jcuk

I know of them but never had any leather from them, but think they may have a minimum order clause, a saddler i know told me they are quite pricey because i was looking at their latigo not many places here carry it. I tend to stick with what and who i know i like Sedgwick and what i get from Metropolitan. A few years ago Sedgwick nearly went to the wall Abbey and others in consortium saved them i think one was a German company cant say who though, Abbey have done that a few times Equus was another i know of. Here is a link to J.&F.J. Baker. never used them but its supposed to be really nice and strong but again pricey but nice to see a tannery still doing that way, may treat my self in the new year. Having said it was pricey not sure if their price list is up to date but it looks like its cheaper than Sedgwick so looking good for the new year me thinks. https://www.jfjbaker.co.uk

Its helps not perfect but good enough. Just remember if they are so long to hit the floor hold them enough to help the threads re-coil

When doing longer runs of hand stitching it helps if you drop both threads every now and then, it will recoil its self and then and then a quick re-wax. Hope this helps Jcuk

The links below is the type of leather i have used to make them, i used Sedgwick stirrup butts, never used John Whites but have used their bridle butts a while ago, nice leather hope it is still is. I would not go below 4.8mm also i use Metropolitan leather their heavy Bridle butts are 5mm but you have to ask for that weight. When i buy ready made billets all i do is stain the edges and mark the holes don't feel there is a need to edge shave them. https://www.abbeyengland.com/leather/stirrup-butts/ https://www.metropolitanleather.com/Buy-Leather/buy-equestrian-leather/Coloured-Old-English-Bridle-Butt Will add not trying to drum up trade for them just being honest these are my mine go to for my leather and as Metropolitan are a near enough drive i can choose the leather myself. I see Abbey also carry some Hermann tooling leather half tempted to see what it like even though i don't do any tooling should not think they have the best grade though. AA. Crack have Wickett & Craig leather also tempted, when reading on here about those two i think i would prefer Wickett & Craig. Hope this helps JCUK

No i was only saying i get them from Abbey because i was cutting mine from stirrup butts and ending up bits left over that were getting thrown in the scrape bin for later repairs but they slowly built up ended with loads of unused off cuts because they in reality probably odd lengths and could not be used for any thing other than other than splitting them down for use for making loops which i had plenty of scrape for that anyway. There might be somewhere your side of the pond that may sell them. When i first started this game i use to use a old billet as a template to mark the holes use a bigger awl for the holes only because funds were short i only had enough to buy enough tools to make a bridle, but now have a strap pricker for that job saves time, they do differ from pricking irons, i use heavy gauge tiger thread for mine its the only time i use man made thread other than if i am recovering rubber reins on the machine where i use poly, if hand stitching i use linen. When i did my training we were taught to use 6/18 linen thread doubled but i think because the saddle webbing is man made its more abrasive than the linen thread thats why i use tiger thread now but if i had no tiger would still use 6/19 linen simply because never had any issues with it. Hope this helps JCUK

Yes it can happen but its more likely it won't, maybe a rubber biscuit would help with that also i think i wound have stitched the rope as Jonas had asked just because of the feeling that rope could work loose or hardware failure so its twice secured. Another good place to source some good and hard to find hardware are ships chandlers. Hope this helps JCUK

Can i ask a question does the clamp slide through the Head collar loop freely only ask because i would be worried it would get stuck if pulled through Regard JCUK

The crease line is to give your work a more finished look. The way i was taught to make tack was to cut, mark, edge, stain, crease (Heat Crease) so when comes to stitch marking you lay the pricking iron just on the inside of the crease line as close as you can get prick the work to desired length. Once all your work is stitched re-stain and crease. Only time i have used a stitch groover was on some rolled work that was before i got the correct tool for burying your stitches for rolled work. Hope this helps JCUK

I first brought some Osborne tools about 30 years ago still have them now apart from one the Round knife the brass ferrel split so task someone if they could fix it unfortunately for me they made a complete bodge job of it so i contacted the place where i got the tools from (H. Webber and sons) about 20 years before to if they had replacement handles they ask me what was wrong and then said all Osborne tools have a life time guarantee send it back to them and they would replace it even though i told them that someone had messed the it up trying to repair it. So i did and they sent me a another one but it was no where near as good as the one i sent back like Bruce has already said the i would sharpen it and give it a good strop would not hold a edge, cutting was just okay but skiving was a pain and became bit dodgy so i put away and my better half treated me to Knipschield Texas Rosebud Round i have never had to sharpen this knife just strop and go. Fast forward a few years i went to one of my suppliers who was having an open day as they said there would be some bargains to be had and vat free too, so i went along and there was guest there you know all know him the one who does the saddle stitching videos. Anyway they also carried Osborne tools so had to have a look at those too looked at the Round because it looked different to mine pick it up felt more weighty in the hand and the steel looked better too, again as Bruce has said think they have upped there game where the knives are concerned and yes i was tempted to buy another but did hold off. The other Osborne tools i have are the American scratch compass great tool, Palm awl haft and some blades not really used them also got the leather skife pointless tool in my opinion but the star of the show is 86 splitter great tool still with the same blade. About five years ago saw a 84 splitter pretty cheap so also got that does the job but the build quality is a bit mmm the blade either side of the machine would split at different depths once you get to know it you just know which side of the blade to use, showed the blade to a farrier i know he laid it on a flat surface it was not level so quality control was not there also not so long ago brought a skirt shave you may know as a French edger its okay but no where as good as some old Dixons and Adams ones i have and not even as good as a Dixon copy i have. That being said about quality control it should be there, but think they have the same issues with that as Dixons had and maybe Blanchard are trying to compete with cheaper options coming out of the far east so as far i am concerned i will try and buy Osborne, Blanchard and Barnsley tools along with the old Dixons and other old makers which to me are proper workmen tools yes rough and ready not pretty but will do the job in the right hands. I for one would hate to see old makers such as Osborne, Blanchard and Barnsley disappear. Hope this helps JCUK

The stapler i got from eBay is this Maestri ME4000 Carpet Fitters Staple Gun at the time the list price was stupid money, but saw it on eBay something like £70 no one else bid on it so it was a steal. I see you said you make your own billets, how are you marking and making the stitching holes. I used to make mine from stirrup butts then i changed that and just brought them from Abbey, raw hide ones brought lots of them don't think they carry them now they are really strong and not so bulky another good option are buffalo billets strong too a lot of saddlers swear by them and are used a lot on race exercise saddles but prefer the raw hide ones. Regards JCUK

These may be of use. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Pa41ZUDNs Hope this helps JCUK

I attended a saddle making where instead of tacking the saddle webbing to the tree we used a stapler to attach the webbing, so i did the same had to have one only mine is electric picked up off EBAY it was a steal it does save time although not doing as much saddle work these days busy setting a new workshop up. Most of the saddles i work on are race exercise saddles they can suffer some serious neglect and abuse. Regards JCUK

Oh yes the rabbit warren of English saddles different manufacturing techniques from country to country or even just different companies, sometimes even the same make of saddle owned by two different riders can throw up some of things making you think how they have done this, been there as well scratching my head at times but as you say its an education at times and a major PIA. Good job on the repair. I am not a fan of this think its just to save a few pennies and a small bit of time. I am under the impression the riveted/screwed billet is like the spare wheel in your car it will get you home it not to be used long term if one of stitched billets have broken. Hope this helps JCUK

Maybe you could try Beet Root juice mixed with a weak coffee or tea might give you a burgundy tan its just a thought, and at the very least the Beet Root is a vegetable. Many years ago i went to a Tannery (sadly no longer with us) to pick up some Bridle backs was going to get Dark Havana and Black then i saw this burgundy tanned one had to have that too, and to this day i am convinced Beet Root play a part in the colour could be wrong though, but i will say i think its the Best Bridle leather i have ever worked with. Hope this helps JCUK

If it were me i would like one for edge staining its the one thing about this craft i find a chore yes i know there are machines out there but do seem pricey for me or maybe a robot or something that will clean up my workshop after i have finished working also put my tools away, don't know if it a age thing with me but i have seemed to have gotten lazy concerning this these days use be more organised a while ago, now just searching for tools i have not put away after use some that would be handy. Hope this helps JCUK