Romey

this brings up somthing in my mind that i know has been talked about a bit and thatd drilling holes for strings, now i said before and will again, im not saddlemaker and my job is the top side of the leather . But i had a wonder on drilled trees, not so much about the stregnth altho i do belive now that that can be a weak point but my thought was about moisture getting inside, Isnt part of the reason to laqure trees as a barrier and if so, drilling holes defeats that purpose? Granted good padding will prevent this but what about when its not on a horse, being rained on be it on a horse or in back of a truck. Is it not possible for it to rot?

'Aluminum Oxide' is generally a wood intended grit unless at the very coursest grits and 'Silicon Carbide is intended for harder things such as metals ect. I get mine from autobody repair place as body men use wet/dry sometimes on up to 2500 grit, plenty for most people, actually 600 grit is plenty for most as it leaves a more toothy edge which is what i prefer for leather, cardboard or other fiberous materials. I wrote the articles with the mindset of giving the reasoning and not a exact how to so folks could figure out what works best for THEM,but I have had alot of ppl email and needing more detail apparently so thats why the third has taken so long.I forgot, Norton is very good, I prefer 3m but either brand of wet/dry will do exactly what you want it to do.

If you plan on doing any carving or stamping on it you can use like a 3 to 6oz veg tan and back it with pig skin or garment leather. There is lots of things you can do. As RDB said and i am one, NOOOOO hardware on any guitars i have. I love the look for instance of a etched ranger buckle or somthing but for me the look of scratches on a 1000 to 3000$ guitar is worse then then the cool factor some hardware adds

when i make a strop for knife sharpening i like thin leather, some are canvas and some card construction paper, yes it will load with polishing compound. ALWAYS back your strops unless your using a hollow grind. I have seen leather or sandpaper glued ith spray adhesive to marble ect, I use oak or harder wood as well as micarta 1x1 or 2x2 blocks about 12 inches long so i can vise them up as needed. I dont use thick leather at all, that is when you will round over your edge, which is FINE for a head knife or something with a convex edge, not so much for secondary flat grinds. Harder the leather the better , on strop i use i impregnated the leather wish CA glue, (very thing super glue) it makes it essentailly stable, dense and hard yet will still take a charge. On top of this each blick, having 4 sides i will have a strop on each side, One side for green compound (600 grit) the next for white, the next for a polishing rough called pink no scratch, its about 3000 or so grit. and another side for Simichrome or a polishing paste of some sort. So as i want to go up in grits i just have to turn the block over. Some strop blocks have different types of leather and compounds for different applications. Generally very thin vegtan on to chrometan depending on grit and hardness i need. As i have been getting various posts and private messages and emails abou the 3rd or my sharpening articles I have it written and am begginning the picture taking process, it maybe published in a major knife publication i am having to make the photos of a higher quality for print so ts taking more time but ill have a web version out in a few weeks of which ill post here first ofcourse.

This is a interesting subject to me as its somthing i have often wondered about. I have seen and been involved with some wrecks that went from mild to pretty serious, I have seen horses roll lateraly end over end, a couple times with me in the seat and various things like that, I have yet broken a tree or seen anyone in person break one, but have seen a few old saddles with broken trees and recently some new custom saddles that were made very well. I have roped critters and seen some roped that makes me wonder why the horn dont pop right off though I lend that to roping skill and horsemanship partially as to why it dont. So in light of all that I have sometimes wondered if the wood, perhaps having a hidden flaw in the grain or perhaps certian pressure along a certain grain of the wood could cause that to break where the next one didnt. It SEEMS to me to be soemthing along the freakish line to break a tree from use , even hard use, Alot of cowboyin has been done in the past and alot of wrecks on saddles like Circle Y, old Herefords and the likes that took the same pounding other even custom saddles didnt make it through. Like I say given the quality differance in craftmanship those cheaper saddles compared to new ones I have wondered if its really a question of use, craftmanship or simply somthing unavoidable like wood having a microfracture or somthing just because its wood and cant be seen on the inside. Not sure if im being clear here or simply way off base but just thoughts i have had about the subject.

Great lookin sheaths there

Neat looking gaget Mr. Johnson, thanks for the info

That is a heck of a tip one that i had never heard but as i read it it seemed to make sense, TY, Sounds like you had a great time in Denver!

Tsuki-maki is a skill to do well. Traditionally silk is used, but there are tricks one can do. Doing a parawrap by pulling the core out of paracord is one way, also certian shoe stings can be used, both would then be "potted" with CA glue or somthing simuliar, sometimes epoxy altho it will leave a white coat and can be very unattractive. Here are some other links to help. Some more "tactical" then traditional. More of a parawrap then Tsukimaki.. http://www.throwzini.com/cord_wrapping.html http://www.blacksmithing.org/nihonto/ http://www.n-p-s.net/tukamaki1.htm There are many variations you can to with a para wrap, 1 to 6 string wraps, twist back wraps,dbl twist backs many many ways. Google TSUKI MAKI and youll find alot If you do traditional wrap youll find its NOT any easier then braiding, I know Nihonto smiths that wont even do thier own wrap. There are people who do nothing but this and for good reason. Anyway enjoy, ask if you need any more help

Nice lookin stuff

Cool lookin work

Outstanding sheaths Mr. Long!!! I greatly admire the rolled lined edge you do.

That is a EXCELLENT strap!

I have to chuckle cause i have a good friend names jerry that used to be a male stripper back in our youth. I was glad you posted the link , was afraid he was selling himself now. Now that its straightened out , carry on.

I once seen a Ray Hunt clinic and have seen others like it where the people were instructed to grab the horn with one hand and cheyenne roll with the other untill thier horse stopped pitching. At the time I was a fairly young 19 or 20ish year old rough stock rider fresh from filling my permit and working for a trainer where we often took in remidal horses in. I was in shock to see anyone grab leaher in that manner and completely gie over all form of control untill years later and seeing as well as being involved with many more clinics that the reason for that was about the safest way a person can show a group of strangers a one doesnt know thier abilities on how to stay abourd. Now to my eyes not one horse at that clinic that did do much more then fart was in anyway pitching but now i understand the reasoning, the trouble was and still is that I garentee, alot of those people came away thinking thats how it should be dont because Ray said so, i say this because i did ask someone who was there if they still did and they did. My reply was, "what you gunna do if you have a calf dallied on, its cow with her head inder your horse, your horse pitching a fit and your dogs having a high time of it all?" Losing that whatever control you have left over the situation is about the worst thing one can do for all involved. Obviously best not to get in those wrecks but it happens and anyone it hasnt happened to hasnt cowboyed enough. It just happens. I rode rough stock for a LOOOONG time and my best rides (or worst depending on your outlook) I ever had there wasnt a judge, pretty girl or ambulance in miles to my dismay. I once watched a pretty lil english rider gal ride a hell of a pitchin horse without hardly so much as pullin rein much less saddle( I had been watching her close before hand so seen the action ) Now I have been in a roping saddle before on some lil sneaks severaltimes that caught me paying attention to cows then them and have grabbed some coils to get my seat but from exsperiance I know to let go, was pitched and drug by the arm from a coiled catch rope across a track once and the rope scar on my arm is a super reminder why once ya get your seat to let go , trust your balance ,riding ability and horsesense enough to calm the storm. A nightlatch as said is a interesting peice of history but though I cant directly quote the man i do recall Will James mentioning them in a book saying somthing to the effect of "No cowhand worth his salt would be caught dead with one" or somthign like that. By all accounts it would be hard to find a better bronc hand then that fella but then again look at the saddles they used, I have rode in some of them and ya about have to want to be dumped to have it happen. Horses today are bigger, more athletic, maybe not meaner but definilty on a average harder buckers when they do then about any period in time, unfortunitly riders seem to be going the opposite way. All this is just my opinion ofcourse and not ment or directed at anyone in this post, just coffee talk, but i know how to get bucked off and on a real pitchin horse not just crow hoppin and farting, grabbin anything other then you wits will allow ya to test your soil content goin FORWARD, read head first. Friend of mine have a picture of me doing just that, head first,saddle betwix my thighs about to taste mud and horse goin the other way, if i find my copy ill scan it and post. Youll get a chuckle, though i did crack 2 vertebrea in my neck.. Musta been a tandy billet, JOSHIN YA!

They are a great way to get yourself jerked forward and off head first AND head/neck first hitting the ground and well as people that do get pitched often dont let go right away so your body becomes a whip. Ride your horse not your saddle

I have seen that before, AMAZINING carving, stictching,not so much

Good tips, thanks Bruce, merry christmas all

Thats pretty

Not long ago I posted the make and a picture of what your talking about. A custom saddle making friend turnd me on to it, youll not need sand paper again. Quick search should turn it up.

Chuck Burrows sheath and holster videos are completely top notch

I ment THANK GOD

The true key I found is the correct bulbs and the placement of them. many set ups and diffusers will work fine but the bulbs make all the differance (or natural daylight)

Everytime i think about a cow i think ... Sigh.....mortgage

Needing to fix my own tack got me to making it