bruce johnson

I know Bob has had the boxes before in the past. Are the tools in the box or just the horse? Most of these have had the tools removed and just the box that makes into a horse. Still kind of cool. I passed on one at a military collectible shop with just the horse at $400. He said he usually gets them sold for $375-450 depending on condition. He told me he sold one with all the tools in it for $1800.

I sure like Kayak's system, that simplifies things a lot. One thing I'd say about me keeping track of the "big ticket" items is that it keeps me closely in tune with price changes in those materials throughout the year. That helps in a couple ways. It helps me figure my pricing for finished products. Also I get an idea of trends on how much of something like glue or oil I use in a year. Is it worth buying by the gallon or the quart next time, case or singles? I probably have about 40 individual things I keep track of, so it is not all that hard to keep current on.

I assume you are taking about the COGS sold inventory part on your Schedule C and not estimating pricing. When I was setting up the book keeping my advisor told me it was not as important exactly how you count the beans or which ones as long as you count them the same way from year to year. YMMV. I keep separate sheets on the things I choose to inventory. Each weight and type of leather has its own sheet. Same with things like dye, oil, and conditioners. I inventory my leather by the sq ft on the invoices. At the end of the year I eyeball how much I have left and count that. On liquids I go by the half bottle. If it is less than a half I don't count it. Hardware like saddle dees, I count by the piece. Small parts like rivets are turned over several times a year so I don't count individual nails or Chicago screws. I just count those purchases for the year.

. Suggestions from past overoilings have been - wrapping in paper, sawdust, kitty litter (oil-sorb clay litter), and other absorbants. Washing with Dawn will remove some oil. GoJo has been suggested too. Like Brent said, none of these are going to be fast. Not to sound like a wise-a**, but the fastest way is going to be just making it over.

If there is a number 85, then it is a CS OSborne blade for sure and little doubt the whole thing is an Osborne. The blades are not very interchangeable between the different makers of these. On the Krebs labeled ones they are not always interchangeable between themselves.

If there is no tags on it, there is a good chance it is a CS Osborne. I have had Krebs tagged ones with an oval tag on the frame next to the drum. The JD Randalls have a tag on the right side of the frame. The Osbornes are stamped on the blades, usually a number "85" and CS Osborne..I am trying to think if any had maker lettering as part of the casting. Not sure on that. I am also not for sure when Osborne stopped making them. They recently started making a version of them again.

I bought a Boss not too long after they came out. At that time the only machines that could sew anything close cost over $5000. I used the snot out of it. I did belts, saddles, tack, spur straps, checkbooks, purses and everything from thin to thick. I did a lot of doubled and stitched latigo reins. It was easy to learn - my son and wife sewed a lot for me. Eventually I got a used Adler and sold the Boss. I'd agree with Art, after a guy has handsewn a mile or two, the Boss was like a joining the space age. That got fatiguing after a while too though. Getting the Adler was a similar step up. The big advantage of the Boss is the lack of space needed and no power requirements. If you are learning to sew, the ultimate control is a plus. That was also before the servo motors were affordable too. I don't begrudge the Boss back then,. If I was doing it now, with the servo motors and the lower costs on the powered machine, I'd go with one of them over a Boss. No question.

To answer your question - yes those nails are used. I see them in several saddles. The Dale Chavez saddles (not to be confused with Robert Chavez) were a production made saddle and I had a trophy saddle from them. One of the worst riding saddles I ever rode until I sold it. The lady that bought it needed shorter fenders. I made the fenders a lot narrower and took out some of the forweard stirrup slot to help them at least have some forward reach. It rode a little better.. The stirrups were still sort of behind me though. They are usually tooled OK for the patterns they use. Edges are barely beveled, edge dye slopped over some. More than one has had the swell cover not molded very well and wrinkles down low that showed. Normally a sofa foam padded seat. They are a show saddle and were in the mix with the Silver Mesas and the other rail riding saddles.

Andrew, If you just want to clean it, then take the blade off and have somebody steam clean it. Mechanics usually have a steam cleaner. Oil it up well afterwards. If you want to take it down and repaint the frame and parts that gets a lot more involved in a hurry. There are all kinds of little fasteners that hold them together - square keys, set screws, etc. It has been about a year since I stripped one down, so I can't remember off the top of my head what fasteners are where on them.

Awesome. One question, where is the leather storage? On another note, there are a few of us that have bandied about definitions for the terms "studio" vs. a "shop". Guys, this is a studio.

Clay, I am sure sorry to hear that and my condolences too. I know you were very close. You have honored him well with your friendship and your work, as well as passing on what he has shared with with you. Bruce and Rundi

I have bought tooling leather in weights, skirting, latigo, chap, oiltan, bison, a horsefront, and apron splits off the top of my head from Maverick. They carry Horween, Thoroughbred, Wickett and Craig. They are a couple hour drive away, and I have made a few trips over or stopped by when we have been in the area. Most of the time I phone order and am close enough for next day delivery. You talk to live people on the phone. What they tell me is what I get.

You boot and shoe guys amaze me. That is just way too cool to be able to do that and come out looking just as nice. Congrats on a great job!

It is not a stamp, but some people use an overstitcher on cased leather.

Andrew. Some of the blades are flat and some are slightly hollow ground. I go off the back edge of the bevel and the tip to set my angle. Sometimes I am doing the whole face if flat and sometimes it is just the first bit of the blade and the back edge if it was hollow ground.

If you have it stored in a cool place it may also be spew that is a waxy kind of feel that can seep out of the leather when cold. Some of the oils and waxes in the leather can solidify and sit on the surface. A quick and easy way to tell is to hit the piece with a little heat like a hair dryer. If it melts and soaks right in, it is spew and not a concern. If it sits there, probably mold.

Andrew, I would at least clean up the rollers on it. The bottom one will come out easily. You can wipe them with either some steel wool or fine wet-dry.

Knut, The length dpends on the diameter of the horn neck and how many wraps you like to go. I make my post horn wraps about 1-1/2" and the dally horn wraps about 1-1/4". I skive thedges down to about 3-4 oz. Thinner edges can tear out. By the time I have cranked them on and then run a choke strap around they are pretty flush.

I have had both and more. The American feeds from the back and the Landis feeds from the front. The frame on the Landis is a little beefier but both are durable. The American had a pointer and scale for the adjustment and the Landis has "detent clicks" on the model 30. The click settings are nice, but I've run a bunch more through Americans and Champions and they work well too. If I had to pick between two in identical condition and same price, I'd get the Landis. Otherwise it would depend on the condition differences vs. price difference.

That parallel crease wiuth a border can be done a couple ways. 1). Like Luke mentioned an edge creaser is the tool designed for that. One ridge longer than the other to ride down the edge and the other ridge presses in the crease. These creasers come in a few varieties. The single line creasers make one line parallel with the edge. There are two ranges of sizes. The normal creasers are usually numbered 1-6. There is a wider set that is called layer creasers that are across the board wider and likewise numbered 1-5. I usually have quite a few creasers on hand. edit - There are also double line creasers that will make two crease lines parallel with the edge. 2). The other option is a two stage process. You can use either a stitch groover or wide beveled swivel knife in a border guide to cut a line. Then go over the line with a tickler or beveled tickler to burnish the line. Ticklers are pretty easily had also.

I hate to say this, but it was just practice and doing a ton of them. You really have to tip the stamps for the partial impressions and that is hard on cheap stamps. I bought 6 Hidecrafters one time at a show and George Hurst thought I was nuts. I had gone through that many at least before, and I derstroyed all of those eventually too. I use the rope border a lot. This Barry King I had made is looking the same as when I got it. He has it a stock stamp now I think.

Peter John, "There was movement at the station, for the word had got around, that the colt from old Regret had got away...". I pretty well had it commited to memory a few years ago. Other ones of his I like are "Clancey of the Overflow" and "The Geebung Polo Club". I also like Will Ogilvie's "Hooves of the Horses".Somebody will be reading that at my funeral someday. I read a lot of Robert Service too. My favorite modern poet is Joel Nelson. "Breaker in the Pen" is a good one. I think "The Men Who Ride No More" is pretty powerful. Hard to pick favorites on his CD though, I think they are all good ones. Cheers, Bruce P.S. Here's a link to Songs of Horses on Google books (free one!) - http://books.google.com/ebooks/reader?id=gStLAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader . No Rest For The Horse is page 81.

Yes I have tried it on round knives and point knives. I figured a thinner blade with a razor edge would cut easier. It does for about a foot. I chipped out edges and rolled edges on some pretty good steel if I cut leather with any resistance to it. That was my experience. I do have a flat ground skiving knife from England. It is flat ground on one side. It is great for skiving soft chrome tan. That is the only thing I use it for. If you are doing a lot of chrome tan, I'd do it. It is not so bueno for vegtan. I was taught to sharpen my knife at one angle on a stone or wet-dry, and then do a few passes at a higher angle to make a secondary bevel. It can be very slight and still back up that fine edge. Herb French has a handy little book on sharpening leather tools. You can probably still get it from Sheridan Leather Outfitters. A few years back somebody mentioned this link - Sharpening A Convex Edge here on the forum. Basically it is an infinite secondary bevel. This edge has been the best in my hands. Easy to do and way better cutting and edge life than anything I have done before. I don't have this belt lift - Belt Lift, but those who do like it. I do mine a bit different but get the same effect. There used ot be a youtube video on it, but it was taken down. To reiterate, this is not the same as having a blade with a lot of shoulder. This is at the very edge. The blade still needs to bevel some to the edge. I use stones to take down shoulders and profile. I use a slack belt to do the final edges.

Pete, One of my interests in life is reading and collecting old poetry. You have quoted part of one of my favorites. The only place I have seen that particular poem in print is a 1920 book called "Songs of Horses". He lists the author as anonymous. Any idea who might have written it? Randy Rieman does a good job reciting it, but he got it from the same book I did. A couple years ago he still didn't know who wrote it either.

We all have our favorites, but there are at least a couple other makers not mentioned yet to consider too - Henley and Chuck Smith (Ol Smoothie).