oldtimer

This is the Swedish Army (pre-1956) version of a stitching clam for field use. It is made of birch and has a hinged leg. The clam rests on one leg and is held tight with the other leg on top, and it has a good function. /Knut

You are most welcome, my friend!

Hello and welcome, my good friend! Tjena janne ! Så du hittade hit! / knut

http://www.bootmaker.com/45Kmanual.pdf

maybe it is best to recycle : wood and metal. LOL

I am wondering why the angle 93 degrees is chosen ? It is a very small difference between 90 and 93 degrees, so why not 95 or even 100 degrees? Is there an upper limit on this angle?

I bought "The Leathercrafters Bible " from Weaver and these "automatic awls" are mentioned in the hand sewing chapter: quote " Take the needle out of that awl, put it on a shelf in case you ever find use for it, pull the thread off the spool, then step out the back door there and throw that awl as far as you can" / Knut

Pella, I have a badger fur laying around. It is a Swedish badger, it is kind of tanned, I think it is treated with some kind of acid solution? Will send you a PM

Thank´s Luke. Will contact them! / knut

I have a Pedersen hand crank splitter that I bought on a flea market. I took it apart to clean it and paint it as it looked terrible, and now I´m into big trouble. I have assembled it and tried to get it to work again, but - it does not split leather! Does anyone have an idea on how to adjust it, where to start adjusting, a manual, or any hints on getting this piece of iron into working order. OK, I can use it as a door stop but I would rather use it as a splitter. Please, !

Great job, Tina! Fantastic! ( eller skitsnygg som det heter på ren o pur svenska!)

I got my copy today!

Where are those spacers located and what´s their purpose?

I also have requested one, but the other day I got an air mail card from Proleptic stating " It is time to renew!". No free issue !

Thank´s Chris. The more I think of it, I think it is wise to start fitting at the fork end, and to use cheap scrap leather for pattern. Must have some more sleepless nights figureing out how to do it! Right now I´ll dig into building a pair of sawbucks!

I guess Mink Oil is a trade mark and the jar labeled with a pic of a mink, and that is where the connection to a mink ends. My brother in law drives a Chevrolet SUV, but one day I found out that the car was built i South Korea, so in my mind it is just a trade mark, it is not a real Chevrolet . The trade mark promises more than the content can live up to. Sorry, didn´t mean to hijack!

Mycket snygg o välgjord sadel, Ulf ! Mina komplimanger ! / Knut

First, in my opinion there are as many legends on oils rotting thread as there are oils and people discussing the matter, I don´t believe it for a second. I believe that the "rotted thread" is more a function of dust and grime that becomes abrasive during time. Second, I don´t believe that "Mink oil" is mink oil. The grease in the "Mink oil" labeled jars look like and smell like lard from pigs. I have been trapping minks many years ago, and a mink does not contain much grease, and I´m uncertain if there are as many minks on this earth to fill all jars of Mink oil that are for sale around the world ? Pure neatsfoot oil is the substance you get when boiling cow feet AND also pigs feet, so actually it is almost the same substance as mink oil. That´s my opinion on mink oil, neatsfoot oil and rotting threads. Leather needs some kind of lubrication to keep soft and supple , and either neatsfoot oil or mink oil is probably the best alternative. / Knut

Sorry, I have not had the time to start that project yet. / Knut

Nice, old timey saddle, Trooper Chuck!

The Hope saddle was the "North of the border" version of the mexican vaquero saddle, once called Spanish saddle, built on a rawhide covered, wooden saddle tree. The vaquero saddle in the beginning of the 1800:s had very few parts, a saddle tree with a single rigging, narrow stirrup leathers and a pair of stirrups. In the eastern parts of America there were "American saddles" made, closely resembling todays english dressage saddles. Why Adolphus Hope (born 1808, and lived in Washington county, TX ) was credited for the style of saddle I don´t know. A double rigging was added to the mexican single rig tree as Texans roped hard and fast . Looking at pics of old Hope saddles show different ways to attach the front rigging to the tree, depending on who made the saddle. On some saddles the rings are nailed to the tree by pieces of leather, some show a mexican rigging with leather loops through the gullet , some have the Sam Stagg rigging and I have seen pics of saddles with a rigging combination of all these. So actually, within documented limits there is nothing right or wrong to make an authentic Hope saddle. It seems that each saddlemaker at the time made his own style of Hope saddle.

Herb Bork solved my problem! Thank´s anyway. / Knut

Order a #14 size rivet setter too !

I have read many articles in The Leathercrafters & saddlers Journal on restoring old saddles. They are written by mr Richard L. Sherer, Sherer Custom saddles Inc. in Colorado. You might give him a call ?