The Australian Stock Saddle
and the Saddlers that made them
Tim Peel, Wagga Wagga, has kindly supplied nearly all the following catalogue pictures and rare saddlery tools/machines
Strap creasing machine, flat and half round
Single strap creasing machine
Strap punching machine, oval or round punches can be used
Leather rounding machine
One set of "fish tail" box loop dies
Set of pricking irons from 4 - 15 to the inch
Single one on lower right is half round iron 7 to the inch
Four at top are "reverse angle teeth" pricking irons from
3 - 5 to the inch for sewing up leather suitcases etc.
Strap edging machine - will take off four edges at once
Assorted set of pricking irons
Winker eye block press
Strap cutting machine, when the flap at front is lifted it allows a side of leather through and cut to required width
Catalogue of Fairbanks, Lavender & Son Walsall UK - 1890s demonstrating the saddles sent over to the Melbourne Exhibition. Note A2842 showing the imported colonial saddle with knee pad to satisfy the demand of the locals. Below is another nine examples of stock saddles being exported to Australia in the 1890s. These saddles were basically considered an "abomination" by the Walsall saddlers.
Holdsworth, McPherson & Co., 252 George Street, Sydney - Catalogue c1890s
Holden & Frost were advertising the Cowboys' Saddles as early as 1894 in their catalogues. Noteworthy is the Stock Saddles above in the style of the Winnecke pattern (obviously Jack Wieneke - just misspelt)
Frederick Lassetter & Co. Limited, famous department store in Sydney with their own saddlery. These two pages above show the diverse range available in the early 1900s ranging from a copy of the famous "Wagga" saddle, originally designed in c1865, an Anglo Australian pattern (derived from the park saddle with a larger knee roll) to the Queensland "Break" saddle which would have been adopted from the Wieneke pattern.
