saddlery

plural saddleries

1. uncountableThe trade or craft of a saddler.

   1863, Rachel Henning, letter dated 27 January, 1863, in David Adams (ed.), The Letters of Rachel Henning, Penguin, 1969, p. 124, The whole station is engaged in saddlery just now. It is wonderful how soon people learn to do everything for themselves in the bush.

   3 more examples

   A good deal of dressed leather is now sent to London, from whence formerly much of what was used here was brought. Saddlery is carried on to some extent.

   1792 July, John Naismith, “Statistical Account of the Parish of Hamilton”, in The Edinburgh Magazine or Literary Miscellany, volume 16, page 12

   He resolved that when winter came he would go into one of the regimental workshops and learn a trade, either saddlery or ferriery, which would enable him to earn his living for a time abroad until he saw something better to do.

   1892, G. A. Henty, chapter 6, in The Dash for Khartoum, London: Blackie & Son, page 101

   He traveled almost altogether afoot, observing the strictest economy and supporting himself by occasional jobs of saddlery and harness mending.

   1905, John F. Hume, chapter 6, in The Abolitionists, Together with Personal Memories of the Struggle for Human Rights, 1830-1864, New York: Putnam, page 53

2. countableuncountableA place of business of a saddler.

   1931, Ruth Russell, Lake Front, Chicago: Thomas S. Rockwell, Part 3, Chapter 2, p. 209, Occasional stores pressed close to the wooden walk, and you got the dry smell of hay-and-feed shops or leathery whiffs from saddleries […]

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   There is a tinker’s shop and a pharmacy; a saddlery, where the broken gear used in cultivating the monastery lands is mended […]

   1892, James Lane Allen, “A Home of the Silent Brotherhood”, in The Blue-Grass Region of Kentucky and Other Kentucky Articles, New York: Harper, page 185

   Although there are saddleries in almost every Montana town, only a few have national reputations and are convenient for travelers to visit.

   1990, Suzanne Carmichael, The Traveler’s Guide to American Crafts West of the Mississippi, New York: Dutton, page 145

   Synonyms: knacker

3. uncountableThe inventory and equipment of a saddler; saddles and other horse-riding equipment, or the materials for making them.

   Near-synonym: tack

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   The next article, and the most important article of all to this country, was saddlery. This embraced every part of the leather manufacture, boots, shoes, gloves, &c.

   1787 July, “Irish Parliamentary Intelligence”, in Walker’s Hibernian Magazine, page 387

   […] we notice that the most gorgeous piece of Japanese saddlery is the crupper, which, even on a pack-horse, is painted crimson and gilded gloriously.

   1873 August, W. E. Griffis, “Inside Japan”, in Lippincott’s Magazine, volume 12, number 29, page 174

   A heap of saddlery was thrown in a corner, and from this each man, as he captured his mount, made shift to draw proper equipment […]

   1904, Rudyard Kipling, “The Army of a Dream”, in Traffics and Discoveries, London: Macmillan, pages 272–273

   He heard the creak of saddlery and the thud of a horse’s hoofs on the hard turf behind him.

   1911, Archibald Marshall, chapter 10, in The Eldest Son, New York: Dodd, Mead, published 1919

   Synonyms: tack