Peter T

Terrific work, Buck! Pete

Thanks Kidbeey and Wild Bill. Kidbeey, of the 5 long strands you start with, 2 are dark and 2 are light. The 5th strand is half dark half light that is glued together and hidden in the point of the plait when you start. That way you get the same colour on the both edges of the hatband. I like that better than if one edge is dark and one is light, although that still looks good. I'm not sure if I've ever tried two tone herringbone with uneven strands. I'll have to give it a try sometime. My 'give it a try sometime' list sure is getting long... Pete

That looks great, Brad. I especially like the nose button. Nice work. Pete

Thanks everyone.

G'day Everyone. Here is a hatband I finished recently. Two tone, 10 strand herringbone plait in whisky and natural roohide. I really like the pattern this plait makes in both single colour and two tone. Pete

Good stuff. Pete

That's very cool. Pete

Looks good Brian. Look forward to seeing the final product. Pete

Whoa! That's close to unbelievable. If they didn't show some of the other stuff going on, you'd say it was in fast forward. Incredible. I wonder how much blood he has spilled after sticking himself with the awl? Pete

Thanks cem for posting this! I very much enjoyed watching that story. As a whipmaker and plaiter, I use Packer's leather all the time. It's terrific leather, certainly the best I've used. They are big supporters of Australian whipmakers and plaiters and are the sponsors of the Australian Plaiting Championships each year. The tannery is a bit over half an hour from where I live which gives me the opportunity to go there to select kangaroo skins occasionally, but I've never seen what goes on behind the scenes. That was fascinating to see in the video. Pete

Really nice! Awesome symmetry. Pete

Yes, nice work. Those knots look really good. Pete

They look really good, Buck. I find it very facinating seeing and reading about all your (and the others on here) rawhide adventures. I love to give it a try some day. Pete

That train track is really cool. Well done. Pete

I'm also keen to hear what others thoughts are on this topic. I have been giving resolene a try lately. I like the initial result but I'm not sure how durable it is. It seems to wear off fairly quickly on things like whips and bracelets. I'm going to persist a little longer as it may be the way I'm applying it. I think it will be good for something like a hatband that won't get any wear on it. Diluted shellac gives a nice finish if applied correctly. Several light coats with a bit of a buff between coats is the go. Too thick and it can flake off. I really like the shellac finish on whip handles and thongs however it can be time consuming to put on which is why I've been looking for an alternative. Pete