bruce johnson

Randy, I have done exactly one, so am no expert. I talked with a guy who has a family-run store beforehand. They were sourcing out the the glass engraving and leather lasering. He just got one, but knew the nuts and bolts of it. Basically laser on unoiled leather, the oil will bring out the darkening even more. I have attached a planner I did. It was a bit scarey, because I did the tooling first, and then took it over to her. I was dang sure hoping she had it set up so the engraving would come out centered, it did. I wasn't relishing the idea of doing it over. It turned out pretty well.

Randy, I am 47, I just sound crotchety some times. Steve, I am pretty sure you are not going to see any selection of machines near you. As Art has posted, there are some places who will sell a beefed home machine that can do thin soft leather, and call it a leather machine. They list them like that on ebay all the time. For the caliber of machine to do leather right, the new machine sellers are in Ohio, Montana, Idaho, and California. Most of these companies ship and deal direct on the dedicated leather machines. Most of the sewing machine shops, even the industrial shops in bigger cities, only deal with the occasional heavier stitcher. If they don't have a tech who has experience with them, you are better off to wing it with a manual and telephone. Leather machines and timing are an area of their own. If you want to go the used route, there are some sellers in about all parts of the country.

Steve, I am envious of all you "young guys". In the good old days of my leather youth, I went got tendonitis in both elbows from handsewing. The day I couldn't brush my teeth the choices were $1600 for a relatively new stitcher called a Boss - no attachments, 10 needles, and a skinny spool of thread or the next step up that was equivalent cost $5000. Nothing in between. Today there are the line of Artisan 3000 ands 4000s, Ferdco 1010, 2020, and Pro 2000 for cylinder arms. Flatbeds have always been around, but there are more and better ones. Motors are a big step forward from a few years ago. Don't I sound like a crotchety old man? Seriously, there are a ton of choices out there now, and it is daunting to look at the ads and advice given here and other places and figure it out. First thing I would say is you need to define what you will be sewing - flat goods can go on either a cylinder arm or flatbed machine. The thickness will determine how much capacity you need, add more capacity than you think you need. Case goods almost have to be done on a cylinder arm. There are some great used machines out there, if you know what you are looking at. If you have never sewn, I would recommend new. You will get support from the seller that way, they want you happy. Some of us have had good dealings with one company or another. A picture of my shop shows whose I like. Others have machines from several sellers. I would highly recommend that if you are serious about a machine, have little experience with even a home fabric machine, no expereince with a leather machine, and want to make the most informed decision - go to Sheridan in May. Everybody is there - Luberto, Artisan, Ferdco, Weaver. There are other guys not there who sell machines - Cowboy, Neel, Sewmo, some new ones in the magazines and on ebay, but Artisan, Weaver, and Ferdco have been in it for the long haul, and Luberto's machine is a bit different but works for some guys. Compare the different machines, sew on them, talk to them, and learn their names. Kick someone out of the stool if they are just resting and step on the gas. Drive them and get a feel. You don't have to buy one there, but you will see more in one place than anyplace else. Plus it is a cool town and great time.

Tony, It is some variation of a Chase pattern splitter. I like them - easy to adjust, very even skives, no chopping, blade is protected and so are your fingers, and they just look cool on the bench. They are so much fun to use, I have about given up turning the crank on my American splitter. I have not seen one quite like that though. I have two Osbornes, an 8" and 10". Horn also made them, HF Osborne I think, CS Osborne for sure, and no doubt others. Is there any name on the blade or under the frame somewhere? I have heard they haven't made the Osbornes in that pattern for at least 50 years, and I would bet longer. I sent the picture on to a few guys are pretty sharp on these relics and will see what they say. If I don't find out there, I will show it to my old buddy, who is a relic.

I see a "tissue moment" in the making here. My wife will need one when I just show her the picture and the story. That is a great idea, a great job on it, and I am sure your friend will cherish it for a long time.

Johanna, I am thinking it was you who mentioned Powertoy Image Resizer somewhere. If it was, I owe you one. If not, I still owe you one, just not over this. It is the simplest one I have found to resize pictures. Right click on the picture. A drop menu shows up, click resize. It gives me a choice of small, medium, or large. Choose and thats it. It puts the resized pic in the same folder with the reduced size designation. It was a free download, and worth every penny.

Paul, I have used quite a few of the Veach buckles. I was a fairly early customer. There is actually a topic on this in the saddle section under the "saddle supplies tools, and trees" subtopic. Unfortunately Ben has sold the rights to the buckles. Apparently this buyer is not planning to sell them outside of their use at this time. Brackney's has closed the store where Ben worked, and he has moved shop to a farm south of Greencastle. I talked to Ben and he wouldn't/couldn't say who bought the rights, and I have to respect his confidentiality and didn't push it. Eventually it will come out who has them. There are a few makers who used them a lot who are out on this deal too. G-G was using them and Randy and Dennis may have got the last of them. Circle Y was putting them on some too. I had some barrel racers and a few cutters that really liked them. I liked them OK, but didn't put them on everything. I put a lot of Nevada twist leathers on the workers and ropers, and they don't work for that. They really shined for the short leg rider, they rode over a latigo easily, and twisted in a shorter length. If you have any 2-1/2 " ones to sell, I am interested. I put the last pair on two weeks ago, and got a spare pair from a buddy that I found yesterday.

Wow, I really like the mecate. You can twist some hair now. Great colors and pattern. Rawhide work looks good too.

Skip, My travelogue for Sheridan, 1). King's Shop/museum - after the shop, go out the backdoor, across the alley and into the rope, saddleshop and museum. I have visted the museum twice before during show times. I have never felt rushed, but kind of kept moving. This last time I was there a few hours, and if I wanted to look at something for 10 minutes, I did. 2). Sheridan Leather Outfitters - Good selection of leathers. Stamping tools from a couple makers. Hand tools from several makers, new and used. Good selection of saddle hardware and finishes. Probably one of the best selections of using exotics of any single shop in the country. Saddle trees, but the demand usually outstrips the supply. Good people to deal with. 3). Barry King - Barry makes stamp tools, mauls, and handtools. Impressive machinery. He will give you the tour, and has a display area with most everything in stock and for sale. Another good guy to deal with. 4). Tom Balding's Bits and Spurs. - Handmaker of bits and spurs. I am biased here too. Last year we prearranged a spot for some custom spurs for my wife during the leather week. She went over there during her lunch break on Monday from her class and designed them. We picked them up on Thursday. They will gladly give you a tour. Probably would be glad to write up an order while you are there. 5). The Mint - local color and flavor. Neat bar, very cool backbar, and historic pictures on the wall behind you. The obligatory wildlife head mounts and snakeskins for decor. Happy hour(s) prices I am glad to report are still $3.25 for call drinks.

Annie, Sheridan Leather Outfitters have them, along with a good selection of other saddle hardware. Phone Number is (888) 803-3030.

Pella, Usually Weaver has been among the best for hardware for me. They all can get a bad batch or are trying a new source. Pretty sure none of the big sellers are casting their own, they are buying it. The metal market has skyrocketed in the last few years too, and that may be a factor. The last order I made for hardware from Walsall in Phoenix, AZ was pretty good. I threw in some brass and italian bronze to fill out the order, and it was surprisingly good. I hadn't ordered from Walsall for a few years. No particular reason, just filled orders from other places, but they had a back cinch buckle that looked cool (it is). When I ordered before from Walsall, you would have to buff up one occasionally or it would have a casting pit. It was priced good enough to toss a few and still be ahead on the deal. The last stuff was all good. I am pretty sure none of these places are going to cherrypick hardware out of the bins for me, but my order was a step above what I got from them before.

Amy, A forum I am on is the honorable cordwainers colloquy. They have a website - www.thehcc.org. Originally I joined to pick up some info on machines and exotic leathers, stuff like that. These guys are mostly traditional handmakers from around the world. The more I am around them, the more I have decided to buy my boots and shoes, and stick to what I know. They are immensely helpful, very traditional, and particular. They are also quite a philosophical group. We have little post-its around the house of their quotes. There are a couple of first time makers on there, basically learning and getting a lot of help and advice from masters of the gentle craft. Kind of the transcending philosphy there in a nutshell is that "good handmade techniques are fundamental. If you choose to step down to factory methods later, then that is your call". I like looking at the pictures in the gallery section too. These people can inlay like nobody's business.

Pete, I darken all of my oil pretty much. I can get the color I want without overoiling. I use pure neatsfoot, and darken with Tandy ProDye. I am using the "old" spirit dyes that I stockpiled. No particular reason for the ProDye other than that is what I started with, I know which colors and concentrations do what, and what the mix will do with my leathers. The Feibings dyes of the same name were not even close in color to the ProDye, so I stuck with what I knew. They would have worked, but would have required some experimentation to get the same colors. I just mix the dye into the gallon of oil, and give it a shake. I am using mostly the medium brown and the dark brown. If you uncap the mix, the solvent evaporates off pretty fast, and then it can be recapped. I have used it straight after mixing with no problems too. This works with the Bee Natural oil too. I have used some in the past. I know the new water based dyes probably won't mix with the oil, so all this is a bit academic right now. Some guys I talked to are using (and have used for a while) wood stains for tinting. Once I start to run low on the dyes I have, I will be mixing and seeing. Wth all the product changes, I am not sure what Weaver is doing with their labeled products. I have usually found the phone reps less than knowledgable about products, and a bit reluctant to find out or refer me up the foodchain there. I have been told their mauls are made by Barry King - a local Amish craftsman.

Robert, Sounds like you have the basic controls figured out. As far as a manual, you might try ShopTalk. Website is www.proleptic.net. They seem to have manuals for several different leather machines. I am not sure if they are originals or reprints. The manual for my Fortuna is pretty ancient, and 60 pages. Bound tight and would crack if I tried to scan or copy it. Biggest issue would be getting the feet and possibly a feedwheel. I got mine from Arnold at Melanie Machine in Vernon, CA (Los Angeles). Oldcowpoke just joined here, and he deals in machinery, and might have a handle on things too. A lot of the ShopTalk advertisers for machinery might be able to help on parts, and maybe a manual too. I can't tell from your pictures, do you have an edge guide? That is pretty important to keep the edge at a constant point under the presser foot and even skives.

Brent, I have stopped skiving the edges to a feather edge for the reasons you have, especially on recover jobs like on cutters and barrel saddles that won't have mulehide or rubber over it. Some just don't seem to stay down for me, riders pick at them or they tear when I feathered them out. I leave the edges about a scant 1/16" thick now. By the time I have cranked them on and choked them down they are pretty flush and more inclined to not curl or roll. Rubbing around with a deerspike or tapping with a smooth hammer sets them flush too if there is still some case to the leather.

SmokinP, There are several basketstamp makers, and several styles of centers. You can go from the lower end TLF stamps to handmades. A little about my preferences with baskets first. I like the the centers to be pretty "crisp" and make a nice impression. I like the legs to be a medium thickness. Too thick and they tend to look more open. Too thin and they tend to cut the leather rather than compress it, especially on tipped impressions. The thinner legs are also less forgiving if you get a bit off on your lining up, they miss while a slightly thicker one will overlap and won't be as obvious. Thinner legs can also be a little stickier to run. I like the area between the the legs to be deep at the ends. Some of the off-the-rack stamps are and some aren't. The shallower the stamp, the more you just mash everything down, not just the center. I like the centers deep and the weave to pop up. Some makers make their baskets more rectangular than others. I like a middle of the road, not square but not excessively long. Size-wise to start off, a middle size is probably best. The TLF 511 equivalent is a pretty versatile size. I use the equivalent of the #500 on smaller things and the larger ones on others. I have a variety of centers. I have the lined centers, ropes, dots, diamonds, braids, and thanks to a pal, some with my initials and my wife's initials. Personally I like the lined centers, but use the others quite a bit too to mix it up. As far as makers, there are a bunch of guys making them. I have some old Craftools that are pretty good. I had some that I didn't like too. I would not spend all day hunting down a good one, though. I have a basket from Ellis Barnes that is a pretty good one, although just a bit thin on the legs and is slightly sticky. I like Barry King's the best. For the money (about $40), they are my best bargain in stamps. The stamps are made the way I like them shape and depth wise, legs are the thickness I like, and he has a variety of centers. Most of them he has in stock, so you aren't waiting forever to get them. He did a custom one with my son's brand in the center that is really cool, and only about $10 more than a normal. Jeremiah Watt has one with a little different center I will probably get when I see them next month. Wayne Jueschke has one that I will get next time I see him too. Bob Beard makes nice ones too. Once you get going with baskets, you will find some of the old line makers - Billy Woodruff, Don King, etc. that have collectible factor plus being users. My thoughts are to get medium sized, well made ones from a modern maker of your choice. Don't spend all day hunting down preletter prefix Craftools, McMillens, or whatever. Then if baskets work for you, find new centers you like or the collectors then. BTW, I kind of remember Custer Park as being near Kankakee? I think I bought some practice calves from a guy up there when I was going to school, but that was 25 years ago.

Ryan, Griff Durham and Chuck were corresponding on doing the book too, but it hasn't happened yet. When Griff was down here for the cowboy museum antique roadshow this summer, I asked him because I had heard the same thing. It has kind of been back-burnered. Griff has quite a lot of Visalia stuff. He has some saddles and stuff in his collection, but the paper is what is neat. He has a binder of original shop photos they took of each saddle as it was completed in-shop for their records. Also he told me he has the engraving plates they used to print the early catalogs too. I think Greg posted a while back that Chuck Stormes recently ended up with Stanley Dias's stamping tools.

Broncobuster, Alright so this is not very scientific, but it is cheap. If it is on just plain old oiled saddle leather and not too deep, I spit on my thumb and rub the scratch to burnish it.

I'm with Mike C. I have quite a few barrel racing clients. They really seem to like the Connie Combs barrel racer that Circle Y put out 20 years ago. The rawhide used to cover a lot of the factory saddles is thin, and usually bleached. It wears throught the grain layer pretty quick and then just rots. They usually want a leather horn cover put back on. It lasts longer and is usually more comfortable in the their hand. Unlike Mike, I toss the horn cap plate, because I always break the prongs or it was just held by a rawhide lip and has no fasteners. I remove the swell cover and do a traditional 3 piece horn cover. Bottom piece, filler layer to prevent rotation, and top cap and neck wraps. If it is a bare metal aluminum horn and not a rawhide covered horn - a tip. On a rawhide covered horn you tack the filler layer and it clinches on the metal cap. With a bare horn I drill and tap three holes through the cap. I then put countersinking machine screws through the filler and cut the excess flush underneath. This secures the filler. Many of these factory jobs with the leather covered horns don't have the filler and get loose - the filler is better. The skirts and swell covers are usually screwed and stapled, so removal is easy and pretty quick. As is replacement. I figure start to finish a 2 hour job, and the pieces all come out of the scrap bin. I haven't had someone want a rebraid for a few years. The Stohlman books, and Harry Adams book both show pretty clearly how to do the leather covers, but working with someone who has patterns already and has done a few is measurably more helpful. I haven't seen the rawhide braided cover illustrated anywhere, but it is pretty straightforward. I think most of what I take off are 3 or 4 strings on each end, so it is a normal 6 or 8 strand over 1/under 1 braid. Cut the strings far enough forward to get a tight braid to start, and it might take some staggered cuts to get it to lay right to start. It takes me twice as long to do a braided cover.

Ryan, I have two that come to mind. I was just in Sheridan last week and Sheridan Leather Outfitters have quite a lot of exotics. They had some nice elephant, ostrich, pretty sure shark, and others. Since they sell to the saddle trade, they are pretty in tune with it. I also have bought stingray, ostrich, frogs, and something that escapes me now from Jerry Van Amburg in Santa Monica. I started with him at the shows, but also have phone ordered from him. I haven't dealt with John Fong in SF, but some guys do. Jerry has a website - www.vanamburgleathers.com. He has been easy for me to deal with. I have bought elephant from both Jerry and a boot supplier called GH Leather in Houston. One thing with elephant is to buy panels (body leather). Some guys sell ears. I found the ears to be variable in thickness and even some pinholes looking at the shows.

Don, They reran the ranch rodeo series on All Around Performance Horse. I got to see the second go tonight, and they featured you and the saddle under construction. Congratulations again, and it is great to put a face to the name.

Ryan, Consider it done here. Thanks for the update. I hadn't heard much about Forrest in the last year, and was kind of wondering. In our little corner of the world, Shoup saddles are an icon. In the day, the powers that be out here either had a Shoup or VanCore. I hate to sound like a broken record, but some say that there are more good saddlemakers now than ever before. It is because they are standing on the shoulders of guys like this.

Ryan, I like the skiver, and use it more than I thought I would. Mine is a bottom feed Fortuna, which a lot of people told me would not work very well for what I wanted. The thing is, most of the skivers come with a stone feed wheel. They grip and feed soft chrometan leathers very well. On vegtan leathers they may spin, smoke and glaze up on the surface and not feed. Arnold set me up with the stone wheel, but also sold me a steel wheel. The steel wheel is like the feed roller on a crank splitter, it gets ahold. He also set me up with different roller presser feet for the vegtan to help feed. He was really helpful. DW Frommer referred me to him. I can use up heavier leather and skive the edges thinner to make checkbooks, and bible covers, etc- gouge the center fold, and leave it fuller in the middle to really get some depth. The thin edges make a cleaner look. I had some heavy mule hide that I was able to run through and split even enough that I could get use the top and skiving both for wraps. That was cool. Not an everyday using machine, but dang sure worthwhile. Come over and play with it. You can skive, and I'll come over there when you get the bandknife splitter.

Ryan, Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting. The saddle looks great. I especially like the way the carving flows around the meander on the back billets. Seeing some Visalia influence in the leaves and florals too. Nice, nice, nice.

Pete, There are several styles of splitters, and I am not sure which one you have. Is this a splitter with a handle like the Campbell-Randall, Osborne 84, or the one Ryan Neel is selling, or is it one with a thumb lever to release the pressure like the Osborne 86? If the strap is riding up the blade bevel, it may be a couple of things. The Osborne 84, and the TLF model have a brass bar that holds the strap down in front of the blade to help prevent the strap riding up the bevel. It also protects the blade from getting dull by hitting your finger and getting corrosion from the iron in your blood. If yours doesn't have the bar, you probably will need to hold the strap down. Even on the one with the holddown I had, I would occasionally chop a strap if I hit a hard spot, or the blade was a bit dull. Also a longer bevel on the blade will slice easier and be less likely to grab the strap. Most of the new ones have a fairly steep bevel. Regarding setting the roller height, that should be a solid setting. You shouldn't need to hold anything to keep it in place once set. Depending on the type of splitter, the position of the blade edge relative to the high point of the roller can make a serious difference. If the blade is behind the roller peak, they will chop pretty easily if you are pulling up a bit. All this said, I really prefer the Chase pattern splitters. They have top and bottom rollers the leather goes through right before it hits the blade. With both rollers, it is nearly impossible to ride up and chop a strap, easy to adjust if out of level, and easy to adjust height. They usually are not all that spendy compared to other splitters.