# Royal King Headstalls.



## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

I don't know anything about Royal King, but I love that headstall! Too bad it wouldn't fit my beast's big ol' noggin. :-( I wonder how much my local tack guy would charge me to make one like it...just bigger. Lol
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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

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I would avoid Royal King, King Series or Silver Royal all made in India out of Water Buffalo Leather............


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> I don't know anything about Royal King, but I love that headstall! Too bad it wouldn't fit my beast's big ol' noggin. :-( I wonder how much my local tack guy would charge me to make one like it...just bigger. Lol
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


LOL I know purdy isn't it? and reins to match... Royal King Rolled Braided Tassel Split Reins - Statelinetack.com 



SouthernTrailsGA said:


> .
> 
> I would avoid Royal King, King Series or Silver Royal all made in India out of Water Buffalo Leather............
> 
> ...


Rats, what happens to them, stretch or split, I wouldn't buy a cheap saddle, but the fit issues aren't as bad with a headstall, so what is the downside here?


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

Golden Horse said:


> Rats, what happens to them, stretch or split, I wouldn't buy a cheap saddle, but the fit issues aren't as bad with a headstall, so what is the downside here?


Leather is dry and becasue WB is close grained it does not take oil well and will crack and eventually break, any fittings are cheap and plating will come off, conchos are tin and will look terrible after a few months.

The link does work I my end, many i found were over 50.00, try American Saddlery Headstalls, they are competitive or less in price and use Cow Leather :wink:

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## ThunderingHooves (Aug 10, 2013)

I had bought a show bridle of theirs a couple years ago and wasn't very happy with it. It was a great price, but the quality of the leather wasn't very good. Very stiff and cheap feeling. I personally wouldn't buy anything of theirs again.


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## skipsangelheir (Feb 9, 2013)

I own this headstall of theirs, the quality isn't great but its not bad either. I have had it about 2 years and it looks the same as when I bought it, other than I dyed it to be a little darker.the conchos arent bad quality at all but the leather is not great quality. It does hold up though, I have used it probably 2x weekly since I got it and it still looks great!Royal King Texas Star Browband Headstall - Statelinetack.com
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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Golden Horse said:


> LOL I know purdy isn't it? and reins to match... Royal King Rolled Braided Tassel Split Reins - Statelinetack.com




Of course they're too short. Meh. Oh, well. I think I'm gonna show the headstall to Doug and see how much it would be to make one with matching 8' reins.
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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Well darn that, didn't see the 6' length on the reins....who the *&^( makes 6' western reins....walks off grumbling.

This one is nice Crossover Headstalls - Headstall, Rawhide Braiding, Futurity Tie (Powered by CubeCart)


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Oh my, look what I have found










I need more pennies, gonna have to sell something I think


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

GH, that Jose Ortiz stuff is decent. I bought some Jose Ortiz bosal hangers from that same lady.


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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

GH, the bridle I bought off CL a while back had 6' split reins, too. I sold the bridle to my best friend and asked her if she wanted the reins with it. She's got a little 14.3-15hh QH mare that the bridle was for and she looked at me like I was crazy. She said "Those are even too short for Tink's little stubby neck!" Lol So, they're sitting in my tack trunk.
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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I would not touch a Royal King saddle, but I must admit, I have a Silver Royal headstall and the leather is actually NICE! I don't know if I got lucky or if Silver Royal is a step above the other King Series stuff, but it actually has nice, soft leather that accepts oil and looks like cow leather. I can't swear that it is, but it looks and would pass for cow leather. Most of the cheap leather is like cardboard, but this is not. It is one of my favorite headstalls.  The only place you can tell it's "cheap" is the conchos. 

Well, I can't seem to find a picture of one of my horse's wearing it. But anyway, I have a nice Silver Royal headstall! :lol:


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## tinaev (Dec 2, 2012)

I have a Royal King saddle. Yes, it is cheap and you can tell. But it is comfortable and was very affordable. I've been using it 1-2 times per week for the past 10 months and it still looks and acts brand new. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a headstall of theirs... just realize it won't be top quality.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

COWCHICK77 said:


> GH, that Jose Ortiz stuff is decent. I bought some Jose Ortiz bosal hangers from that same lady.


That's good to hear, do like that one
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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Southern, is the issue with the WB leather or that it's urine tanned that results in a poorer quality leather. Several years ago I was given a lined split ear bridle that was bo't about 1966. In comparing the price to min. wage it was worth 2.5 days wages. Today, in Ontario that would be just over $200. The leather is in very nice condition despite all it's use. To look at it and feel it one would never begin to guess it's age.


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## SouthernTrails (Dec 19, 2008)

Saddlebag said:


> Southern, is the issue with the WB leather or that it's urine tanned that results in a poorer quality leather. Several years ago I was given a lined split ear bridle that was bo't about 1966. In comparing the price to min. wage it was worth 2.5 days wages. Today, in Ontario that would be just over $200. The leather is in very nice condition despite all it's use. To look at it and feel it one would never begin to guess it's age.


Urine tanning in Kanpur, India is the most prevalent, but even their best tanning process is generally lacking.

There are a few factories in India that will make leather products using cow leather, but the cow leather must be sent to them already processed as sides of leather.

Maybe you got one of the bridles that was made with US cow leather and all they did was make it, labor for leather workers in India runs from 5.00 to 10.00 a DAY......

I had a manufacturer send me 2 saddles free for testing, they stunk so bad it reminded me of when a horse was in a stall to long and needed the shaving changed :lol::lol:

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## Jayknee (Aug 8, 2013)

DraftyAiresMum said:


> Of course they're too short. Meh. Oh, well. I think I'm gonna show the headstall to Doug and see how much it would be to make one with matching 8' reins.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I know doug carries reins like the one in the link. They dont have the tassle though. He also has some pretty nice headstalls to match! I drool over the ones in the Camp Verde store weekly! He has a nice set of rawhide romels that I would love to take home!
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## DraftyAiresMum (Jun 1, 2011)

Jayknee said:


> I know doug carries reins like the one in the link. They dont have the tassle though. He also has some pretty nice headstalls to match! I drool over the ones in the Camp Verde store weekly! He has a nice set of rawhide romels that I would love to take home!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I need draft-size, so he'd have to make it for me. ;-)

I love Doug's work. He replaced the browband on my piece-of-crap made-in-India bridle a couple of years ago and it is soooooo nice. I might "accidentally" break the rest of it so that he can replace all of it (my older dog got a hold of the bridle right after I'd oiled it and ate the browband clean off of it). Lol
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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

SouthernTrailsGA said:


> .
> 
> I would avoid Royal King, King Series or Silver Royal all made in India out of Water Buffalo Leather............
> .


Are they also related to Showman? I bought a Showman headstall and reins and immediately sold them at auction. the leather was gross. Looked like leather. Smelled like leather. Felt like synthetic leather.


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