KAW

I to am still trying to master the one finger typing method. Nice work!

Alan, Those 2 have braided cores in them,the one on top was wrapped with leather and the one on the bottom was a stiff rounded core then braided over that (layered) then the body was braided, it all depends on how stiff a person wants it as to how I make the core I've made them twisted ,braided, rounded, whatever, all rawhide cores, nothing works better than rawhide as it will always conform to the horse. Years ago I experemented with different core such as ropes, cable, cords and all kinds of other junk but I alway came back to the rawhide as it alway worked better,an oldtimer I worked with one time told me to begin with I would come back to rawhide but me being stubborn me had to find out for myself but he was right , whats that old saying go( with age comes wisdom), all of them worked, just some alot better than the others and the ones with rawhide work the best. I can get any desired feel with rawhide so I havent used anything else for years, Working bosals alot guys like alittlle stiff as they soften alittle with time. 90% of my stuff is going to the working man so it HAS to work right. As for the TCAA bosal seminars, no I haven't heard about them.

Thanks for the comments. Mike I don't really have a formula I have just made adjustments over the years till I liked what I came up with ,writing things down each time, every formula I've heard I've always made adjustments to because I didn't like the way it turned out looking or the way it felt. There may be formulas that would work for you but fom my experiences I always make some adjustments. Hope this helps you.

Here are acouple 20 strand bosals and a 16 strand quirt I finished recently for a friend af mine.

I posted the pictures you were talking about. When I slip the hair with hot water I use a propane weed burner and a 55 gallon drum filled alittle over half full I elavate the barrel on a couple old truck rims and run my flame in from the bottom acouple cinder blocks work good too then I heat my water to 136 to 140 leaving the hide in the water for 6 to 15 minutes, the temp and the time can vary with elevation and air temp, I use a fresh green hide and it has to be fleshed and containtly move it in the water and checking to see when the hair slips and use a digital thermometer, put the hide in the water after it has reached temp, this method only works with a green hide ecspecialy in the winter. If I can't get a fresh hide I use lime. I like to use green hides whenever possible. If you can't get the hair to slip you could still salvage it by streching it very tightly and scraping it with a knife. I skrewed up alot of hides finding out what works and what doesn't different breeds of cattle and their age will have alot to do with it too. So if you cant get it to slip and it hasn't rotted on you I would scraped with a knife being careful not to guage it, let it dry hard as a rock before you scape it, I do it in the frame but I have friends that like to scrape it over a rounded surface like a barrel or an old bulk feul tank and scrape with the hair. I have had very good luck slipping with hot water but it doesn't always work out if you don't have a green hide in my experencies so the more ways you can learn to make hides the better then you always have a back up plan. These are a few ways I do it, hope this helps.

This is the string cutter I use Wayne Jueschke out of elko made it, but I dont think he makes it any more

I'm sorry to hear that, his saddles were of the highest quality, attention to detail and function, hope he pulls through.

Rayban, 95% of my work is horsegear of all kinds I posted some pics in another post in braiding titled some of my work. Romey, thanks for the comment I dont advertise much just word of mouth. Here is one of the last bosals I made it is a 5/8 20 strand with a brown interweave.

Thanks for the comments. Mike, No I don't mind, 18 years.

Here is a knife and sheath I finished recently the blade is w1 high carbon steel the handle is stacked pineapples and other various knots, the sheath is rawhide lined with buckskin.

Nice wood

That is alot better picture than the other one I saw

Looking good

If you use tallow it should be cleaned and rendered and it wount go rancid and can be used on any gear but sparingly as needed, to much can pickup alot of dirt. as for the tallow and liver on a reata it sould be tallowed and allowed to soak in on a warm day then the liver is used to seal it, it is put on raw and allowed to dry, what it does is keep the tallow from picking up alot of dirt, similar to what blood drys like on your hands, it is done as needed in normal use. if you dont have it white saddlesoap like Alan said works well too, or the vaquaro creme.

I am sure there is some formula out there that works, but I just experimented till it came out the way I wanted it. I pound them, then run them through a rounder or a board with different size holes in it to get the right diameter, as far as rawhide or leather it depends on what kind of feel or (life) I'm after,I use both, this is how I do it, hope it helps. Thanks for your comments on my work.

I have used round leather cores and they work well, I also braid alot of cores and ocasionally use hard twisted cotton cord, it doesn't stretch and can be taped and sealed and doesn't collapse when pounded or rounded, but should be used in dry country, it is really hitched rather than twisted that is the only cord I will use anymore and dont use it alot but some people like the feel so I will use it on request. The core of the peice has quite abit to do with what kind of life it will end up with.

Horsehide makes very nice button string and nice strings for fine knife handles and collector peices I like to mix it with fine calf string for the contrast it makes without having to dye strings.

Snakehorse saddler, I have seen the first tape Brian put out and it was mostly basic braids and knots and would be informative for you I think. The advanced one I haven't seen yet. I would start by getting your braids and simple buttons down first ( where you can do them in your sleep and as straight as an arrow) then you should learn the correct function and construction of each peice of gear you intend on making (if you don't know) if its going to be working gear( balance, lenths, ect). I'm saying this as there is alot more to making quality gear that will last than just braids and knots. You can't go wrong with any videos, books, and experences, you will learn from everything if you want to do the best you can. So I would suggest you start with the basics get them down real good then move on to bigger project whatever they may be just keep in mind that the function of the peice must be there FIRST.

Mudman Old skinny cows make nice tight grained rawhide but on range cows alot of times they will have a brand or two to go around and quite a few wire scars so you have to be real carful when cutting your string if you get a good one they won't have much fat to flesh and will be suitable thickness for a reata . As far as the old skinny jersey old timers like them for ropes because they were usally milkcows with a pretty posh life and were tight grained, usally didn't have to many scars and were kind of pets and were usally pretty old when they died and were fairly big even hides that could make a lenthy reata, but they are alittle tough to get anymore. I like grass fat range cows for working gear and 7 to 900lb yearlings off grass for finer gear but they are sometimes hard to comeby. You can use white feibings saddle soap if you dont have tallow, you have to render the fat so it doen't get rancid, work it in to the rope real good by hand on a warm day and let it soakin then I use liver to seal it and that helps alot to not pick up alot of dirt in use it is an old method but works good for me, main thing with a reata is not to let it get to dry or it will start to dry rot and that aint a good thing. After it has been braided and streched it should be broke in I run it through some holes or around a post til I get it feelin the way I want it. There is alot more to work making a good usable reata than just braiding 4 or 6 strands. Alot of people think that a reata sould be their first project when really it should be their last. A reata sould have the best of the best hide in it and is like anything else the better the quality of starting materials the better the end product and the longer it sould last with proper care.

I will order whatever the customer wants, they are paying for what they want so that is what they get, I may make suggestions but it is their choice.

Nice work I really like old style Visalias the are one of my favorites.

Alan, I use a cutter that Wayne Jueschke out of Elko made for me about 10 years ago he doesn't make it any more. This is the splitter I use the most Monty Servere made it and he doesn't make this one anymore either I also use an old Osborne but it needs some work to the blade it has quite a dish in it after a hundred years I use both natural and Ritz dyes and I like to dye before I cut my strings. We could work something out on a trade.

Rod, You need a green hide fleshed, you will have to play with the temps and time as to your location and hides, when the hair slips on the back and near the star in a hereford usally it is time some thicker hides alittle longer if it starts to srivel and starts to curl up then you usally have ruined it and you need to constantly move the hide in the water. Anything to push the hair of will work just not to sharp if done correctly you can push it off buy hand and another nice thing is you can do more than one hide at a time this way and usally by the time you flesh a hide the water is at temp, if you try this get a digital thermometer like this they are very acurrate

Waddy, I made the hoop out of the end of a big spool the phone co uses for fiber optic cable it was inch square tubing I just cut the ends out, the ends of an old round bale feeder works pretty good too. I have had some heavy hides in them and they have never tweeked. Clay B, I try to make most of my hides in warm weather I dont like them to freeze when they are green and they are hard to cure out when it is cold they may take till spring to dry sometimes. If it is really hot they can spoil fast if you don't get to them fast enough. I split my hides after I cut them into a long string.Some hides vary greatly and others dont such as Herefords are quite thick and Lonnghorns are usally alot thiner, the age and sex of a critter has alot to do with it too. I don't put anything on them until I start braiding then I will use soap then when I am finished with a project I will use white saddlesoap ar vaquaro rawhide cream from ray holes but on a reata I use beef tallow.

Johanna, Alan explained it pretty well Alan, The beam I use has a slight crown to it and yes I use a draw knife to flesh with. Up here there isn't many Brangus and i dont use the neck in my braiding but it make some nice knife sheaths and other projects. It varies from hide to hide, weather and elevation but from 136 to 140 and from 6 to 10 minutes and you have to watch it close you can ruin a hide very quickly if your not paying attention moving the hide seems to help some, this method of making rawhide has been around for along time just alot of people didn't know about it and those that did didn't say much, a thanks to Donely for sharing, it is by far the best, fastest and cleanest way to make rawhide for braiding that I have found if done right. I have a couple of hides like you mentioned and they make some very unique looking pieces! The scraping method works well for good using gear but for collecter pieces it leave to much of a stuble when you are cutting string down to a 64th of an inch, Bill Black uses that method and makes some nice work!! The hides when useing that method should be streched as tightly as possible.The better quality of materials makes it alot easier to make HIGH QUALITY gear that will last!