megabit

So what did you end up ordering? On a side note I cut the longest string without screwing it up yet for me. I didn't measure it started as a disk maybe 2 1/2 or 3 feet around. Cut it down to about 1/2 and then just a sting about 3/16ths off that. Now I need to tie some buttons on the curb strap I am working on. Mike

Nice work as always. I need to do some braiding, I've mostly just been riding a lot lately trying to bring my game up for the Extreme Cowboy Races. Mike

You can mouse it up some with florist tape and carve it back down so it is more symmetrical if that is a problem.

Excellent work. The lines are nice and straight and the plaiting looks tight and smooth. Mike

Number one sounds the best to me of what you list. I think you want to make sure you fold the horse hair through your paracord so that it can't just pull loose. Does that make sense? So you need horse hair twice as long any you want for your tassel.

That saddle looks familiar. Do you have any cards? Everytime I go somewhere with that saddle at least one person ask who made it, I could hand out your card if you want more saddle business. Mike

So you two should get together and try to help each other out learning.

Nice.

Ok, I am using a bit of everybody's ideas. I filed down and polished one of my 1/8 - 1/4 sized permalok needles and it works much better now. I have a 3/32 - 1/8 one that I think the threads are fubar on that I have been super glueing lace into. I just got a shipment of a handfull of the 3/32 - 1/8 and 10 of the lok eye ones. The lok eye ones seem to work fairly good for small lace. Thanks for the help everyone. Mike

Rob, What do you use for your initial cut down to 3/4? Draw gauge?

I mostly have trouble with it breaking off using the small needles with thin rawhide that is tapered down to fit in the needle. Don't have trouble with the larger needles generally, but then again I hardly ever use the larger ones anymore. I must say I like the burn it out idea. By far the thing that impacts the permalok needles useful life is me loosing them.

Those that use the Perma Lok ones, do you have trouble with the small ones getting plugged up? Like if you end up breaking the lace in them or pulling it out and leaving a bit behind. If you do do you have anything better than trying to pick the stuff out with a small sewing needle?

The small ones have a flat tip sorta a duck bill. I have hammered one of the bigger ones and then cleaned it up with a file and that helped. I think I may have to try the tin can deal.

The knots I have are not all that tight. I will redo the ones on the loops that lock the button down with tight ones. I was wondering if I can get away with just adding a couple of tight gauchos to the 3 string parts? Would above or below the loose ones be better? Or should I just cut them off and redo them all? Thanks as always for the help. Mike

I may have to give that one a try. What do you do, just crimp them in? Hey, that is a very good idea. One of the problems I have had is getting thin string to get a bite on the threads of the perma-lok ones. I can see where if I put some glue on the end and let it dry nice and stiff it might get more bite. Thanks for the good idea.

Does anyone use something different than the Tandy Perma-lok one? If so what and where do you get them?

Thank you Alan, it means a lot coming from you. You have never hesitated to tell me "cut it off and do it right". That is what I like about you. You have helped me progress more than you could possibly know. These are snug but could certainly be snugger, perhaps I will cut these off and redo them. Yea, they turned out kind of long. Sorta by design though. I wasn't sure how long they needed to be and it is easy to make them shorter, longer requires starting over. I always enjoy seeing anything you make. I was at a cowboy race again this weekend and had someone else ask "Who made your saddle? I really like it.". The thing damn near sprung a leak though when I picked up a trash bag full of soda cans. hasta luego, Mike

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking of adding some two more gauchos around all three strands at the bottom. Sounds like I will need to. I was going back and forth on how tight to make the knots, to tight can't adjust, to loose won't hold the adjustment. Yes, I do intend to use the curb once I move up to the 2 rein from the hackamore. I got the bit from Steve at: http://www.blackmountainbitspur.com/ He did a great job on it for me.

Braided rawhide curb strap. Made with 4 plait strings, pineapple knots, gaucho knots and a spanish ring knot.

Does she ride English or Western? If she rides Western than she would want a quirt not a crop and rawhide would be the hide of choice.

I think you will find most on here cut their own lace regardless of what type of hide they use. Hides are expensive, pre-cut lace even more so and the quality isn't generally very good. With a little practice and a $10 lace cutter you can cut about as good as most you would buy. You can likely find hand cut lace that would be of a high quality, but the price would be high. I started out with one of those little plastic cutters and then moved up to the one from WhiteBuf. Another option for practice is paracord. It has some advantages and disadvantages. On the plus side it is cheap and you can undo it and use it again. On the downside you don't learn to keep the hair side up as you go.

Best for braiding? Do you mean the easiest to braid or what makes the nicest finished product? I vote for RAWHIDE!

WOW, I always love your stuff.

Very nice indeed. I like the back cinch sheath too. I have been thinking about picking up a tomahawk from this place http://www.2hawks.net/AHAWKS.html but I don't know that I can justify it no more than I manage to get into the backcountry. Sure do like your fid work though. Mike

Nice job on the sheath, but boy is that blade ever SWEET. I see you are in San Diego too, I am up north in Oceanside.