Leatherpownder

12 plait rawhide necklace w/ Shawn Didyoung pendant headed to Australia.

Well done.

Softened rawhide, usually pounded with a wood mallet and rubbed with tallow. Tedious work usually done by an apprentice.

Bosal order I just finished. 16 plait rawhide with Roo trim.

Yep. It's gone.

No I have a real job. Just go at it.

The braid work I am taking to Elko Poetry Gathering.

Show starts Thurs. and runs through Sat., Poetry Gathering. Should be some good gear. I'll be at the High Desert Inn Art Show.

The rein weight depends on the customer and the feel the are after. Right now I am trying to get some inventory for a trade show in Elko during the Poetry Gathering. Thanks all for the kind words.

A set of 12 plait Roo with Rawhide trim.

I use tooling leather around the turn backs then smooth with a 1" belt sander.

This is a set of reins from a different hide that was scraped with ashes.

Finally got Charly to try one. He had been scraping with a knife previous.

Looks good. Looking forward to seeing the finished set.

That is the way I secure the heel knot. Seems to work well. U can use a double ring knot if u want a bigger foundation.

That's just the pic. The reins were actually a chocolate brown color.

If I get an extra minute I will try to do a tutorial. That one is kind of complex because it is an over two under two near the bottom and is filled to an over three under three in the center.

All the cow hides I use are the natural color. I do not bleach any of these hide but do bleach the horse hide I use. Even then the hide is not white. Bleaching cowhide weakens the hide. Traditional rawhide is not bleached.

7/8" - 16 plait latigo bosal order I finished today. Rawhide nose button and heel knot.

What ever works best for U Brad. Many different methods.

Double Ear headstall w/Didyoung silver buckle.

Lime works but a lot of process involved. This way takes less than an hour and doesn't smell as bad, don't need to neutralize, and there is no waste water. Also noticed that the rawhide is not as stiff. Just an alternative method that works.

Hope it helps ya out. If ya have any questions don't be afraid to ask.

The best time to scrape the hide is as soon as it comes off the stretcher while it is smooth. The hide sits for a while a lot of the time they will wrinkle and this makes it harder to scrape. The ashes are used to grab the hair and don't need to sit on the hide to remove the hair that is the stick's job. The process is to place the dried hide on a flat surface rub some dry ashes into the hair and begin to scrape. Screen the ashes to remove any rocks. Just takes some time. This method will not damage the the hide like scraping with a knife or any sharp steel.

Had a question about how I de-hair rawhide. After the hide has been dried on a stretcher I will lay the hide on a flat hard surface and rub screened ashes from my wood stove into the hair. I then take a hard wood stick (i.e. shovel/broom handle) and trim the end with a saw so it has a sharp edge. This is repeated as the stick dulls. Then just begin scraping against the grain of the hair until all the hair is removed. just takes a little elbow grease but makes excellent rawhide. This technique was shown to me by Pablo Lozano and Armando Deferrari from Argentina. These reins are from this hide.