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Thanx Ray...you got that right! Peter, I get mine at Zack's because it's close, but I believe it's a Feibings product line. I've yet to try Pecard's, or Bick's, but I have them in mind for a soon purchase. I miss New England...

Thanx jbird! Anyone, please feel free to post pictures of yours here, too. I need to see the variety, and architecture, plus, it would be nice to see a bunch of them in one place.

Again, nothing special here. I'm making a lot of little things today. I do First Sunday (once a month) in Pittsboro, NC every month, and I do better in that 4 hours, than I do the whole weekend at the Raleigh Flea Market. I sold about 10 belts, and various small items in Pittsboro, plus I took orders for all sorts of things, including this strap, and the breast collar in my other topic. She wanted simple one peg hole, and thong on the other end. I put two matched ends, just because... I have an old keyfob punch that worked well for the ends, skived them down, and stitched 'em. This is chestnut bridle side from Zack's. Edged coated, waxed, and finished with snow proof. None of these things are show quality, including the pricing, but this is what the customers want..not too fancy, but better than they can find in the stores for the pricing.

I can't really answer your questions, cause I'm in the same boat as you, but there are differences e.g training bits, show bits, etc. The pros will chime in, I'm sure. I just wanted you to know that you made me laugh a good one..."put a leash on him, and take him for a walk".....

Not really showing off here, cause I really didn't have a clue while I was doing it. Customer brought his breast collar in for cleaning, and repair. Seemed silly to me, cause of it's disrepair, and home done patchwork, but I did throw on a new conway, semi clean, and harness dress, with several neatsfoot coatings. maybe a 45 minutes hour work. I could have made new straps, done a better cleaning, etc, but then the stupid light goes off, and I decide to just make a new one, and compare times of repair versus new. I rarely get horse stuff in, so I don't even have pictures to show potential customers. I don't even know if the original is even close to what they should look like, but I copied it anywho. Maybe you pros will tell me. The new one, a very simple copy of the original, took about three/four hours, between figgerin', cut out, gluing, dyeing, etc. I did change the flap over the Dee, to the front, instead of to the back, for just a little added eye value. Don't know which one the customer will choose, or both, but there ya go....at least I can say I made one.

Personally, I think you have every right to sign it. As you say, basically you are the designer, even jumping in with handwork at times. Any of the famous designers proudly label their products with their names. I don't believe they give ANY credit to their workers. Many saddle shops produce works with the owners maker's stamp, even though they were produced by their employees. Many saddlers worked their way through other peoples shops before they got to put their stamp on something. Many medieval Painters had apprentices that produced work under the guidance of the master. A popular artist just couldn't produce all the pieces requested. That's when "business" kicks in. The Master would sign the finished piece. Forensic science has a hard time distinguishing between Master and Apprentice work. There is nothing ethically wrong. It's your business, your product, your name is on the line. You have never claimed to make the entire product, only that you are a contributor to the entire effort. Any criticism is probably just a simple jealous reaction. Teamwork is an over used phrase nowadays, usually it's meant to just get more out of the worker. In your case, you have a genuine pride in your team, and the work it produces. I give that seven thumbs up!. I just wish I had some help around my shop...lol

everyone sells them, but sometimes use different names for them. Zack's sells them as bridal studs: http://www.eleatherworks.com/home.php?cat=1071 bridal bridle bridel...it's all good...lol

Yep, John, that one's a Doozy! It's got everything...color, construction, inlay, carving...sheesh. I was making dog collars today...lol

Johanna is testing ad spaces for the Forum, they are one of the first things to load when your browser is processing the page. She is using the leatherlady url as a separate business identity.

So, I'm looking at the 4 blank things at the top of my Firefox browser screen, and wondering what the hell that was! Probably just Johanna experimenting. Then I had to slap my forehead a good one. As do most Firefox users, I have Adblock installed as an extension... Long story short, I allowed ads for LW.net, now I can see 'em! If you have adblock, or similar, be a good forum buddy, and allow LW to show you some good stuff.

I've never made a "toolbag" for the inside of the windshield before. They are too big for that position. The inside bags are usually several 2/3 separate bags for utility items, wallets, etc. You will be able to make a 10-14" contoured bag to fit that bar, but damned if I know how you'll bend the tools to match the curve...lol

I've done quite a few motorcycle jacket repairs lately. Cutting off the racing bib, sewing buttons back on for linings, restitching inside pockets, back seams, taking zippers in a "scrinch"...etc. It's mostly the customer buying the wrong sizes, and/or extremely poor workmanship. Just about everything being sold to the biker community is junk!!!!! China, Pakistan, Ucheapastan.... Come on, now! $45 for a vest made with the thinnest leather possible. Fine thread that wouldn't hold a seam if you held a gun to it, no backstitching, AND everyone from the mfg to the retail takes a cut. How can that be on $45? Because it's JUNK! Cheap labor, cheap material. The only loser is the customer... Sometimes, I think they deserve it. And they still think you can make something as cheap as they buy in all the bike shops...sheesh! As if we would. Whatever happened to Buy American?

Welcome to the Forum, Melanie. You'll have more fun here than a barrel of puppies. Make sure you read as much as you can before you start that belt, and your first piece will be great. Make sure you show us pix of it when it's done.

Nobody ever thought I had a nice rack before...rofl! But thanx anyways. Me and my chainsaw have made quite a few necessities. It only took about 10 minutes of hand planing to get it to where you see it. Not sure how long the green wood will last without cracking, but we'll see. Just to keep this thread on track, I know UKRay is looking for a more finely finished and practical piece. Some of the ones above are incredible. Sure hope I see more examples. In my messy world, it sure would be nice to see work stuff crafted as nicely as furniture like some of these....but once a slob...lol

Nothing fancy here... Just went out Sunday, and chainsawed down a broken oak in the yard. Shaped it with the chainsaw, and hand planed it smooth. Three different sized drill bits made the holes. Voyla!..semi instant tool rack.

Mr. Klenda has good ones and very inexpensive: http://www.klendasaddlery.com/patterns.htm

I'm going to try your mix, Go2Tex. The chestnut tannery dyed leathers I get have a red tinge to them. I'm curious to your mix...sounds like a good color.

I've not seen a commercial chestnut dye, but have successfully matched some pieces of chestnut leather by mixing walnut with neatsfoot, and a touch of red, or mixing mahogany or burgandy?. It was a one shot deal, so I don't remember the exactness, or the mix, but some small experimentations, and tries on scrap might get you there. If someone does know where, I would like to know too. Maybe Angelus dyes have a chestnut? They may call it a different name other than chestnut.

Doesn't look like the right machine..cool, but not the right one. http://www.unionspecial.com/Apparel/54200.htm

I really don't understand the resistance to using a head/round knife! Knife makers come in my shop, and are afraid of that blade...go figger. I've been a tool person all my life. They have all been created for specific purpose. I have used box cutters, chisels, super shears and anything else I could get my hands on to cut leather...all because I did not want to learn the right tool. I cut myself a few times trying the head knife, and put it aside for a long time. Until I learned that out of the box, an osborne just wasn't sharp. Once I had that edge where it was supposed to be, and learned to keep my hands out of the way, well, a life changing experience occurred. Heavy leather, light leather, curves, straight lines, finishing intersecting cuts, straight edges...even mitering edges became a breeze...no more changing blades, no more beveled edges, no carpal tunnel, no more clenched teeth. I cut 1 oz or 12 oz, all in one pass of the blade. On the heavy stuff, I do go slower, but if you have to add more pressure, it AIN'T SHARP ENOUGH! Like everyone else, I drool over those handcrafted head knives..lust would be too simple a phrase...lol, but to this day I use my 35 year old tandy osborne, with broken ferrule, and worn down blade. I cut seats, purses, wallets, and anything else in less time, more precisely, and no blood....lol.

Really nice job, Rusty. That one is covered in tooling...sheesh, that must have taken some time! The cap turned out good.

I'm hoping someone comes along for you and shares a pattern they might have, but... There really isn't that much to it. That page gives 18" x 12" as dimensions. There are several pictures of the table there. Enough to figure its construction. Looks like there is a lip for the backend to rest on the machine. The hard part will be cutting the slot for the arm properly, but a careful poster board template, and a scroll saw should fix that. The height has to match level with the machine, obviously. If you don't have the iron base, just measure from whatever stand you are using. 3/4"/1" inch thickness seems like what I'm looking at. A nice hardwood, or modern MDF board should work fine. The one I have for my Toro is about that and MDF. It uses threaded rods and nuts to adjust height to machine.

http://www.ismacs.net/singer/p29.html

Elvis? Is that You? Is this your new recipe from Heaven, without bananas?

I don't believe you'll find any legally mandated layout...lol It really comes down to what tools you want to put in it, how many, what types...etc I'm a fairly primitive kind of guy. Tools and their holders are just that, tools. I lop off some 3x3/4x4 stock, and drill the sizes necessary. 1/4" first row 1/2" second row, 5/8" top row. I even use 1" sometimes to put a series of stamps in, like say, all small checkered bevelers, or for some swivels. Of course, that works well if you just need some 8" size blocks. If tyou want to make one big block for all your tools, then you need to layout all your tools on the table, the way you want to reach for them, and plan out the holes. You don't have to make them all linear. You could put some in one distinct section, even in a circular pattern. Different sections with a half inch space or so between them, could be easy for the eye to pick tools.