KAW

Johanna, I like to make my own rawhide so I can get the quality I want, I use grass fat hides and this way I know where the hides are comeing from and I can get the size I need for certain projects, different breeds of cattle produce different rawhide as in the thickness, shades of color and grain structure. I use mostly Hereford and Longhorn hides. It is not very expensive to make your own hides, just labor intensive, and you get the satisfaction of taking a raw natural material and creating something useful and funtional as well as a little artistic. The first thing in making quality horse gear is the function, after that you can play with the aesthetics but the piece must fit and function correctly above all!!

here are the rest of the photos streching materials ready to streach streched drying cured

Here are some pictures of making a hide the other day hide on the hoof. skinning hair slipping tools fleshing beam hide ready to be fleshed fleshing dehairing have to finish in another post

Alan, I've never tried it that way. I'll be making a hide tomorrow, I'll take some pictures.

Alan, I make 95% of my hides that way now, it can be alittle tricky once in awhile but I really like the way they turn out and are alot less messy, most all the calf hides I make I still lime them, they make good fine button strings, the hide in the picture is cooked. Were you at the Sheridan show with Ray a few years back? Nate does some nice work. I am working on a knife I forged that I'm going to braid the handle on I will post some pics when I finish it.

Rod, I haven't finished it yet, kinda got busy on some other stuff but will post some pictures when I finish it this fall or winter, been kinda busy with the cow too.Thanks for the tree its just what he wanted I think its gonna work just right, just need to finish it .

Thank you all for the comments Alan I went to that deal and saw some very nice braiding I know Vince well and have talked to Huffman alittle at Sheridan and Jordan Valley and Sharon in OK she does some intresting knots Jeff came to a little braiding gathering at Vinces place acouple of years ago, that was a fun day Vince demonstrated how he makes his hides it was a good day to learn different ways of doing things. IMO Vince is the most consistant and straightest braider I've ever seen his work inspires me more than any other braider including Ortega and Vinces boy is doing some nice work and is only 15 or 16. I told him he better be doing good work you only have the best teacher as a dad. This is what KAW stands for

Bruce, I am still living near Faith and I dont get to town that much so sometimes it can get alittle "festive"!! MudMan, That is about the only thing I dont do Gary Wiggins of Kansas did the silver for me, he's a good guy and I like his work.

Alan, more of Oretagas influence than Walds but with my own flare. I lived north of Nate for about six years but never did get together with him about braiding went to acouple of ropins at his place but mostly just talked with him when I would see him in town. That is the way I attach all my poppers it keeps it from flopping allover and people really like it so I stuck with it so if you see a popper like tha I most likely made it. That is the only way I do it any more.Here is a fancy headstall I made in 2003,and a damascus Bit I forged acouple of years ago to complete the set in the picture. Sorry I hit the wrong button and it came up twice.

Alan, I know Nate but have only met Leland one time. I live in northwest South Dakota now, where are you located? Johanna, I make all my own rawhide. I will be making some more hides in the near future I will post some pictures if anybody is interested. I am self taugh through books many hours alone and many mistakes and alot af ruined hides and projects.

Here are some picture of some of my Rawhide braiding

Here are some saddles and rawhide work of mine