Don101

I an ambidextrous with a lot of things, when i gun spin i can use both hands no problems and both at the same time, ive boxed a bit in my younger days and found i could switch my lead hand with no problems, and do things some times without even thinking about it using my left hand, my parents were both left handed but when holdind a knife or hammer i use my right hand

ah good i thought it maybe you as i thought i recognised your work on the bridal, glad to be here and missing Montreal. Don

Hi Steel Dragon

Hi I spent most of 2005 & 06 in Montreal, i met a young woman that did realy good hand stitching on a bridal that was learning leatherwork, I met her at finigans flee market in Hudson not one of you young ladys by chance?

nice i like that idea looks very nice and unique

WOW there is some really nice stuff there and congrats ClayB on the 2 first prizes and one second place. Don

nice stuff i really like the mouse pad, ive thought about doing one but wasnt sure how it would look after a few weeks usage or have you coverd it to stop it scratching up as that would be a shame

Hi steve what is jackware ive never heard of that term before?

As bruce has covered it basically i did it a good few years a go and didnt really have the right tools i was using a tandy edger which doesnt really make the edges round now i use the round edger from Osborne nr 1 which works alot better and saves half of the work, i also have a variety of round dowels with different size notches in them, just put the dowel in the drill and use a round file and cut to depth and size you need. Don

if any one needs pictures of paterns of a certain type of holster let me know and if i have it ill be glad to help out i have about 60 or so, so i might have the one you are looking for. Don

This is a reproduction holster that was made originally by the M.E.French Saddlery in Montrose in Colorado around 1900-1910, pictured in the book packing iron page 129

I don’t know if anyone has seen or done this before but I haven’t found it any where in the forum so I thought I would post it as it is a simple thing to do and looks unique as you cant buy them in the stores and also makes a nice presents and so on, the stitching at the base is only done on the top layer for deco as you insert the picture from the bottom.

Thank you ill probbably will need help when i start that prodject

another simple shoe is a shoepack, they are called shoepacks because you can pack a lining inside the shoe, felt or wool cloth any thing you have handy, they were very commen with longhunters which probably coppied the idea from center seamed moccasins and adapted them to their needs. if you are going to make them with lining then make the lining first as to the drawing and put on the lining and draw around your foot on a piece of paper or card to get a pattern not to close as the shoe will be to tight, once you have the foot patern you will need to measure from the front center to the back center of the outer part of your foot patern with a piece of string going around the foot giving you the width of the leather you will need for the side parts two for each foot the hight you can varry depending on how high you want to go over the ankels, the side parts need to be a fairly supple leather and the soul part beeing quite thick, so you have all the parts cut out you then glue either the left or right side of the side pannels to the soul part, make sure you are front and rear central otherweise you will have crooked seams and the shoue will be uncomfortable. once glued and dried you can start to stitch around the soul but leave adout 3mm off leather overlap for the seams at the front and back, repeat the same for the other side. once the shoe is fully stiched around the soul you can stitch up the back seam. now the tricky part step into the shoe and fold the top pert down working out the over lap of the ankels and pinch down the center of your foot to your toes marking the leather each side so you know where to stich the front center seam, statch stiching the center seam from toes to the ankel checking as you get about half way that its not to tight when you try and step into the shoe otherweise you will rip the leather or the stitching will break, so you hare reached the point where all the stitching is compleeted you just cut above the stitching along the front center seam and then cut away from the shoe at an angle to remove acsesive leather (check the pic im not verry good at describing this part) the shoe is finished.

this stuff is amazing and clay your picture carving has made my mind go crazy how the hell do you get it so realistique ... truly a master

David your making me blush, thanks glad you liked it ive been admiring your chopper saddles a friend at work has a honda dragstar and he wants me to make a custome seat im going to be like a fish out of water because its new teritory for me and looking at your stuff i hope i can get it half as good as yours, you make some fine saddles so ill probably be geting back to you with about a hundred questions if you dont mind.Don

Hi Regis i took me a bit of time and practice to find out that i cut smoother controlled cut from right to left rather than left to right because of my wrist movement so what i do is cut a finished stroke and when i feel that its geting uncomfotable for me i turn the piece so my hand feels comfortable again it workes for me and try to keep the blade straight, i also feel more in controlle when im standing over the prodject rather sitting in front off it as movement can be restricted some times, i hope my coment help you out a bit as they work for me just find your style where you are most comfortable with .Don

This is a set of saddle pockets which were copied from an original set of F.A.Meanea pockets and just generally antiqued up a bit on the buckles and rivits

This one is styled on the early slim jim, it was a special order for a pocket revolver and the customer wanted it in the style of Main and Wincheter Saddlery so i had to make the border tool myself from a large bolt i spent more time grinding and filing that stamp than i needed to make the holster LOL

this is a typical texas style holster based on the H. Keller saddlery 1880s verry simple desighn and not to fancy, again 3.5mm leather fibings dye and hand stiching

this one everyone knows from the cover off Packing Iron (great book if you dont have it get it) again hand carved hand stiched also dyed with fibings and antiqued, and left handed originally made by the saddlery F.A.Meanea

OK David here is some more stuff i have done over the years some not so good ill explain a little about the work and the piece aswell this is a coppy of an original holster that i owned in my collection, it was made around the turn of the century and embossed stamped although this type were also carved by hand and probabbly sold by some lage store costing only a couple of dollars, i dont have the embossed stamp so i decided to carve the holster, the leather is about 3.5 mm thick and hand stitched with a yellow hanf thread (they didnt have nylon back then) it is dyed with fibings saddle tan and lightly oiled

thanks for the kind words and yes Dan it is hand stitching

ill try again LOL Hi steve glad to meet you i know exactly where you are comming from i have also made shoepacks and primative stuff for reenacting for 1776 longhunter, its a verry interesting hobby you do ive read a few books and have a few friends that do that period but ive never got around to it yet cheers Don

Hi steve glad to meet you i know exactly where you are comming from i have also made shoepacks and primative stuff for reenacting for 1776 longhunter, its a verry interesting hobby you do ive read a few books and have a few friends that do that period but ive never got around to it yet cheers Don