Kanga

I usually buy drum stuffed which is perfect for what I want but this one was sold to me by someone else who'd bought it then didn't want it. It's a beautiful quality hide but I should've kept it for lacing not collars. Now it's too late cause I've already cut a chunk out of it. I am going to try something drastic. I'll cut a peice for a collar, scrub it in warm water with a soft brush & saddle soap & see what happens once it's dried. I've got nothing to loose but a little peice of leather. Linda

No one knows how? : I was really hoping this would be the place to get advice. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know, and if I figure out something myself I'll pass it on. Linda

I've got a lovely roo hide that is not like the usual ones I get. It's been rubbed with some kind of grease. Although it doesn't feel greasy you can see it, it's like a white bloom on both side of the leather. I am more concerned with the underside because it wont take the glue. I've tried rubbing, scraping but neither worked. Does anyone know how I can get it off? Linda

Sadly it's the same here. We have an organisation called GAP (Greyhound Adoption Program) which rehomes quite alot but the rest, I hate to think what happens to them. I think there's even worse than quick painless euthanasia. We do see alot as pets now though so it's great, they make wonderful pets. Linda

Wow I'd love to do this one day. I can tell you of another place you can ride to an island. It's in Victoria Australia. When the tide is out you can ride to Snake Island. You need to be guided by an expert because if you stray you could end up in the channel & there's sharks!! It takes a few hours and can only be done at certain times of the year. Perhaps you'll have to come down here so you can say you've done it in both hemispheres. Linda

Thanks Jim. Whippet racing is amateur, no money to be won so it keeps it fun. We are a brand new club, there's only 3 whippet racing clubs in Australia that I know of, including ours which has only been going a few months. It's loads of fun & I am very proud of my little girl. You can probably see from the pics that she's dwarfed by the other whippets but she FLYS!! Someone who saw the pics said all she needed was a cape, I could just imagine her in one too. Linda

Hi Michael, sighthounds, well more particularly WHIPPETS!!! are my love. Do you have sighthounds yourself, I am thinking yes. please tell me what you've got. These collars look fabulous. do you make buckle collars too? Is it rude to ask here how much a fancy collar for a whippet would cost? If so please PM me. Linda

Hi Claire! I'm a little bit to the right of you, across the Nullabor in Vic. I love playing about with kangaroo. Not sure who supplies the best carving leather. Hope you have fun here. Linda

I raced my whippet Feather, here she is winning her first heat! and winning her second! and lastly just looking beautiful. Linda

They might be protected in Victoria but they're not endangered, this pretty girl is in my paddock right now! I took this about an hour ago just outside the back gate, she is in my horse paddock. Linda

While I am no expert on the roo laws I can say this person got it way wrong. “Kangaroos are like rabbits in Australia,†said Kalee StClair, who is from Sydney and has lived here for more than four years. “They’re not protected at all, and it’s actually encouraged to kill them. What a load of codswhallop! They are protected, you cant even skin a road kill & get it tanned or chop off it's leg to feed to the dogs unless you did it yourself & you better not get caught. As far as I know the roos that are shot are the red kangaroo mainly in Qld. & a species in WA might be the Western Grey??. It's supposedly quite controlled. All roos shot have to be tagged to prove it was legally killed/culled. It is certainly not a willy nilly slaughter. Sadly in Victoria a few years ago they were in plague proportions at Puckapunyal & there was a massive cull, about 15,000 I believe. Because they are protected the bodies were just buried in a mass hole. Now that was criminal in my book. What a waste!! For the ones in Qld & whatever States they're legally culled from the meat is sold in our supermarkets for human consumption. The laws dont make sense (to me anyway). I can only buy legally tanned roo, I get it mostly from Packers in Qld BUT for me to sell stuff OS I am supposed to payfor a licence (it's costs alot too) to prove I only use legally culled roo. I would have to sell an awful lot to recoup the cost of the licence. What would paying money for a licence really prove anyway, the tanners can only sell legally culled roo anyway, grrrrrr it's just stupid. Linda

Thankyou all. Bruce I think I answered you - Packers in Qld. I always ring and they're usually pretty good at understanding what I want. If they haven't got it they'll tell me. They also have some pretty good sales sometimes too although being all the way down South you dont really get the pick of sale items. I'd love to go there in person one day & rummage through all their hides. Ahhh now that's my idea of a holiday! Linda

Hi neighbour! I'm across the channel. Linda

Hi Scott, you can take a look around Lefflers but it can be hard, if not impossible to get assistance. You pretty much need to know what you are after. I always need to make a list when I go there because as soon as I enter I am overwhelmed with all the stuff & it can be so hard to find what you want. Jus remembered, there is a place in Mooroolbark but it's only small, I dont think he has alot of stock & I suspect if you had to order anything in from him, he would probably get it from Lefflers himself. Good luck Linda

Thanks Alan, I suspect what you call rawhide, we call greenhide. I have a wonderful old horseman friend who is still breaking in horses at about 87years old. He still makes & uses greenhide ropes. As to the different 6 plaits, I suppose they'd just be used cause they're a bit quicker to do than just the diamond pattern. Linda

Yeeeoooww! Maybe you'd better fashion some armour for the Crown Jewels. Linda

Aah, no it sounds like different stuff then. Oh well, never hurts to ask Linda

He is a pretty good artist too, he does all the drawings himself. Linda

I just want to say how much I am enjoyng this whole forum, I'm finding out all sort of interesting things! This caught my eye, I am wondering if pine pitch might be what horsey people sometimes paint on their horses hooves, known as Stockholm Tar?? It's a sticky blackish thick liquid, looks like oil but smells kinda nice, piney, I am pretty sure it's pine resin -from Swedish pine trees. anyway, just wondering if it's the same stuff. Linda

I have several of Rons books but he's never mentioned this plait that I know of. The only place I've ever seen it before is on the very old leash that I have. Can you show us the other type of 6 plait please? Linda

I sold this for an elderly friend who knows nothing about 'puters'. It's just a bit of silliness but looks really authentic. He's been making them as hat bands & I asked if he'd make me a smaller one to try on my whippet. I posted it just for fun on a whippet forum & people went nuts over it. He's such a clever chap, into his eighties now, he's been my mentor, so generous in sharing his skill & his time. I will post a pic of his plaiting one day, now that's where he is a true artist. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...em=200121172318 The plaited lead I mentioned in the description of this didn't sell. I'd priced it cheaply too, many people cant appreciate the work that goes into some things. Linda

I'm glad I've revved up your interest in plaiting again. Honest, after looking at some of the work on this forum I just about feel like slashing my wrists! It's incredible. It does make me happy though to know that these skills are still alive. Hard to see what you've posted though, it's very cloudy, well, it is on my screen, can you post some more please. Linda

Redhide is used for things that cop a beating. I've made some bridle reins from it & they are my knock about reins. When I first used a new set on my old grey boy it rained & the dye came out all over his neck. He was a very pretty pink for a while. They wear really well & never need oiling. It's also used for stockwhips, but not the fancy ones, it's used for the working whips, the ones that could get covered in mud & cow dung. Yes it is alum tanned cowhide. Linda

Don, where did you get it made? Linda

goodie it worked! Ok you are looking at a sequence where I've just taken one from the left & gone round the back to go under one, over two on the right. The next move would be to take the right hand lace & take it round to go under two, over one. Linda