. : ABOUT ME

Suburban Saddler

He who works with his hands is a labourer
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman
He who works with his hands, his head, and his heart…
… is an artisan.

Brisbane’s suburban Birkdale may be the least likely place one would expect to find a saddler plying his trade but 40 year old Troy Porter exports his custom-made Australian saddles to the USA, Canada, New Zealand and to all parts of Australia.

A true artisan, Troy learnt the art of saddle-making from the age of 15 while employed with Syd Hill & Sons. Troy’s enthusiasm for leatherwork overtook his spare time. Many nights and weekends were spent at the bench of a neighbour, an experienced saddler of many years.

Using only the best, specially selected leathers, all Troy’s saddles are cut, dyed and skived by hand. Brass fittings and lockstitch machining complete the authentic detail.

Today’s technology provides a choice of polyurethane, fibreglass and plastic trees. His preference is for the traditional wood/steel trees. These are then strained with seat belt webbing to allow ‘give’ for the rider. Another advantage of this tree is they can be custom-made to suit any horse’s wither measure-ment. This method results in a better fit to the horse and closer contact for the rider.

By having complete control over every aspect of the saddle construction, Troy can assure the buyer they’ll be investing in a quality handmade original.