Janelle12

I come here for all my strange/silly leather questions cuz y'all are so smart. I have a friend who says that using baby powder/talcum powder to stop saddle stirrup squeak will hurt/dry out the leather. Is this the case really? If you clean and oil your saddle regularly anyways? Thanks.

Okie dokie, I am revisiting this thread, as I found 'Professional Line by VA Snell & Co) on the fender behind the keeper! I also was told unfortunately that when I'm cinched down, the saddle is a pinching my horse's shoulder a bit. Perhaps if the tree were flared more it wouldn't do that. Anyways, anyone know who made professional line and if they are still in existence, what/who have they morphed to today? Thanks!

Whew. Done. Thanks. I wet the wallet a bit and am squishing it between two books to make it lie flat. I just oiled it a couple times for the finish. I didn't use the finisher (I have the eco flow one) because I did a belt and noticed the cracked finish and I didn't like it. Should I do anything to protect the leather against stains, or just use the wallet and let 'time and use' age it, and clean and oil it occasionally? If I do protect it with something, I want to still be able to oil it and I've read that some of the 'plastic' finishes can keep the (required applications of) oil out...

Ok well I thought I was done. The stitching is done, but there will absolutely not be any backstitching going on. There's simply no room! I broke my needle trying. Can I just cut it and hope it doesn't unravel? What should I do? (need a hero.)

ok I'm done stitching, and earlier on this site I saw a nice picture of how to 'tie off the thread.' Where is that?? someone had twisted the thread around the needle a couple times, it was very handy looking. Can't find it again! nevermind here it is! http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=7006

Ain't that the truth! Y'all are awesome, thank you! I might get to finish this project even!

Okie dokie! Until I can get that book though, I suppose I should put down the project, because this is what I did. Now the holes on the other side don't line up. I just sewed 'hole for hole' but I suppose I was supposed to skip a few so they would line up? But I'm not sure how to do that. Is my question covered in the book too? (oozing frustration right about now!)

I'm on my first kit project, and it requires hand stitching (its a wallet). The thread keeps coming off the needle and rethreading is practically impossible because of frayed ends. Anyone have any tips on threading needle when the string is coming apart? If I keep cutting off the frayed end, I won't have enough to finish the project!! LOL Then, how do you keep the thread on the needle?? I'm sorry, I'm obviously not a home ec grad.

Thanks. I'll give the neatsfoot a try and see how it works! The first item's just a wallet so if I mess it up it'll be ok lol

I am a beginner leather worker and I overheard some gentlemen discussing saddles in the local leather store, and one of them was talking about how a few decades ago in California, it was very popular to, when you were done building a saddle, pay some kid 25 cents to rub the leather with olive oil and then leave the saddle in the sun, and they would turn this really pretty deep bright red color. I'd like to know more about this method if anybody has the knowledge. I like details and specific instructions, I'd like to try it on a few small leather pieces or two....thanks!

The buckstitch is a 16" seat (thank god, I have a big butt) and the dark one is 15". I definitely got a good deal. The buckstitch one fits my horse, a skinny arab, too, which is a huge bonus. The dark one is more for a wider taller horse. I could sell it, or save it for when I get a rounder taller horse in a few years when my puny arab (god love her) is no longer around...or, when I own my own land and can have more than one horse... ....HEY! they're already cleaned...lol

I bought these two saddles for $300 from a guy whose kids and grandkids no longer ride. I purchased the smaller one with buckstitch because I really like the style; it is very similar to the one I rode as a kid. The seller said they were 'at least twelve years old, and he bought them used.' There do not appear to be any marks on the buckstitched one and you can see the writing on the latigo keeper of the other darker one. The fleece on the buckstitch saddle is more yellow and more rotten than the dark saddle, whose fleece appears to be perhaps synthetic but in better wear than the former. Leather is in good condition on both. Any information as to the approximate value/origins of these two is greatly appreciated.