rgerbitz

Those are looking good. Keep doing what you're doing. Thanks for sharing Rob

Looking good. I like to cut my knot string down smaller than the braiding string. Your knots look good but I would want to work on building up the foundation so as to end up with rounder knots. Rob

Tom, I don't know much about the dog chews but whenever I have a full hide that I need to work. I will soak it for 10-12 before I can do much with it.

Thanks for taking the time M. Could you show how you lace your burner on. Thanks, Rob

Nice work Jake and thanks for the discription of how you build up the heel.

That stuff is awsome. I really like the headstall. Nice work and thanks for putting it up. Rob

Dang it . Dales class is full. Does anybody else have some recommendations. I will be looking into Outlaw thank you for that info. Rob

Hello all, I am about to become unemployed. And have decided to take advantage of the unpaid vacation time to attend a saddle making school. I've looked at quite a few and think that the The Montana Horsemans Saddle Making School looks good. Dale Moore is the instructor. Does anyone here have any thoughts or opinions on this school or any other for that matter. All I really have to go on is what's up on the web sites. Thank you for your time, Rob

Real nice work. Dang mules never appreciate anything.

Button strings are usually in the 2-3/32 range. I rarely get below 1.5/32 on any string. Maybe on string less than 2/32. The 3 wraps will cover in an over 2 under 2. If you want do an over 3 under 3 you would cut back on the bights. And turn back your first interweave on the outside of the foundation. Which I will do on some of the larger diameter bosals in an over 2 under3. There is a sort of magical ratio of width to thickness, I don't have it figured out. But I did have someone tell me once that the thickness should be aproximately 1/3 of the width. I like me strings to stand up a little more and most times I'm probablly over 1/3. The bosal in this post was braided out of latigo and if I remember right those strings were in the4-5/32 neighborhood. And maybe 2/32 thick.

All right. Thanks to some good advice I have some patterns for biker chaps and now I would like some input on what types of leather are most desirable for bikers. And, if you know, who supplies those particular leathers. Thank you, Rob

I would think that varnish would help, but I have no experience with that. I had some string around here that had gotten pretty rank. I left it in the barn for 6 months or so then brought it in to work with it. My wife recommended that I remove the rawhide from house or look into another living arrangement. Once the string got up to room temp it did have a pretty strong odor. A guy I braided with once told me about another man that had braided up a hackmore out of some really rank string. He put it on a mule and said that they had a heck of time getting it off the mule before it killed it self. Apparently the mule took offense to the smell. Not alot of usable info, sorry. Rob

Man, finally got a sunday afternoon with little to do. Not sure what I've been doing lately but I sure have been busy doing it. Finshed up this bosal and had a photogragher friend take some pictures for me. It's a 16 plait latigo cheek with roo nose and heel. If anyone wants to braid with latigo I got this hide from Sheridan leather it is Big Horn brand. Very nice, a little spendy, but very nice to work with and makes a very durable end product.

It is nice to see gear in use. I have any number of times seen something I've made a year or so later in use and thought "Man that's a nice looking piece of gear" then realize it's something I made. Less often than when I started it was stuff that when it was hanging on my wall I wanted to throw it away. I agree with everyone else, your gear is getting better with every piece you make. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work. Rob

I like the top hondo the best. I really like the way you laced on the burner. I personally like them even heavier than those. Good work. Rob

It can be a little confusing at times. But I have been able to count strings to figure out where to send things through. It works alright on 2 or three pass. a little harder on 6, 7 and 8 passes. My eyes start to get crossed.

Look a whole lot better than my first anything. Nice job. Rob

I love looking at your stuff HH. Thanks for putting it up. Rob

If it is just the fat and left over meat that has gone off, most of the odor will go away when you remove that. If it has been like that for awhile the odor will stay with the rawhide for a long time. Unless you plan on bleaching it. Rob

For a first time nose button it looks great. My first nose button looked like an attempt to braid a candy cane. Thanks for sharing Rob

The best way to keep track of the interweaves for me is to add another color.

Thank you. It is all very helpful. Rob

Hello everyone, I am researching on making some biker chaps. I have made some westen style chaps and chinks and in looking around it seems that the biker style are cut a little different. Does anyone have or know where I may get some patterns? And also where I might look to get some good ideas? I would also like to hear some thoughts on differnt options as far as what is a good idea and what isn't. Thank you for your time, Rob Gerbitz

Good job.

Your braiding is looking real good man. The way explained it is the way I do it, except that I don't boil them. Rob