bruce johnson

Rob, Sometimes what looks like rust will come off with a little WD40 and fine steel wool. I use a soft wire wheel if need be and follow that up with the loose sewn cloth wheels. Looks like you've got some goodies there. Any maker's names on them?

Doug, I am with Keith. I would scoop out in front of the cantle and make it pretty level more of the way forward. I leave my ground work mostly full in the middle of the cantle and transition to make a curve rather than an abrupt angle. I usually try to get my flattish spot starting at the cantle corners. I carry it forward to pretty near the back stirrup slot if I can. I make the front rise come up from there. I tend to like a little flatter seat with a narrower pinched front rise than some guys for a general using saddle. Attaching a couple pictures that kind of show the seat profile I go for. The roughout is the first customer ordered saddle I did. The other one is a few years ago. Rundi shot this picture at a sale, I would like to think the saddle seat is the reason he is smiling.

Dang buddy, between your saddle shop apprenticeship and cowboying apprenticeship, you've run into some bad luck. Where are these places at so someone else doesn't jump into the same puddle?

Barra, There hasn't been anything released yet. If it is like last year, he really didn't start to finalize much class wise until after the Wickenburg show, which is going on right now. If you haven't been, it is a good show with a lot of vendors. Worthwhile to spend the better part of a day at the Don King Museum. Nice to visit Barry King's shop and see how tools are made. Tom Balding has a bit and spur shop around the corner, and it is interesting too. A couple of social deals - Kings on Thurs night and Sheridan Leather Outfitters on Fri night. The unorganized socials are at the Mint (across from Kings downtown) and the Holiday Inn.

I am with Barra. There is something kind of cool to think you are using something for sure that is over a hundred years old, and it still is tight. I had a lapse yesterday morning. I realized the dichotomy of using a neon orange plastic handle screwdriver to set the blades on Hansen and Randall splitters. I got a $5 wooden slab handled screwdriver at an antique store out of guilt. It looked better laying next to them this morning.

Not to divert this into a discussion of whose leather is best but here is my experience. Usually I have a pretty good idea if there is rawhide in it when I cut it and the round knife rises up out of the cut or the draw gauge hits the wall. I guess I have cut more rawhide in domestic leather than the imports I've cut. Some I have salvaged by oiling it before I go to sewing. As far as the urine smell, he did a series of articles in ShopTalk on some of the Mexican and Argentine tanneries a few years ago. Apparently there is a tree in central America that imparts this odor into the leather, and some tanneries use it and some don't. Whether someone is really using urine, don't know. I don't really lump all the import vegtans together. I have not had that smell in anything I have used. I had some really great tooling sides from Teneria for a while. Some fell off in the heavier weights though. I have likewise had some outstanding Argentine sides too. I liked leather from two US tanneries that closed, and what I am getting now is closest to either of them that I can find.

Clay, Very cool, or warm as the case may be. Rundi likes them too, but said I can't make any unless we move up to where the arctic blasts come through. That ain't likely. We both remember growing up in it.

I am not seeing any different format on my end here. I'll alert someone more computer literate and see if they can help you out. We aims to please.

Doug, Both of the stamps on my scan came from Barry King. Edit - Clarification - Both of the stamps on the right side came from Barry King. I had him make me up the rope stamp, the waffle stamp is his regular ol' order it and get it.

I think it has been pretty well discussed that low end stamps serve a purpose and fill a niche. For me they have let me try some different patterns with minimal outlay. I could run a $5 triweave and see that I don't like it much in my hands. The walking tools tend to be more forgiving and can be cleaned up easier. For me where the quality crosses the line is on set stamps - baskets, geometrics, borders, etc. You only get one hit and the impression is what it is.

I got in on the tail end of the Tandy X-1, and I think still have part of a quart left. The LF manager who told me about it said it was one of their better products and slower movers. Originally it was put out by Drake's. At some point Tandy or TLF got the rights and I don't know if the formula was the same. Many of these chemicals have changed formulas a few times in the past. Changing formulas is nothing new. X-1 seems to be a colored finish. It gives a mellow finish with medium tan to light brown highlights. I am not sure if it is an acrylic or what kind of base for sure. It works out good for a finish on vegtan liners that you don't want to oil, but want them to color up some. It highlights crease lines. It was kind of an all-in-one product.

Josh, Not JW, but the roughout gives you a little better grip and keeps you from sliding around quite as much as a smooth out saddle. It also shows scratches less. JW, Another one with a great stamp job. What's going to be next, a triweave? Seems like you have mastered all the others so far.

Charlie, I usually quit oiling when I think it "needs one more good coat". I can't claim this is an original idea, a really old guy told me that once and it stuck with me. Old men are generally wise. I would leave it sit for a few days now and then come back and look at it. I like the Williams. Seems like it gives me a better feel without getting sticky. Let it sit a day and it really buffs up to a pretty mellow finish.

Bubba, It isn't stealing or we'd all be in jail. One of my customers was sitting in the shop several years ago and complaining about powder getting on his watch and wallet when he put them in the well of the can. He asked me how come rope cans didn't have a pocket. Ummm, they did after that night. About a month later someone asked for a strap with a hoofpick pocket, and that was easy enough. This was about the same time that the catalog guys were selling the powder holders that hung off the back dee ring. Pretty unhandy to have it flopping around back there and maybe catching your leg on it getting across. I just stuck one down to the strap. Some of the first ones went to Texas and Oklahoma with some guys who were out here for the spring rodeos. That fall, Casey told me the outfit in Vinita OK was trying the powder pockets on straps, and when we went to the NFR a few guys were selling them.

I get them from Jerry Van Amburg at www.vanamburgleathers.com.

I use Oster A5 clippers with #10 blades.

So how does this royalty deal work? Does this make Johanna the Queen Mother?

Doug, Not sure what Weaver's prices are. I have some from Big Sky Tool and Die in Gwinn, Michigan and Texas Custom Dies in Mansfield Texas. The Big Sky were their standard dies, and I got two simple customs from Texas Custom Dies. There have been some previous threads that have mentioned other sources too. There seems to be a lot of die makers who make them up too.

Tim, It is just as frustrating for them not to have it. The last shipment they got had spots on it. I like the DT for rope bag gussets - just the right mix of body to keep them from collapsing and flexibility to reach into the bag. I ran into the same deal on the black before Christmas. I had an order for a black rope bag. I ended up and hunted around and found some black oiltan at TLF that was a distressed type look. I overdyed it with black spirit dye and it really came out well. Hidehouse has some similar leather. I picked some brown up for a friend a couple weeks ago. The invoice calls it "velva oiltan".

George, I use something like 8/9 usually. Sometimes I will use light skirting, but skive the edges down to that thickness.

Luke, I will pass along your sentiments to Dave. We are driving down to Visalia Saturday night to see him. There is a little coffee joint they clear out and set up chairs. Seats about 40 and they get some pretty good entertainers in there between bigger shows. Very tight setting and worth the 3 hour road trip. Kevin, I go back to the Ian and Sylvia days, and the first song I think I heard was Un Canadien Errant. I don't understand a lick of French and probably spelled it wrong, but that one got me. The new Ian Tyson is different. He had a throat deal and ended up with a permanent gravely kind of voice now. It took a guy who always sang smooth as silk and gave him an earthy kind of edge. The writing is good and I am not sure if I like the new one more for the reality of his voice or the music.

Doug, No idea what brand. The only label is the safety deal - wear eye protection, etc. I think it had some stickers in the bag o' parts, but they are long gone. I have had it a couple years at least. It is Chinese, but that is about all I know.

Mary, This is one of the few forums where suppliers are encouraged to join. Discussion about them and from them is allowed, including new products, contact info, and experiences. Feel free to post an intro about your self and your business in the introduction and supplier sections. If you have stuff to sell, there is a "Marketplace" section as well. There is a mix of people here from new beginners to those who have spent a lifetime in the business. We all buy and use stuff. Welcome. Edit: As Jordan pointed out, it is safer to either post your contact info in a hyper-link or spell it out (i.e. joesleather at domain dot com) tp slow the harvesters down.

Doug, I would look it over pretty well. Seems like when I was looking the HF all had the ram welded on crooked. For me I wouldn't go hog wild on one. There has to be some other sources of them in "the cities" too. Check out "industrial supplies". Most farm shops have one, and a local farm supply/hardware supply might be able to get you one too. As far as size, I think the Weaver benchtop hydraulic press is 5 tons. I got the 20 ton because it was not much more, and someone on another list had recommended 20 tons. I think at one time I was told the general recommendation was 200# minimum per inch of rule. The other thing is to make sure the plate you put on top of the die covers the whole die or you could bend it. Mine are 1" thick, but I would bet a guy could get by with 1/2" easy enough.

Doug, I bought it at a local industrial supplier, kind of like Harbor Freight without the line of bargain bins down the aisles and brands you have heard of. They are a one or two location outfit. It was about $15 more than HF. Thanks for the compliments on the site and work. It is all in progress.