Original subtitles

Narrator: AROUND THE WORLD, THE RACE TO WIN WARS

AND EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE HAS CREATED SOME OF THE MOST

INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS EVER DESIGNED,

AND WE USE THEM EVERY DAY,

UNAWARE OF THEIR AMAZING ORIGINS.

INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS.

ON INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS: THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE,

AN ENTIRE TOOL-KIT

IN A POCKET-SIZED RED PACKAGE.

THE WINGLET, A NASA DEVELOPED DESIGN

THAT NOW HELPS YOU JET AROUND THE WORLD.

THE ENGLISH SADDLE,

WE SADDLE UP AND EXPLAIN

HOW A HORSE RIDING ESSENTIAL

CREATED THE SHOCK TROOPS OF THE MIDDLE AGES.

WE REVEAL THE AMAZING HISTORY

AND ENGINEERING BEHIND THESE INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: THROUGHOUT HISTORY AN ARMY'S SUCCESS

HAS DEPENDED ON THE QUALITY OF THEIR GEAR

AS MUCH AS THE TACTICS DEPLOYED

IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE.

Man: ONE OF THE KEY THINGS FOR EVERY SOLDIER,

EVERY INFANTRYMAN WANTS TO BE ABLE

TO CARRY ALL HIS KIT WITH HIM.

AND THE LIGHTER IT CAN BE AND THE MOST FUNCTIONAL IT

CAN BE ENHANCES HIS CAPABILITY ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

Narrator: FROM THE ROMANS OF ANTIQUITY

TO THE MODERN MILITARY COURSES OF TODAY,

MOBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY ARE THE KEY WORDS TO DESCRIBE

THE MOST EFFECTIVE FIGHTING FORCES IN HISTORY,

AND THEIR EQUIPMENT HAS TO REFLECT THIS.

IN FACT YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO FIND

THAT A PRODUCT LIVING IN A DRAWER

AT HOME WAS DEVELOPED

TO MEET THIS MILITARY NEED.

IT'S THE ABSOLUTE DEFINITION OF MULTI-PURPOSE --

THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE.

THE IDEA OF INCORPORATING SEVERAL TOOLS

IN A SMALL, PORTABLE UNIT IS NOT A NEW ONE.

THE ROMANS HAD THEIR VERY OWN VERSION OF A SWISS ARMY KNIFE

NEARLY 2,000 YEARS AGO, COMPLETE WITH SPOON,

FORK, BLADE,

AND THE OBLIGATORY TOOTHPICK.

MADE FROM SOLID SILVER, THIS LUXURY ITEM

AND THE IDEA FOR A MULTI-TOOL

SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN LOST IN TIME.

THAT'S BECAUSE FROM THE 1600s THE BASIC POCKETKNIFE

BECOMES THE HANDY TOOL OF CHOICE.

THEN, IN THE 1880s,

THE SWISS ARMY REPLACES THEIR OWN POCKETKNIFE,

GIVING BIRTH TO A REVOLUTIONARY NEW PRODUCT.

Man: IT WAS DEVELOPED IN ORDER TO ENABLE THE SOLDIERS

TO DISMANTLE THEIR RIFLE AND TO CLEAN IT,

AND ALSO TO OPEN CANNED FOOD.

THEREFORE IT NEEDED TWO ATTACHMENTS,

A TIN OPENER AND A SCREW DRIVER.

SO THE SOLUTION WAS THE MODEL 1890

WHICH WAS A KNIFE MANUFACTURED

BY THE COMPANY VESTA AND CO.

WHICH IS ACTUALLY A GERMAN COMPANY.

Narrator: SO THE ORIGINAL MODEL 1890 SWISS ARMY KNIFE

IS ACTUALLY GERMAN.

A YEAR LATER BUSINESSMAN CARL ELSENER

TAKES PRODUCTION OF THE KNIFE TO THE SWISS TOWN OF IBACH

AND STARTS IMPROVING ITS DESIGN

AND THE NUMBER OF TOOLS IT CAN CARRY.

Man: CARL ELSENER REFINED THE DESIGN BY

ADDING A CORKSCREW AND SCISSORS.

AND THIS MODEL HE CALLED IT

[ SPEAKING GERMAN ] THE --

WHICH ACTUALLY MEANS "SWISS OFFICER KNIFE."

AND AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR,

THE [ SPEAKING GERMAN ]

WAS ACTUALLY HARD FOR AMERICANS TO PRONOUNCE.

SO IT WAS DECIDED TO NICKNAME IT THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE.

Narrator: WITH OVER 800 TOOLS TO CHOOSE FROM,

THE VICTORINOX FACTORY IN IBACH PRODUCES

350 DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE KNIFE

WITH AN EYE-WATERING 17 MILLION KNIFE PARTS

BEING MANUFACTURED EVERY YEAR.

THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS STARTS

WITH A 3 MILLIMETER THICK COIL OF HIGH QUALITY

STAINLESS STEEL BEING FED INTO A PUNCHING MACHINE.

THE METAL IS FORCED AGAINST THE DIE

TO PUNCH OUT THE BASIC BLADE SHAPES

INCLUDING THE NAIL GROOVE USED TO OPEN THE KNIFE.

A SINGLE COIL CONTAINS

ENOUGH STEEL FOR 30,000 BLADES

TO BE PUNCHED IN ONE PASS.

THE OTHER TOOLS SUCH AS THE CAN-OPENER

ARE MADE IN THE SAME WAY.

THE BLADES ARE THEN FED INTO A MACHINE

THAT CONTAINS A VIBRATING MIXTURE OF STONES

AND WATER WHICH POLISHES THE STEEL.

ONCE POLISHED A POWERFUL MAGNET REMOVES

THE BLADES FROM THE STONE.

THE BLADES ARE STILL FAR TOO THICK,

SO THIS MACHINE GRINDS THEM FLAT TO

WITHIN A TOLERANCE OF LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF A HUMAN HAIR,

TO PREVENT THEM JAMMING

WHEN THE KNIFE IS OPENING AND CLOSING.

AT THIS POINT THE BLADES ARE STAMPED

WITH THEIR TRADEMARK AND THEN ENTER A FURNACE

THAT IS HEATED TO 2,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

ONCE HEATED TO THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE THE BLADES

ARE QUICKLY COOLED WHICH HARDENS AND TOUGHENS THE METAL FURTHER.

ONCE THE BLADE IS SHARPENED IT IS READY FOR ASSEMBLY.

THE SHAPE OF THE BLADE INCLUDES A NOTCH AT THE BACK

OF THE KNIFE EDGE WHICH IS PART OF AN OPENING

AND CLOSING SYSTEM FOR POCKETKNIVES

THAT HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR OVER 300 YEARS.

THIS IS CALLED A SLIP JOINT.

Man: SLIP JOINT KNIVES HAVE AN INTERNAL SPRING

WHICH IS MORE LIKE A SMALL PIECE OF METAL

AND THIS SPRING NEEDS TO BE OVERCOME IN ORDER

TO CLOSE AND OPEN THE KNIFE.

Narrator: THE FLAGSHIP VICTORINOX KNIFE

IS THE SWISS CHAMP

WITH AN AMAZING NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TOOLS.

THIS HAND-ASSEMBLED MULTI-TOOL WONDER STARTS LIFE

WITH FOUR PINS THAT ALL THE PARTS

WILL SLOT ONTO TO CREATE ONE BIG METAL SANDWICH.

A MIXTURE OF TOOLS, SPACERS, SPRINGS AND ATTACHMENTS

ARE BUILT UP TO FORM THE CHAMP,

WITH METAL FITTINGS CALLED BUSHINGS MACHINED

ONTO THE PINS TO FIX THE TOOL TOGETHER.

THE BLADE IS THEN GIVEN A FINAL FINISH.

THE DISTINCTIVE RED PLASTIC HANDLES

OF THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE ARE CALLED SCALES.

THESE ARE MADE IN THE FACTORY'S INJECTION MOLDING DEPARTMENT

AND ARE EMBLAZONED WITH THE VICTORINOX SHIELD,

READY TO BE ATTACHED TO THE FINISHED TOOL.

TWO SCALES ARE PLACED INTO A MACHINE

AND THE TOOL BUNDLE IS POSITIONED BETWEEN THEM,

AND THE SCALES ARE PUSHED DOWN TO FIX THEM TO THE BUSHINGS.

THE ONE INCH WIDE TOOL IS NOW FINISHED --

BUT ALL 33 OF ITS ATTACHMENTS

STILL NEED TO BE CHECKED BEFORE IT CAN BE SENT OUT

TO OVER 120 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.

WHICH INCREDIBLE INVENTION ALLOWS US

TO JET AROUND THE WORLD SAFELY

AND WITH LESS DAMAGE TO THE ENVIRONMENT?

FIND OUT AFTER THE BREAK.

Narrator: WHETHER IT'S JETTING OFF

FOR A MUCH DESERVED VACATION,

OR TRAVELING FOR BUSINESS, AIR TRAVEL

HAS BECOME A FAMILIAR PART OF EVERY DAY LIFE.

WE ASSUME THE AIRCRAFT WILL PROPEL INTO THE SKY,

BUT HOW MANY OF US ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND THE SCIENCE

BEHIND WHAT KEEPS IT UP THERE?

IT'S THE WINGS OF COURSE -- BUT HOW DO THEY WORK,

AND HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT THOSE VERTICAL WING TIPS

ON AIRLINERS ACTUALLY DO?

AND DID YOU KNOW THEY'RE CONNECTED TO NASA?

THE ANSWERS ALL LIE WITH UNDERSTANDING

JUST HOW AN AIRCRAFT WING ACTUALLY WORKS.

WITH WINGS YOU NORMALLY HAVE A CURVED SURFACE

WHICH MEANS THE AIR

THAT'S GOING OVER ON A NORMAL PLANE'S

TOP SURFACE OF THE WING HAS FURTHER

TO GO THAN THE AIR THAT'S ON THE LOWER SURFACE.

IF THE AIR ON THE TOP SURFACE HAS GOTTA GO FURTHER

THAN THE AIR ON THE LOWER SURFACE

THEN IT'S GONNA TRAVEL FASTER

AND THAT GENERATES EFFECTIVELY

A LOW PRESSURE ON THE TOP SURFACE

AND HIGH PRESSURE ON THE LOWER SURFACE.

AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE PRESSURE DIFFERENCE

THAT GENERATES A VERTICAL FORCE.

SO THE BIGGER THE WING THE BIGGER THE FORCE.

Narrator: THIS AMAZING AERODYNAMIC PRINCIPLE

HAS BEEN THE SECRET TO POWERED FLIGHT

EVER SINCE THE WRIGHT BROTHERS FIRST FLEW IN 1903.

THOUGH THE DIFFERENCE IN AIR PRESSURES

AROUND A WING ALSO GENERATE LESS FAVORABLE CHARACTERISTICS,

NAMELY WING TIP VORTICES.

A WING TIP VORTEX IS CREATED

AS HIGH PRESSURE AIR LEAKS

FROM BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WING TIP.

THIS HIGH PRESSURE AIR SPILLS OVER THE TOP

AND INTO LOW PRESSURE SPACE ABOVE THE WING.

THIS BEHAVIOR CREATES A PATH OF SWIRLING AIR

THAT TRAILS EACH WING TIP WITH ITS STRENGTH

AND SIZE DETERMINED BY MANY FACTORS,

INCLUDING THE AIRCRAFT'S WEIGHT AND AIRSPEED.

Man: ON A LARGE PLANE YOU MIGHT SEE REALLY BIG VORTICES

COMING OFF THE WING TIPS

AND GETTING SHED OFF DOWN,

MAYBE STICKING IN THE AIR FOR A COUPLE OF MILES OR SO.

AND IT ALSO DETRACTS

FROM THE EFFICIENCY OF THE AIRCRAFT.

YOU CAN GET ADDITIONAL DRAG

FROM THE FORMATION OF VORTICES AND THE MESS,

THE LOSSES THAT COME ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

Narrator: DRAG IS NOT THE ONLY NEGATIVE ASPECT

OF WING TIP VORTICES.

VORTICES ARE ALSO A COMPONENT PART

OF WEIGHT TURBULENCE, WHICH IS THE DISTURBED AIR

THAT FORMS BEHIND AN AIRCRAFT AS IT MOVES.

THIS TURBULENCE CAN POTENTIALLY BE A DANGEROUS HAZARD

FOR ANY FOLLOWING AIRCRAFT.

Man: IF YOU IMAGINE THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN FLYING INTO AIR

WHICH IS UNIFORMLY COMING TOWARDS YOU

AND THEN YOU IMAGINE FLYING THROUGH A VORTEX

WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY SPINNING.

DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF VEHICLE THAT

YOU'RE IN AND THE POSITION

OF THE VEHICLE COMPARED TO THOSE VORTICES,

THEY CAN HAVE THE POWER TO FLIP AIRCRAFT OVER.

IF YOU'RE COMING TO LAND A SMALL PLANE

ON THE SAME RUNWAY, FOR EXAMPLE,

WHERE A LARGE PLANE HAS EITHER JUST TAKEN OFF OR JUST LANDED.

THEN THAT CAN BE PRETTY DANGEROUS.

Narrator: DANGEROUS TURBULENCE? DRAG?

NOW, THIS IS WHERE NASA AND THE WINGLETS COME IN.

THE WINGLET IS NOT A NEW CONCEPT,

WITH THE EARLIEST EXAMPLE DATING BACK TO 1910.

IN ITS MOST BASIC FORM A WINGLET IS AN ANGLED EXTENSION

OF A WING TIP THAT SITS AT 90 DEGREES TO THE WING.

TRADITIONALLY THIS EXTENSION SUNK

BELOW THE WING SUCH AS THE EXAMPLE

ON THIS GERMAN HEINKEL 162A

FROM WORLD WAR II.

SO WHAT ARE THESE DESIGNS TRYING TO ACHIEVE?

Man: THE IDEA BEHIND A WINGLET

IS EFFECTIVELY TO PROVIDE A BOUNDARY FOR THE FLOW

WHICH IS ATTEMPTING TO WRAP FROM THE PRESSURE SURFACE

OF A WING ONTO THE SUCTION SURFACE OF THE WING.

SO YOU'RE TRYING TO REDUCE THE EFFECT OF THIS TIP VORTEX.

Narrator: THE DESIGN AND PLACEMENT OF WINGLETS

ARE CRITICAL TO THEIR PERFORMANCE.

IN RESPONSE TO THE OIL CRISIS OF 1973,

WHICH SAW AN INCREDIBLE RISE IN THE COST OF FUEL,

NASA ENGINEER RICHARD T. WHITCOMB

DEVELOPED THE NEAR VERTICAL WINGLET DESIGN

WE ARE SO FAMILIAR WITH TODAY.

THROUGHOUT TIME AERODYNAMICISTS OBSERVED HOW SOARING BIRDS

IN FLIGHT SUCH EAGLES GLIDED WITH NEAR VERTICAL WING TIPS.

IF IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE BIRDS,

THEN IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR NASA.

WHITCOMB CAME UP WITH SMALL VERTICAL AIR FOILS

AND BY 1976 HIS RESEARCH SHOWS

THAT WINGLETS EMPLOYED ON TRANSPORT SIZED AIRCRAFT

CAN DIMINISH INDUCED DRAG BY APPROXIMATELY 20 PERCENT

AND IMPROVE THE OVERALL LIFT TO DRAG RATIO

BY 6 TO 9 PERCENT.

TWENTY YEARS LATER, THE COMMERCIAL AIRLINE INDUSTRY

STARTS TO SEE THE BENEFITS OF ADDING

A BLENDED WINGLET TO THEIR OWN FLEET'S WINGS.

THERE ARE NOW A WIDE VARIETY

OF WINGLET DESIGNS AND MANUFACTURERS

AND IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT PLANES

WITH WINGLET DESIGNS CAN SEE FUEL SAVINGS OF BETWEEN

4 TO 6 PERCENT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

WELL, IT'S BEEN CALCULATED BY ONE MANUFACTURER

THAT THEIR BLENDED WINGS

HAVE SAVED OVER 5 BILLION GALLONS OF FUEL

SINCE THEIR INTRODUCTION 15 YEARS AGO.

AS A RESULT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SAVED

AND TENS OF MILLIONS OF TONS LESS CARBON DIOXIDE

HAVE BEEN EMITTED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

THE WINGLET, TRULY AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

COMING UP NEXT, "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS"

TAKES A LOOK AT A SHOCK-ABSORBING MARVEL --

BUT FIRST AN EXPERIMENT TO PROVE

JUST HOW EFFECTIVE WINGLETS ARE.

Narrator: THE INVENTION OF THE WINGLET

IS SAID TO BE SAVING AIRLINES

A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY,

BUT IT'S TIME WE TEST THE BENEFITS

OF THIS COOL INNOVATION FOR OURSELVES.

WE'VE COME TO "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS" AIRFIELD

TO FIND OUT.

THE EXPERIMENT BELOVED BY BORED SCHOOL BOYS

AND FRUSTRATED FLYERS EVERYWHERE,

THE PAPER PLANE IS THE CLASSIC LOW COST ENTRY INTO

THE WORLD OF AVIATION.

TO BEGIN, WE CREATE FIVE IDENTICAL PAPER PLANES.

EACH FLYER IS MADE FROM A STANDARD

PIECE OF RED PAPER

USING THE BASIC FOLDING TECHNIQUE

REFINED OVER MANY GENERATIONS OF CLASSROOM CHAOS.

NOW, FOR THE WINGLET PLANES, USING GREEN PAPER THIS TIME --

WELL, THIS IS FUEL SAVING TECHNOLOGY --

FIVE OTHER IDENTICAL PAPER PLANES ARE MADE.

THE WINGLETS ARE CREATED

BY FOLDING THE WINGS IN ON THEMSELVES.

THIS CREATES A HALF-INCH LONG WINGLET

THAT SHOULD REDUCE THE AIRCRAFT'S DRAG

AND STABILIZE IT IN FLIGHT -- OR, SO THE THEORY GOES.

ONE FLIGHT AREA IS LAID OUT WITH MARKINGS

PLACED EVERY TEN FEET.

NOW THE TEST CAN BEGIN.

EACH PLAIN WILL BE RELEASED 5 TIMES

TO REDUCE ANY INCONSISTENCIES

THAT MAY OCCUR DURING EACH FLIGHT.

A CONSISTENT RELEASE IS CRITICAL

AND OUR TESTER EXHIBITS THE PERFECT TECHNIQUE.

A WIDE STANCE, SHOULDERS BACK,

PERFECT ARM BENDING ACTION.

THE PLANES ARE RELEASED AND WE SOON GET TO SEE

HOW THE WINGLET ADAPTED PLANES

PERFORM AGAINST THEIR STANDARDIZED COUSINS.

AFTER A HECTIC BARRAGE OF PAPER PROJECTILES

THE RESULTS ARE IN.

IN THIS SHOT WE HAVE PLOTTED

WHERE EACH OF THE RED PLANES LANDED.

IF WE OVERLAY THE GREEN FLIGHTS

I THINK WE CAN SEE A CLEAR WINNER.

THE WINGLETS ARE VICTORIOUS -- WITH ONE GREEN PLANE

ACTUALLY ACHIEVING THE LONGEST FLIGHT DISTANCE,

A REMARKABLE 40 FEET.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, POINT PROVED --

THE WINGLET REALLY IS AN AERODYNAMIC WONDER.

TODAY'S SADDLE ORIGINATES IN MILITARY HISTORY.

THE FIRST DEPICTIONS OF A SADDLE SHOW

THE ASSYRIAN CAVALRY FROM 700 B.C.

IN THESE EARLY CARVINGS

WE CAN SEE WARRIORS RIDING HORSES

SEATED UPON A PIECE OF CLOTH OR LEATHER,

SECURED BY STRAPS NOT TOO DISSIMILAR

TO THE HORSE TACK OF TODAY.

BUT IT IS THE INTRODUCTION OF STIRRUPS

TO THE SADDLE THAT CAUSES A MILITARY REVOLUTION.

A MOUNTED WARRIOR SITTING A TOP A SADDLE WITH STIRRUPS

NOW GAINS ALL KINDS ADVANTAGES IN COMBAT.

HAVING THE STIRRUPS ADDED TO THE SADDLE

JUST CHANGES COMPLETELY THE WAY

YOU CAN FIGHT ON THE BACK OF A HORSE.

YOU CAN STAND UP, YOU HAVE A PLATFORM IF YOU LIKE.

SO SAY YOU HAVE A SWORD IN YOUR HAND,

FOOT SOLDIERS COMING CHARGING TOWARDS YOU,

YOU CAN STAND UP IN YOUR HORSE YOU CAN REACH OUT

AND YOU CAN REALLY GO FOR THAT FOOT SOLDIER

WITHOUT SLIPPING AND FALLING OFF THE SIDE OF THE HORSE.

Narrator: BUT WHAT MAKES THE MODERN SADDLE

EVEN MORE SPECIAL? WE FIND OUT

AND SEE HOW IT'S MADE WHEN WE RETURN.

Narrator: NOMADIC GROUPS SUCH AS THE SARMATIANS AND MONGOLS

CONQUERED LARGE SWATHES OF TERRITORY ON HORSEBACK.

THEN, WHEN THE STIRRUP IS INTRODUCED

TO A NEW EUROPEAN WARRIOR CLASS,

AN ULTIMATE FIGHTING MACHINE ARISES,

THE MOUNTED KNIGHT.

WE THINK OF KNIGHTS, ARMORED KNIGHTS,

WE CAN THINK OF THE NORMAN TIME,

THE NORMAN INVASION 11TH CENTURY,

THAT KIND OF PERIOD.

ON THE SPEED OF THEIR HORSE

AND THEIR LANCE COUCHED UNDER THEIR ARM

THE STABILITY OF THE SADDLE

AND THE STIRRUPS MEANT THAT ALL THAT POWER

IS TRANSFERRED DOWN THE END OF THAT POINT.

THEY WOULD DRIVE THROUGH,

PUNCH HOLES THROUGH THE ENEMY LINES,

A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE MODERN-DAY TANK.

Narrator: NEARLY 3,000 YEARS AFTER THEIR INTRODUCTION SADDLES

ARE STILL BEING MADE ALL OVER THE WORLD.

IN WALSALL, ENGLAND, THE SADDLE COMPANY

CONTINUES THE ANCIENT ART OF SADDLE MAKING.

AS A MASTER SADDLER

WITH 48 YEARS EXPERIENCE DAVID JOHNSON'S SADDLES

ARE MADE BY COMBINING TRADITIONAL CRAFTSMANSHIP

WITH MODERN TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS TO IMPROVE

THE PERFORMANCE OF A SADDLE TODAY.

SADDLES ARE MADE FOR BOTH THE HORSE

AND THE RIDER IN TERMS OF COMFORT AND DURABILITY.

LIKE US HORSES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES,

AND EVERY SADDLE NEEDS TO BE TAILORED

TO COMFORTABLY FIT EACH INDIVIDUAL HORSE.

FOR THIS SADDLE THE FRAME, KNOWN AS THE TREE,

IS MADE FROM POLYURETHANE.

THE FLEXIBLE METAL STRIP

CALLED A GULLET PLATE IS ATTACHED TO THE TREE.

THIS PLATE CAN BE ADJUSTED TO CREATE A TAILORED FIT

FOR THE HORSE ONCE THE SADDLE IS FINISHED.

NEXT THEY RIVET A STIRRUP BAR THROUGH THE TREE

WHICH WILL BE USED TO ATTACH THE STIRRUPS TO THE SADDLE.

AN ADHESIVE IS BRUSHED ON TO THE TREE

AND A FOAM PAD IS GLUED INTO POSITION.

ANOTHER THICKER FOAM PAD IS ADDED FOR CUSHIONING.

A KNIFE IS USED TO TRIM THE FOAM,

A TEMPLATE IS THEN USED TO TRACE THE SEAT SHAPE

AND THE FOAM IS ROUGHLY CUT INTO SHAPE.

A TOOL CALLED A RASP GRAZES AWAY EXCESS FOAM

AND GIVES THE SEAT A DEFINED SIZE AND SHAPE.

WHILE THE SADDLE SEAT IS BEING SHAPED,

ANOTHER WORKER STARTS TO CUT OUT THE LEATHER PIECES

THAT WILL MAKE UP THE SADDLE FLAPS AND COVER THE TREE.

FIRST HE INSPECTS THE LEATHER FOR ANY DEFECTS.

HE CAREFULLY TRACES THE DIFFERENT PIECES

THAT MAKE UP THE SADDLE WITH CHALK.

THE LEATHER PIECES ARE THEN FED INTO A SKIVING MACHINE,

THIS MACHINE SHAVES THE EDGES OF THE LEATHER.

THESE EDGES, NOW THINNER, WILL BE EASIER

TO STITCH LATER ON IN THE PROCESS.

A GLUE IS APPLIED TO THE CUT PIECES

TO HOLD THEM TOGETHER BEFORE A MACHINIST

WILL PERMANENTLY STITCH THEM INTO PLACE.

THE TWO PIECES ARE PUSHED TOGETHER

WITH THE AID OF A TOOL MADE FROM WHALE BONE,

THIS MATERIAL IS USED

BECAUSE IT DOES NOT SCRATCH OR SCAR THE LEATHER.

A MACHINIST THEN STITCHES THE PIECES OF LEATHER TOGETHER.

WITH THE LEATHER PIECES PREPARED AND MACHINED

A SADDLE MAKER STARTS TO CONSTRUCT THE SADDLE.

TO BEGIN THE WORKER STUFFS THE PANEL

WITH A MIXTURE OF WOOL AND SYNTHETIC MATERIALS.

TWO PANELS WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE SADDLE.

THE PANELS ARE DESIGNED FOR THE HORSE'S COMFORT

WITH ONE SITTING ON EACH SIDE OF ITS BACK.

NEXT, THE LEATHER SEAT COVER IS ATTACHED TO THE TREE.

THE COVER IS PULLED OVER THE TREE

AND FIXED IN PLACE WITH STAPLES.

AN EXPERIENCED EYE IS ALL-IMPORTANT

AS THE SADDLE MAKER TRIMS

AWAY EXCESS LEATHER AND SHAPES THE COVER INTO POSITION.

WITH THE SEAT FIRMLY IN POSITION ON THE TREE,

THE FLAPS, PANEL, STRAPS, AND VARIOUS FIXINGS AND BUCKLES

ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER AND STAPLED INTO POSITION.

THE PANEL IS THE LAST PIECE TO BE ATTACHED AND AFTER

STAPLING IT TO THE BACK OF THE SADDLE

THE FRONT IS HAND-STITCHED TO THE POMMEL.

THIS IS CALLED LACING IT IN.

THE SADDLE IS NOW COMPLETE

AND READY TO BE SHIPPED NEARLY 12,000 MILES

AWAY TO ITS NEW OWNER IN NEW ZEALAND.

SO, THE SADDLE,

THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF MILITARY DEVELOPMENT

USED FOR MORE PEACEFUL PURSUITS TODAY.

NOW, THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

SO, THERE YOU HAVE IT.

A GLANCE THROUGH THE HIDDEN HISTORY, SUPER SCIENCE,

AND AMAZING PRODUCTS THAT YOU USE EVERY DAY

BUT YOU MAY NOT HAVE REALIZED

THEIR FASCINATING BACKGROUNDS.

THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE,

THE WINGLET, AND THE SADDLE.

THEY MAY SEEM COMMON AND ORDINARY

HOWEVER THESE PRODUCTS HELPED CHANGE THE WORLD

ONE INCREDIBLE INVENTION AT A TIME.