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Eberhart Signature Saddle Intro

With a latitude method couldn't a guy just attach a bridge with two caribiners or triangle links and have the same effect? That would allow the bridge to float up and down on loops. Might have to try this tonight when I get home from work. I have a extra amsteel bridge already made up. Just slide the original down for a trial.
 
I have a recon sling, and this eberhart saddle appears to be a better design. The belt appears to be a stronger design and how it attaches means it will interfere with the movement of the panels less. Also, the leg loops appear to be more convenient and less likely to interfere with the panels moving. It would be nice if they offered a version with rated leg buckles and charged more for folks that would pay an extra $50 for that feature.
 
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ajvandenbosch8 said:
I personally think the ess will be a flop... lol anyone who wants a 2 panel saddle has tried a recon or now the Method from latitude.... they’re all good options don’t get me wrong but all I see is a recon with d rings or an old Anderson so him talking about others copying him is rediculous because all he did was copy multiple other company’s making the same thing... I wish him luck but honestly I’m surprised tethrd would put there name on it. Also this whole 40 yrs experience saga from him is rediculous being shoved down our throats... we get it, you saddle hunted dinosaurs!


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Click to expand...

I have known John Eberhart since the mid 1980’s. Lived in the same town he did. He lives and breathes bow hunting 24/7 Every word I have read that he wrote or heard from his mouth in person or on video is true life experience. I do not know personally know who fabricates the ESS , but I am sure he put a lot of thought into the design.
As for the comments on the Anderson Tree Sling, it was invented back in the 1970,s and was out of business by the mid 1980’s. I still hunt out of one now and I am almost 70. More comfortable than any tree stand and much more maneuverable.
The anderson in my opinion has some faults. The long strap that you hang in tree is a pain in the axx. It needs a waist belt to snug it tight around your waist. It has no linemans loops or d rings to connect your tether. I have my own technique I use to safely climb but I will not share them with others because I will not take responsibility for anyone else’s safety. Lets just say I am always tied off.
I have seen video of the ESS. It has addressed the faults well. I have not seen or used it so I have no opinion.
The treehopper recon has also peaked my interest. It has some very well thought out features. It is goin to be hard to make a choice. Good luck and Good Hunting!


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Wirrex said:
Idk man, seems exactly like a recon except: costs more, takes longer to get, and may be made in a foreign country.

I can’t see it working any better or worse than a Recon since it is nearly identical.

That being said, it’s probably the best saddle in the tethrd lineup.
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Except, and I hate to say this but it is true and those interested should know before buying, with the recon sling....an average sized man could step on the sling and rip the belt off with one hand because it is held on by plastic tri glides on both sides (the tri-glides are sewn on the ends of the belt and are what prevent the belt ends from being pulled off the sling by providing a wide spot that doesn't fit through the metal side pieces where everything meets...the belt is not sewn on to the sling at all.....if that plastic breaks on either side, then your belt is coming off the sling....I think they should at least use metal tri glides). I was surprised when I bought one and found that out. I then modified it (using climb spec aluminum tri glides) so the belt could at least hold my body weight if things went sideways when 20 feet up. This was my experience with a sling bought spring of 2020 with the new harness-like quick buckle in the middle of the belt.
 
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raisins said:
Except, and I hate to say this but it is true and those interested should know before buying, with the recon sling....an average sized man could step on the sling and rip the belt off with one hand because it is held on by plastic tri glides on both sides (the tri-glides are sewn on the ends of the belt and are what prevent the belt ends from being pulled off the sling by providing a wide spot that doesn't fit through the metal side pieces where everything meets...the belt is not sewn on to the sling at all.....if that plastic breaks on either side, then your belt is coming off the sling....I think they should at least use metal tri glides). I was surprised when I bought one and found that out. I then modified it (using climb spec aluminum tri glides) so the belt could at least hold my body weight if things went sideways when 20 feet up. This was my experience with a sling bought spring of 2020 with the new harness-like quick buckle in the middle of the belt.
Click to expand...
Would you mind posting a photo of what you're referring to? I get most of what you're saying, but a photo would be helpful.

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sweats said:
Would you mind posting a photo of what you're referring to? I get most of what you're saying, but a photo would be helpful.

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Click to expand...

Here's a pic of the old sling, but it will work for illustration. This is not my picture and is copied from a saddle review here. I was lazy about uploading a new pic, sorry.


To the right, you'll see the end of the belt poking out from the metal omni-connector (my made up name for the plates that do everything and that the bridge connects to) and the belt webbing wrapped around a tri glide (thin and black) which keeps the belt ends in place. (the belt is not a continual loop, but just a front piece and the back is the sling)

www.strapworks.com

Cast Metal Slides | Buckle Sliders | Strapworks

Choose black coated cast metal slides to get the most out of your belts, collars, and shoulder straps. Adjust webbing or straps with ease using the slides.
www.strapworks.com

I believe that old version was a metal tri glide. Link above is just to a generic tri glide in case it helps for reference.

The new one is similar in that the tri glide keeps the belt attached, but now it is a plastic tri glide. The way it is sewn, if you break the middle piece of plastic on either tri glide on either side of the belt attachment, then your belt is coming off the sling. I fixed this by replacing that piece with an aluminum tri glide made by Cobra that will hold well over 1,000 lbs.

Here's the new sling (you've probably seen).


You can't see the plastic tri glides, but they are there.
 
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raisins said:
Except, and I hate to say this but it is true and those interested should know before buying, with the recon sling....an average sized man could step on the sling and rip the belt off with one hand because it is held on by plastic tri glides on both sides (the tri-glides are sewn on the ends of the belt and are what prevent the belt ends from being pulled off the sling by providing a wide spot that doesn't fit through the metal side pieces where everything meets...the belt is not sewn on to the sling at all.....if that plastic breaks on either side, then your belt is coming off the sling....I think they should at least use metal tri glides). I was surprised when I bought one and found that out. I then modified it (using climb spec aluminum tri glides) so the belt could at least hold my body weight if things went sideways when 20 feet up. This was my experience with a sling bought spring of 2020 with the new harness-like quick buckle in the middle of the belt.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I never even tried using that belt. I made my own out of quality shock cord.
 
Not sure what to think about this thread, I get that Tethrd may not be for all. But those guys have introduced myself and many others to this hunting style. If not for their marketing and manufacturing I may have never discovered the saddle. As far as sending overseas for sales, in order to meet the demand and be a profitable company you have to do what you can. This bothers me, I worked for Honda Motor Company for years and yes it is a Japanese company, they also employ a ton of Americans with excellent pay and benefits. Ford, GM, Chrysler all are selling their products as American companies yet sending more and more overseas and costing Americans jobs.
I thought that I read or heard on a video at one point that some of Tethrd's stuff was done in the Philippians or something like that but not China. I may be wrong on that though. While I agree that putting a Flag on their product is wrong if it is in fact made overseas and is misleading to consumers if they are shopping for an American product. Bottom line is they are an American company. If you don't like their product don't buy it. Other saddle company's need to step up their game if they want to attract new customers. I never knew about any other saddles being on the market until I came here after buying a Mantis. Not saying that the others may not be better options but Tethrd is winning the marketing game and good for them. Those guys are running a business and you have to do what makes sense if you want to continue to grow.
As far as Johns input on the ESS, I am sure that all his experiences and years of trial and error have went into this design. Once again if you don't like it don't buy it. But with John's name on it and Tethrd's marketing you can be sure the ESS will sell and be profitable it will attract a lot of new people to the saddle hunting world and probably to this site to gain and share their knowledge. From this site and research those people will learn about Recon, Trophyline, homemade saddles, ect. They are changing the hunting Industry 1 video, 1 trade show 1 saddle at a time.

Sorry for the rant but it bothers me that there seems to be a lot of bashing going on, on here yet everyone buys every other product without researching its main origin or the full manufacturing process start to finish before purchasing so why the hatred or disdain for Tethrd?
 
Redhorse3e351 said:
Not sure what to think about this thread, I get that Tethrd may not be for all. But those guys have introduced myself and many others to this hunting style. If not for their marketing and manufacturing I may have never discovered the saddle. As far as sending overseas for sales, in order to meet the demand and be a profitable company you have to do what you can. This bothers me, I worked for Honda Motor Company for years and yes it is a Japanese company, they also employ a ton of Americans with excellent pay and benefits. Ford, GM, Chrysler all are selling their products as American companies yet sending more and more overseas and costing Americans jobs.
I thought that I read or heard on a video at one point that some of Tethrd's stuff was done in the Philippians or something like that but not China. I may be wrong on that though. While I agree that putting a Flag on their product is wrong if it is in fact made overseas and is misleading to consumers if they are shopping for an American product. Bottom line is they are an American company. If you don't like their product don't buy it. Other saddle company's need to step up their game if they want to attract new customers. I never knew about any other saddles being on the market until I came here after buying a Mantis. Not saying that the others may not be better options but Tethrd is winning the marketing game and good for them. Those guys are running a business and you have to do what makes sense if you want to continue to grow.
As far as Johns input on the ESS, I am sure that all his experiences and years of trial and error have went into this design. Once again if you don't like it don't buy it. But with John's name on it and Tethrd's marketing you can be sure the ESS will sell and be profitable it will attract a lot of new people to the saddle hunting world and probably to this site to gain and share their knowledge. From this site and research those people will learn about Recon, Trophyline, homemade saddles, ect. They are changing the hunting Industry 1 video, 1 trade show 1 saddle at a time.

Sorry for the rant but it bothers me that there seems to be a lot of bashing going on, on here yet everyone buys every other product without researching its main origin or the full manufacturing process start to finish before purchasing so why the hatred or disdain for Tethrd?
Click to expand...

The purpose of Saddle Hunter is to give people a vendor neutral place where they can openly discuss and share their experiences about saddle hunting, and saddle hunting products. I have followed this thread closely because I like two panels saddles and there hasn't been any hatred for Tethrd in this thread. There have simply been people sharing their honest opinions about a new product based on the little bit of information they have. If you look, there are similar threads about almost every product that has been released in the last couple of years, none of them are all positive and many of them have been MUCH more negative than this thread. An there has been discussion in almost all of those threads about what Country the product is made, so people do do that research on other companies.

Yes, Tethrd has been great at marketing and growing saddle hunting and I guess I understand that some people feel indebted to to them for introducing them to this way of hunting but, that's not going to stop others from sharing their opinions about a product, especially when many of those people were saddle hunting before Tethrd. I do applaud Tethrd's reps in this case, and all of the other vendors in the other threads I mentioned, when they follow the site rules and don't jump into threads in the open part of the forum to defend their products from some of the negative opinions people have. I am sure it is difficult but, it keeps these thread from becoming confrontational.
 
raisins said:
Here's a pic of the old sling, but it will work for illustration. This is not my picture and is copied from a saddle review here. I was lazy about uploading a new pic, sorry.


To the right, you'll see the end of the belt poking out from the metal omni-connector (my made up name for the plates that do everything and that the bridge connects to) and the belt webbing wrapped around a tri glide (thin and black) which keeps the belt ends in place. (the belt is not a continual loop, but just a front piece and the back is the sling)

www.strapworks.com

Cast Metal Slides | Buckle Sliders | Strapworks

Choose black coated cast metal slides to get the most out of your belts, collars, and shoulder straps. Adjust webbing or straps with ease using the slides.
www.strapworks.com

I believe that old version was a metal tri glide. Link above is just to a generic tri glide in case it helps for reference.

The new one is similar in that the tri glide keeps the belt attached, but now it is a plastic tri glide. The way it is sewn, if you break the middle piece of plastic on either tri glide on either side of the belt attachment, then your belt is coming off the sling. I fixed this by replacing that piece with an aluminum tri glide made by Cobra that will hold well over 1,000 lbs.

Here's the new sling (you've probably seen).


You can't see the plastic tri glides, but they are there.
Click to expand...
Thank you. That was helpful.

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Maustypsu said:
To each their own. I'm not on commission for the ESS or anything like that.

Simply trying to say that there are differences and a reason for every thing on the ESS and it is based on 40+ years.

If someone chooses to save $50 and misses out on a buck because they didn't have the metal D-rings or their bridge didn't allow them to fully rotate, it will be a great lesson learned.
Click to expand...

All you need is to attach an amsteel bridge to the bridge loops with carabiners and it’s the same principle as the aluminum rings. It will slide on the bridge loops and self adjust. Same thing I’ve been doing on all my saddles. Same thing I mentioned when the adjustable phantom bridge came out. But heaven forbid we add a few ounces with carabiners. Let’s engineer all kinds of stuff to replace what a carabiner can do.
The 1st thing I always change when trying a new saddle is to get my bridge off my old saddle and clip it onto the new saddle I’m trying.
 
Redhorse3e351 said:
Sorry for the rant but it bothers me that there seems to be a lot of bashing going on, on here yet everyone buys every other product without researching its main origin or the full manufacturing process start to finish before purchasing so why the hatred or disdain for Tethrd?
Click to expand...

Asking hunters to understand global economic supply chain is like asking them to understand theoretical physics. :wink:

Everyone wants the warm fuzzy of Made in USA though few willing to pay the actual premium for those products. That's either a symptom of globalization or consumerism. I'll let you decide.

Out of curiousity: If a saddle manufacture charged Kifaru-like prices for their gear, would they still capture the same market? My guess is most would be quick to find a cheaper alternative if faced with a steeper price barrier.

Lastly i've just been tagging along but I like the minimalism of the saddle. The large metal rings are a bit off putting, but I can't imagine the saddle was designed that way without good reason. I'll probably end up getting one just to toy with as i've wanted to play with a sling-style saddle for a while.
 
d_rek said:
Asking hunters to understand global economic supply chain is like asking them to understand theoretical physics. :wink:

Everyone wants the warm fuzzy of Made in USA though few willing to pay the actual premium for those products. That's either a symptom of globalization or consumerism. I'll let you decide.

Out of curiousity: If a saddle manufacture charged Kifaru-like prices for their gear, would they still capture the same market? My guess is most would be quick to find a cheaper alternative if faced with a steeper price barrier.

Lastly i've just been tagging along but I like the minimalism of the saddle. The large metal rings are a bit off putting, but I can't imagine the saddle was designed that way without good reason. I'll probably end up getting one just to toy with as i've wanted to play with a sling-style saddle for a while.
Click to expand...

Lol. Everyone would like to buy made in the USA, but when the card comes out the $50 dollar cheaper one will get purchased most of the time.
 
iamcorey said:
Strange that the the $50 less option (recon) is made in the US (assuming the ESS is made overseas). Price of aluminum must be at a record high.


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Click to expand...

I’m sure the rings are not cheap. Crazy what they charge for them.
 
Rings aren't that expensive.

Found them on Amazon for $13.21 each. And that doesn't reflect a lower price for buying in bulk directly from the manufacturer. (I think iamcorey was being sarcastic).

Amazon.com : Fusion Climb Bent Aluminum Slotted Light Weight D-Ring for 1 3/4" Webbing Black : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : Fusion Climb Bent Aluminum Slotted Light Weight D-Ring for 1 3/4" Webbing Black : Sports & Outdoors
www.amazon.com

Dano sells them for $8.99 each (the fusion bent D ring). https://doublesteps.com/product/aluminum-d-ring/
 
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d_rek said:
Asking hunters to understand global economic supply chain is like asking them to understand theoretical physics. :wink:

Everyone wants the warm fuzzy of Made in USA though few willing to pay the actual premium for those products. That's either a symptom of globalization or consumerism. I'll let you decide.

Out of curiousity: If a saddle manufacture charged Kifaru-like prices for their gear, would they still capture the same market? My guess is most would be quick to find a cheaper alternative if faced with a steeper price barrier.

Lastly i've just been tagging along but I like the minimalism of the saddle. The large metal rings are a bit off putting, but I can't imagine the saddle was designed that way without good reason. I'll probably end up getting one just to toy with as i've wanted to play with a sling-style saddle for a while.
Click to expand...
I must have missed something, Has Tethrd reduced the prices of saddles made overseas ? I understand not all products will be manufactured in the USA, however with niche products such as tree saddles the American consumer can insist the work stays here.
 
d_rek said:
Asking hunters to understand global economic supply chain is like asking them to understand theoretical physics. :wink:

Everyone wants the warm fuzzy of Made in USA though few willing to pay the actual premium for those products. That's either a symptom of globalization or consumerism. I'll let you decide.

Out of curiousity: If a saddle manufacture charged Kifaru-like prices for their gear, would they still capture the same market? My guess is most would be quick to find a cheaper alternative if faced with a steeper price barrier.

Lastly i've just been tagging along but I like the minimalism of the saddle. The large metal rings are a bit off putting, but I can't imagine the saddle was designed that way without good reason. I'll probably end up getting one just to toy with as i've wanted to play with a sling-style saddle for a while.
Click to expand...



This is condescending as heck. LOL....hunters can't understand theoretical physics and are too cheap to stand behind their convictions, eh?

Obviously, us discussing manufacturing spots and whether we will buy from that company or not.....is exactly the free market at work. We are viewing the total impact of the product in our decision. Any company is free to make their decisions as we are free to make our own.
 
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raisins said:
This is condescending as heck. LOL....hunters can't understand theoretical physics and are too cheap to stand behind their convictions, eh?

Obviously, us discussing manufacturing spots and whether we will buy from that company or not.....is exactly the free market at work. We are viewing the total impact of the product in our decision. Any company is free to make their decisions as we are free to make our own.
Click to expand...
Or just can't afford to be able to stand behind what they believe in. We're not all made of money like you :tearsofjoy:
 
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