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Keith Seidel started working leather in his hometown of Cody, Wyoming at the age of 12. Keith bought his first stitcher at 13, and was working in a local saddle shop after school at age 14. His family raised Morgan horses, giving Keith the time in the saddle and show pen to become knowledgeable about saddle fit, function, and comfort. After finishing school in 1983, he traveled the United States to different saddle shops learning and developing new skills and technique. He was privileged to be influenced by and study under dozens of saddle makers. He chose versatile and legendary craftsman he wanted to work with and gain as much knowledge and skill as possible. Keith has built over 800 saddles, from plain working cowboy saddles to show saddles, from performance saddles to collector saddles. His experience horseback, paired with his broad knowledge base of having built the variety of saddles he has, makes him a very talented and accomplished saddle maker.
Seidel’s Saddlery was opened in 1991 in Cody, WY by Keith & Lisa Seidel in their first location on Rumsey Avenue. After a few years there, they moved to busy Sheridan Avenue, occupying the old Cody Saddle building and then ultimately purchasing their corner location in 2000. Their historical building was built in 1905 of native sandstone from the local quarry, that is now under the Buffalo Bill Reservoir, after the building of the Buffalo Bill Dam in 1910. Lisa and daughters, Kelly and Bridget, have been instrumental in the business. While Lisa manages the retail store, Kelly is a skilled leather artisan herself, and Bridget is involved in the retail side and is Seidel’s web designer.
The saddle shop upstairs is where the romance and tradition are combined to create functional art. Keith Seidel has been a full time saddle maker and leather craftsman for over 30 years. He is a two time nominee for “Saddle maker of the Year”, by the Academy of Western Artists. He has received the “Best Tooled Saddle Award” each time he entered at the World Leather Debut in Sheridan, Wyoming, in 2001, 2003, 2005, and 2010 and also won “Best Stand Alone Piece” as well in 2003. He has awards for “Best of Show”, “Best Workmanship” and “Best Tooling” from the Wichita Falls Boot & Saddlemaker Roundup in 2004 and 2011. He incorporates the same work ethic and quality into every piece that comes out of the shop. Keith works to ensure that each and every item is accurately designed and constructed to meet or exceed the customer’s expectations. His work has been featured in several publications including Cowboys and Indians, American Cowboy, Western Horseman, and Architectural Digest. His work is presented and gaining value in collector shows like the Denver Old West Show and the High Noon Show. Seidel’s has a diverse clientele consisting of celebrities, executives, working cowboys, and performance horse riders.
The retail store on the ground level offers an outlet for their exquisite leather work in the form of saddles, desk sets, briefcases, belts, gun leather, photo albums, spur straps, and more. Seidel's also showcases amazing sterling silver and gold belt buckles made by the very best western silversmiths of today. These silver companies include Bohlin, Clint Orms, R. Schaezlein & Son, Comstock Heritage, Sunset Trails, Greg Jensen, Ed Baird, and others. They carry the finest in western jewelry such as Coreen Cordova, Paige Wallace, J. Forks Designs, and Mary Kirkwood. We offer western gifts, wild rags, and purses from Cripple Creek, Two Bar West, American West, just to name a few. We carry a large inventory of cowboy hats from Stetson, American, Bailey, Atwood, and also stock custom hats from Rand’s Custom Hats. We offer high quality chaps and chinks at affordable prices. We feature Tom Balding, Myler, Garcia, Jeremiah Watt, for bits and spurs. We have a premier selection of rawhide braided products, like headstalls, quirts, hobbles, and romal reins. We have a large selection of tack and equipment for showing your performance horse or riding in the hills. Seidel’s Saddlery offers phenomenal customer service. Our sales associates are trained horsemen in various disciplines from cutting, reining, timed events, and working and doctoring cattle on the ranch.
Seidel's Saddlery tries extremely hard to have items in the store that are comparable in quality to the leather work that we make. When you walk into Seidel’s Saddlery, you get the feeling of a truly authentic western store; no rubber tomahawks here. We embody the wide open American West when business was done on a handshake, and men were men of their word.
Come visit our unique store in the historic downtown of Cody, Wyoming and let us help you. You’ll truly enjoy it, we promise! |