yaklady

I used to think the same thing as Luke and Kate, but Dale has convinced me that you can indeed apply acrylic paint over stain or dye. Staining around the lady bug will cause a lot of splotches. It's impossible to stain around a subject and get it even, except maybe with black. I've been painting over stain and even oil dye with no adverse effects. I have done tank panels, handlebar bags and belts this way, and so far, so good. If you put a lacquer finish on before acrylic paint, yes, you will have problems, so avoid that. Acrylic Resolene is a good finish as it protects the paints real well, but it's best if it's sprayed on. I can't get it even otherwise. When you apply the stain, be sure to flood the leather quickly with a large applicator, or it will splotch. Sheep's wool trimmed to a quarter inch works great. The larger the leather peice, the larger the sheep. Pour your dye into a bowl so you can get a lot on the sheep. I hope this helps! Kathy

That's really nice! I've never seen pull snaps like that. Where did you get them? Kathy

Delta Ceramcoat works very well, too. It's cheap and you can get it at almost any craft store, including Walmart. If it's too thick, just thin it with water. Kathy

No, Pete does not have a website. He did not know about this site till last Saturday when I told him about it. He's all excited, and will be a member as soon as he figures out a name for himself, as "Pete" is already taken. I'm willing to bet he will be a great asset to the members of leatherworker.net. Yes, Pete is a true gentleman, and has no reason not to trust anyone. He has a lot of knowledge stored up, and is anxious to let it all out. The day I met him in Sheridan, a few years ago, he started showing Beth Berry and me his secrets to his saddle making. He does things I never ever thought about. I would love to take one of his courses at his house. Pete combines horsemanship and saddle making. Sounds like so much fun! I hope all of you like his book as much as I do! Kathy

If I was CSI, I could tell who you are by the reflection in the buckle! Kathy

Yesterday in the mail, I received a complimentary book from my friend Pete Gorrell. He has been working on this book for some time, and now has the first printing out. What a fantastic book! Anyone, artistic or not, who wants to draw their own patterns, should have this book. This book presents "pattern drawing from a non-artistic point of view". It can't get any simpler than this! The book has photos, lots of drawings for ease of understanding, and there are 8 pages of sample flowers, leaves, etc. that you can apply to your patterns. I took a class about this from Pete in Wickenberg last March and learned many new tricks to pattern drawing. Pete is a great teacher. If you care to have one of these books on my recommendation, the price is $18.95 plus $3.00 shipping and handling. If you live in Colorado, add sales tax of $0.74. Order direct from Pete Gorrell, 3000 CR 570, Gardner, CO 81040 Phone, 719-746-2311. Pete is the newest Al Stolhman Award winner, he won the award last May. He also holds the honor of Academy of Western Artists Saddle Maker of the Year 2000. As Pete says, Happy Carving! Kathy

I think about my yak every time I look at his hide in the living room or his skull sitting in the snow, and when I'm cooking up a delicious steak for dinner. I think to myself, "I'm so glad you're not still in my pasture, you rotten bull!" I almost wish I had gotten his hide in veggie-tan so I could beat on him! Aren't I heartless?? :deadhorse:(pretend that's a mean yak bull)

You know what's really fun, John? Find some fancy lettering on your computer and print it out. Trace that onto your leather and carve it. You can get pretty creative with some of the fonts, and it will print out to the size you want. Don't bother putting it onto tracing film first, that takes away from some of the accuracy, just trace it right from your printout. Kathy

Dale, it looks like the tree tools work quite well. I have had no trouble with those types of tools from Tandy's, but I hate their matters and I'm not too thrilled with the spoons. So the new spoons are better? Tony Laier showed me those last winter, but I didn't get to play with them. So you want a yak picture? ClayB wants to have a yak carving contest. Care to join us? I'll get a picture out! Kathy

Dale, I agree with Johanna, you can use ANYTHING and come out with good results! I was trying to help out a new person with some of Tandy's new tools, right off the shelf, and was not impressed. I guess I'm spoiled with all the tools I got 100 years ago. Are the matters really better than they were? Can you carve a yak with Tandy's tools? Kathy

Hi John, Lettering can be difficult, too. Sometimes it's better not to cut the short lines on the letters, but to simply bevel them, like Ken does with the teeth. A smaller beveller may be in order as well. A pointed beveller helps with the detail on the lettering and between the teeth. When you round everything out with the modeling spoon at the end, wet the surface just enough to make it more pliable and be more aggressive with the spoon. The best spoon I've ever used is Peter Main's. It will smooth out anything! Kathy

In the shop where I work, we make New Zealand elk sleeveless shirts with 2 front pockets and lace them with kangaroo. I do believe the selling price on them is $1100. The lacing is double-loop around the edges, and a braid on the inner seams. Of course, the shop has a lot of overhead that you may not have to worry about. Kathy

Beautiful work! Is that a Briar size horse? I used to make bridles for them when my daughter was small and into Briar horses, but I just used leather. Never braided horse hair, don't know how! Horse hair and leather go hand-in-hand. We welcome you and your input! If I can kill yaks on here, you can braid horse hair. Want some yak hair? Kathy

I picked up a craftaid in Sheridan a few years ago of a horse and maple leaves, an unpublished Al Stohlman design. It's a beautiful thing, if you turn the front panel over! The horse on it is upside down, just like yours, Mike! Kathy

Hi Russ, Your stitching doesn't look too bad, but I have suggestions for improvement. When you cut the groove for the stitch line, go over it twice with your groover. With heavy leather it looks neater and protects your thread more. Then get some 7-cord linen thread. I get mine from Beiler's Manufacturing and Supply, 3025 Irishtown Road, Ronks, PA 17572. Phone, 717-768-0174. No website that I'm aware of. Rub down the thread with bees wax before use to keep it from fraying. Your stitching will look great! Kathy

This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home. This little piggy had roast yak, this little piggy had none. This little piggy learned your real age and went Hee Hee Hee all the way home!! I bet you wish you were 29! Hope you had a wonderful birthday, and enjoy Turkey day while you're at it. We're having yak and turkey, how about you? Your snowed-in friend, Kathy

What did Vera make? It must have been beautiful to win in that stiff competition!

Joe, you'd be surprised what you can fit in when you really want to! I wonder if Pat has noticed that we don't have his suitcase any longer.

I must admit, Dale, that little bitty piece did attract a lot of attention! But how can you compete with a beautiful hide from a rotten bull yak?

The only problem with the whole show is I DIDN'T FIND JOHANNA!!!!! With all those pictures you took, Jo, I should have found you somewhere, you were everywhere that I was! You did take some nice pictures of our guild display table, Columbine Leather Guild. You just didn't get one with the Taveling Trophey that we won. I'm sure we won it because of my yak hide. :biggrin: Peter Main won the world competition with that beautiful angel. Roz Kahon took third with her cute wizzard scene, but I don't know who took second. I don't even know who took Best of Show in the guild competition. I wish they would let us see the winners during the day so we know what won. Freak, I hope you enjoy all those leather pictures you heisted when you were pretending to help me load the car. Clay wonders why I haven't mailed them back to him yet. He thinks I'm working too hard! Happy yak pounding! Kathy

I also have two of Bob's blades, and they fit fine in my Pro-Line handle that I got at Tandy's years ago. So does Chuck Smith's blade, and the Henley blade I got from Peter Main at the IFoLG show. You won't have a problem with your Tandy knife! Kathy A swivel knife is of no help when you are being charged by a mad yak.

That's really cool, Freak! Now I will know it's you when I see you. I don't want to wear my yak hide around the show, So I'll have to come up with something for my badge. Or maybe I could wear the skull on my head . . . Kathy What happened to your dog with big teeth?

Very impressive, Kate! You should take it to the show this coming weekend! Kathy

You're out doing yourself, Clay! I am impressed! I bet you'll win that yak carving contest. Kathy

As far as the difference between olive oil and neatsfoot oil, here's what I learned from Will Ghormley in a class I took with him a couple of years ago. Neatsfoot oil softens leather by breaking down the fibers within. Extra virgin olive oil softens by lubricating the fibers. Hence, too much neatsfoot oil can eventually break down the leather so much, it will stretch and fall apart. I learned this first hand as a kid when I got lazy in oiling my tack. I shoved the reins all the way in the bottle of neatsfoot oil to get the job over with in a hurry. It wasn't long before the reins became squishy and started stretching. That wasn't a good thing with the crazy horse I was riding at the time. The reins did stretch to the point of breaking and I had to replace them. I have not been using olive oil long enough to have any real experiences like that, but have tried soaking leather with it, and have had no bad experiences. Nor have I had problems with the oil going rancid on the leather. That could have something to do with our dry climate. Yak is good in extra virgin olive oil. Have you ever had Kung Pao Yak? Kathy