Needing help on saddlebags

[Matthew Duncan]

http://www.riverjunction.com/catalog/leather/tack.html
First Saddlebag towards the top of the page.  $29.95

http://www.wwmerc.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=535006&type=store&category=11000
More expensive but I’m a “preferred Customer and will get 20% off.  Wish the hidden money compartment wasn’t closed with a zipper.  $99.95 - $19.95 = $79.96.

I’ve noticed that both don’t have the curve to fit up tight against the saddle.


Has the curve saddle part but brass grommets:  http://www.horse.com/Saddle-Bag-HBA53.html

Where's a good general store for a cowpoke to pickup a good saddlebags without having to approbate more Yankee gold?

[Pancho Peacemaker]

MD,

I don't know if you use eBay, but that's a great place to pick up some nice saddle bags.  I got a very nice set of El Paso Saddlery saddle pockets on there (very lightly used) for 25% of what they cost new.

Also, slide over to the leather maker's forum here ("The Leather Shop").  Post a note saying you are looking for saddle bags.  I'm certain you'll get lots of responses.

Pancho

[Daniel Nighteyes]

How about these?  At $150 they're not exactly in the price range of the others.  However they look to be extremely well made and are claimed to be patterned after actual cavalry saddle bags.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0012656221421a&type=product&cmCat=SEARCH_all&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&Ntt=saddle+bags&Ntk=Products&sort=all&Go.y=12&_D%3AhasJS=+&N=0&_D%3Asort=+&Nty=1&hasJS=true&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fsearch%2Fsearch-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=17&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

And I agree with Pancho -- eBay is an excellent source.  Be careful with the light-colored "rough-out" saddle bags, though, because some are made with thin, poor quality leather.

<--- Speaks with Voice of Experience

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[Irish Dave]

I have a set of the Cabela's cavalry bags and can attest to their quality.
They're certainly pricier than they used to be, but are well-made and heavy IMHO.

[Dutch Limbach]

I have a set of the Cabela's cavalry bags and can attest to their quality.
They're certainly pricier than they used to be, but are well-made and heavy IMHO.

I've got a set of them too, and agree with Dave's post. When I bought mine they cost less tan $50.

[Matthew Duncan]

3 Cowpokes suggest Cabela's

AND Cabela's has free shipping AND I've got a few Calbela's club points saved.....

[Daniel Nighteyes]

3 Cowpokes suggest Cabela's

AND Cabela's has free shipping AND I've got a few Calbela's club points saved.....

Arty RULES!!!!






<---- Served with Second Cherokee Artillery, CSA

[James Hunt]

Matthew: If you are portraying a late 19th century cowboy who can afford them (Irish Dave is a Pinkerton man and they always seem to be flush with money) Cabella's bags are reasonable for that late 19th century appearance. If you are but a poor cowboy, or doing an 1870's impression you may wish to consider a "wallet". I have two references of cowboys from that earlier era using such and would be happy to provide them for you, and the image below.



Although some may refer to it as a war bag, I don't see that nomenclature used much in the period and always thought of it as something like a sack that you'd tie off on the saddle horn.

Unlike a sack a wallet can be made up of any size out of about any material used during the period (a coarse cotton, linen, canvas) and can be thrown over the shoulder conveniently and balanced well for carrying much like a saddle bag - all for the fraction of the cost of saddle bags.

If you just can't stand plain:



I have used my wallet at shoots for the last three years and it has proven more than adequate for the task. It is shown below:



I actually use it on the horse also. A fine historically correct solution and inexpensive.