Acclaimed saddlemaker Pedro Pedrini first came to Elko from France in the 1970s. Now a resident of Spring Creek, Nevada, Pedro spent years moving around the West learning his craft from some of the best. Pedro was inducted into the Traditional Cowboy Arts Association in 2007, and eventually he opened up his own saddle shop, Pedrini Saddle Company. Just a couple of years ago, his son Tony, though a welder by trade, joined the shop to focus on leather working. We had the opportunity to speak to Tony and Pedro about their paths to leather working.
Pedro and Tony will be co-teaching the Leather Floral Carving & Design workshop at the 41st National Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
This interview has been edited and reordered for length and clarity.
Video by Tony Pedrini
Have you been to the Gathering before?
I was here in Elko for the second one. I’d just missed the first one, but I displayed my work at the second one way back in ’86. And for two years, I've been an instructor.
Have you taken any workshops there yourself?
No, but I visit the rawhiders all the time. I've got lots of friends in the [rawhide braiding] group, so we go there and visit.
How did you first get into leatherworking?
I got involved with leather working in 1971. I was in Europe, and I met a Swiss fellow who was making leatherwork. He was not a saddlemaker, but he was a kind of fancy leatherworker, built a full belt, a lot of archery stuff, quivers and things like that. He's the one who got me started on leather carving.
And you came to the United States to study the western style of leatherworking?
I started in Europe and then I went a little west. In those days, there was nobody to help me get any better. There was nobody then, in the late ’70s. So the only alternative was to come over here, and that's what I did in 1978. And I ended up in Elko. That's where I got my start, at Capriola’s.
“You can express, you can carve whatever you want”
What do you like about leather carving?
Everything about it is kind of nice, you know. You can express, you can carve whatever you want. We always carve the western stuff here, but there's lots of different styles of design that you can carve, and it's really different. I don't do much of that because my customers will ask for western stuff, but there are a lot of ways to do things, that's for sure. And that's up to your imagination. That's the good part. You can really go from something very simple to something extremely elaborate. Your creativity can really go wherever you want it to. You don't always find a customer who's ready to pay for it. But you can create if you want to.
What do you feel is unique about Pedrini Saddle Company? What inspired you to start your own business?
I worked with a different company a little bit. When I first came, I didn't speak much English. I wasn’t a citizen yet. Then I went back and forth to Europe. France, mainly, because that's where I come from. I came over [to the United States] sometimes twice a year to pick up [saddle] making with different people. There was no future for me in France, and I was getting comfortable in the United States. That's where I wanted to be. So I stayed. And then tried to survive. That's what I did. The advantage that’s free life, you know, the self employed, you do what you want, and that's it. So, that was mainly the idea. I tried to survive that way, and I did. And pretty soon, you know, it was fun. And still is!
And now your son works with you, too. How is that?
Yeah, this was a big surprise. You know, I sent him to college to be a welder. And he welded for a few years and all of a sudden, he decided, hey, I'm gonna give [saddlemaking] a shot. So why not? You know, I’m not the one who says, ‘no, you cannot do that.’ So, so he did. And it's been a few years now, and he’s actually doing pretty good.
What do you do at the shop and what does he do at the shop?
I’ve got my own customers, and I do my things, and he does his. He does his own time, does his own different kinds of things that I don't really have time to do anymore. He makes lots of strapwork and small projects, and my customers ask me more for the big saddles. And so he's got his own deal. He's building his own customer base.
Do you teach at your saddle shop now?
Yes. Well, mainly the people come to see me one-on-one. Right now, there's only one-on-one, because we don't have enough room. Years ago, I used to take even five students at a time. Sometimes, I've got a guy who comes and spends the afternoon and wants to do some carving a little bit. But mainly they come to me to make a saddle with me.
What are you excited about for this year's Gathering?
We have friends from all over the country who are gonna come and visit, so that's what happens every year. Every time we're here, you get people from all over the country come and visit, you know. I'm pretty excited.
Q & A with Tony Pedrini
What’s your background in leather working?
I did welding for quite a few years, and then I always did it in my spare time. It was a hobby. But about two and a half years ago, I quit welding to go in to the shop full time. So my dad and I were in the same shop, but we each have our own work. We don't work on the same things.
What do you work on and what does your dad work on?
My dad, mostly just saddles. He doesn't really build smaller stuff very much. Me, I do a few saddles here and there, and I make lots of tack and smaller stuff, like belts and wallets and that sort of thing.
Did you learn from your dad about leather working?
Yeah, I've been around it all my life, so it's kind of hard not to.
Do you come from a ranching background?
I grew up in Northern California, my dad had a saddle shop there, but also quite a few horses. He trained colts, and I did a little bit of team roping, so I didn't really grow up with the big Nevada ranches or anything, but I'm familiar with it.
