16" Chuck Stormes Custome Saddle For Sale

This saddle was first purchased by me at a Pawn shop and has been used it on a daily basis on working cattle ranches.The saddle is one of the best I have used, tough and durable but at the same time wasvery pleasing, showing the quallity and artistic talent of the craftsman who made itThe only reason I am selling is the saddle is a little bit big for me and I have had other hand made saddles made for me. Seat has some wear marks in the stamping. Slight gap on the area where the seat leather meets the cantle, but other than that it is in very excellent condition. If you have any further questions or would like more pics please contact me.

The following is information on Stormes Saddle Co.website and will give details about the artist. You can see more of his work at http://chuckstormes.com

Chuck Stormes was fortunate to train in the last of Calgary's pioneer saddleries. Working with a crew of ten to twelve saddlemakers, strapworkers and stampers provided valuable experience in the use of hand tools, shop procedures and the mechanics of saddlemaking.Further training in a succession of southern Alberta saddleries culminated in the opening of his own shop in 1968.Building on a strong sense of tradition and a deep commitment to fine craftsmanship, Stormes has developed an enviable word-of-mouth reputation. His forty six years in the trade have resulted in an unmistakable personal style that clearly reflects many influences.Early California saddleries, particularly Loomis and Visalia, along with contemporary craftsmen such as the late Don King and Ray Holes have been continuing sources of inspiration.Today, from a new shop next to the home he shares with his wife, Heather, at the edge of Southern Alberta's foothills, Stormes' saddles, built on trees of his own manufacture, continue to speak eloquently for the superior bloodlines of the old California vaquero saddles.This deep respect for the traditions of the trade has led him to a broad understanding not only of historical saddles and their makers, but also of the tack and trappings that evolved with them.Stormes has been a consultant to several private and public collections in Canada and the United States and continues to lecture on the history of the tools of the cowboy trade.His saddles have been on view at every major North American exhibition of western crafts, and, in 1998, he was the first recipient of the City of Calgary's Silver Spur Award for his dedication to the preservation of western culture. Also in 1998, he received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists in Ft Worth, Texas. In 2005, Stormes was granted the honourary title of Associate Curator by Calgary's Glenbow Museum.Stormes is a founding member and past President of the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association, a non-profit organization founded in 1998 to preserve and promote fine western craftsmanship.

Stormes' saddles have been displayed at the following galleries and museums:

Trails West Gallery - Laguna Beach, CA
Big Horn Gallery - Cody, WY
Lisbeth Kyle Gallery - Los Olivos, CA
California Cowboy Show - Carmel Valley, CA
The Vaquero Show - Los Alamos, CA
Coconino Center for the Arts - Flagstaff, AZ
World Championship Snaffle Bit Futurity - Reno, NV
Western Folklife Center - Elko, NV
Triangle Gallery - Calgary, AB
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum - Oklahoma City, OK
Cowboy Artists of America Museum - Kerrville, TX
Museum of the Big Bend - Alpine, TX
Eiteljorg Museum - Indianapolis, IN

Chuck Stormes" lifelong passion for fine craftsmanship, coupled with ongoing research into the origins of horsemanship and the evolution of the saddle, qualify him to assist in assembling a purposeful collection.