A century of stitches

When Jim Berney sits down to sew on a piece of harness, he uses a machine that's over a hundred years old, writes Brian Byrne.

The Pearson No 6 manufactured by the British United Shoe Machinery Company can sew leather up to half an inch thick, and the ability to carefully place every single stitch is much prized by leather workers.

It allows the kind of detailed work that recently won for Berney Bros Saddlery two top awards.

"I first came across the No 6 when I worked in Calgary back in the 50s," says Jim, now close to 80 years old but still working every day in the business founded by his great-grandfather Peter 132 years ago. "I promised myself that I'd get one if I ever came back home to Kilcullen."

He did come back, and he did buy a used machine when he got home. The Pearson No 6 retailed for £30 in 1911 but used ones change hands these days for upwards of $2,000 apiece.

"We have nine of them," says Jim. "Every now and again when I see one come for sale I'll buy it. We only have four in daily use, but spares are always worth having."

While Jim and his brother Tom still work in the business, it is mostly run these days by their respective sons Jamie (left) and Thomas. In all, there are ten people working in the operation, which also includes a shop on the north Main Street in Kilcullen, famous for its iconic white horse in the window.

One of their renowned handmade saddles recently won the leatherwork section of the Arts Council's annual crafts awards, and then was given one of only two Awards of Excellence in the 2012 competition. "You can't beat the young people," Jim says, obviously very happy with the recent achievement of the younger generation of the family.

It's 20 years since the saddlery, one of the most respected across the Irish equine industry, entered the competition. Thomas Berney says it's a great boost to the company and a credit to the skills of the workforce.

(Above: Eamon Heavey, Louise Conway, Tom Berney, Jim Berney, Paschal Behan, Thomas Berney.)

Berney Bros launched a new range of competition saddles at the recent RDS Horse Show, developed after consultation with some of the country's top competitive riders.

"They have taken about three years to develop," says Thomas, noting that changes in competition riding have done away with the need for riders to carry lead weights and making lightweight saddles is now very important in competition.

He says the basic design of a saddle hasn't changed much, but there are significant differences possible with the use of new materials along with the standard high quality leather.

All Berney Bros saddles are handmade, each one taking about four days to complete. The business sells in the region of a thousand saddles a year. But the young generation of Berneys is eyeing the prospects of the export market. Talks are in progress with a number of outlets in the UK, Germany and the US, countries where many individual riders have long been direct customers of the Kilcullen shop.

This article was first published in The Kildare Nationalist.