HorsehairBraider

It's very useful, thank you. And thanks for saying where it's from, Oldtimer - maybe I should get that book!

Oh man - I thought the same thing!

Hi Bubba - do you have a picture? I still can not find this knot. I suspect someone has come up with a new name for an old knot. Without seeing a picture, I can't even begin to guess which knot it is. If you could direct me to a link where you saw it, I could probably help out some.

That's interesting... I think my point is, maybe don't paint with such a broad brush. There are all sorts of people and I for one welcome the diversity... If everyone agreed with everything I said I would find that pretty boring. Different points of view are what make life interesting and I always am interested to hear what people have to say. Don't assume that because a person might be seen as "liberal" that they are totally evil. They may (like me) raise goats, know how to spin and weave, be able to identify crops growing in a field, and have guns... lots of them... and know how to shoot them, and actually be able to hit the target. And I am by no means unique.

When I carry, it's a rifle and pretty much anyone with eyes can see it. It has saved my life more than once, but not against humans - against DOMESTIC DOGS. People let their dogs run loose, they pack up... and it can be a bad thing. Pretty much everyone in my "neighborhood" (an area of about 1,000 square miles) is very well armed. Perhaps because of this, people leave each other alone for the most part. I have to say, I don't get the "darned liberals" comment. All the liberals I know have guns. Every last one. That would include me, and Mr. Horsehair Braider. None of us would ever dream of trying to stop others having guns. Must be something else that gets people going on that sort of thing.

In my dreams, I do basketweave that well. But when I wake up.... That's a beautiful saddle.

Very nice braiding! That pulling and sort of shrinking on the knots can be a problem... that can happen to anyone. I have a very mild suggestion, and that would be on the browband, where you have sewed it, to bevel the end of the strap of leather so that the end blends in gradually with the rest. (I'm not sure if that makes any sense or not! I'm not very good at writing things down...) I think it's correct where it hooks up to the sidepull, to not bevel the ends there. I would have called that sidepull a "jaquima" (pronounced, HA key ma) and I can tell you, those are pretty darn useful. I've got three or four myself. I really like them, especially for starting a horse in a bit.

Great to see some horsehair work here - I was feeling a little lonely! I have not done a lot of rawhide braiding but I know you can dye it with coffee. Also, U-Braid-It has cut rawhide strings for sale. I have not tried their rawhide but they are good for everything else, so I personally would not hesitate to buy their rawhide. It can be tricky to cut, but if you are patient and don't mind experimenting, you can easily do it yourself. If you have worked with horsehair you KNOW how frustrating it is to run out of length... so cutting in a circle is the only way to go, IMHO.

Shoot the picture *BEFORE* you box it up for shipping.... Yeah, I've actually done that. Made something cool, thought, "I should get a picture of this" and the next thing you know I've gone on auto pilot and boxed it up and got it ready to ship. SIGH. Other than that, just shoot pictures! I try and use a consistent background. I used to use this one certain rock as a background, but I've gone all "modern" now and I'm using a white background, or sometimes black. Depends on the item.

Good points Bree! So how do you "fight" without being a jerk? Well, don't get personal. You can contrast yourself to others in a polite way - and if you get personal, it will reflect badly on you. You will be seen - rightly or wrongly - as a jerk, as you seem to realize in your OP. It will never hurt your cause to be polite. Simply pointing out that you have a different "style" or that you have a different "method" can be helpful, and this can be done in a polite, quiet way... being insulting or personal will never help with the customer. And it's important to the customer, because who wants to buy stuff from a jerk? (Well, OK, I have once or twice done that, when the work was superior - but usually you want to have a relationship with the person and no one wants to have a relationship with a jerk.) The customer wants to think of you as "their" artist. They want to be proud of you and show you off to everyone. That's what is going on with "George" in Suze's example. You can, very politely, say something like, "Well, my style is very different. I always like to ______. And then I _____ ." NO NEED to say anything negative, nor even mention the other person's name. All you need to say is you are DIFFERENT. That does not necessarily imply BETTER. And you know what? It may not BE better! Maybe they are looking for something you don't make! That's fine. There are a lot of people in this world, and their different points of view are what make life fun and interesting. One of the most important lessons I ever learned on marketing: don't waste your time trying to sell your product to someone who does not want it. For example, I went bowling a couple of times and hated it. You are wasting your time trying to get me to go bowling - I tried it and thought it was stupid. Try and get someone else, someone who WANTS to go bowling. Many times I turn people down when they come to me for custom work. They don't want what I am selling! And yet, I STILL have plenty of work. I just try very hard to reach the people who want my work. When I sell to them, everything is a piece of cake - they love my work, they love me, I love them... Everybody's happy. And in all of that, there is NO NEED for me to talk about someone else. I just talk about MY work.

Rhall, go here: More Tips and Tricks and about half way down you'll find a tutorial on how to use a head knife.

Hardly ever does a person in a position of power do something for the common good (although it DOES happen at times) - no, they do things for *THEIR* good, and everybody else can just go eat cake. I think this is human nature and will never change. But as to your other point... I've had people come here and say "When society collapses, YOU'll be OK! You _________ (raise rabbits, weave, spin, know how to milk a goat etc.)" OK. You do realize that if society collapses, you will no longer have access to tanned hides - right? Unless of course you tan your own... and I won't be able to buy rabbit pellets, for example, so I'll be just as screwed as everybody else... We all rely on each other to a degree I think many do not realize. It's nice to have "stone-age" type skills, but I think life would really suck without good boots.... or toilet paper... or coffee... or electricity. So I for one am hoping that society does NOT collapse, and that things will hobble along more or less as "normal". Whatever that means.

That's a thought... either that, or you use them in a place where you really have to exert some pull, and someone said, "Hey, I wonder if it would be easier to pull this harness cinch with a rolller buckle?" They are on all the cinches for a harness, too... Hmmmm....

There is no way I have enough savvy to add to a discussion about saddle fit... but I sure find this old thread fascinating. There is ONE subject on which I am considered knowledgeable, and that is fiber. So when Dusty was discussing cinch material and said "but cotton looses much of its strength when wet" I can tell you for sure - that is not so. Cotton is a plant fiber, and like all plant fibers, it becomes STRONGER when it gets wet. (That's one reason they used it to make sails for ships!) Protein fibers, such as wool (which comes from sheep), mohair, alpaca, yak etc. become WEAKER when they are wet. Also, Dusty stated that "The next best is . Mohair is a blend of Angora Goat hair and Wool." that is also incorrect. Mohair is the name of the fiber that comes from the Angora goat. Now, maybe there is someone out there who does blend the two fibers, wool and mohair; but if it says "mohair", it means the fiber from an Angora goat, and not a blend. If it's a blend they will say so. This is a minor point and no big deal. I hope the discussion continues! I don't ride that many different horses in a day, but I've still got three saddles. One is a real trooper for me; it's a McClellan that was made around 1900. If I've got a horse that I can't seem to fit, I use that saddle; works (almost!) every time...

What a cool idea... Coasters, maybe? Although it seems disrespectful to put a wet glass on such a beautiful carving...

What about a dog leash/lead rope (depending on the size of critter the kids are likely to run into)? Maybe out of parachute cord, with a terminal turk's head/crown knot (whatever you call it) on the end, plus a snap. That could be a 4-strand round, which is not too bad to teach.

Entiendo... even though braiding is "work", it shouldn't be hard. Your hands should not give out on you. You've got to be able to do it all day, so if your hands are getting too tired, you are trying too hard. As you braid, try and relax. Try and think of it as fun. It should be natural. I had to have this same discussion with my farrier. He wants to braid, but tries too hard and his hands hurt. You must learn to relax, otherwise you won't be able to do a day's work. On the math question, I'm not much help as I am an official Math Moron. I just use my experience, and as I braid, if I see something is not working out, why, I stop and change things. That is just normal. Don't worry if you have to change; as Ray Hunt says, you have to adjust to fit the situation.

I agree with Hedge about a hook or something, so that you can twist and see underneath. As far as which string to pull... you need to be able to braid all the strings at the same tightness. The way that works best for me is not to pull one string, but to develop a "tension" in my hands. I just kept on braiding, and sooner or later, your hands will start to do it evenly. When I do some of these multiple string braids I don't need to see the back. I just do it the "same" and it always turns out right. But that will not happen over night. So you see, I also agree with Hedge's first point - practice, practice, practice. It's like learning to write. I bet it took you longer than two or three tries to get good at writing.

Oh no - that's terrible! I know the weather is very bad out your way. How awful for the families...

That red's going to look sharp - do you know what color horse? What a great way to dress up a headstall! I like the reins, the color adds a real nice touch. I like your slobber straps, too.

Stunning. Just stunning.

I'm so sorry... that's very sad. One of the hardest things about pet loss is the habits they've trained you for... It sounds like your kitty had a terrific and very long life of excellent care. Treasure all the good times you had with her. Hugs to you. )))) ((((

I make molds, but not that big - ~! One thing, you should check the casting over and see if it is stamped anywhere. If someone brought me someone else's work to make a mold, I would not do it, because I'd fear to get in trouble for it, especially if it was stamped. It would be considered stealing someone else's work. However, if you changed it somehow - did an original that you based on this for example, that would be perfectly legal. Once you have an original that you yourself had made, or altered this one in a way to make it your own (change the swells, maybe) then you could perhaps take it to a crafts department or arts department at a local school or university. I know that people can make molds to cast resin, and do them in their own home. So I know it's possible, and my best guess would be to talk to a local school about it. I make molds for jewelry, and they are smaller than what you want. I have a mold frame to make a big men's cuff bracelet, but it would not be big enough for that tree!

OMG, how horrible... You mean someone set it on purpose?! That's even worse...

With a name like that, I'd have thought you'd be playing guitar! Nice work. I like the celtic tooling on the cases/boxes. Those are really neat.