# Harry Dabbs worth repairing?



## laurapratt01 (Oct 3, 2012)

I found a Harry Dabbs cc saddle with a Wide tree that I'm going to pick up later today to try on my QH. If it ends up fitting it will need significant repairs. There is a huge tear in the seat (about 6" from pommel to cantle) and also a tear in the knee roll that would need to be repaired as well. What would the approximate cost be for these repairs? and is it worth it? Will the whole seat need to be replaced or can it be patched somehow? There is a shoe repair place that also does some tack repair local so I'll try to get an estimate from them too. The saddle is $250 but I'm sure that I can talk her down on it. What do you think? I can post pictures when I get it. Thanks in advance!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Sounds like a lot of work and near total restoration needed of much of the saddle.
It is not something I would take to just any "shoe repair" but to a saddle-maker extraordinaire. 
I would before making such a purchase have it seen by the person who would be doing the work involved so a "real estimate" could be done.
Something that could be easy work for one and cheaper in one market area could be a totally different price range in another depending upon skills needed and what is really involved.

Till you post very clear pictures not sure anyone can give a realistic price to you.

Harry Dabbs saddles are nice saddles....but only worth just so much when you need to put so much $$ into restoration.

_jmo..._


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## laurapratt01 (Oct 3, 2012)

*Pics!*

So I'm going to try to post a couple of pictures that she sent me because I still haven't had time to actually pick up the saddle. Thank you for your reply! I love the idea of a Harry Dabbs but if I'm going to have to pay more than $400 to get it repaired that it's probably not going to be worth it to me because it's not a necessity... What do you think? Beyond repair? Now that I see better pictures I can see that it's not a "tear" so much as a bad crack in the leather that separated... right?


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## laurapratt01 (Oct 3, 2012)

*One more picture!*

It frustrates me to see a saddle in such bad shape. I have a Courbette which is the same age and likely has had similar use and it's in excellent condition just from being well cared for....
This saddle was beautiful in it's day and now it looks awful! I would love to have it restored to at least useable condition.


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## laurapratt01 (Oct 3, 2012)

Here's the side view.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

I had a Harry Dabbs just like this one. If I still rode english I would have ridden the seat right out of that thing *and then some.* It was sooooo comfortable! And I had previously been spoiled with a Crosby XL saddle. Unfortunately when I sold it the saddle was ripped in the seat and extremely worn on the knee rolls also.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

That saddle is truly beat up and beat upon....what a mess!

To me there is no "repair" of the seat or flap....the saddle and all the leather needs a complete restoration.
Removed, rebuilt, replaced and made serviceable again.

Harry Dabbs saddles are nice saddles....this one I don't know if worth investing the kind of money in it it will need....

Hope some of the real experts see and make a comment....they would know just by looking how much has to be disassembled and worked on.
It isn't just the seat and flap on one side...you will need to do both flaps for a uniform feel, look and support during riding.
I see other damage although not major, it is there. Some would be removed when they re-wrapped the entire seat and flaps.
Makes me wonder what kind of condition the billets are in with so much else being pitiful....

Truthfully, I don't think it worth any where near what the person is asking...

My opinion. I offer you good luck if you decide to pursue it and have the repairs.
:wink:


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

laurapratt01 said:


> Now that I see better pictures I can see that it's not a "tear" so much as a bad crack in the leather that separated... right?


To me that is a tear...
That is not a separation of stitching, it is torn leather...really look close at the bottom of that "crack".
I also look at the saddle flap itself and see worn marks where the girth would of attached, rubbing underneath. 
My friend had a Harry Dabbs saddle...it _was_ beautiful, _past tense._ 
Her saddle did not come with billet protectors and by the time I saw her nice saddle she had near worn holes through from the underside of buckle contacting her flap....ruined, and I mean in her case ruined her saddle.:-x
She looked into having the flaps replaced/repaired...it just wasn't worth it.

Look here for used..._{www.saddlesource.com/}_
They have 2 stores and stand behind what they sell even used. There are of course very expensive and very reasonable very good quality saddles...
Ebay even has Harry Dabbs saddles...in much better condition...
There are many reputable places that handle used English saddles, check them out for soundness and quality.... I would look around seriously before buying this.

IDK...I would be _*very *_hesitant looking at the poor condition it is in. 
What are you not seeing in the pictures....._sorry_.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The trick might be to find someone well qualified to do English saddle repair. The repair would likely cost well more than the saddles ultimate worth. The saddle needs to be dismantled, a pattern made from the seat and knee roll. Both knee rolls will likely have to be reflocked to get a good match. The leather used in an English saddle is tanned differently from leather used for western. It needs to be flexible. The padding needs replacing. Pretty much a rebuild.


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## laurapratt01 (Oct 3, 2012)

Thank you all for expressing your thoughts... I'm thinking that it's not worth repairing at this point. I did send pictures to the local saddler and he thought he could fix it. I'm going to bring it by for him to give me an estimate while I have it on trial. I have a feeling it's going to be around the $800 mark and if that's the case I won't buy it. Not worth it. I'll let you know what he says. Thank you all again!


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Totally not worth fixing. Maybe if your look for a really comfortable schooling saddle offer a bit less.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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