Dave Dahl - Saddlemaker

While visiting Pierre, SD I stumbled upon the Diamond D Western Wear shop. This is a shop where time has stopped! The clothing shop had some shirts, jeans and hats stacked on shelves, that may have originally been stocked in the 70's or 80's. There were a few boxes of cowboy boots and racks of old (some faded) winter jackets. If "pickers" liked dated western clothing, this shop would be a gold mine!

There is an opening from this shop to the neighboring saddle shop, where I found Dave Dahl working on a bronc saddle. Dave is approaching 80 years old, but he says that doesn't stop him. He has been making saddles for 50 years. He creates 50-60 saddles a year, and said he plans to keep on going!

Dave was inducted into the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2018. He began riding broncs in high school and continued in college, and on the pro circuit for a few years after graduating. He learned to make saddles from a rodeo buddy and can brag that many rodeo stars use his saddles. Of course, Dave wouldn't be so bold as to say anything about any of this. I had no idea that he had such an interesting background, or that his saddles were held in such high regard (although the saddle he was working on was destined for a bronc rider in Australia, so I had an inkling.) Dave was quite unassuming, and a pleasure to talk to.

Leather for saddles in his storage room.

A typical western saddle made by Dahl

Pictures of some bronc champions who were using his saddles.

A newspaper article from the Wrangler Rodeo Finals entitled, "Cowboys Make the Buzzer on Dahl Saddles"

There were many more accolades for Dave and his saddles throughout both shops, found on the walls and shelves, some sandwiched between cowboy attire for sale. Dave pointed out different saddles he had made that were also found throughout the shop. 

Dave posing with a friend of mine in front of one of his saddles.

Another sbot of that saddle showing his signature leather tooling, and his name stamp in the leather below the cantle (back) of the saddle. Notice that bronc saddles have no horn, they really don't have a skirt, the cantle is high and the seat has the rough side of the leather turned out to give a bit more grip. 

One thing I dearly love about our travels is running into folks like Dave.