styles, both are old designs from the days when folks rode long days in the saddle. The styles that worked in some parts of the country were maybe not so popular in other local's.
Just trying to iron out a few nagging thoughts and questions before I start whittling a tree out

That pic was taken spring bear hunting in idaho in unit 35, a place called packer john, along the payette river.

Right on with the bars and that is what I am aiming at to get one on these shorter backed horeses that stays off the kidney area.

Hell's Canyon I have left a bunch of tracks in there. As awful as that country is I guess this old sagebrush cowboy likes it. I can at least see a good ways without all them dang trees. And when a cow critter breaks and runs above me I can also see all them red and black rocks when they get ready to swallow me up. LOL!

No it is hearty country for sure and will sort a gunsel out pretty dang quick!

Mike, I've thought for some time now that Hells Canyon would be a great place to run cats in the winter. The bench trail should be passable if a guy came from Doug Bar.
Just gotta change the voting public's mind in Portland and get us a lion season
The other spoiler wound be wolves, I've heard of one credible siteingof five hunting the bench country.

Sure saw a lot of kitty tracks last time I hunted elk over there, big & little tracks.

Yes over on the Idaho side she is a slick nasty son of a gun but the cats are there as well.
I was coming down off a side over there fairly close to Brownlee one time and it was pretty bad but no turning back for sure. I finally come a sliding out onto the road tail stuck in the dirt and rocks just a rolling. There were two old boys there hunting chuckers like to scared the one half to death. Where in the #ell did you come from? I pointed up there. He said ain't no way off of there. I said maybe not but that's the spot. He shook his head and said are you drunk? I said not yet but give me a little bit and I will go to work on it. LOL!

Sure enjoyed reading this thread.

Right now I'm riding a saddle that was built for my Grandpa in the early 80's I believe. It was built by Jim Lathrup with a modified association tree.

My Grandpa left me that saddle and at first I wasn't to excited about it, at the time it didn't look ropey enough for me. Well I greased it up and started riding it. Now it means alot to me and feels pretty damn good to get into I've spent some time in it but it's going to be quite awhile before it's wore out.

One of these days when I have one built will probably look at a Wade.

Carry on Severe and Leonard.

Mike, The Idaho side always looks steeper to me, maybe cause you can't see all of whats under you on my side That and I've never noticed a bench on the Idaho side.

Rico, the modified Assn. tree is a good one. It's got short bars and with the right groundseat is right there in the 1st or 2nd slot in the altime most comfortable saddles I've rode. I do like the assn. cantle more than the wades. For the steep ground I won't go over 4" tall on the cantle, getting hard for me to bend my back over a 4 1/2" cantle getting down the steep stuff.

Cool that your Grandfather left you his saddle.

First saddle I ever made, its still one of my favorites

houndsmules,that mule must have some withers!
In our country, we have to ride breast collars andbritchin!
All the saddles i have rode in leak,me out sometime or the other,not always from bucking,lot of variables.

Robin,

I think your right about sticking with the saddles of old. Most of us ( myself including) don't spend much time in them anymore. The old timers lived in theirs and at one time so did I. Horses though don't seem to me to have the withers or back that they used to. I rode many different saddles on different horses. I'd rather be unconfortable than make my horse be.

By the way how long is the waiting list to get a saddle made from ya'll. I'd love to have one. You people have made great saddles for many years and continue to do so. Thanks for your dedication to making real useing saddles. I used to ride broncs in one of your saddles in high school. No matter how good the craftsmenship though it didn't help my ass stay in it. Anyway whan you get this all figured out let us know, I might want one if you make it. Great post thanks!

Her back is just a straight most mules. The tree in that saddle was measured for her.It really makes a big difference when the tree is made to the horse or mule. I have britchen also but only need it in ruff terrain.

Saddle fit is good!
Like you said steep terrain makes a big differance on mules.
Thats about all we have here.
Except the valley bottoms.Mostly all private.
Love the mountains ,ride the mules more than the horse.

Good picture H&M. Roy your in some country where you can wear out horseshoes

Shorty, my saddle didn't used to leak much but I must need a new one now. Hate them leaks
Wasn't long ago that I was right at 2 years behind, with some steady work and this economy I'm now under 1 year behind.

I found a picture of a wade I built about a year ago thats close to what I'm thinking about, I'll see if I can get the picture loaded on photo bucket tonight.