karl

Hi fellows, Here are a couple of billfolds I made, 1 is of General Custer and Sitting bull in front of the Little Big Horn battlefield and the other is a deer and pine cones. Karl

Hi everyone, here are a couple of pictures I did of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday. I have a few more I will post later.. Karl

Hi fellas, I Made a little half size saddle in August before I took the saddle class starting in September and the pictures of it were lost when the net crashed.. so here are a couple of photos of it to add back to the net. Karl

Hi fellas, I bought some of those kan kooler kits that Tandy Leather makes and as they are,they are a piece of junk, but I found an improvement to make them work. The instructions state to take some transparent tape and tape the foam together when you put in the plastic top ring and bottom into the slots they go in. It says to trim a small amount off the ends so they dont over lap after tooling. The delima: when you put the can in it the top ring is so tight, the can pushes it (or pulls) it out of the slot because of to tight a fit and also pushes the foam out of the laced up leather. After experimenting and to keep it "CHEAP" which it is, punch a small awl or ice pick through the bottom of the plastic bottom to get rid of the vacuum it creates, and besides the tape, put 3 or 4 wide rubber bands around the insulating foam above bottom slot channel and below the slot for the top ring and 1 or 2 around the middle. This keeps the foam round and also keeps the foam from slidiing out when the can is pushed in. You also have to trim the inside of the top ring a little at a time so the can slips through it easily. Be careful not to cut it in to because this helps keep the foam round at the top. This is as little tip that might make a silk purse out of a sows ear so to speak, cause as it comes from Tandy Leather, it's a piece of C##P ! Good luck, Karl

Hi fellas, Here is an additional photo of my saddle with the conchos anbd strings added. Karl

Thanks Ben & Horse, I have to put all the little frills on it, the conchos and saddle strings and the cinch and billet straps and find a nice little swayback horse to try it out on so I don't have so far to fall when he throws me for putting this heavy thing on him. Karl

Hi Fellas, Here are a couple of photos of the saddle I am working on and finished with all except the final touches, which I'll send when finished. Karl

Thanks Cecil, I saw some of your pictures and belts and buckles and you're doing great. Keep up the work, You keep improving as you go on and I hope that works the same for me also, Keep up the good work and if you have any questions, feel free to ask, I will be glad to help or someone else on here is always glad to help. Karl

Wolvenstien. I bought the little saddle tree from Ralide and they have a $50 minimum order and it's cost was about $40 by itself and probably 1/4 side of 7/8 ounce leather so it didn't cost that much but I am pleased with how it turned out. Now if I can learn anything from the saddle class I am starting this weekend, of course I guess everyone has visions of a masterpiece when its finished. Karl

Hi fellas, this is a little half saddle that Tandy had a pattern for about 10 years ago or so and I forgot I had it. and found it a couple of months ago and decided to give it a try, and here's the results. I also signed up for a saddle making class that's starting this weekend, 3 hours from 2 till 5 for 12 weeks and I couldn't pass it up. Karl

Darc, That's a beautiful saddle. I just finished a little half size saddle and am kinda proud of the way it turned out and my first try at it. I just signed up to start taking a saddle making class starting next week. It will be on Sundays from 2 to 5pm every week for 12 weeks and should be a great experience. I hope mine turns out half as beautiful as yours. Karl

Thanks Dunc, This is my first attempt at making a saddle and I have visions before its totally finished of making a lamp stand with a western lampshade hanging over it. thanks for the compliments, Karl

Hey Clay, If she keeps up, she'll be out doing the ole' master, heh, heh heh. Karl

Hi fellow leathercrafters, I just finished my first saddle and thought I would post a couple of pictures or it. It's a half saddle that I bought from Tandy Leather about 10 years ago and "put the pattern where I would not forget" and I found it a couple of months ago and decided to attempt it. So here it is. Karl

Don, and everyone else, Sorry I haven't answered any of the replys on my post of the fish billfold, but I have been working and haven't had time to do much leather work lately, plus, about 6 months ago when I was off on sickleave from work, the Dr. also found out that I have Rhuematoid Arthritis and sometimes its a little sore to move the ole' fingers, but I'll keep in pluggin. Here is the fish billfold I was working on and I finished dyeing it and I think it's ready to assemble. I hope the colors come out on it o.k. cause the first time I scanned it it showed a lot of yellow that wasn't there, so here it is. Karl

Hi everyone. Here are a couple of billfolds I am doing. The first one Is finished and I am having a brain cramp trying to figure out how to dye the unfinished fish billfold. Do I use acryllics and antique over it or go natural or what? I'm open for Ideas. Karl

Tlowry. I forgot to mention that Ralide has a $50.00 minimum order purchase, thats why I bought an additional pony saddle tree and stirrups. Karl

tlowry, There is a place you can buy saddle trees for youth saddles, and the company's name is Ralide. I bought a miniature saddle tree and a youth saddle tree and I am attempting to make my first saddle also. It's a mini saddle tree and is 11inches in total length and the seat measurement is 7 1/2 inches and thats the one I am starting on. Karl

Hi fellows & gals, here is an 11 X 16 picture I made for an Indian friend of mine who saw it before it was finished with and I sold it to him. It depicts a picture of Chief Sitting bull in front of an Indian camp or village in the back ground and he also wanted the name of the town where the Indian School was in Marty South Dakota and took it to a yearly tribal meeting and gave it to a friend who is a Lt. Colonel in the armed services, I don't remember what branch, but He took it back with him to hang on the wall of his office. I thought that was kind of cool. Karl

Hi fellow leathercrafters, here is a picture of a miniature saddle I did here a while back and 3 mini cowboy hats fashioned after the big one I made to wear and a quarter to show their size Karl

Hi again fellow leather crafters. Here is a full picture of the gunbelt and holster I made. It depicts a picture of Wild Bill hickok and Rock Creek Station where he shot a couple of fellows, and the pony express and an Indian chasing a couple of buffalo and a picture of Buffalo Bill and on the holster a Picture of a cowboy squatted down. I entered it in the fair last year and got 1st place with it. Karl

Hi again fellow leathercrafters, Here are 3 projects I have done. The first one is a picture of Sitting Bull and the second is a photo of a rifle scabbard with the Winchester logo on it and the 3 project is a checkbook I have finished and ready to sew together. Karl

Hi fellow leathercrafters, here are a couple of pictures I've done and intend to make a picture frame to put these two and some more I am doing of Custers Last Fight. These are of General George Custer and His Brother Tom who was also with him. I also intend to have Sitting Bull, Chief Rain in the face and some more surronding the picture I have. Karl

Hi fellow leathercrafters, I hope these pictures come through. The one is a left handed crossdraw holster that I made for a fellow and it is made out of 8-9oz leather, Unfortunately he didn't want any pattern and wanted it a dark color for when he was hunting in the mountains. The second holster is one I made for my 40 caliber automatic which I also built from scratch and kind of happy with the way they both turned out. The third is a kit holster I made and gunbelt for myself and also entered it in the County fair and got a blue ribbon for it. Karl

Thanks Dan, I have a bunch of leathercraft to do for some people, but when I get the time, I got a picture of Custers Last Fight that Anheuser Bush put out from the original by Casilly (spelling?) Adams and have tooled out pictures of George Custer, Sittint Bull, Chief Rain in the Face, Thomas Custer (brother to George) and Chief Gall, so far and am trying to figure out in my mind just what kind of a frame I can have made or make out of leather to put the picture in and show some of the main participants tooled out in leather. I'm even open to Ideas if someone has any that knows from my description what I'm trying to do. Karl