JAM

Sounds terrific - and my KindleFire is chock full of eBooks that are $2.99. That's the perfect (and standard) price, and I'd pay that in a heartbeat to add another useful eBook to my bookaholic's eLibrary. I'm curious, though - does it rely on just spring pressure to keep is closed? Because I've got a similar one that ratchets closed, and I find that I have to lock those jaws together pretty tightly to hold a skirt in place, especially when it's not centered and its weight pulls it over.

That's beautiful - so creative and unique! Can I ask where he got the chuck to hold the blade? I've had a terrible time finding chucks to make my own tools... Julia

I've got a barely (once) used Bryan Neubert rawhide string evener for sale, with his instructions. I never could get the hang of it. Paid $200 new, asking $175 now.

Very late to this conversation, but I have the Neubert "evener" and don't need it - want to sell it. Used maybe once, couldn't get the hang of it, and went to using my antique expensive splitter instead. Neubert doesn't make the evener anymore - will sell it for $175 (paid $200 for it). Want to post pictures but can't figure out how... PM me for pics if you're interested, or maybe someone could tell me how to post the pictures?

Hi, all, I've got this hideously pink side of split cowhide that I want to use for chaps, but it really needs to be a different, less obnoxious color. So how can I color this entire side of split leather? It doesn't matter what color - some kind of brown would be fine - as long as it's not this icky pink anymore. Thanks, Julia

Darn! Oh, well, something else will come along. The swivel knife remains available for trade.

I've got a perfectly terrific Chuck Smith Ol' Smoothie (no blade) that's a 5/8" barrel, which is just a bit too wide for my comfort. Looking to trade it for a narrower barrel swivel knife in Henley, LW, or Chuck Smith (anything between 1/4" and 1/2").

The back jockeys protect the tree. They don't need to be separate panels, although that's easier - they are often stitched to the skirt as part of an inskirt rigging. They need to be big enough to overlap and protect the tree bars from exposure, but that's the basic function. Beyond that it's about looks; they can be as decorative or large as the design of the saddle requires.

Oh, wow, Rufus, this helps a lot! I really appreciate your time to answer. Thank you!

Hello, all, Can anyone offer some advice or techniques for getting a concho screwed in straight and true on a horn cap? Or anywhere else on a saddle, for that matter? Mine always end up canted at a slight angle, and with a special horn cap concho that just isn't acceptable. So how do you guys do it so it looks perfect? Julia

Sold on eBay.

I've had this lovely saddlemaker's hammer for several years now, and it's like new. Every time I try to use it, I fail. I just can't hit a nail or tack with it - I can hit everything surrounding the nail/tack, including my finger and thumb, but not the nail or tack. I give up. It's not the hammer - it's me. It's the CS Osborne #55 Saddlemaker's Hammer - 16 oz. Asking $100.00. It's listed on ebay for the month - http://www.ebay.com/...984.m1555.l2649

Hey, Soccerdad, I was on my own furious search to find these some years ago - never could find a source for the nice ones. The Douglas folks were not willing to give up their source or sell me any that were not already in cocobolo handles. It's possible they had to buy them in quantity from some manufacturer - but I couldn't even get that much information. In the end I found a not-so-pretty, not-quite-what-I-wanted but functional pin vise on Amazon - it worked for one handle I had, but not what I wanted for producing pretty handles. I, too, am still looking for nice brass chucks with which to make handles.

Thanks - I will do that. Excellent advice. Sorry I took so long to say thanks - I just got around to looking at the forum again today.

Hi, Bob, This is a fantastic answer! You mentioned things I would never have thought of. The customers I've gotten this question from have all been a long ways away (they found me on a website), and eventually I mealy-mouthed my way through it. A particular set of customers from several states away waited another 4 months and broke down and ordered a custom saddle which will be measured for the treemaker with D Lane's profile cards (by them - I will ship the cards and they will ship them back) and then the saddle will be built and shipped to them. Another customer found the saddle she liked on a website and was fours hours away but my husband happened to be driving there on a work project, so I did like you did, brought several saddles, a couple of trees (good ones and a bad one for comparison), tried them on her horse, had her ride in a couple, and went home with an order for a new custom saddle. And left one of my older saddles which happened to fit her horse for her to ride in while I built her new one. I have decided to be firm about the rules - saddles do not get shipped off to be tried and returned, and prices do not change. Answers like yours are very helpful in fortifying my resolve ;-)

I use Weaver's older model benchtop shop press, with the 6T bottle jack. I click out coasters and conchos from saddle skirting (13-14 oz) and large knife sheaths from 10 0z skirting (takes two-three passes to get the entire sheath clicked out, but once one end is cut the die stays in place and moves easily to cut the other end). It works absolutely fine. It's sweet to hear the leather either "pop" or "swish" as it cuts through to the bottom! I also use it to press my 1-1/2" maker stamp into cased leather - does a wonderful clear job that I cannot do with a maul of any weight.

What you've got there are canvas stretching pliers, for artists and upholsterers. You can get them new for $20 - $40. For a permanent filler that you can sand down smooth, I'd use epoxy paste. For a different set of wide pliers, I'd try sheet metal bending pliers (and alter the faces with filing and/or epoxy and/or leather).

Harry Adams' Saddlebuilding book talks about this specifically - can't remember what it says because I've never done a metal horn, but his book is worth having.

Hi, Stef, Here's my two cents' worth, based on what I've learned from saddlemakers a lot more experienced than me: 1) Soak, then stretch and dry (the leather is going to stretch, and if you don't stretch it now it will stretch in the finished saddle); then cover the backs of the fenders with contact paper to prevent tooling stretching, dampen as needed for tooling, do the carving, dry, and peel the contact paper off. Done. 2) For any inskirt rigging: block and plug the skirts, add the rigging hardware and outer leather layer (I call that the rigging plate), make sure it all fits the tree and the rigging hardware is balanced, and stitch them all together (except for any bits inside the rigging rings where the woolskin has to be included in the stitching). Glue and stitch the woolskin on last because it only gets stitched on around the entire perimeter of the skirt. Think about having to re-line that skirt someday - you want to be able to take the woolskin off and replace it without having to reconstruct the skirts and rigging. 3)Regarding plugs - no, you do not need to add any filler leather out at the edges of the skirts - your two layers are plenty. BUT the point of the plugs is not make the skirts stiff at the edges (well, I guess for some folks it is, but not for me) - the function of the plugs is to ease the transition from the tree edge to the skirt. You want to make carefully skived plugs like puzzle pieces that fit into the gaps around the bar edge that are left by the blocking so that in the finished saddle you can run your hand along the underside of the skirts and not feel the edges of the bars. This eases the transition of the weight-bearing surface for the horse. (But not right under the rider's legs - leave those curves un-plugged.) Hope this helps - Julia

Dies are like shaped knife blades. I don't know how they are made, but I just had one made by Texas Die for a large knife sheath that I make in quantity for a knifemaker. It really helps for quickly cutting repeatable shapes that are perfect every time (and no cutting mistakes). Most folks use a clicker, which would be best, but I don't have a clicker so I use my 6T bottle jack press (for which I paid too much money to Weaver - you can get the same thing at Harbor Freight for a lot less). The bottle jack press is slower and smaller (although quite a lot cheaper) than a clicker - I have to press-click the piece in three presses - but it works. Essentially you need a machine that will push the die straight down through the leather onto a cutting surface that won't dull the die edge. Hammering the die through the leather doesn't work - at least not for me - the die just bounced around - but the press works really well. The die I had made is about 12" by 6", fairly simple outline, and cost me $90. Texas Die is 817-832-3897.

Hi, all, now that I've been riding in my own saddles for years (long enough to see how they hold up) I've got a problem. Overall the saddles are just great - but over time a bubble develops in front of each of the seat buttons (see pictures). What am I doing wrong in the construction, or what should I be doing to prevent this from developing?

Thanks, Steve - that's very helpful information. It's hard to see those edges and angles on the wheel - I think going the slower route might work better.Julia

Hey, Jake, no it's not too far off topic at all. I know black is more aggressive and I have some but haven't tried it for sharpening on my buffer. Soft felt and black compound, huh? I will try that, too. Thanks!

Okay, I'll try that. Maybe put it in a vise and put my high-powered glasses on so I can see the edges, and try a fine stone (never thought about using a knife steel on them...). And I do take the points off - just the barest flattening of the tip to help it pierce the leather - it works better that way. I would make separate paragraphs here, but for some reason my Enter key is not working... anyway, the Douglas awls are very narrow and fine, and harder than the Osborne awls. And more expensive. And worth it (when they're sharp) ;-)

My mistake - it's a 3450.