Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Reflections of a Western saddle maker

Bellevue craftsman Jim Gill garners regional acclaim


By JASON KAUFFMAN
Express Staff Writer

Bellevue custom saddlemaker Jim Gill stands next to one of his recent creations, a Western-style saddle with a mix of floral- and basket-stamp tooling. Gill estimates he spent between 180 and 190 hours on this particular saddle. Photo by Willy Cook

Bellevue resident Jim Gill's introduction to saddle making came during the long, cold winters of his youth on the Camas Prairie.

A Fairfield high school student at the time, Gill often found himself cooped up indoors when deep snows and fearsome cold kept outdoor excursions to a minimum.

"In the winter you needed something to do," Gill says. "It was a hobby."

The craft of saddle making was especially appropriate given his parents' livelihoods—Gill's father was a ranch hand and his mother a ranch cook.

After leaving home, Gill followed a similar career path as his father's, working as an Idaho ranch hand into the mid-1980s. Around that time, Gill and his wife, Annie Lou, were living south of the Snake River in the Declo area, east of Burley.

Looking for a change, the couple moved to the Wood River Valley in 1987.

As they do so often in life, Gill's plans changed once he arrived in the area. And so out of transition came inspiration.

"When I moved up here I couldn't find the ranch job that I wanted. So I said, 'I'll put my hobby to work.'"

Now, decades later, Gill, 65, is an accomplished maker of highly sought-after, one-of-a-kind Western saddles.

Gill's saddle-making shop is tucked away near the back of a nondescript looking shopping plaza on the north end of Bellevue. A sign proclaiming "Wood River Boot & Saddle Repair" is all that distinguishes the small one-man operation from an adjacent tack and feed store and veterinarian clinic.

From outward appearances, the parking lot and surrounding metal-sided buildings look the same as similar complexes found in just about every small town across America.

But step inside Gill's small workshop—a well-organized space no more than 25-by-30-feet in size—and a different picture emerges.

Lining the walls and hanging above Gill's wooden workbench are hundreds of leather stamps, hand tools and other saddle-making tools.

Near the middle of the room is a homemade saddle stand where Gill artfully pieces together his western-style saddles. They're also called draw down stands for the short period of time when the seat leather—which has been soaked in water to give it its necessary flexibility—is literally drawn down into the shape of the saddle.

Next to the saddle stand are two commercial sewing machines. One's for heavier leather and the other for lighter material.

Perhaps the most defining aspect of Gill's shop is the subtle aroma of leather that hangs in the air. It's a smell that quickly envelops visitors as they open the door and enter.

But for all its pungency, the rich smell of leather is a scent that's become mostly lost to Gill over time.

"I don't even notice anymore," he says with a bit wistfulness in his voice.

Gill's saddles command a fair price, although you'd be hard pressed to convince him to tell you just how much unless you're actually shopping for one of his custom-made creations.

Looking over to a finished saddle that sits in his shop, Gill estimated that he spent between 180 and 190 hours on it. A lot of the time was spent completing the delicate mix of floral- and basket-stamp tooling work that adorns the saddle.

Simpler saddles without any stamp work may take Gill only 80 to 90 hours to complete.

Another custom order saddle he's about to begin will be covered entirely in floral stamping, which is more time consuming than basket stamping, Gill said.

"I envision about 250 hours."

Gill isn't about to complain, however. The time-consuming stamp work is his favorite part of saddle making.

"I like the tooling. I love to do it."

Throwing a fervent eye over his assortment of leather stamping tools, Gill estimates his prodigious collection of new and antique tools numbers somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 to 600 in all.

"And I keep buying more."

Fortunately, Gill's wife of 47 years is the accommodating type and hasn't put her foot down to stop his tool buying ways.

"I say, 'Honey I need another tool,'" Gill said with a grin.

On average, Gill completes about 12 saddles per year.

"That's about all I want to do in a year's time," he said.

For now, the waiting list for one of Gill's saddles is about a year out. That could quickly change, though.

"Next week, I might be up to two years," he said.

Being semi-retired, Gill has given up most of the repair side of his business. These days, his word-of-mouth business keeps him busy enough.

To decide on the design of a new saddle, Gill first starts with the customer. Essentially, this comes down to detailed measurements and asking what type of saddle each person wants.

"Then we talk about what kind of horse they're riding. I like to see the horse if nothing else."

Gill is a fan of the trend toward high-backed seats seen in Western-style saddle making. The trend is a throwback to the saddles seen in the early 1900s before the advent of low-backed seats in the 50s and 60s, he said.

High-backed seats give the rider more security, Gill explains. He also prefers the aesthetics of the high-backed design.

"I like the looks of these a lot more," he said.

For his saddle making skills, Gill was recently recognized by the Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nev. The lives of Gill and eight other Westerners were highlighted in a video released during the center's annual National Cowboy Poetry Gathering during the first week of February.

In the video, titled "Deep West Videos 2007," individual stories like that of a 50-year brand inspector and the Western heritage of the Basque people are brought to life on film.

Gill uses the annual cowboy poetry gatherings to show his saddles.

"It's always fun. We set a display up there every year."

Thinking back, Gill says he can't remember a saddle he built that he likes more than any other. Each saddle is the result of a deeply rooted passion for his craft.

"Every piece has a little sweat in it. Each one has something special that I like."




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