Johanna

You betcha! Great idea. Johanna

tg lucas- I would have loved to see the look on her face! I think part of the problem (at least here in the US) is that the average consumer is so removed from what was once normal common practice for 10,000 years- kill the meat and eat it. Only the rancher and farm kids have ever seen an animal slaughtered and served. The rest of the kids think it comes in pretty packages at the grocery store. They purposely hide the butcher shop in most stores now- blood turns people off. 200 years ago, ordinary people knew how to kill and pluck a chicken or slaughter a hog, now almost no one does. Johanna

Hi my li`l Mojo, I hope Wade and the kids and Mama are well and happy. Kirsty and her family returned from Xmas break in South Africa with a lovely surprise for me......you know how we went on at length about what was it that made you realise that you`d crossed that line, well here we are! My other daughter who lives in Jo`burg bought a copy of "Hello" nearly a year ago because she was attracted by the Mandela exclusive and she knows that I`d done a few portraits in the past.....and there above his sofa is my...my...my picture.... But my word when you think of all the hundreds of pictures he has to choose from......

What we have here is a classic case of a good company that had a bad year. Steve Siegel has been very honest about the difficulties he's had, and has taken steps to correct the problems. I can't believe that forty years of good reputation can be forgotten so quickly because of one crummy year. I admire Steven Siegel for his honesty and integrity. He has tried to come out with innovative products (like the slaughter-free leather) and has sponsored contests, giveaways, and some pretty good deals that he was able to pass on to his customers. He also regularly visits the board and offers his knowledge, despite his busy schedule. Not many CEOs would bother with "the little guys", but Steven has always had time to answer questions. So things haven't been great at Siegel of CA last year. The boss has vowed changes and is working to resolve any remaining issues. If they have the product you want, I think they deserve a second chance. I'm not saying that because they are a sponsor here- I'm saying that because I'm impressed with Steven's candor, and his commitment to his customers. If you had a bad experience, send him a PM and he'll do what he can to make things right with you. In all the correspondence and phone calls I've had with Steven over the years, I've come to respect him as a businessman, and a friend. Johanna

This is just a note to myself that I'm caught up on this thread and all PMs at the moment.

Coming from you, that's high praise! Don't ever change, Chain, ride hard and be free. ~J PS Thanks for sharing your pics. I always look.

Let's stop talking about PETA. I get enough hate mail as it is. There is no reason to give them any additional publicity or incentive to want to come here. To the best of my knowledge, no PETA members belong to LW. If they do, they aren't causing trouble. This thread is about the potential slaughter-free leather has in the market. Let's stick to that conversation. Thank you! Johanna

We'd like to thank Standing Bear's Trading Post (WC & Sandi) for this generous offer to our members. Sandi explained to me that she was glad the forum was available to help teach people about leather, and keep the flame alive. If you place an order, please tell them "Thank you for supporting leatherworker.net members." We really appreciate all their cooperation through the years, for they believe in "education, entertainment & fellowship" too. Johanna

And this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is why Zack White's is a trusted supplier to so many of you. It's called "customer service", and they aren't kidding around. Barbiesdude could have called them on the phone and settled this in minutes. I'm glad this thread is here because it demonstrates how willing ZW is to please their customers and make things right. You may pay a dollar more to an independent retailer, but the personal attention is worth so much more. Tim and Rhonda will go the extra mile to make sure you get treated right. Johanna

http://leatherwranglers.com (If you call ask for Paul or Rosa.) I have always had trouble with the big fat dull knives that are pretty standard in our work, and then I held one of Paul's knives. It fit perfectly in my hand, and I felt like I could "draw" with it. Johanna

The problem is that "latigo" means different things to tanners, suppliers and customers. A good rule of thumb is "don't let pets or humans chew on leather that you don't know where it came from and how it was tanned". We consumers haven't got the faintest idea where the hides came from, how they were handled and what chemicals were used to tan them, and unless you know your supplier really well, and he, in turn, knows his stuff, it's always a big question mark. I had a dog that needed his collars lined because veggie tanned leather irritated his skin. Dogs have choked on leather or needed surgery from swallowing scraps. I know of birds that died because their owners bought them leather to please them. I can break out into a full body rash from handling some leathers, and I've been around the stuff for more than 20 years. I am not a horse person, so I can't comment on a leather bit, but it seems that if they were a good idea they would have caught on a couple hundred years ago. Slobber is eventually going to make the toughest latigo break down. There are too many variables to calculate the horse's safety chewing on leather, so I'd pass on that one just so I wasn't responsible for a healthy animal getting sick. (What if the bit gets swallowed? I'm not a vet, but I doubt it's going to pass easily through a horse like it might a dog.) Shep Hermann (Hermann Oak Leather, St. Louis MO) told us at the tannery that if we fell into the vegetable tanning pits and swallowed the solution, we would be fine, but not to do it unless we wanted a much darker skin color for a few months. To make latigo and other waxed and oiled leathers they take the hides and rotate them in driums the size of small apartments. There are precise formulas for the leather the customers request, and only a chemist like Shep could say with any certainty "safe" "poison" or "Who knows?" I don't advise putting leather in any animal's mouth without a compelling reason and a full evaluation of the leather to be used. Johanna

Brian, we know from our respective online communities that every now and then we get one who just doesn't "get it". I do appreciate all the contributions you have made to braiding and teaching braiding and knots here and at KHWW. At least we know that what we do isn't for selfish reasons, and I'm glad you can let this incident roll off you like water on a duck's back. Leatherworker.net will always cooperate with KHWW because we pretty much have the same mission- education, entertainment and fellowship, right? I respect the way you gave the other fellow full credit for his work and practiced to learn it. I'm sorry that he didn't understand the compliment you paid him. Johanna