bruce johnson

Ross, For intermediate priced tools, Barry King. Here's a link - Barry King Tools I would tend to go for one of the larger sizes of beads. I think they are easier to learn with and more distinctive. I had a set of smaller ones. To be honest, after I finished you almost had to use a lens to see if it was bargrounded. From any distance it just looked matted. Best instructions for using them is probably "Sheridan Style Carving". Several leather suplliers sell that book.

Luke, I have good feedback from customers with the chrome elk I have put on for them.

It probably depends on which type edger you prefer. I had a set of Ron's round bottom edgers and they were good. My regular users are the bisonettes from Bob Douglas. I have a bisonette from Barry King too. I'd think a 2, 3, and maybe a 4 from Bob or Barry would cover your bases, plus a bent edger for slots.

Ryan, Thanks for the info. Both of the ones I have now are Rex 27s and I haven't run across any with the 6 point anvils. Then again they have been with old groups of tools sold as a lot. I'll get a 6 point to fill out an order so I can have that setup next time I order. Another question on the mechanical side. I had never really done any checking into the Rex 27. Last night I ran across a Model T forum and a few other places that they talked about the Rex 27 being used for brakes. On one forum they were using them for the old Ford tractors too - 8N, 9N, and some others. Did Rex have a different riveter design for brakes back in the day, and now they are making do with the 27?

Mark, Good job with that rope stamp and the pattern of the headstall and straps. I like that untwisted look down low.

Ryan, The anvils on both of the riveters I have now just have the center post and the trough all the way around. When I try to set the self piercing tubular rivets, they pierce alright. The problem is that they will roll a little bit into the trough, kind of like a an eyelet but not that much of a rim. It doesn't split the clinch at all. Sound right? Or are there rivets that are scored or something to split and I had "rollers" instead of "splitters"? About the only time I use these are a repair on something that the other rivets are split into the six legs that roll and clinch. I stick the tubular rivet into the Rex and press just enough for it penetrate the leather. Then I take it out and split and finish it with the hand tool that splits the tube on an anvil. I can punch a hole and just use the handtool, but I don't have that little plug of leather in the pivet center and it looks odd.

I have never seen a manual for any of the old splitters, but I've had a few Krebs style. There are a several of us on here with them, so we can probably figure out most of the common things.

Kate, I have a couple of them sitting around here. An old guy told me that they originally were mostly used for auto repair. They were used to rivet the replacement bands into the brake systems of old Fords about 90 years ago. They had a tubular rivet setup and you dropped the rivet into the spring loaded tube on the bottom. Push the handle and it set the rivet against the splash on top. That would explain why they are so common, this was almost a DIY project back in the day apparently and about everybody had one. I have never pursued it, but a while back someone mentioned you might can get get a top anvil from Beilers that will split the rivet into the six part star. I have started the tubular rivets with the Rex, and then finished them off with the hand tool that makes the star. It worked OK for no more of those than I do.

Good Picture Josh. Last night we drove down to Visalia and saw Dave. I'd have to say one of the best times we have seen him. A great mix of songs, he did "West of Laramie" for me (again), and trotted out several new songs. There are some good ones in the pipeline.

Biggest PIA orders I deal with. I don't put a makers stamp on mine anymore because I don't want anyone to know I occasionally cave in and do them. Basically get an idea of the bottle sizes they are carrying and use those for a pattern. Most of the time mine have the bottles and syringe carried on the left and a normal saddle pocket on the right. It never fails, they swear they only pack two 250 ml bottles of whatever. They carry a 30 cc syringe. You make them up and all is right with the world. For a week. Then they decide to pack a 100 ml Banamine, a 100 ml Baytril, and a 250 NuFlor. They expect you to just change out pockets and make them fit. Oh yeah, they are using some 12 cc syinges now too, add a pocket for that. I did a set for a guy who had 2 100s, a 250, and a 500, plus a 30 ml and 60ml syringe, and a balling gun on the left side. On the right was a pocket for boluses and tags, tagging pliers holder, fence plier holder, and a holder for two colors of chalk. When I was done it looked the garage pegboard with tool outlines like old guys do. He went to a different tag system a month later and the pliers pocket was too small. TDB. A few warnings. Make the bottle pockets so they can turn the bottles right side up when they are not doctoring. Once the rubber stoppers get hard and they shove a few 16 ga needles through them, a lot of expensive medicine can be lost a drip at a time hanging there. Those little needle pockets look nice, but don't last very long, they get hard and the needle covers get stuck inside. Elastic "bullet loops" for boluses hold the elasticity for about a month. Then the boluses all fall out on the ground. Make the pockets slightly oversized so they can tape the bottle with duct tape and newspaper before they stick it in. That makes it easier and safer to get the broken bottle out when the horse slams the bag against the door jumping in or out of the trailer or squeezing through a gate. Best piece of advice - sell them on the virtues of a cantle bag.

Hansen's sell direct if you have a resale number. Weaver also stocks a limited amount of their conchos, and several shops stock their silver. For me, they are just across town, so I can pick up whatever I need that way. They have a new website, and here's the link - Hansen Western Gear .

Another vote for Hansens.

I have a similar old one by a different maker I got in a set of tools last fall. It is not as versatile as a round knife. Where it shines is long sraight lines. All that belly of the knife in the leather will really make it track. Lay it over at an angle and all that blade on the glass makes it a good skiving knife. I ended up and did sharpen the top forward edge of mine to see how I liked it for curves. I didn't. I either like to push a round knife or pull with a hook blade knife with more hook than this one.

It depends on how much you plan to use it, what kind of leather, and how much you want to spend. If I could only have one or was buying new - it would the be the Keystone from Campbell Randall. It is a twist handle model like the Osborne 84. That style is the most versatile. I like splitters a lot, and here's a link to some of the oldies I have and some explanations of them - Old Splitters Each of these kind of have a special area they shine. If I could only have one it would be the Krebs style I guess. Second would be a Chase. Third would be a crank skiver for laps or a Spittler or twist handle for longer laps.

Paul Krause will know for sure. I am thinking it is a variation of a Star welt knife. That is what I have seen it called when I was going through a boot shop a while back.

Constructively, I like mine with two different types of grooves. My favorite is one that has a full 180 degree arc in the groove, not so much of a "V" as some of your grooves. It gives a round edge top to bottom. The other one I like has a 90 degree arc then a flat spot then another 90 coming out. The edges that result from that one are more of a just rounded over look. I don't use points much, but when I do, something like the Weaver design works well. I usually use an old chewed up one of those by hand. It has two diameters with a step down.

I don't think I have seen anyone retailing Weaver's own line of tools or chemicals. About everything they sell is available directly from the maker or from other retailers. If you want one of Weaver's own products, probably the best way would be to put the word out or let some who regularly buys from Weaver know. They could piggyback your stuff to their order.

Josh, Good job, buddy Sounding like a broken record again, but I am really amazed at your progress. Congrats on these and looking forward to seeing the rest of what you are making for them.

Another good one, JW. I like that pattern a lot, and you pulled off another one that can give me fits sometimes. I see you are a fan of latigos on both sides too.

I've seen them sell from $5 to $35 or so. You grip them about like a pen, but that is about as far as it goes. I borrowed one when I had a hand injury a few years ago. I think there is a bigger learning curve than a swivel knife. The cutting tip swivels, so the actual tip is out on the end. It is like pulling a long trailer that cheats on turns. You have to make an exaggerated movement to keep the tip on the line on curves. It does large curves and straight lines alright. By the time I got pretty adequate with the one I was using, I was healed up. It got me by in a bad spot, and I appreciated that.

Scott, I do figure 2-1/2 sides per saddle, and that allows for things like a breast collar too. I can usually find some fillers and ground seat pieces in the scrap bin and use two sides. That figurees into two sides plus some. For a guy without the scrap bin, you probably will need to start with three sides and generate your own. The Bill Gomer DVDs are sold by Hidecrafter and Weavers. I am not sure if Bill sells them directly. Harry Adams book is sold by his daughter. One of them was selling it for a while, and I think I read that now his other daughter took that over. Here's a link I just found -Harry Adams Book .

I would agree with the Stohlman and Harry Adams books as pretty much a given. Bill Gomer's DVD is pretty good, but Jeremiah Watt's is more complete with more "Here's why you do this" along with the "Here's how you do this". Dale Harwood's DVD is very good, but assumes experience already. One thing I would add to your list of materials is at least another side of skirting. You will get into it.

Harvey, I make my outside first and then do the insides.

Good design Mark. I really like how that borderline becomes the stem. Clean job all the way around.

Finding out a little more about your splitter today. Landis did make a similar one, and thoughts are it predates the Landis 30. There is one of the old Landis style crank splitters on Ebay with a bunch of pictures. Other than the bottom frame casting, it looks pretty similar. Here is the Ebay listing link - Landis Splitter on Ebay . The Landis 30 and the Americans I have had all were similar and have two set screws that go down through nuts on top to level the top roller. The other views of the Landis on Ebay doesn't show anything like that. I have heard from a few guys in the past that most of the crank splitters were factory set that 6 oz equivalent was zero. They were set up to split and level shoe soles. To go thinner for other use a guy either cranked down the set screws on the adjusting bar or replaced them with longer screws if they were too short. He suspects there must be some way to adjust the top roller or make it go thinner. Most all of the other crank splitters had a way to adjust the top roller height for wear, but he just can't recall on the style you have. ShopTalk might have a manual, and Campbell-Randall might be someone to contact also.