GrampaJoel

I love the seat! Very nice job on you're first seat. It may be the way it is photographed, but I dont recognize the edge lacing style. Please share. Thanks Joel.

My layout table , work bench and stone are all at 38" in height. I am 6'1" bare feet. I like to stand, but often I sit on a stool when I start getting tired. One sewing machine is at the the standing height, and one at a sitting height as is my desk. I use a height adjustable swivel chair for the sitting work. I have a hard time just sitting in one spot for very long, so I like to be able to move around as I work. Hope this helps Joel

McJeep If you lived closer I would give you the layout table. I am building a new one that will give me some more room. This table I got from a friend that traded me some work on his cowboy boots for it. It has been in about four shops as far as I can figure out, and it has seen better days. But it has been a good friend since I got it. As far as the shop goes, it is just my old car garage and I have cleaned it up quite a bit. Now it is Grampa's Leather Studio! I understand the not having enough room thing. I didn't always have this nice of a place to work. Joel

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new skiver I got a new Cobra NP-4 a few days ago. Here is why I love it. See the photos. There is no way in ( well you know) that I could have done skiving with my knife to get such a even skive on chrome tan leather. Look at it. Over 50" on two opposing sides!! If you have ever needed a skiver look good at these photos. Joel Edwards

Go here---> leather sewing machines See the man in the picture. That's Cobra Steve. He is a great guy. Sort of a rock star in the leather sewing world. Give him a call and see what he can do for you. I have three of his machines and am glad I do. A class 4, Class 17, and a NP-4 skiving machine. Just say Joel Edwards sent me.

Maybe this video might help. It's not leather, but it might help you understand the stitch.

Bruce - Thanks for the Bob Brenner heads-up... You always have the inside tips. I'll look the book up. Cyberthrasher - I agree an adjustable estimate range is the way to go. Good advice. Thanks all Joel Up date. The customer received the halters today and loved them. They said they had already lined up other customers that have interest in having me build for them.. Bruce - I found that the Bob Brenner book is available through PROLEPTIC also. Thanks again everyone.

They look pretty nice, for any number, but they look Very nice for a first pair. Putting them in the show sure is jumping in with both feet . Best of luck to you. Joel

Wise words of wisdom. Thank you Rosemary. I agree completely. Well for me I don't have to make a lot of money with my leather products, as I am retired, and doing ok. All things being equal though, I do prefer to break even with my leather work costs and making a few dollars extra is very nice also. But I am striving more for the art aspect of the leather work and not so much the dollar / production factor. Don't get me wrong, I do prefer to make money. Plus I don't have an unlimited bank account. The art and skills are what I am truly after. I love seeing something that is a one off come out of my shop. hence my surprise when I discovered just how much I had underestimated the cost of these halters. Oh well, Live and learn. It's a nice day here in SOCAL. I spent yesterday at a local horse event and my world is right again. Joel

Hey everyone! Sylvia & Chancey77 thanks for the insight. Good thoughts I'll log into the memory bank. Bob I guess I got greedy thinking I could enter a new field and sell more stuff. I like the design and creation stage of leather working, and a fine finished product puts a glow in my heart. I bet a lot of leather work is done that way. I have just not been that interested in doing the paper work. My weakness. I never really stopped to add up my total cost on anything I just gave a rounded guesstimate of what it would cost me, or looked at what someone else was charging and moved on from there. I didn't want to seem to high priced. But from now on the paperwork will be in the upper most part of the design stages. That's for sure. From this point out I will just say let me figure it up and I'll give you a price, or else I will just create what I want and see if anyone has a need for it at my totally figured and re-figured out prices. Joel

This customer is a prominent figure in the Llama show ring around the west coast. I am hoping for business to be directed into my shop due to my customer being in the show ring and winning ( which they constantly do) while wearing my product. So I guess if I take this view it makes the cost to build loss an advertising investment instead, Good things to you all! Joel

Well I see 96 views and only three replies. So, either I am in a pretty big group, or else we three are the only ones to pay others to take our stuff. I will be honoring my original quote, and I will just kiss good bye $75.00 in my cost plus the labor cost and be a happy guy. But I will not make any more for the same price. Lessons learned the hard way stick pretty good around me. I just can't believe I missed my quote by that much. On the good side is that I now have an actual price per piece of hardware and leather figured out for the future. I also won't be making any off hand price quotes for my special leather creations, in the future either. Think happy thoughts. Joel

Hi all. I thought I had a pretty good handle on my cost to sales price ratio, but damn, I learned another lesson today. I was commissioned to make a few show halters for Llamas with matching lead lines. The top grain Moc leather was ordered from Goligers, Watts brand buckles ordered and the other hardware was purchased locally. Now finished, and going out to the customer on Monday. I actually sat down today and figured to the rivet, glue, thread usage, the cost of producing these special halters. I quoted a price of $35.00 per halter and lead line, and was sure with that price that I could make a few bucks and sell something at a reasonable price to friends. OMG!! my actual cost not including electricity, wear on my tools and labor, I have double checked, and calculate to be $60.65 for each halter. I guess I better be more careful in the future. How about you guys? Do you ever figure it out totally what your cost is to create your products? Joel

Whoa, hush the crowd! A master has entered the arena. Joel

From what I can see in the photo. ( it wont get bigger) is that the reins are made from rawhide. Which most romel reins are where I live. The piece you are looking to match is made from Veg-tan leather. The Veg-tan leather will darken in the sunlight . Just like a human will tan in the sun. I believe that the rawhide most likely wont take a color. It usually gets darker from use, ( oil dirt etc...) but it was probably never the same color as the flapper on the end of the reins, and most likely never will be. Sorry Joel

Stunning!! You Sir may go to the head of the class! Joel

I'd say hand stitched . There are many ways to sew by hand besides the saddle stitch. So saying ' hand stitched ' would cover them all. I don't know of any machine that can sew a saddle stitch. Joel

I like them. Very macho looking! Are the shafts large enough to get pants into? I see you have a spur shelf also. I wear spurs when I ride, and I hate it when I find a boot that I like but it doesn't have a spur shelf. Very nice job. Joel

After seeing a close up of the scabbard I am even more impressed. So how thick is the leather, and how the heck did you get it to stay straight after all that filigree? I take it there is no sharp edge on the sword. Joel

It looks pretty nice from what I can see, but it is a very intense pattern to view with everything else in the photo. How about a picture of just the scabbard with the sword out? Joel

You said it fits well and is for personal use. If you're happy with it there is nothing to critique. You did mighty fine! I like it. It's a lot better than my first one. If you were to make some more ,,, say for other people,,,, than I would suggest that you adjust the holster fit a little. It seems a little to high on the fold, and it should ride lower in the holster loop. Joel

I get my actual material cost up front, and the balance upon completion. If something happens and I don't get the order done for some reason I offer a refund of the already paid deposit. If the order gets canceled I finish the project and sell it for what I would have made for what the original price was. If the project is personalized I have a higher up front material cost. Keeps things simple for me. Joel

You can't beat advice from Bob. I agree with what he says. I might add. I do a lot of saddle repairs. Every saddle I do has something different than the last one in regards as to how it is made. Even the factory made ones! Might I suggest you start with repairing small repairs on saddles that you can handle with confidence, and as you do, take a good look and some photographs to create a library of your own on the differences you see in each saddle you get your hands on. This would give you great hands on experience, and also a feel and confidence to move on to larger repairs. I offer a spring cleaning and oil and safety inspection for the riders in my area. I make some money cleaning what they didn't have time to clean. I also take a good look at the saddles and offer my advice of any repairs that might need to be made to keep it safe. Did I mention they pay me money to do this? I use any money I get from my leather work to invest in more leather ,or tool, or educational materials. It seems that sometime I don't have enough money, but every now and again I do. Than I buy what I want for my leather shop guilt free. I an in southern California and we ride almost all year out here, so I see a lot of saddles. I think you are in Maine so I don't know how many saddles you get to see. Doing saddle repairs has been a challenging and wonderful experience for me. I start a repair and always find something I wasn't expecting to find. It up's my education every time...... ....plus some one pays me money to do it.. Joel

Dennis While I don't feel that any video will give you the experience of building a saddle I will say. I have the Watt saddle building DVDs, and another one also. The other one came with patterns. The Watt DVDs don't. The value to me is that Watt walks you through building his type of saddle, Just as the other Gentleman does, but,,,, the PLUS in my mind is that more than anything, Watt shows how to make a pattern for each piece as he goes. I would rather know how to make a pattern, than be dependent upon someone else's patterns. So I give a big Vote to the Watt DVDs. I haven't seen the Harwood DVDs but I have seen him on You Tube. Joel