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Whow that is nice braiding, so clean and tight, with great designs. Your work is something that you can diffently feel proud of, and know that you are selling, giving or using a great product.

Thank you Bruce for your reply. Do you or anyone else know of a good lower cost one that is sold or that someone can make that would work good for roo, and at some time rawhide. I tried to make one myself and it didn't work very good. I've got a cutter/beveler coming from Beven from austie land. Will hopefully arrive soon. So just need to get me a splitter that will work good for me and then I think I'll be set up. Thanks.

Hi there, I went to Tandy Leather for the 50% off one item sale yesterday and was going to get a Tandy Splitter. Does anyone have any information to share on how good they work?? The manager of the store told me that it wouldn't do good on Roo Hide which is something that I want to cut... Was just wanting to hear from more people on what they think of the product, not everyday you can get it for 50 % off so would hate to pass up a bargan if it actually would work for what I'm wanting to work with which is Roo, Rawhide for the most part. Thanks Annette

Look at that did someone else get ROO fever??? The projects look great, I like the rawhide, roo combo.

Thanks much and I saw your post on how to braid the 9 strand braid. Very nice work and sure helps seeing the detailed pictures you have explaining the steps. Thanks for taking the time and effort. Annette

Great looking gear anyone would be proud of. Do you all use rawhide cores??

I'm scared to death to cut my hides. I cut around the edges to make it as round as possible and was to scared to cut it so I took the outer pieces to pratice on. The I'm guessing leg area was a pretty good size piece so I gave cutting that a try and I did terrible. I didn't get a single piece of lace made out of it. Don't know if I didn't cut it wide enough or what. when I took the piece then tried to streatch it the best I could, I then tried to cut it down to where it would be a straight piece of lace and nope I couldn't get a single piece to look good. How wide should my first cut be?? And out of that first cut do you only get one piece of lace?? If you cut around in one circle 1 inch wide do you only get 1 piece of lace 1/8 inch wide???? with me totally striking out with that first effort I'm scared to death I'm going to ruin my two hides and waste 200.00. HEHE the 2 flopped cowhides at $30.00 doesn't seem to bad when I'm now looking at flopping up $200.00 worth of hide.

Hope she doesn't read this web site post or she will know what she is getting Any women would be proud to have that.

Finished with the hobbles, here is the first braiding project that I have done. I'll probably re-do the spanish ring knots, I was having trouble having the knot stay tied when moved so I tried to burn the ends to another strand and my fire was not as pin pointed as I would have liked so my fire got alittle away from me. I bought a small burner but which was better then the matches but it still left alot of melting visible. The one side ended up alittle bigger then the other, but the postive I saw with the 2nd half of the project was I think the pineapple knot came out alot better then the first one, its alot rounder. I'm just a rookie but to me it atleast looks better. Or I might use the spanish knots as a base for pineapple. Anyway thanks to all your advice, and encouragement.

That helps a bunch thanks. Lets me know I wasn't being just stupid for not being able to figure out how to make one. When I showed him the paracord braiding I think he just got excited, what he doesn't realize is that was just the beginning of what I'm going to be able to do. My goal for this friend is to one day make him a complete set of tack out of roo hide or rawhide, rein's, headgear, hobbles ect all matching and in return I'm hoping to talk him into his 4 yr old filly that he's been training that I've taken notice to when we go round up cattle . With your information and ideas on flat braid, do you think I would be able to use a piece of roo, leather or roo and then do what Bruce Grant calls inside or trick braid?? I'm looking at his book now and it looks like you leave the ends of the leather and then cut strips inside and somehow braid it. So I'm thinking I would be able to somehow hook a clamp to the one side of the tie down and then have a longer piece for the other end where the length could be adjusted with some sort of device. But still have the braided look for most of it. What do you think about that idea if I could wing it??? Pro's or Con's of this idea?? About how long is a tie down?? Aggie you would get a good laugh at me when I go rounding up cattle with this group. They all carry ropes, and they have the bags with gear in them just in case they need to fix fence, or rope and doctor a cow. And Oh my there is nothing better looking then someone decked out with a rope and all rounding up cattle. I now have a rope and bags to have on my saddle when I ride with them I sure as heck don't know how to use it and if I tried would probably dally my fingers but by god do I look good !!!!! LOL or atleast my horse and saddle look good, I still have a long ways to go for myself.

Howdy all. A friend of mine asked me to braid them a tie down with the paracord, I'll probably make it with something else later but will just do a pratice run with the paracord. Can a tie down be braided?? If anyone has made one do you have a picture that you could post to show me how you did it?? I'm having troubles picturing how they can adjust the lenght of it. I've looked at pictures in magazines ect to give me a idea of what one looks like since I've never (think goodness) have needed to use one on my horse but can't figure out how one could be made with braiding. To me it must have ways to adjust the lenght of it to fit the horse and I am to much of a rookie to know how to do that. Thanks Annette

Howdy, I got my two hides today. COUGH COUGH oh gosh wonder if I sould call into work sick I might be coming down with Roo fever. hehehe as knothead would say I'm so Giddy"

Roo4u could you tell me where the mistake is and in which knot???? I'm hoping that I'm not teaching myself to do it wrong. With you seeing it in one and not the others hopefully that is not the case. When I do something I like to do it right, so appriciate you looking at it as a pro and seeing the mistake and saying something. Some people would maybe get mad but the more mistakes pointed out now the better I will hopefully be later. I use to do alot of scroll sawing, here is a example of that work. Hoping to get good enought at braiding to give gifts to some special people in my life. Like the ones that I made the woodwork for. My biggest project was the whole lords pray cut out of walnut wood, then put on a mirror backing and framed. I spent about 300 hours on it, and worked very hard to get it done in order to give it to my grandmother before she passed away, it is now in my parents home. I love the gift of giving but I do want my gift to be of good workmanship so really really wanting to get good at this.

OUCH !!!!!! I've just been bitten. Yep, All your excitement about roo and all the cool projects being shown caused me to eat less and save more money and well I saw the post about Paul at Midwestwhips.com so got ahold of Paul and put in a order today for 2 hides. 1 whiskey and 1 black. So you all better keep up with the HOW - TO pictures since I'm a rookie and those pictures sure help me to learn. LOL gee wiz now I know what it feels like to get all geddy over a hide. LOL Can't wait until it gets here. HEHE no one else is going to get any christmas presents this year but I'm sure going to have a good one. On top of the hides I also placed a order for some of Gail Hought's books. If I don't learn this hobby of braiding BY GOD I'm going to become poor trying smile I love it, just hope I can get good at it to where I can be proud of what I make. Annette

Howdy When I was trying to make rawhide and had my 2nd flop, Aggiebraider gave me this name and number to call for what he has heard as the best. Bill Confer ((866) 660-2830) sells rawhide. You can also find the whole message Aggiebraider wrote its under the post I did named 2nd rawhide flop. I took the advice from what others wrote and instead of starting out on rawhide they said to start with paracord then work up. So I can't tell you cost but if Aggiebraider says its good I bet it is since any advice I have been given from everyone on this site has always helped this rookie out. Have fun, I sure am.

Whow, thank you all for the great feedback. Most of all thanks for telling me that paracord should not be used to hobble a horse untrained to hobbles and why. I will have to think twice about giving these to my horse friend, or maybe give them to him but tell him the risk of burns with them on a horse that might fight them. Thanks for the advice on the use of the spanish ring knot, I was finding it hard to move those big knots without moving them out of shape. I thought I over tightened them but with your post it helped me to understand that a different knot would work better. Gives me a good reason to learn another knot.

Well they are either 1/2 done or I only have 1/2 of a project to take apart and try again at. Wanted to ask you pro's your opinion. Its not purfect but so far does it look like if I continue to the second 1/2 and finish them would they be safe to use First off? and even with them not being purfect would I be nuts for trying to give them to someone as a christmas gift?? I gave up on the 8 strand turning to 16 and just went on with folding over the 8 strand,,, YES YES call me a cheater cheater. I used tape under the knot but I need to try harder to make it come out round or something. I was kinda hoping that it would cover the end but it didn't. Well just wanted to ask the cowboys if I need to start over or continue with it. I diffently don't want to finish something that would maybe hurt the horse. Any advice, comments are always appriciated and a welcome sight. Thanks Annette

OH MY GOD, I know you all have probably had this happen 1000 times over so I'm sure I'm not alone. Working on my first horse tack project, trying to make a pair of hobbles with the paracord. Using the pattern where it goes from 8 strand to 16 as a way to make the button hole. Why do braiders try to braid more cords then what God made fingers to hold??? I had the 8 strand done, and after the 4th try taking two days since needed time to vent/relax/rethink how to get it woven into then 16 strand braid had the 16 strand braid going good and only had about 6 more inches to go when I must have dropped a cord . I had 9 on one side and only 7 on the other and I'll be if I couldn't figure out how to get it back. I looked at the back side, I looked at the front side, I pulled on cords in order top to bottom to try and figure it out. I tried to go back a step at a time to try and get it. Ended up clear back to the 8 strand braided part and I'll be dip I even had to pull it all apart. Back to the drawing board. Nothing like spending two days, around 5 hours on something to end up right back where you started from. Since some of you have had some real nasty troubles, I thought I would post this to maybe get some of your stories so that maybe I won't feel so bad. Plus I had to vent a bit since I don't have a husban to yell at when something goes wrong or kids to beat. HAHA you all know I'm just kidding, I wouldn't lay a finger on anyone. Well guess this will be a good time to go to the parents house for Thanks Giving Dinner. Have a good day.

Wonderful info. Thanks again. I'm logging on to the web site to check it out. Love ya all and your endless knowledge.

First off HAPPY Turkey day to you all !!!!!! I got the Marlinspike Knot Works DVD I'm finally making some knots. Would love for there to be a DVD made like this one showing braiding of horse gear. Hint Hint I can think of atleast two very talented, horse gear braiders on here that I totally love their work and would love to learn from and would be more then willing to buy a DVD if they made one. My question is to the paracord braiders. I've read where you take the inter-cords out ?? Do you do this on everything that you make?? Do you then use the inter-cords for anything?? What size of cord do you use? My main goal is to become a rawhide horse gear braider. I'm trying to learn the basic's with the paracord and very interested in making horse gear to use. Can you pretty much make everything horse tack wise with the paracord?? Probably can't make a rope can ya? expecially if the inter-cord is taken out and so would loose alot of the strenght right?? What site have you found best for ordering the cord online from?? I ordered some 500 lb test cord but for bracelets it seems to be to bulky, or gosh it could just be me being a rookie and not doing it right. Any infor on paracord use would be helpful, size of cord for what project, and best place to buy from. Thanks a ton Annette

Howdy there, I'm a rookie also and I'm loving trying to learn how to braid. I've not yet got a finished product to show, use or even throw away other then the 2 cowhides I tried to make rawhide out of that have been disposed of. Like you I've been searching for that special book or video or tools that would make it easy to learn but what I have found for myself is that there is no such ONE. I have 3 of Grants and 1 woolery. If I were to pick the one that seems to make more since to me at this time it would be Leather Braiding by Bruce Grant since it has not only the pictures showing how to make the knots but also a pattern that you can photo copy or draw to make a mandrel. Instead of using a stick to make my knots on I'm using tube. I went and bought some thick tube, its kinda like a water hose on steroids, I'm not sure what its actually for but found it at the farm and ranch store and it comes in several sizes. I was able to cut it to whatever I wanted so cut a foot of each size. It was cheep and what I like about it is that when I want to put nails into the tube to help me keep my knot spread apart so that I can see where my next step is, its easy. I don't have to drill holes and when I pull the nails out the tubing kinds repairs itself so I can change the size ect over and over again. What this rookie is also finding out is that I can't learn without trying. I can read, read and read so more, look at video's, the how to's and not learn a Darn thing. You got to grab ahold of the sting and start, so when these old timers (not talking age so please don't ban me from here, hehe) tell you to buy the cheepest stuff to start out with by god listen to them. HEHE you can use the cheep plastic lace from hobby lobby over and over again for alittle over $1.00 where as I was trying to start out with rawhide right off the get go and bought a few $20.00 spools, the saddle soap a couple $30.00 hides (first two rawhide making flops) so out atleast $100.00 or more then I took these wise braiding gooroo's advice and visited Hobby Lobby. I'm grabbing ahold of the string and making mistakes, yes mistakes but by actually doing it I'm learning. I actually had a Turks Head knot come out RIGHT yesterday, I was so amazed and you know I think I actually remember how I did it right and could do it again. LOL This hobby is so fun. Well I put in WAY more then my 2 cents worth and now probably owe each of you atleast .15 cents for actually reading my 2 cents.

Has anyone used with good results or heard of anyone using with good results a book called the Turks Head Cookbook?? Or used the Tool (mandrel) that also comes with the book? http://knottool.com/ordering.html this is the web site that I saw it on. I was thinking of ordering the book and tool to try and help me learn faster, easier since right now I will do it right one time but take a wrong move on the next try. So hoping to get a bit more consistant so that I can actually get a project finished. I'm greatly enjoying trying to learn how to braid and make knots, the more I can keep my hands full of lace the less food I have put in my mouth . Lost 30 lbs so far. So just wanting to see if anyone else has tried the book and tool to see what their take is on it. Thanks. Annette

Thanks I've not given up yet. I am waiting until Kansas Deer season and then will try it with the FREE deer hides to learn on. HEHE the $30.00 cow hides that then I twice messed up was starting to get expensive. So I took the advice of everyone here and went to hobby lobby and got some cheap plastic lace, and other leather lace to pratice making knots, ect with. That way when I do get this rawhide stuff down pat I'll be ready to use it Thanks again for the advice I need all I can get.