scotth

I agree with Louie regarding the amount of fat used as I too have cut back on the amount added to the soap. I like to keep the natural color of the hide and found that too much fat discolored the strands. The downside to using less fat is the consistency of the soap will be a bit harder but will still do the job. One tip to help cool the mixture once you're done heating and mixing everything, pour it into a plastic container(look at Lowes/Home Depot) and place the container in a sink that's filled with cold water. Just keep stirring the soap and move the container around a bit to keep the cooler water around the container. Once it starts thickening, you can then use a stick blender which will bring everything to a nice consistency. Scott

Hi Nell, That type of lace may be alright as far as practicing your braiding technique. As for use in actually making your whip, I would not consider it a wise choise. Remember, as you work a strand for whip making, you're putting good amount of pressure on it when pulling it into place. Each strand constricts the insides they are covering. I'm sure you'll end up with broken strands and much frustration. One other thing to keep in mind is that for work up to about 16 strands or so, you must taper each strand in addition to dropping them as the plaiting progresses. I'm not sure of your plaiting experience but if you're just starting out, my advice would be to go ahead and order the lace and practice braiding 4,6,8,12 plait work. You can use different sized wood dowels or a bit of rope purchased from Lowes or Home Depot as your core. This way you don't have to worry about pulling the strands as hard as with a leather core. And, since the diameter is consistant, you don't need to worry about tapering strands. You can also practice different knots that are used for transition and handle knob coverings. For your shot bag, your best bet is to order a roo hide or perhaps kip. Although many pros cut lace by hand, many others use stranders with great results. If you haven't yet, a must purchase is David Morgans Whips and Whipmaking and Braiding Fine Leather. Here is a link to his site: http://www.davidmorg...?keywords=books I hope this helps you out. Regards, Scott