Nutty Saddler

I suppose it's down to personal taste / experiance. I use 3/18 reverse twist linen thread and always have

Hi Talk to Richard Brown at Abbey Saddlery he may be able to help you out - 01565 650343 If you have no luck there talk to Claytons of Chesterfield - they do have smaller pieces / offcuts sometimes and are really helpful. Nutty

I would just like to add my OMG that's amazing to everyone elses . I don't think that I'd ever be able to make anything so outstanding .

How do you keep your hole punches / crew punches / chisels from getting blunt . I have seen in some of the photo's of other people working that they have wood or plastic underneath their leather when they are punching holes ? does this not blunt the tools over time , I know that the tools can be sharpened but this can easily lead to deformed tools if sharpened incorrectly . I was told to use a lead block under my leather ( see pic ) - this enables me to punch holes / points / crew without blunting my tools - in fact some of my tools have been used in this manner for 18 years and have never needed to be sharpened . The lead block that I have is about 8 " diameter and about 1" thick - this gives me a really heavy / stable base with which to make holes / points with - the lead block does need to be flattened with a hammer on a regular basis so as not to leave marks on the underside of the leather and sometimes a sheet of paper is used if I need to keep the leather especially clean. Just a little tip from the saddlery trade that I thought I'd share with you all.

As a saddler I make mostly horsey stuff , I get to make lots and lots of bridles but don't make training equipment much . I probably make a set ( cavesson & roller ) about once a year. The bulk of the leather is normal 3-4mm bridle bend , the padding is doeskin with the suede side out - this helps to keep the roller/cavesson in position, the pads on the roller are stuffed with sheep wool ( flocking in saddlery term ) . This is the set I made this year - I thought I would put some pics up as it's not the normal sort of thing made . Lunge cavesson on the owners horse Lunge cavesson Training roller - top part Girth part Girth part being made Training roller complete ( during manufacture ) One of our own horses acting as a model

Try a steel / metal merchant , I purchased a length about 10' long 3" wide and about 1/8 " thick - stainless steel . I use it like a giant ruler for cutting a straight edge - I then cut a 3/8" wide strip off with a plough knife to get the edge square.

I use a head knife for most of my work , I cut straps with a plough knife and have a splitting maching for thinning , I also have a good pair of scissors for panel hides . One thing that I have found is that the cheap tools aren't worth wasting money on - you get what you pay for and if you want to do good work you need good tools.Being from the UK I get most of my tools from a UK company called Joseph Dixon's - I do have some Osborne tools as well but not many .

The material they are lined with is leather - I either dye my own russet hide or have some standard colours on the shelf , it is either panel hide or upholstery hide , I do have some doe skin and pig skin but I rarely use these.

Hi , I am new to this forum, but as some of you may have guessed I am a bit crazy in the stitching department . I am always getting requests for personal patterns or names to be stitched onto collars / bridles / leads etc , these are almost always stitches in either 16 or 17 stitches to the inch . I use either double hand saddle stitch or single needle back-stitch , and yes ALL of my stitching is done by HAND -- I don't even own a machine ( and never have ) Thought I would give you all a look , ? what do you think Butterfly show lead Browband for a horse Noseband - This is 17 per inch backstitch Shamrock pattern - Not finished item , the shamrock is 16 per inch double hand, the 'stalks' ar 17 per inch back stitch Completed shamrock pattern noseband - this is to date the most difficult item I have completed Holly noseband Dog collar and lead Thanks for looking

HI everyone , Just thought that as a new person on this forum I would show you some dog collars and leads that I have made in the past Thanks for looking

OK I will try to get some pics that are of a decent size -- if it doesn't work I will have to try a different method

I'm afraid that I can't help much as I use linnen thread and have done so for 18 years , I haven't had any problems or complaints so linnen for me from now until they don't supply it anymore