rgerbitz

Thought these might help someone understand a little better. Rob

You weren't kidding when you said you needed to "chew" through this material. It is just what I have been looking for. I still hope that KAW, RCsaddles, Alan, and anyone else will be able to add their thoughts here. I know you all have before at some point but it would be good to see it again. Thank you Rob

In the last 3 years or so I have dedicated most of my spare time, which isn't much, to learning how to braid, make rawhide, and recently have begun learning more about working with leather. I am unsure which has been the bigger challenge learning how to braid and make attractive gear or learning how to make the rawhide itself. I have asked questions both on leatherworker and through PM's and have learned that like most things in life no two people do things the same way. I was recently directed to the American Leather Chemist Assn and I believe it will take some time to get my head to stop spinning from all the info a ran across there. I am hoping to get a thread going here that discusses what you all have learned or what your thoughts are on making rawhide. And it was recently suggested that a thread should be started on the subject. What are some of your experiences good and bad, so that the rest of us may be able to keep from having to recreate the wheel so to speak when making or own rawhide. To date everyone has been very helpful responding to my requests, I am asking everyone to add more for me and anyone else who may be wanting to try their hand at making rawhide. I hope that everyone that has even the smallest bit of info to add, regardless of their experience, will chime in. Thank you all for your time and I am looking forward to see what everyone has to add. Rob Gerbitz

I second that, I tried a couple of white tailed deer last year and ended up throwing them away. They are very thin and if they weren't so strechy would have been nice for knots, but it was almost like working with hard rubber bands. Rob

Yeah sorry about the dimensions. It is 5.5 inches long by 1.5 inches in diameter. I like the diameter but having it be a few inches longer would be nice. Rob

I was asked for some more info on my string cutter, so here it is. There are a few things that I am going to change when I get a chance: The collar needs to be off set or a finger added so that the string is not against anything after it has passed the cutting edge. I have troubles some times when the strings are thick and a bit to dry wedging in and either breaking the blades off or busting the string. ( which I would rather have happen when cutting string than when braiding) I would also like to add another angle for beveling the current one is a bit steeper than 45 and I think one closer to 30 would be nice at times. Otherwise for the price it works great. I don't have some of the fine tuning that it looks like some of the others have but I am finding that the more I use it the better I get along with it. I have about $200 wrapped up in the splitter and cutter. If any of this is unclear or someone would like some more info or pictures I would be more than happy to help. Please do not hesitate to ask. Rob

Hey there R and D, I can't say for sure what the concetration was. So this is just a guess. I had about 25 - 30 gallons of water and dumped in about 6- 10 ounces of Clorox, or 3 glugs. Sorry that is about as scientific as I get. Rob

I am no expert either, but last fall I bleached a hide with clorox. I put the clorox in with the lime and let it sit like I usually would and it seemed to work out all right. This is the only picture I have of anything I made with the hide. Hope this helps, Rob Gerbitz

I think I have posted this before, I am sorry if this is repetitive. I had this made at a local welding shop. It is made from a solid piece of hydralic ram. It is nothing fancy, and there are a few changes that I am going to have made to it some day. But it works well for cutting rawhide and roo. I paid $50. If a guy was handy enough you could make one out of hardwood that would work I would think. Let me know if you need more info, dimensions, better pictures... etc. Would be happy to help. Rob

Hello Heather, Those look very well done. Are the tassels parts of the braid or did you attach that later somehow? Rob

Thanks Kevin and Joe. I wonder to if there is a difference in lime, I have been using a sweet barn lime. It is a kind of course ground lime. I once found a small amount of lime that had been ground to the consistancy of flour that worked well. I know the temperature has a lot to do with it maybe it is to hot where I am doing it out on the south side of the barn in full sun all day in a galvanized stock tank. with a sheet of galvanized tin over the top to keep the sun off the hide. sounds like maybe I just need to stir more frequently. Thanks again for the help. Rob

Hey Alan, I think I am doing a good job of fleshing, espesially where that fat is the thickest as this is the easier part to get off. What I am mostly worried about is that the hide is rotting through to quickly. That and the smell is enough to make my wife wonder if I have lost my mind for working with it at all. After reading through the thread on casing leather I am wondering about our water quality. We have a very shallow sand point well and I know from water test that the bacteria and nitrates in our water are high. We don't drink it ourselves. Any other ideas? Thank you, Rob Gerbitz

Hello all, I've been having some trouble getting some decent rawhide made lately. And am not sure what I am doing or not doing that is causing the trouble. The last two hides I have done I have only been able to get about half of the hair off after sitting in a lime bath for a few days. And some of the places where the hair would come off I would break through the top layer of skin with very little pressure being applied. Does anyone have any ideas what I might be able to try to get some better rawhide. I have been asked to make some peices for prizes for a buckaroo assn. to give out as prizes and really need some good string. Thank you for your help, Rob

Alan, This bosal turned out nicely, I want to thank you again for going to the effort and showing us how you go about it. I would like to know what you used to dye your strings red? Thank you Rob

Thank you Roo4u, I agree that a little swell seems to look better but this is what was ordered. And Alan had it about right for why the spacer was there. The only thing I can add to that is that it also allows for someone to add more weight to the heel not later on if desired. By drilling out a hole in the spacer and adding some lead shot. I still like the rawhide better and if there is anything that I might be able to help you with please don't hesitate to ask. Rob

ptank, I have been using the high tech splitter that I got from tandy's for splitting my rawhide. I have never used anything else so have nothing to compare against. But it seems to work well for me. For the rawhide though the moisture must be right, to wet and you will get to much stretch, to dry and you will cut through your hide. And the blade needs to be very sharp. Rob

Here it is my first roo hide piece. It has a twisted rawhide core braided over with rawhide then with the roo. To make a 1/2, 12 plait bosal with a 20 plait nose button and a over 5 pattern on the heel knot. The side buttons are spanish ring knots of three passes. I used vaquero rawhide cream on the strings while braiding,( that I bought from Opagon) worked great. On the nose button I braided an over one braid down then turn both ends back. There are a few things that I will do different next time, and I will see if anyone can see what that may be! Thank you all for the help in the previous months with the info and encouragement I have really enjoyed working with the roo. I would appreciate any pointers as to what might have been done differently or better. Thank you Rob Gerbitz

Hey Alan this was awsome. Thanks for the time and effort to do it. Rob

Just finished this up this afternoon. Thanks to all the rain I have been able to get caught up on all of the rainy day projects like this. It is a 3/4 inch bosal with a 12 strand core or cheek and a 24 strand nose button. There is a twisted core that was braided over twice. I would welcome anyones critique. Thank you Rob Gerbitz

It all looks well done Roo. You and your Mom sure keep yourselves busy with some braiding. Rob

Hey Alan, Thank you for the heads up. I had just spoken to the man that had ordered up this bosal on saturday to clarify what it was that he was wanting. Because to my mind as well, 1/2 inch is quite a bit to put under a bridle. Good thing to, because he may know his gear but he doesn't know the difference between 1/2 and 3/8 without a tape measure in front of him. Rob

Here in Illinois there are still a few folks working on getting first crop up while others are on second crop. It was almost impossible to get dry hay made in may and the first part of June. Most guys who got a decent hay either chopped it or made balage. (Horses can eat balage to). We are having to pay from 3.00 to 3.50 straight out of the field for small squares. Which doesn't seem to bad I've heard of some boarding barns up by Chicago that are paying 8.00 for whatever they can get thier hands on. There is alot of hay around here there just isn't much for good hay, it is mostly just a bunch of brush. But when it is 20 degrees out in january I'm sure the horses will eat it. Happy Hay Makin, Rob Gerbitz

Very helpful info everyone. I sometimes wondered why folks were using calf skins and the like in thier braiding. Can't wait to see the looks I get at the sale barn or feedlots when I ask for their calves or newborns. They think I'm half strange as it is just gettting the hides from the meat locker. Probably be waiting for me with a little white coat that buttons in the back the next time I show up. Thank you all very much. Rob

Opagon and Hedge I was thinking that I should do that just was afraid I would be wasting time. Thank you for your input, and when do we get to see some more of what you guys have been up to? Rob

I was trying to split some thick rawhide from around 5 or 6/32 down to about 1/32 and have been having a dandy of a time with it. I believe my splitter to be very sharp and the moisture in my strings to be apropriate. The string is about 3/4 of an inch wide. And I am either stretching the strings till they are paper thin or breaking them or it cuts fine. So I end up with an inconsistant thickness through out the string. Does any one have any suggestions as to what I might do better. Thank you Rob