Knowledge and Experience

A saddle maker and leather craftsman, Keith Seidel builds functional art pieces that include saddles, briefcases, desk accessories, belts, gun leather, among other specialty items at Seidel’s Saddlery, his historic downtown Cody, Wyoming location.

Keith started working leather as a young boy while helping his family raise and train Morgan horses.  Countless hours horseback forged the understanding of saddle fit, function, balance, and comfort.  He was privileged to work with, and be influenced by, many notable master saddle makers in some of the most prestigious saddle shops, while learning and developing new skills and techniques.  With a deep commitment to fine craftsmanship, he believes that decoration is secondary to function, and yet there is pure poetry when both function and beauty can exist simultaneously. 

Keith has a passion for the perpetuation of the trade, which has led to his teaching classes, and apprenticing saddle makers.  

The Retail Store

Seidel’s Saddlery was started in Cody in 1994 by Keith and his wife Lisa. They have been a great team over the years, establishing and maintaining a retail store for 20+ years. Their daughters, Kelly and Bridget, were an immense help in the store and saddle shop; and now they are grown, and building careers in other fields. Keith & Lisa have closed the downstairs store, but maintain a small showroom and the saddle shop upstairs, where it has always been,  in their historic downtown Cody location.

Awards

The saddle shop 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 40 years. He is a recipient of the 2018 Wyoming Governor’s Arts Award as well as 2012 Saddle maker of the Year award presented by the Academy of Western Artists. In addition, 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. Keith also has awards for “Best of Show”, “Best Workmanship” and “Best Tooling” from the Wichita Falls Boot & Saddlemaker Roundup in 2004 and 2011.

Media

Keith works to ensure that each and every item is accurately designed and constructed to meet or exceed the customer’s expectations. Every piece that comes out of the shop imbues the same work ethic and quality.  His work has been featured in several publications including Cowboys and Indians, American Cowboy, Western Horseman, and Architectural Digest, and Ranch & Reata.  Seidel’s Saddlery has a diverse clientele consisting of celebrities, executives, working cowboys, and performance horse riders.

Seidel’s Saddlery also showcases amazing sterling silver and gold belt buckles made by the some of the very best western silversmiths.  Silversmiths such as Clint Orms, R. Schaezlein & Son, Comstock Heritage, Dave Murray,  as well as Seidel’s very own buckle line.  

Seidel’s Saddlery is the very embodiment of the wide open American West.  When business was done on a handshake, and men were men of their word.

Come visit our unique saddlery in the historic downtown of Cody, Wyoming and let us make you that saddle or that custom leather item that you always dreamed of! You’ll truly enjoy it, we promise!