Kevin

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and concern, he has taken the big step and called the VA crisis line. They got him right in and he seems much better just for doing that. I will tell him Joe, he lived near Red Lodge at some time. Once again, Thank You very much, Kevin

Thank you, sounds like a good start, Kevin

I don't know what else to do about this. We have a Viet Nam era vet at the shop that is going off the deep end. He is 100% mentally disabled, but has been able to keep it together all these years, we never knew it was this bad. Since bin Laden was killed it has been downhill. I think he is mixing prescriptions and alcohol. Yesterday he left work at 2:00 and was still sitting in his car in his driveway at 9:00 last night. His girlfriend went over this morning to get him up and he had slept with his shoes on and would not get up. She has tried to get hold of his two daughters but hasn't heard anything yet. I know we have a lot of vets on here, maybe somebody has a suggestion of how we might be able to help him get some help. Thanks a million , Kevin

That's the way it's supposed to be. You can use smaller stitches and not cut the leather, if the needle went straight with the stitch line, you could cut the leather. Besides, it looks better. Kevin

All you need is long hemostats, new pieces, backstitch, and a lot of patience. As long as the body is ok and you don't have to work on the part that holds the handle, it can be done. Kevin

In my experience, deglazing fluid is for removing old finish before redyeing, not cleaning naked finish leather. Good luck, Kevin

I would not put leather in water any warmer than what you can hold your hand in, it will cook it. Kevin

I guess it goes in the middle of the hole. I don't think sliding a piece of hardened steel on wood or brass is going to dull the point, the sharp part doesn't touch anything but leather. Part of your problem may be that your awl blade is too long for what you are doing. The closer you can keep your hand to your work, it's easier to keep the same angle. Unless you're stitching something really thick, you don't need a long awl, but of course, everybody thinks bigger is better, so small awls are hard to find. I generally like a smaller haft also, for finer work I cut the knob off the end so I can palm the whole thing. Another problem is our stitching horse jaws are too tall. If the forearm and upper arm formed a ninety degree angle, you could keep exactly the same angle with every stitch and not have to think or worry about it at all and there would be less fatigue all around. Have fun, Kevin

Sept. 30-Oct 1 23rd annual Customm Boot and Saddlemakers' Roundup, Wichita Falls TX, I think there's a big trade show included. Kevin

Ow, Everything is relative, normally I hate painted leather, but I really like this. I like the colors and the kind of phosphorecsent effect and I can almost taste the raspberry in the background. Kevin

The one in the middle looks like a Randall, we had 2 or 3 at the shop, but they have disappeared over the years. Kevin

If you're working on an odd shaped piece, what I find most often is that the weight of the item you are sewing is pulling the needle out of line slightly and the shuttle misses the loop in the thread when the needle comes up. All you have to do is push your work to the right slightly and the shuttle point will go through the loop. I hope that is understandable. On a patching machine, YOU do the work, the machine helps you out some. Good luck, Kevin

Thanks, Just seeing that first foot explains so much, I've got roller feet, but I'm always afraid of getting too close. Kevin

I just wet the sponge and rub it on the glycerine bar, then the leather. I don't think I have braided latigo, mostly veg tan and I usually wet the leather first and then put the glycerine on. Good luck, Kevin

Nice. I have a couple of modern versions of the Blanchards with plastic handles, they are an embarassment. Thanks, Kevin

Castor oil is supposed to keep vermin away. Kevin

No, you only have three. You just have to have large enough holes, they don't look bad. When I started out, I used the smallest needles and holes I could get by with and fought all the time. Now I go with whatever works easiest and it actually looks better. I work with a lady that's always trying to force stuff and bending needles and in a big hurry and it shows in the end. (I Love you Janet!) I've only used the doubled up thread method a couple of times, I usually just use a single span, end it with a double crossover pulled good and tight, start the new thread for a few stitches THEN go back and cut the old thread off. It's not coming out unless it's in a bad spot or somebody picks it out a'purpose. Kevin

I don't braid rawhide, but when I have to braid leather I just use glycerine and water on a sponge. Kevin

The slaughter free leather came from Siegel. Kevin

People have been trying to find replacements for leather for a hundred years, nothing comes close. She already knows that. We get Wintec saddles in all the time and they just don't hold up and they absorb everything and stink really bad after a while. I know there are some western makers also. We've gotten some in and they break like cardboard after a while. I think she has to live with the limitations she has placed on herself. Good luck, Kevin P.S. Why would a vegan want to enslave a living being?

Tom, I know what you are talking about, I just always figured it was like an optical illusion, in the nerves, like it feels warmer but really isn't. So, I never gave it that much thought. Maybe instead of absorbing the heat from your hand, which seems logical, it reflects the heat and so feels warmer. Perhaps loftier minds will prevail, Kevin

I haven't ever used Tanner's Bond, I use Master's All Purpose, but I think it is more your approach to the glue that matters. I like my glue thinned and apply 2 coats rather than one. I don't think a glue pot will help the glue last longer if you don't use the glue enough. I seal my pot with glue after each use and the vehicle (thinner) still evaporates because I just don't use enough glue. I add thinner every week and totally clean the pot out every couple months and start fresh. If I were in a shop by myself, I would just buy quart cans and thinner, instead of useing a pot. Kevin

There's one on here for sale. Kevin

Nutty, I made a cheekpiece yesterday, and I'm sure I charged as much as the rest of the bridle cost. I didn't use Indian leather or leave a loop of thread around the stud like the one I "copied". 150 is very reasonable. Kevin

I just use whatever I have on hand. I use leather dye for brown and Rit for red and yellow. I stick a dauber in the dye and put a weight on the end of the thread and draw the thread over the dauber, let it dry, wax it and go on with it. Kevin