jwwright

Great looking job as usual! JW

Hey Rob..........speaking as someone who has spent his life using hackamores.........let me say that this looks like a good using bosal. There are so many being made today that are made well from a braider's point of view, but don't function properly. I especially like the plug in the heel knot, and no ring knot above it. The nose button with no swell to it should also function correctly. Many folks don't realize that to function correctly, a hackamore needs to have as much even contact around the horse's face as possible. Think of it as it needs to fit on a horse like a properly fitting hat fits your head. The only thing I might offer as a suggestion is perhaps making the nose button just a bit shorter. Also.......what is the length of this bosal, inside, nose button to heel button. Great job! JW

Art, here is martingale style collar that I make. I have found this pattern I came up with work well on a variety of horses. This one pictured I made to attach with tugs to Ds placed under the front buttons, however I have made this style to attach via straps looped through the gullet, puncher pulling collar style. JW

Thanks for pointing me in the right directions fellers. I need to get a few things from Vandy at Sheridan anyway, so I'll add these to the list. Thanks, JW

I think I remember someone a while back posted about where they get stainless nails. I am looking for some smooth, not ring shanked. My supply is low, and I don't remember where I got them. I generally do business with Panhandle Leather, Siegels and Weavers, and none of these folks have them. Any suggestions appreciated. JW

Congrats on your first saddle,and a very nice job. JW

Pella, I do sometimes use 8 oz or so latigo for cinch tie straps. If it is good latigo, it is plenty strong, and leaves that much less bulk for stirrup leathers to slide over. This is especially helpful on performance saddles,........cutters, reiners, etc. Just a thought. JW

Many Thanks folks, for all you do to provide this forum. JW

I have built 8 saddles on trees from Ray Lewis, and I have 5 more trees on order with him. Amongst ranch cowboys and saddle makers alike from here down through the panhandle country, Lewis trees are very popular. I like them. Here are a couple of photos of a saddle I finished last week on a Lewis tree. Another source of good trees, fiberglassed, is Jon Watsabaugh, who is a talented tree and saddle maker that frequents this forum. I have a couple trees on order with Jon as well. JW

I have the 2 DVD set of Dale Harwood's saddle making instruction. The dvds have been viewed, but are in like new condition, in the original case. $300 including shipping. Contact me bluestem82 at aol dot com. Thanks, JW.

Here in the Flint Hills country, we are fotuanate to have some of the best native grass in the world......big / little bluestem, some grama, etc. Native grass hay is being put up right now. Prices are about $125 per ton for small square bales, and $65 per ton on large round bales............in the field, not delivered. There will be a large amount of hay put up around here this year, and as usual, there will be a fair percentage that is shipped out to other parts of the country.

I purchased a new Artisan 3000, along with the flatbed attachement, about 3 weeks ago. Cost with shipping was about $2500. This is my first machine, and I really am getting along well with it. JW

Thanks for the attaboys..............Storm, there are still a few folks out and about, mostly in ranch country that are hand making traditional style cinchas. I try to pass it along when I can, and have helped a couple other folks get started. The Yak hair cord I have been buying from a wholesaler, and I believe that the raw hair is coming from Asia, and then spun into cord in the US or Mexico. Bruce, on the patterns I just try to keep it looking somewhat old timey traditional, and have never made any 2 that were identical. Some folks like them with alot of color, so some are pretty bright. I have made a number of horse hair cinchas, and I like working with it. I have acquired the horse hair already spun into cord to do those, kind of hit and miss availability. If I was going to build horse hair cinchas on a regular basis, I would need to come up with a cost / labor effective method to spin / twist my own cord.

Not sure if this is appropriate place or not, since technically these are not leather items. However, I did have some folks a while back request that I post some photos of these here. I build saddles and tack, and have for quite a while also built cinchas. The photo with 2 cinchas shown are both Yak hair. The other is mohair. Thanks for taking a look. JW

Extra nice job Bruce. JW

More attaboys here Tex. Extra nice job. I envy you fellers that can carve that well. JW

Darc, I like your idea. I am preparing to put riggings on a couple trees in the next few days. Both of these happen to be dropped double D rigs, but I see no reason why your idea would not apply the same. As you wrote, I have the riggings already built, identically. If you don't mind, I will try your ideas, and post later about how it worked out for me. JW

Well, I was having trouble getting the Harwood dvds (paid for a month ago) from the folks that are selling the things for Dale. Got in touch with Mrs. Harwood today, and got it taken care of. JW

Congrats on the new yak-lings. Not trying to hijack a thread, but there was some discussion about the Yak's hair. Below is a photo of a couple of cinchas I recently made from 1oo% Yak Hair. JW

Off the charts good Jon. Thanks for sharing your work. JW

Great work Brian. Causes me to be inspired, yet makes me think I should just sell my tools..........all at the same time. Thanks for posting it. JW

Kypeep...............the fleece lining is glued and sewn to the skirts on the saddle. The skirts are held to the tree in the gullet area by screws on most handmade saddles, nails on most production saddles. The skirts are held to the bars of the tree in a few different ways..........tug straps front and back, or most likely in the case of your Coats saddle, the rigging leathers are extended past the bar tips and sewn down to the skirts. If you could post a couple photos of your problem, we can most likely tell what needs to be done. It sounds like a no problem repair for any competant shop. JW

Thanks for the comments. Yonatan........I have done 3 loop seats thus far, and I didn't do anything different than normal on my ground seat work. I fit the seat, then cut the slots for the stirrup leathers in the seat prior to gluing it down. I try to get it so there is no gaposis, and the tree is not visible . I must admit that on this saddle I got a little happy and cut the bottom slots a bit longer than I needed to do. JW

Thanks Art. The customer took it on the maiden ride yesterday, and really likes it, so that's the main thing. JW