HorsehairBraider

Uh-oh - looks like you better put "Learning to Make Tack" at the top of your "To Do" list! :biggrin: That was the first thing I learned to do - a good skill! Looks like you are in for some fun times!

Another woman gun owner here.... I have not seen this brought up after reading the entire topic, so I'll mention this. How on earth can a person live on a ranch and raise livestock and not have a gun? Surely, the Australian ranchers have guns? Please, tell me that they do! You are raising animals and they are your responsibility - that means if one gets injured you don't let it suffer. I've checked with many veterinarians and they have assured me that shooting an animal in the head (in the right place) is the most humane way to end the life of a suffering animal. As a responsible livestock owner/breeder, I CAN NOT imagine not having a gun for those instances when life must be ended swiftly to stop an animal's suffering. There is also the issue of dealing with predators. And in this day and age, unfortunately, that means "dogs". I have had thousands of dollar's worth of livestock slaughtered by dogs. It's been about 11 months ago now we had a TERRIBLE dog attack. I went out across the field to try and help out the stock. There was 3' of snow, I had to wear snowshoes to get there, but I got there as quick as I could. And when I got there, guess what? The dogs turned ON ME. And if I had not had my rifle with me... well, I would not be writing this little tale down right now. As far as knives go, how on earth can you butcher your winter meat without one? It's not that I "love" guns and knives or anything (been accused of that before, not that anyone here has done so) but they are essential tools in certain circumstances. And just like I appreciate a good leather punch, without being wildly in love with it, I appreciate a good knife or gun. I spend time target shooting, making sure my gun is sighted in, keep it cleaned and maintained, and that way when I need to use it I will be able to hit what I shoot at with a well-functioning gun.

Couple of things. If you ship through the USPS you will actually save a little money - if you buy your labels on line, they do not charge you for delivery confirmation. That's .49 as I recall. And you may as well - why buy labels through PayPal? They are not a shipping service. You'll have to go to the USPS site and download some software so that your printer will print out the labels - but you would have had to do that on PayPal anyway. I don't know about the auction fees, I am sure you looked them up and they are correct. But think about this. I pay around that same amount (your total selling fees above) for a whole month of internet for my website. And instead of only ONE listing I can list as much or as little as I want. In my case I taught myself HTML out of a book but they *do* make programs for web publishing that make it pretty darn easy. I got one at Office Depot for $50.00. Basically I think you've got your fees figured out right, although I believe there are ways to trim a little off here and there.

I use PayPal on my site, but do not sell on eBay. I view eBay as more of a garage sale, and my website as more of a gallery sale. That's just my personal opinion which may not be the same way everyone else sees it. You have to pay fees for PayPal but they are not that bad. There is an option where you can leave your funds in the PayPal account until you withdraw and it will earn interest. If it's in there long enough it can offset your fees. It's a great convenience for my customers and many of them opt for that. I also have a merchant account and so can accept credit cards. That was tough to get. Man, you think *you* are out in the sticks - ! I had to find a business owner that would come to my place and verify that I was a real business, and in my neck of the woods, a good 95% of my neighbors are cows. It was worth the hassle though. If I make it as easy as possible for people to pay me, they are more likely to order. Back before the merchant account and the PayPal access, I did not have near the orders. I had dial-up for the longest time, and not only that, but probably the slowest dial-up on the planet. Now I have their "high-speed" and it too is abysmally slow but not nearly as slow as the dial-up. I needed the higher speed, because I could NOT upload to my website with such a slow dial-up. Everything would time out and shut down on me. Luckily for me the ONE company that provides internet access here got nervous about a competitor coming in to town and offered a good start-up package, and then lowered their fees somewhat. I still have to pay through the nose, but it used to be $100.00 a month! Look at your total costs per month - for example, I have to pay a cost per month to access the gateway for processing ccs. I also have to pay a fee for every transaction. Then take into account your postage, which is not too hard. I just have a list on my order form that says, so much merchandise total = this much in postage due. My fees are rounded UP to the nearest dollar amount to make the math easy on the customer. Remember too, your items will probably have a different profit margin. I have a few small items I love to sell because the profit margin on them is very high. My highest priced stuff typically has the LOWEST profit margin, but then I don't always sell those high dollar items. I think if you are going to do business on the internet, you ought at least to look into the PayPal thing. That is pretty easy - once you have a verified account it's not too hard to upgrade to a selling account. They have great tutorials on the site that make it easy to learn what your options are. It's a way to take ccs without the merchant account, which is tougher to get. At that point, you can see how it is going and if you want a merchant account and so on. For me, this was all a necessity because I *really do* make my living from my work. It is not a hobby. If I don't work I don't eat, as simple as that, so I am willing to do what it takes to make the customer see me as a professional and to make things as easy as possible for the customer.

Hmm.. well, my experience of handling them is that they are not toxic for a brief amount of time but the amount of time I actually touch them is somewhere between slim and none, and slim just left town. Again - you don't want green hands, so wear gloves. Basically, dyes are not for eating or drinking, or bathing in or washing your hands. They are for dyeing. One of the things they do (which is why they are used for dyeing) is to penetrate cells, so that the color is permanent. So absolutely - don't mix up a dye solution and stick your hand in it. My point is, just having dyes in your home won't make you sick. Handling them improperly may do so - but so can improperly handling bleach, ammonia, or water.

Anyone interested in learning about various dyes, types of dyes, safe handling and of course buying dyes might want to check out this site: http://www.prochemical.com/index.htm Pro Chem has great safety guides to follow when doing ANY dyeing. Their focus is on fabric dyeing but of course these various dye powders and liquids can be put to many uses. Black walnut, for example. Basically, all dye tools should be dedicated to that purpose - you don't want to use a bowl to mix up some dye, and then later on serve dinner in it... (A lot of it is just plain common sense.) The main "problem" with dye powders is that they are very light and can be easily inhaled. Wear a mask! And hey, who wants green hands? Wear gloves! Use good ventilation, and don't dye in your kitchen! All the toxicity comes from ingesting it. Hey, don't do that! It's not dangerous just to be around it, or to touch it. If you just follow simple rules like that you can safely mix up your own dyes and experiment with them. I've done it too but not in *near* the quantities of JPH! A gallon of dye at a time?! Holy smokes...

Wow, I especially like the belt with the horse on it. (Of course! ) And as far as the holsters on the saddle bags, well, most people should not shoot from the back of a horse anyway - they should get off first, and then shoot. People who have trained in shooting from horseback is one thing. But most people might do something like Custer did, and end up shooting their own horse! No, that is safer...

Thanks for the smile this morning...

You know, someone is going to absolutely LOVE that. I don't guarantee it will be a teenage girl, but there will be SOMEONE. Umm, it's very well made! :biggrin: Not quite *my* style, but... Actually I bet it will do very well on eBay, especially this time of year. That's pretty cool you could use an unlikely material like that to come up with something totally unique. ETA: Oh my word, a fuzzy pink walking cane. I think I need to go to bed now.

:biggrin: I can so relate - whenever I handle something sharp, sometimes I think I may as well just cut myself with it and get it over with! I usually have to cut all my own lace but they make some pretty cool tools that don't have exposed edges... only way I can do it. Well, that white lace is REALLY nice and has a hand-cut look to it. I like your work!

Wow - those are cool! Imagine a full suit of armor like that...

Here's my two cents... For some of my items I keep them on hand at all times... so if I sell the last one, I make more. Some items experience has shown I will only do custom, so for those items there are pictures on my site that people can see. I explain on the site that my craft takes time and that they will have to expect to wait a given amount of time (although I try to be faster than I say, so that they will be pleased they get the item sooner than they expected). I have not had a problem with people waiting. They know they want something special and are fine with waiting for it. People can buy items right off my site, but again I explain that it is an ORDER and I will get it done as quickly as possible. If it is jewelry and I have to cast, I contact them right away and let them know about the delay. I always am ready to refund if people don't want to wait but... I have not had to give a refund yet. At shows, people will buy what you have. For the most part they will not order, at least in my experience. They may keep your card though, you just never know when you might hear from them again. At that time, they probably will order. Good luck in starting out a new business. It can be tough (I hate all the paperwork) but it is nice to be your own boss. However I'll let you in on a little secret - you will probably find you will work far harder for yourself than you ever would for any boss, no matter how much they paid you!

A bosal is the noseband part of a sort of bitless bridle called a hackamore. At least, that is what we call it in the US. In Spain they call it a jaquima and as I understand it, the Spanish learned this little trick of breaking in a horse from the Moors many hundreds of years ago, and the Moors called it something like a "hakma". I don't have a picture of a full-size one I have made, but here is a picture of a teeny one I made (same size as the one shown) that is on a model horse, so you can see what it is for: I'll bet others can explain it better than I can, but the picture shows what it is and how it sits on the horse. This one is a thicker one (used in training a horse) and the one I just made is much thinner - used on a horse that is more trained and responsive.

I like how you've attached the snap - very nice. Did you cut the white lacing yourself?

Oooh - love the tapaderos! I also think it's interesting how you put that little bit of rawhide lacing detail down by the bit.

Thought I'd show everyone this bosal I just finished. It's smaller than what you normally see. OH yeah, take a look at this for scale to see size: It's made of horsehair and thread. No core - horsehair has enough "life" it does not need a core.

Hey, I was wondering what you had decided so glad to see your post. That looks like a pretty good starter camera. From the review, it may not be the very best camera in the world but it is a pretty darn good buy for the money, and most of the issues with this camera are probably not going to bother you anyway. For example you are only going to notice that purple fringing in extreme shots, and then only if you are really fastidious about your pictures. *Most* people just aren't going to notice that. This camera has an awful lot of really nice features that more than make up for any slight downside. I bet this one is going to do everything you want it to, and that you will get many years of service from it - and you really can't beat the price. I found this link for you: http://www.abesofmaine.com/item.do?item=FJFPS700 where you can get it for about $182.00 with free shipping. I have bought from these people before and was very happy with their service. I bought my current camera from them and had it in 5 days. So if you can wait, you can save yourself a few dollars... maybe not a big deal but at this time of year, maybe it is. I hope you post pictures that you take with it! I'd like to see them.

Well howdy - you are on one of the knot forums I read occasionally and I have actually gone to your site and seen your work. Very nice! I'm new myself but what a great place, glad to see you here!

I mentioned in another post that I have "tons of horsehair at my house" and had some people asking me for some. I thought I would explain in a post here that if you have contacted me for hair, I will not be able to go through my huge stash until *after* the holidays, as I am currently swamped with orders and wishing I could work 70 hours a day, instead of only 17. So just wait until the holidays are over and then remind me. For those who do not wish to wait, or for those who need a lot, or something special etc, here is where you can buy hair by the pound: http://www.hitchingpostsupply.com/group.asp?grp=150 They have both mane and tail hair. If you are getting it for braiding, you would probably want tail hair; if you are getting it for tassels or to make mecates etc. then you would probably want mane hair. Here's another place: http://www.nocbay.com/store/animalparts/animalparts1.html and another http://www.hairwork.com/horse_hair_for_sale.htm and there are more - just search for them. Most of these places will also sell part of a pound to you if you don't need a whole pound. I'd like to make it clear that I am *NOT* a supplier, simply a friendly horsehair braider who is willing to share a little of their stash. Most of the hair I have I need for my work, but there is some hair I don't use and I am more than happy to share it with others as long as they don't mind paying shipping. Well, and as long as I don't get overwhelmed with requests! I think everyone should braid horsehair - or tool leather, or make holsters etc. Just think, if everyone in the world braided horsehair they would not have any time left over to build car bombs, pollute rivers, kill other people etc. so I am more than happy to encourage as many people as possible to braid horsehair.

I have not found that to be an issue - the flesh side sort of gets polished after use, it does not get fuzzy. You could also use a braid that is inherently cylindrical (like the 16-strand, where you have 8 on a side and go around the back each time, under 2 over 2 under 2 over 2) and then just tap it lightly flat how you want it. Then there would be no flesh side showing.

I'll weigh in and say I like the Canon cameras. I have the Canon Powershot S5 and really like it. So the camera in your first link will probably be a good one too. The second poster mentioned the Dimage cameras - I had one of those and really liked that one! It took most of the pics on my site. I'll be updating the site from time to time with new photos but the old ones are great too. One of the things I like about Canon (and the Dimage) is that it is powered by AA batteries, which are readily available, and not by a special battery. Get rechargeable batteries, and if they run out of juice you can always pop some AA batteries in there while waiting for them to charge. The one you've linked is a little on the simple side for me, I like being able to control the ISO and to bracket shots and so on. But I'll be the first to admit my camera was hard to learn how to run! The S5 has the image stabilizer and the macro and a "super" macro, plus a 12X optical zoom. It takes GREAT close-ups - you can count the hairs on some of these pictures. For reviews, I like http://www.steves-digicams.com/ and if you go to his "Best Cameras" you can find some good ones, grouped according to price.

Hi Mike - Superglue! Wow, how space-age! :biggrin: I tie an overhand knot in one end (the end I am anchoring). And then I make sure the anchor goes under sufficient ends to be truly anchored - sometimes even working it back and forth a few times. I do NOT want to have to re-tie a knot because it came untied! For the record, if I am going to BRAID hair, then I want tail hair. Mane hair is for tassels. In fact, I got so many people that wanted me to braid mane hair, I now charge $250.00 extra per piece! Up front! That took care of those requests! So please tell your friends they did right to save tail hair, if it was braiding they wanted.

Rules vary from state to state. New Mexico is delightfully short on red tape, fortunately, so it's not that difficult to set yourself up here and then you get all those great benefits that Bruce Johnson points out - so I was lucky there. One thing about a name, it takes a while for people to recognize you - several years, I think - so the sooner you get started, the more name recognition you will have later on if/when you get serious. Also people then have a way to refer to you other than "That guy who does leather work". If you've got a business name, people won't get you mixed up with some *other* guy who does leather work.

I'm happy to find this thread - I thought maybe new members were not allowed to view other's profiles! I too run IE and can not get the profiles to come up, even using the back button and refreshing. It comes up for a second, then I get the dreaded "The Page Cannot Be Displayed". Here's hoping the mods can figure it out... there are lots of interesting people who I would like to get to know better...

Hi Rawhide1 - nice work! This is what I can contribute as far as ideas. It looks like you used tail hair for your tassels. I can tell you that mane hair is nicer for these and feels better. If you live near a barn with horses you can usually get bit of mane hair for free, because they have to cut bridle paths on the horses from time to time. I sometimes let my driving horses go all winter (for it is hard to drive short horses in the snow!) and have quite a bit I cut off in the spring. I generally let it just drop on the ground and would gladly give it to anyone who wanted it. (There is absolutely TONS of horsehair at my house so no need for me to save it!) And Knotnutz, what a great idea for a light box! I love it!