Pleasant Valley Saddle Shop Books and Videos

Guns Magazine, July, 2000 by Roy Huntington

Gun gear doesn't always have to be made out of steel and wood. Sometimes, a good book or video can be With just as enjoyable as a new gun, knife or other goody. With the explosion of interest in the Old West and cowboy shooting, attention directed at old timey leather, saddles, chaps and the like is at an all-time high. Some of this stuff can get downright expensive and many people are interested in learning how to make their own.

Enter Dusty Johnson and the Pleasant Valley Saddle Shop. Johnson is known for his high-end fancy cowboy holsters and double gun rigs with the sky being pretty much the limit on how fancy they can go. He is equally noted for his working and fancy saddles and offers classes at his shop on the same.

Good news for all is that he now has a book called Saddle Savvy dealing with the secrets of this unique art. There is a companion series of videos to cover holster making, knife sheaths, chap and saddle construction. These books and videos are light-hearted and easy to understand -- a real resource in both understanding these Old West stand-bys and how to make 'em yourself!

After watching the holster and chaps videos it's hard not to run down to the local leather emporium to buy a hide and start cutting! Of course, you have to remember Johnson makes it look awfully easy. Nonetheless, I've tried one or two projects from the videos and they came out presentable.

Johnson offers a $650 saddle kit that has everything you need to build a for-real saddle just like the cowboys use.