JAM

I haven't ever had to put a new edge on a round knife, but keep all my round knives (11 of them - all different shapes and different makers - toolaholic!) honed super sharp on a hard felt wheel, on a buffer turned backwards to spin away from me, and charged with the green (chrome) rouge. Keeps them cutting through even the hard spots like butter. Takes a little practice - I don't us jigs, just a consistent position - and it's very quick. I even qive me swivel knives a quick touch on that wheel. Julia

Do you really need to tool? I did minimal tooling on my first two saddles (minimal borders - a sideways single-barbwire-twist) because my teacher was pressing me to be quicker. I'm thinking about doing my next saddle (I, too, belong to the Nikkel Tree club), which will be the first I've done completely on my own, with no tooling at all so I can concentrate on construction. Because I'm primarily concerned about fit and comfort and getting the ground seat right, and only I will be riding in it (on one particular horse), there's no need to dither about tooling. I've decided that tooling the saddle can wait until I am able to do a good enough job to commit saddle leather to it. And now I wish I could alter the line of the seat jockeys on my second saddle, but if I cut a new edge it will be obvious because I'll ruin the borderline along the edge of the seat jockey - which wouldn't be a problem if I'd left it untooled.

Okay, it's been a while since I posted that I'd get this tool and report on it. Well, I ordered it back in October, and it arrived last week (end of February) - good things are worth waiting for. It is SWEET! I like it a lot - much more practical than a regular round knife for skiving anything because it is lapped flat on the bottom and the handle is raised - see pictures. Denise posted Joe Breti's contact info earlier in the forum. Joe is an amazing knifemaker and toolmaker and inventor. It's a pricey tool ($240 Canadian), but it is unique and rare, and as a confirmed toolaholic I gotta say it's worth it.

Can anyone direct me to sources for marbled or interesting chaps hides? I'm told by a client that she has seen a custom chaps maker, who travels to big cutting shows, with a big book of hide samples that include marbled and specialty hides. That guy must have consistent sources - so how can I find those sources? Thanks for any leads - Julia

My first teacher uses (and taught me to use) artificial sinew for horn cap and cantle binding, and I'm about to do a whole saddle with hand-stitching. Your thoughts on sinew? Thumbs up? Down? Why? Julia

Thanks, Ben - good to know. That opens up a lot more possibilities! Julia

Peterk, the problem I envision with chucking this burnisher rather than running an arbor shaft all the way through it is wobble at the end. Please let us know if this method works for you. Meanewhile, I'm going to go to an old electric motor shop in town Monday - the guy there will probably know where to find or how to make what I (we) need. Then it's back to the woodturner at Woodcraft to make a lignum vitae burnisher.

Okay, sounds good and I'll keep you in the loop. Julia

rickeyfro, that sounds just right - you've saved me a lot of time! Julia

I have found a woodworker at a local woodworking store who is willing to make this for me, but I have to come up with the 1/2" arbor that goes through the center. I cannot find motor arbors with the bolt extension long enough. Any ideas on where to look for a long 1/2" motor arbor? Or how to make a normal motor arbor longer? Julia

This is a great idea! This is me in May 08 being chosen by my new Silky Terrier puppy, Max. The pendant I'm wearing is a large lab-created pink sapphire that's framed in a braided kangaroo expanded spanish ring knot. And the other photo is me riding one of my mares, Maggie, who is on her way to being a bridle horse one of these years. Julia

Johanna, add my thanks to this long list. I've made new friends around the country and around the world, and learned more than I ever thought could be found in an internet forum. And this community is special - so familial! Even the flames are entertaining! I needed to read this! Another gem from Leatherworker.net! Thanks, Julia

Fantastic news! Guess I know where my next few hundred dollars is going...

Out of stock - not unexpected with these superb one-man-shop toolmakers. That, and taking forever to get to yours in the long list of waiting orders. Then again, sometimes things worth having are worth waiting for... and waiting... and waiting... and waiting... I have his #3 and use it for nearly everything, and also his cool little inside-tight-corners bissonette - the one that looks folded over at the tip. It's an amazing little tool. I want to collect the whole rest of his set - guess I'd better get on the list. Julia

Hey, Jed, Julia here (in Rathdrum) - I am a hopeless toolaholic and although I'm not in the same talent league as your other respondents, I collect lots of tools... and while I agree with the others about the high quality and differences between all the aforementioned makers, Bob Douglas is at the top of my list. He makes absolutely the best bissonette edgers I've ever used, and his traveling collection of restored vintage tools (all for sale) is alone worth the trips to the Pendleton and Sheridan shows every year.

Cool - it would have taken me years to figure this out on my own! You guys are the greatest! Julia

Hi, all, This may seem like a kindergarten question, but what is the difference between skirting leather and strap/tooling leather? I know enough to only use good skirting leather on a saddle, but what is best for tooled non-saddle items like chaps panels, belts, and book covers? I'm not concerned with the cost in this question, just which leather is best for the non-saddle things, and why? Also - slightly related question - do you always use natural skirting leather for saddles? Would you ever use golden or russet, etc? What is the difference? Julia

Thanks, Steve - that's VERY helpful. Julia

Grumpyguy, the drawing is by Ernie Morris in his not-inexpensive book El Vaquero (http://www.elvaquero.com). He is an old Californio and a long-time artist and writer about the old ways. TrooperChuck and HorsehairBraider, I've often wanted to try a thin pad in place of the SMX AirRide pads I've always used, especially since both my mares have saddles that are built on trees made for them. But the blankets I have are too big, and I don't know if I'm supposed to fold them in half or just find a better blanket. This saddle is a 3B (being built as I write by Rod Nikkel) with a 4" cantle and a tall, narrow metal post. It will be fun to build and see how rideable I can make that seat! I'll post pics and a report when it's finished. Julia

Beautiful binding, and that's exactly what I needed to know. Thank you both. Julia

Does anyone know how to do a hidden-stitch cantle binding? I've seen it done and seen the results - you can't see the stitches in back because they are hidden in a slit in the cantle binding leather (I don't have any pictures) - but I don't remember the specifics of how to do it. Julia

Sounds cool. I, too, am an old splitter junkie (I may have sniped a few from others among you on eBay <ggg>) - I have three very old Osborne 86's but have yet to mount them and use them. But if an old Osborne 86 is good enough for Mike Beaver, it's more than good enough for me! Julia

Mike, I don't get how it works. Are you using it just to thin strings, like you would an Osborne 86? It would be great to see it in use, to get a better idea of how it works. And do you like it? Julia

Ryano, that's what I always go back to, but it's tiring and slow if I have lots of straps to edge - so I'm always looking for the magic perfect way to burnish faster. Has anyone ever found a good way to make a powered rotary burnisher with a canvas cover, charged with saddle soap? Julia

FYI, Amazon has it for $34.95.