rgerbitz

I agree with everyone else Mike. Your braiding is looking better all the time. And that is a sweet looking spade. Thanks for sharing Rob

Countinued, - I can only learn so much from a book, finding someone to teach me a few things has been invaluable. Not to mention a very fun trip. Got to see some scenery that didn't have corn in it.

Very nice Alan. Is that rawhide for th interweaves or something else? Rob

Hey all, I have been braiding now for 2 1/2, 3 years. And while I have a ways to go yet I have actually learned a few things. Thought I might put some of them up here. I hope you all will add to the list as well. - If the foundation button doesn't look good neither will the rest of it. Fix it up now or start over. - Getting as much strech as possible out of the strings before cutting them down to their final size makes a world of difference. - Use some kind of "grease" I use white saddle soap or Ivory and glycirne. Use enough to wash an elephant. - Moisture is sacred. To wet and the work will look like crap. To dry and the work will look like crap. Take them time to perserve the moisture content. - In a hurry to finish. I might as well cut it up now. Wait till I have them time to finish something properly. There is no rushing, only ruining. - The sound and feel of a string breaking has helped me to develop a whole new vocabulary of profanity. - Never store your work in a plastic bag with writing on it. Th ink will come of onto the piece. "insert profanity here" - Dogs are to rawhide, what flies are to poo. Keep it out of reach. "More profanity" - Awls are not created equally. Some are better suited for different purposes. Would have never known till I tried a different one. - I can't make a descent 12 plait and carry on a conversation with sweetie at the same time. Doesn't work, both will get messed up. Good time to perserve the moisture and the marriage. - When the strings are getting to dry, bundle up unbraided string, spray with water, wrap up in plastic and let site for a bit. Presto!!! Moisture and marriage preserved. - Dry rawhide can cut like a razor. Blood doesn't come out of rawhide easily. - Lime, water, and 95+ degrees will turn a good red hide into smelly, slimy mess in about 2 1/2 days. "lots of profanity" There is more, but this is all I can bear to type. Hope others have more to add. Thanks Rob

Look familiar to anyone? I may or may not have barrowed the design from someone else. (Thanks Mark) Yet another peice to add to sweeties private collection. Thanks for look'in Rob

I never had much luck tightening my knots. I finally got the hang of tieing them up with the appropriate tension the first time. I didn't keep track but I would bet I tied over 100 of them before I had one that I thought looked decent. Keep at it you will get the hang of it. Rob

Hey Alan, How'd you guess. I had a great time out there and am looking to do something like it in the future. Most likely next winter/spring.

Thank you Art and Kevin.

Very nice. Yet another picture I will not be showing sweetie. I am starting to think she has some sort of addiction to gear. Rob

Thank you Heather, I imagine a few others maybe interested in my trip, so here goes. Back at the end of March I hopped in a car and drove 1900 miles out to oregan with a layover in wyoming for a night. (Thanks Mark and family) Through a series of events I had been presented with an opportunity to spend some time with a very good braider. He makes his living making bosals, reins, and other assorted braided and hitched horsehair goods. Last year he made 150 bosals along with some reins and other gear. I spent 5 days with him and his family and all he asked was that I covered my grocery bill. From about 6 a.m. til about 6 p.m. everyday we spent out in his shop working on some type of rawhide work. From scraping hides to braiding reins and bosals, I even got to see his wife doing some hair hitching. She was kind enough to send home some hitched bracelts for my wife and daughter. At the end of my five days with them I had a very nice 5/8 bosal and enough string to make some reins and another bosal. I also have been filled to the brim with stories of cowboying in the great basin and info on how best to make gear that fits the horse and rider properly. Everything from which hides are best for which gear to how to swell a nose button. The experience and knowledge are priceless. I hope to be able to go again one day and will take better care of myself next time. A week after I came home I ended up in the hospital for about 5 or so days with some kinda of virus that the doctors from 2 different hopitals weren't able to indetify. That's about all I can stomach typing for now. Rob

Those are nice Mark, wish I could get me 30th try to look as good as you second. Rob

Hey all, Thanks for the comments, Mark, you are going to have to fight off my sweetie for gear testing details. She is currently "testing" 3 peices of gear for me. And My trip out west was very beneficial and I hope to do it again sometime. Minus the unidentifiable infectious disease I came home with. Wouldn't be any trouble to work a bit hobble into the trade. Alan, The pattern was U3, O2, U2 it gave one side of the cheeks a little different look and feel. It may be that only another braider would notice the difference, but I think it looks kind of cool.

Here is some show and tell. the bosal with the Roo on it is a 9/16 in. with a 14 plait cheek and a 32 plait nose. I have started using one string to tie the foundation on the nose buttons and that has been working out real well for me. The all rawhide bosal is a 12 plait with 32 strand nose. It was made from Mexican steer that died in California, I cut the hide up on a trip in Oregon and braided it into a bosal in Illinois. The bit hobble is a bit hobble. Rob

Very nice. Do you use any kinda of core when you make up reins like these? Thanks for sharing, Rob

Makes me wish I were a South Eastern Buckaroo so that I could take a shot at winning those. Nice work Mark. Rob

There will be one proud pony that gets to wear that.

I have only done it a couple of times, but the interweave is the same. Follow the same strings around and "make pairs and split the pairs. Rob

Hey all, Anybody have any good ideas on how to kill mold. Due to my @#!& day job my rawhide strings end up sitting in the can to long and start getting fuzzy. While it doesn't seem to hurt or even discolor the strings much, it does give me a headache when working with those strings. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thank you, Rob Gerbitz

Those are both nice looking pieces. I think most folks would be glad to have them. Rob

Those look real nice Mark, I don't know much about what makes floral carving good but looks fine to me. And if your wife doesn't like'em I happen to know a wife that would probably use them. Rob

Clean looking work, and good job on the concho.

Nice looking work Heather!

Real small world. It's not very often you find anyone who knows where the hell Walnut Il. is. Let alone someone who is a distant relation. My great grandmother is Anna Odel. Rob

I was born and raised in Walnut, who's your mom, maybe I know her. Rob

Man, in the begining of this thread I was feeling pretty good about my buy. But now I am really regretting not buying the other 6 boxes of tools that were there. They all had about the same number of tools in them and none went for more than $90. This was at an estate auction. Rob