Free State Wyoming Forum
Free State Wyoming (FSW) Community => Swap Meet => Topic started by: longrifle on May 30, 2013, 07:16:35 PM
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Hey all,
I have been very lax in getting this posted. I have been in Guernsey, Wy since September of last year. In March of this year I opened the doors on Big Lonely Saddlery in downtown Guernsey. I am building custom leather products. Right now my biggest sellers are my holsters. I will be at the Jam tomorrow and Saturday off and on and running back to the shop when I am not at the Jam to take care of some local customers. Hope to meet some of you that I have not met yet. I hope everyone in Guernsey takes the time to come by and check out the shop. FSWers will get a 10% discount on orders this weekend.
Thanks,
longrifle
PS,
welcome to my little corner of Wyoming, I love it here.
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We're looking forward to our package! It was a pleasure to meet you. Your work is top notch; you're a true craftsman.
Bill
edited dang typo...
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This was a smoking deal. Thanks Wes! Can't wait to get mine.
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I hope everyone in Guernsey takes the time to come by and check out the shop. FSWers will get a 10% discount on orders this weekend.
Dang... didn't hear about this until now. I would love to have visited the shop. Maybe next time. I need a better gun belt.
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Bill, thank you. It was a real pleasure meeting you and your wife at the Jam.
Sam,
Hope that belt gives you 25+ years of service. See you next week.
Mama,
It was great seeing you again this weekend. Next time you get down this way I'll expect to see you come on in the shop. ;D
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Everyone,
Big Lonely Saddlery will be offering the Jam Special again this year. 10% off all in stock items and custom orders placed during the Jam. If you can, make some time to stop by the shop in downtown Guernsey this year.
Thanks,
Wes
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I'm looking forward to seeing your shop very much. :) Still have not found that other holster. sigh
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I'll probably treat myself to a new gun belt.
Great to have Wes in Guernesy!
Boston
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I'll probably treat myself to a new gun belt.
You most certainly won't be sorry. I just wish I'd had the opportunity to buy one of his belts much earlier. I could open a "used men's work belt" shop today and have plenty of stock. LOL
Anybody have any idea what ELSE these belts might be good for? I hate to throw otherwise good stuff away. :)
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Anybody have any idea what ELSE these belts might be good for? I hate to throw otherwise good stuff away. :)
razor straps <sp> for those straight razors ;D
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Ok, update time!!
Big Lonely Saddlery has moved to a new location in Guernsey. We bought a historic building downtown and have moved into it. We are having our Grand Opening on October 4th. We will have door prizes and a raffle for several Big Lonely Products on that day. If you ever stepped into the old shop you realized how cramped it was. Now we have an open, airy old time general store focusing on leather products. If yo can make it come on by and say hello. It is causing quite a stir in the Platte County/ Goshen County area. Without the support of my FSW friends over the years it would never have come to pass. Even if you cannot make it, I want to thank everyone here for the encouragement to pursue my dreams in Wyoming. I am seeing the fruition of them now. Thank You!
longrifle
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LR, How are you at making saddles?
Where do you buy your trees?
What is your favorite type of saddle to build?
Do you prefer to build the more functional type, or can you do functional as well as pretty?
What about custom work?
Do you have the connections to buy custom silver work, such as conchos and buckles?
Some leather guys will have a preference between tack and chaps or saddles, what's yours?
What do you think you are best at?
What is your base price on building using type saddles?
Are you pretty good at tooling?
Do you do any trading and bartering for your work?
Do you have any pictures showing some of your work?
What kind of wait time do you have for saddles and such?
Yes, it is a lot of questions, but I am asking for a reason.
I hope I don't forget, because I would really like to go down and see your shop and meet you. I used to have a friend of mine do all of my leather work, but his life and work has taken a turn for the better for he and his family and now he is very limited on the time needed to do his leather work. I would really like to find someone else who can do all that I need/want done.
Tex
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longrifle, very fine news, and hearty congratulations!
I know and like your leather work, and am pleased to see you make a great go of things.
See you on 10/4, as I make a HAHO parachute jump from 23,000' and land on your new rooftop!
;D
Boston
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Sounds like an excellent upgrade. When I visited the shop during the FSW jam the space was very tight.
Does your new shop have living quarters upstairs like the "good" ole days?
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Mark,
There will be living quarters in the full basement.
Boston,
If you HAHO'd onto my roof that would be the talk of this town for years to come. Hope to see you. I'll put an X on the roof for you. ;D
Tex,
I have two saddles going in the shop right now with two more trees waiting in the wings. I build good using saddles, functional and as artistic as a customer wants. My base price on a saddle is $2250. I make alot of different things here in the shop, from saddles, chaps, tack, to knife sheaths, holsters, welding cuffs, belts, rifle slings, etc.. I enjoy building custom saddles the best, but my holsters, knife sheaths, and repairs to everything are what keeps the doors open right now. I get my trees from Precision Saddle trees. They are a wood tree, covered in Kevlar. Stronger than rawhide wrapped trees, lighter, and have a lifetime guarantee. I can get Timberline trees for those that just have to have a rawhide tree. Wait time depends on the tree that is ordered, but a rough ballpark is about 3-4 months for a custom saddle. That is slowly creeping up as the amount of saddled ordered grows. Most saddlemakers I know, you would be talking number of years instead of months. My clientele is not to that point yet. I do enjoy tooling, and I get better everyday. I have had many complements on my tooling. The Sheridan style is still a little tough for me but it is looking better all the time. I hope I answered all your question. Feel free to give me a call and we can talk more.
All,
Hope to see some smiling faces on Oct. 4 in JAM town.
longrifle
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So whats going on Oct. 4?
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I'll probably treat myself to a new gun belt.
You most certainly won't be sorry. I just wish I'd had the opportunity to buy one of his belts much earlier. I could open a "used men's work belt" shop today and have plenty of stock. LOL
Anybody have any idea what ELSE these belts might be good for? I hate to throw otherwise good stuff away. :)
Cut down into dog collars?
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Cut down into dog collars?
That takes care of one of them... I only have one dog! LOL
Good to see you here, Kelly. Long time. Hope all is well in your world.
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I am VERY pleased with the back pocket/Derringer holster than Longrifle made for me last Jam (based on an existing holster I have for another gun)
It is my constant field/implement-lot/anti-snake companion - even when I "can't" carry a more robust firearm.
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Tried mightily to be able to get there today, but something just came up
which I have to deal with at home -- marooning me here unfortunately.
I am very proud of Wes and his entrepreneurial ambition. Get your leather orders in
quickly, because he will soon enough have more business than he can handle. This is
the path of all quality craftsmen and artisans.
I wish him and you all there today a joyous time celebrating his increasing prosperity.
~W~
Boston
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Great new shop, Longrifle, I enjoyed getting to see it. I can't think of a better use for a historic building. :)
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Longrifle,
Can you make an IWB holster (right hand) for a gen4 glock 22? 1 3/4" belt loops?
The best of luck to you my friend. Sorry I'm so far away that I missed your grand opening.
Vince
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BUMP
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Vince,
I can. I don't know why I did not see this before today.
I will get some pictures up on my website soon of the IWBs that I am making.
Wes
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Longrifle, have you ever made any woolies? We have several Angoras that will be getting butchered soon and I am going to have the hides tanned in order to make a set of 'step in' chaps. I've got a set of black batwings, but want a good set of the traditional style as they keep the cold out a little better.
Tex
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I have made a few sets. Just had a set in the shop made in Montana around 1890 of elk hide with bear fur on top. They were really cool. I have been wanting a set myself.
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Would it be possible to see some picturesof sets you have made?
How many hides does it take to make a set? I think I will have five.
Do you have someone that you like to work with to get your conchos from?
What sort of time frame would it take?
If I supply the angora hides, buckle set and conchos, what would be a general ballpark price?
Tex
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Vince,
I can. I don't know why I did not see this before today.
I will get some pictures up on my website soon of the IWBs that I am making.
Wes
Wes,
No problem my friend, you were obviously busy making those artistic and functional creations I see on your FB page. You have a website as well?
Cowboy action is big in my neck of Nevada, is there any way I could spread the word about your work?
Vince
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Vince,
The website is still a work in progress, have some new changes coming soon. It is biglonelysaddlery.com.
Tex,
I will see if I can find some photos of those woolie chaps, but I made them so long ago, I really don't think I have photos anywhere I could put my hands on them. I can send you photos of the chinks, batwings, and rodeo chaps I just finished in the last few months.
It will take at least one angora hide per leg depending on size. I get conchos from varios places, plain ones I generally order from Sheridan leather. Some come from Jeremiah Watt, and fancy ones I have been getting from Hansen Silver. I pretty backed up right now, but I have help starting in two weeks, so I should be able to get caught up to a few weeks lead time. If you supply the angora hides, buckles and conchos, they should be in the 250-300 ballpark.
Wes