Kevin

Your work is fine, especially impressive that you could get the cantle back under the Cheyenne roll, I think some people are being shy because of the saddle itself. Kevin

Briefly, It's decorative. Like cutting a border on a western belt, which you can't really do with English bridle leather, so you just crease the edge instead. The leather is denser than US tanned leather so you have to heat the iron for the crease to stay in the leather. Kevin

Thanks Twin Oaks, I had heard of automatic knives, but not assisted knives. Kevin

I don't mean to sound like I'm being funny, but what in the world is an assisted opening knife? Kevin

I'm not Kevin Hopkins either, but I can answer this question as I have whined about it before. If you didn't order the leather from the tannery, you are getting the culls. We used to deal with Irving tannery and had to order a whole run at a time. Even at that, it is very difficult to get the same product each time. We used their colors, but they often had to color it 2 to 3 times before it was right. I think most tanneries have a full time chemist on staff. Remember every piece of leather is different, so they all absorb chemicals differently and react differently. I don't think any chrome tanneries tan just in the hopes that you will buy it. They are going for the largest buyers possible. Prime Tanning bought Irving or they merged and now they won't even return our calls, that's after buying our leather exclusively from them for 17 years. OK that's enough before I start crying or something, Kevin

OK Ed, I brought two 14s home to measure. If I'm reading this correctly, the Jay-Cee rivet is .09 and the Weaver rivet is .096 . Hope that helps, Kevin

Hidepounder is correct, but be careful discussing size with the customer, because it is going to measure larger than they think they are and they're gonna say "Oh honey, I'm not that big, just make it a ....". In general, a belt is going to measure about 2" larger than pants waist size and that can confuse some customers. The sizing belt is about the best method I know of, I just tell them to relax and put it on and DON'T look at it, just put it on %^$#!@&*!!!! I have a wonderful counter side manner. Kevin

Ed, You're too precise. How about 3/32"? The ones I get from Jay-Cee are slightly smaller than what I get from Weaver. I mainly use them to set brass plates, with the plate itself taking the place of the burr. The Jay-Cees fit perfectly through the hole in the plate, but the Weavers would be a force fit, so I drill it out and it works fine. Kevin

Just a note; just about anything with iron in it when combined with moisture will eventually burn, or rot leather. Kevin

I get mine from Windmill Saddle Supply. They have stainless in small, medium, and large and medium long necks. If you are doing a repair, you might want the long neck because most reins are made with crap leather and they leave it thicker, so the normal studs aren't quite long enough. Do not get them from Weaver, because someone "redesigned" them for them and they are HUGE and totally useless. Sorry, but I'm at home and don't have the number. Kevin

This is part of my problem in life, I would feel that I am only a temporary caretaker and put it in a shadow box and hang it on the wall. And then when I die, somebody would just throw it in the trash not having any idea what it is. Kevin

Yes, you do have to wet it to go around the hardware. If you don't, it will crack at the folds. Depending on the leather, you should probably wet the whole piece or you will get a water stain. I haven't seen the Tandy pattern, but I would form my piece first and then you know where you will be stitching. Good Luck, Kevin

Randall makes one, I'm not sure if it does all four edges at once or two at a time, it may do all four at once and you can do a different size for top and bottom. Kevin

The only accreditation that I know of is from The Master Saddlers Guild in England and in order to take their course, you have to sell tack and 70% of it has to be English made. That in itself is a conflict of interest to me, but I also realise that it is for protection and promotion of English saddlery. Maybe Master Saddler can clear this up some, he is an actual Master saddler, I haven't seen him post anything for a while though. Here in the US we throw around the word master a lot, to the point I don't think it means much anymore. It is supposed to mean you have been through all the ranks of a union or guild and we don't have that in leather, maybe they did in the big shops in the old days. Saddle Harness and Allied Trades was trying to do it for a while, but I guess that fell apart because you had to pay to be considered and that probably caused some disinterest. Hope that answers something, Kevin

I was going to comment here, but this is such a deep well I think I will stay out. But can I? There are some excellent fitters. But probably 75% don't have any more experience than the average rider, just more confidence. Kinda like some trainers, they've had one more lesson than you, so they know more. Around our area, we've got more "expert" horseshoers, teeth floaters, and saddle fitters than you can shake a stick at, and that's not to mention all the other practicioners of various methods of magic and voodoo. Humans have been domesticating animals for thousands of years and yet so many "discoveries" in behavior and technology have been made in the last 15-20 years. I'm not saying it's all BS, but a lot is, in my opinion. OK, I'll shut up now, just be careful dealing with experts and masters, especially if they're selling something. See?, I just can't get out of that hole, Kevin

Lorenzo, Properly executed saddle stitch (two needles), is far stronger and won't come unraveled. Stitching with one of those is the same stitch as a machine, but usually not as good, unless you are really well practiced. Kevin Caporaletti

Right on Kevin, If it says, easy,one step,or any of those sorts of things, it might do something, but it can't do everything, and it may not do much of anything, but I haven't tried everything. Kevin

Trav, I don't know that I could tell the whole story without a whole lot of things being out of order, or just forgotten and remembered later. If there's anything that particularly piques your interest, I will gladly elaborate. Was that a chicken? Kevin

If somebody talks to Garland Seggerman, try to get him to join! Saddles,boots, he can do it all. He is so fast, he took a picture of me riding a bull. He sold us our first post machine, it belonged to his cousin, Vernon. Vernon was not very happy about that, he said it was the best machine he ever owned. While we used it, it built two pr. chaps a day, 5 days a week. Kevin

Just remember, you asked. Wallet, seventh grade; Christmas after graduation, Let's Do Modern Leathercraft, and that my friends, was the beginning of the end. I had swing arm lamps on either end of my bunk bed and a pile of phone books with a piece of marble on top in the middle and that was my first work bench. After a few years, I thought, this is getting expensive, about this time my father died, and I came into the princely sum of about $2500. Hmmm.. pay off my truck, which will be nothing but rust in a few years or invest in myself? So I ended up in Whitewood,SD at the fabulous JM Saddle School. I had no intention of coming back to VA, I was going to go on to Salmon ID and build saddles and commune with family, but as luck would have it, after a while I missed Virginia, now Cary Swarz is living my life (he even ended up making my ex's saddle). I came back to VA and drove to every tack shop I could find around the Beltway and there actually were quite a few back in the 70's. But no one would have me. So then I went to work for an aunt and uncle, taking care of 8 horse and 100 acres. It was great, well for a while anyway. The very day, I decided I needed a major change in employment, a friend coincedentally called and said this tack shop was looking for somebody, so I showed up and they said "huh?" Well after a few months I wore them down and now I have outlasted the owner and work for his ex-wife (zipper problems). I actually feel like I am the luckiest bastard on the face of the earth some days. We have some very priveleged customers (even at least 2 bbbillionaires) and some people that I don't understand how they feed themselves, much less their horses. I like to treat them all the same. And me? I live in my little shack in a crack 'hood with my tools and machines. Yesterday, I found a hypo-needle in my backyard while mowing. It's not all that bad, I got a new kitchen and bathroom after kids set my house on fire. OK, I tried to keep it brief, Kevin

Like Badger said, somebody's got to be sneaky. And you have to be clear as to exactly what you want measured. I tell customers I need a measurement from where the tongue touches the end of the buckle, to the hole they use the most, that's it , that's all, I don't want to hear anything else, just answer my question, don't think about it, I'll take care of that part. Then that measurement is your middle hole, so they have two holes on either side to use to go higher on the waist or lower. If they can't do it, right, you certainly can't be expected to make a belt that fits by osmosis, and they have to understand that. Of course that's just a generality, but believe me it applies 80-90% of the time, in my experience. Kevin

Now that's inspiration. How'd he do that? Even though I see how it's done, I don't know how you do it, it can't be done. Somebody forgot to tell you. Kevin

Just keep your eyes open. Everything inspires me, bad and good. I think one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, was a note book that came in the shop. The guy's father had been a designer at GM, and this note book had a carving of a '58 Buick on the front and a cutaway of a transmission on the back. Bruised perfectly, and the detail and precision of an engraving, it wasn't even signed. Unfortunatly, I didn't own a camera at the time. Kevin

Customers and "friends" I can handle, how do you tell your boss to keep her hands off? I'm not talking about my wife either. She is third generation Cheapnis. Poor thing never had a chance. She owns 30 acres with a Belmont barn and house on the edge of town, a building that was 2 houses with an addition in town, and her parents sold their place for 350,000 not long before they died. This is 50 miles outside of D.C. "How'm I gonna pay my taxes?" She doesn't have any idea what she's worth I don't think, she just knows if she spends a single penny, the whole world will come crashing down on her poor little head. Oh yeah, "for some reason, I can only cut that with your scissors". I bought the shop a cheap set of screwdrivers and they are all gone, except the largest and the smallest Phillips with a pink handle,"oh they're around somewhere", I'm just lucky she does realize, if she takes a tool of mine home or loans it out, I may go Incredible Hulk on her and ... Kevin

After thirty years of repairs, petroleum products don't seem to be good for "natural" products in my non scientific, stilted opinion and experience. I think the real reason people use nylon over linen (ok, flax) is price and ease of use, in general. I finally started using nylon because people want their thread to match the leather or whatever you'r sewing. They don't realize companies started doing that to hide their mediocre work. If I'm making something though, it still gets a contrasting thread if I'm handsewing. Some days it just feels like an uphill battle trying to educate customers. But then there are the good days and customers that make it all worthwhile. OK I'll stop now, Kevin