rcsaddles
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Posts posted by rcsaddles
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There is a product called Indian Tan Latigo that Weaver Leather sells. I think Sheridan Leather does also.
Joe
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I'm thinking you might try cutting lace from leather with a little more body than suede. I learned to cut lace with rawhide and it is a little stiff when I cut my lace and that is much easier than leather that is very soft and flexible.
The hardest thing for me to learn was that no matter how well I thought I was doing, go slow. I have a lot of pieces of lace that are not long enough for the project they were started for. Practice!!!!!!!!!!!
Joe
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I called Herb Bork one day for a saddle horn. I had the broken one in front of me while on the phone. I made the measurements he asked for while talking with him. A week later and less than $20.00, I had a new horn in hand. It fit perfectly on the saddle I was repairing.
I would highly recommend Herb on this project.
Joe
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I have the problem of undercharging. I used to work for a guy, in another line of work, that told me if you don't add 40% to the price of your material, you are not making money.
I do agree that you need to charge what the market will bear. Where I live, no one will pay the price custom work is worth. Go to Bozman, MT and the tourists and locals will pay the price. Does not seem to make sense but that is the way it works.
Sad but true, there is not a set formula to figure prices on anything these days. Look at the gas stations. Why do the supply trucks fill at the same refinery and the stations next door to each other charge a different price?
I think many people don't sell items because we don't price them high enough and people wonder what is wrong with it. If you take something like braiding, should you charge an hourly fee? If the demand is high, you should be able to charge just like a mechanic and make $40 to $60 an hour for the labor. We have to have a building, tools and overhead. I just think we need to look at other "skilled" jobs and consider all the factors. Something I am trying not to do is apologize for my prices.
I got a bill the other day and there was a fuel surcharge on it and the delicery was only 1 .5 miles one way. Do we add for shipping on the leather we have to order in to make a product? Also if we have to drive to the post office or shipping center, do you add your time and fuel expense to the price?
I know this got a little scattered but I am trying to get folks thinking about every aspect of the business and what other business use to figure their cost.
Joe
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I have to agree with that. The Big Horn latigo that Sheridan leather is probably the best there is. As far as the weight, I would recommend to get the heaviest you need and then split it to the desired thickness for other projects.
Joe
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I can't tell you for sure but it looks like what they called a "pinch dog". I believe I have one and when I inquired to Osborne they could not find it in their 1898 catalog.
I have been wondering what to do with mine. Looks like I need to use a little more imagination and jsut get to work with it. The belts look great.
Joe
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Not sure if this will help but if you look at instructions on a pineapple knot of two or three passes, it may help. I think the question was how to make the pineapple cover an awl handle. I was just lookin gat the Ron Edwards book Round Knots and Braids Advanced Leatherwork Volume 2 and that may help.
I ordered Ron's book almost two years ago and I love it. Yes on the two books I got I spend about $130 but with the information I have gotten out of them and the ease of understanding the instructions it was money well spent.
I hope this helps out a little.
God Bless
Joe Boyles
Rugged Cross Saddlery
Lewistown,MT
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I hope this is the right place to post this. I know a guy looking for a Burt Jocks. He was last known to be in the Rapid City, SD area. The guy has saddle number 1 made by Burt and wants another.
any help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks and God Bless,
Joe
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I know a guy looking for a saddle maker by the name of Burt Jocks. He has a saddle built by him and would like to find him to get another. He thinks maybe somewhere around the Rapid City, SD area.
Any help is appreciated.
Joe
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Since this is the place to find out things, I would like a little advice about the Eco -
Flo. I am making some scarf slide buttons that will have an interweave of a complimenting color. I have natural lace and will dye the lace prior to making the button. Should I seal the base knot before putting in the interweave or can I do both at once by dipping the button in a finish? Also, is Tan-Kote a good finish for this or would you recommend something else?
These are going to be sold with silk scarves and we don't want the color to run onto the scarf.
Joe
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I am looking for colored leather lace. I met a woman at a Cowboy Poetry Gathering that makes wild rags and she is looking for scarf slides. I am looking for red, yellow, bright blue, green and white. Anyone know of a good supplier?
Also, does anyone have any experience with dying lace? I need something that will not run if it or should I say when it gets wet.
Thanks in advance.
Vaya con Dios.
Joe
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I use the Aussie Lace Cutter for all my rawhide string. From some other posts on this site I use it backwards but it works for me. I have tried a draw gauge but that is too big for me to use.
I have a homemade splitter as well as a couple that were given to me. I would be happy to post some pics as soon as I can figure out how to. (Someone please send me a pm with instructions)
Beveling is another story. My instructor, Mary Fields, never beveled lace and i have not either. I seem to pull tight enough you can't really tell the lace is not beveled. This is rawhide, not leather. I know that is going to get afew hackles up and I will try beveling my rawhide sometime and probably change my mind on it but that is the way I do it now.
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I know where there is an Adler 205-64 for sale. I think a person could buy it for $2000. The owner bought it as a reconditioned machine a few years ago, made two maybe three saddles and has now moved on to something else. He has it sitting in a saddle shop and the owner of the shop is too nice to tell him to get it out as it is taking up space.
If anyone wants more information on the machine I would be happy to try to machine and send a sample of stitching to you. I have heard that Vernon at Weaver's is very good at Adler support and will talk you through most problems.
The machine is located in Lewistown, Montana. I have no idea about shipping or anything like that.
Like I said, let me know if you have any questions or want a picture of the machine. I do not know the throat measurement but I am willing to get whatever info you want.
Joe
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I learned from Mary Fields back in the early 90's how she makes rawhide.
Take the hide from the critter and lay it out on the ground. start in the center and start cutting a strap about an 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches wide. Just kind of corkscrew out. This will make a strap over 100 feet long when you are done. Once the strap is cut, stretch it up between a couple of posts. Pull it as tight as you can. Then, put a small rope in the middle and pull it over to one side and tie it off to something to get more stretch out of it. Take a SHARP pocket knife and scrape the hair off. It takes me about an hour to scrape 120 foot long strap.
Once done, soak in water for a couple of days to get the consistancy of cooked spaghetti and run through a splitter. I try to pull though about 10 times so I am not taking much at any time. When done splitting, temper the strap, cut your strings and braid away.
I know this may be a little "off the wall" for some folks. I don't do a lot of rawhide, not as much as I want anyway, but Mary used this method and made 90 reatas as well as other items.
I anyone wants more info on this, let me know and I will explain it further.
Joe
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Thank you. My Spanish is pretty rusty. Not much use for it here in Central Montana.
Joe
I think those that are cutting leather excusively will have a different experience than those that cut rawhide since moisture content is not a factor. I have the strander (rt. index finger) and a draw guage and I use them to cut strip. I then use the Hansen cutter to make lace or strands with rawhide. Moisture content and sharpness are the keys. And Joe, you're using the wrong 'via' (by way of) the correct one is 'vaya' (go) as in....Vaya Con Dios, Alan Bell
Bob Marley - Pass It On
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I heard an interesting comment the other day and wanted some other opinions. Someone told me they would not order from Weaver Leather because everyting you buy from them allows them to make and sell the same thing for free. In other words they use the profit from the sale to you to pay for the material or labor so when they sell an item they make a bigger profit than you can.
Does this make sense to you? I get where the person was coming from and was just wanting some other input.
Joe
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The whip looks great!!!!!!!!!! One day in my spare time I want to make a snake whip. I know what you mean about the skiving of edges. I have not made any leather lace to use yet but I am not looking forward to skiving it.
My rawhide lace I don't skive. I know that will get a few hackles up. I pull it tight enough you can't tell it has not been skived. After hammering and rolling, the item is round with no sharp edges sticking up so it looks as though it has been skived.
Via con Dios,
Joe
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Wow, talk about a bunch of information!!!!! I cut all my lace, leather and rawhide with the Aussie strander. My rawhide instructor, Mary Fields, (in the Bruce Grant books) always used a draw gauge.
Anyway, I use the strander on my right middle finger. I have my index finger under to help support it and to help control the speed at which I pull. I have a tendancy to try to go too fast.
I think the important thing is to practice and find a method that works. I don't believe there is a right or wrong way to cut lace just a way that works for each person. I believe it is important to get other opinions and listen to ideas. I take what iI learn form others, adjust them to the way I do things and move on. I also try to learn from others mistakes so I don't have to make them.
Hope all is well with everyone and I do enjoy reading and learning from all of you. I just don't know where to find the time to spend more time here to read and post.
Via con Dios,
Joe
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I got my kit from Murphywhips.com What a great guy to work with. I e-mailed about three times with questions and had a reply within a couple of days. I would highly recommend checking out his web site and contacting him. The kit I got included the book ":Whipmaking Book Two" by Ron Edwards. I would say you can not go wrong ordering from Mike Murphy.
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I finished my 6 ft roo hide whip. Turned out better than I had hoped. M question is, how do I post the pictures on this forum?
Thanks,
Joe
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I know it has been a long time since I said I was working on this whip. I finally finished last night. I have not had anything else to do in the past three weeks
, I will post a couple of oics when I get a chance. That is my wife's department. I will be away for a week at training for my paying job. I will admit, I got a great education on this project. You know, if you learn from your mistakes. I braided the knob on the handle about 14 times before I got it to where I thought it was good enough to stay there.
I will probably take some leather with me to start on a snake whip or I guess I should take some rawhide to get started on a quirt for a guy that ordered it a couple of weeks ago.
Via con Dios,
Joe
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Very nice. Keep up the good work and you will go far. What did you use for the inside of the bracelet? I've heard of using copper. Is the lace roo hide? My son would love to do something like that so I am trying to get more information.
If you have a chance, get the Ron Edwards book More Bush Leatherwork. He gives instructions for a bracelet called Annette's Braid. It may also be in a smaller book by Rod called Plaiting Projects 3. I think you would like that one.
Keep up the good work.
Joe
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I have a six inch pull through leather splitter for sale. It looks just like the Osborne 86. The blade is stamped A. E. Atkins. Asking $150 plus shipping. No handling charge as I go to the Post Office about six times a week and have boxes and packing. I can e-mail a pic or two if you want. I could not figure out how to insert a pic here.
I had the blade sharpened and it will split leather or rawhide.
Thanks,
Joe
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I have a six inch splitter that looks exactly like the Osborn 89 i believe it is. The blade is stamped A. E. Atkins. A neighbor wants to sell it so I told her I would try for her. I had the blade sharpened and the thing will split leather, or rawhide.
She wants $150 for it. I would buy it but I already have an 8 inch and a 12 inch splitter.
If interested, let me know. Shipping will be actual cost and I don't need to jack the price for "Handling".
Joe
realy soft leather
in How Do I Do That?
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When I cut soft leather such as chap leather or suede, I use a rotary cutter. I bought it at a sewing store. I run it along my straight edge just like I would my utility knife.