Bob

I have a few knives by Rose. They are indeed high quality steel. The temper and hardness is great. It stays sharp along time. It's the first knife I reach for on the bench. I really don't need 4 of these. If someone wants one. I'd sell a couple.

I would just head over to the Ford dealer and have a look at what they're doing to the interiors.

One more thing that has to be spoken and understood. The tiny air pockets that you see bubble up when you dunk leather into the water tank.... You do not want those air pockets saturated with oil, that's why if you use water first, it will prevent the oil from filling those pockets. The water evaporates and oil does not. Now please don't misunderstand, I did not say to dunk your entire saddle into the water tank until all the bubbles stop... the rawhide tree will not do well with that. the ground seat don't require water. The parts that bend and work do need water, so it can bend without breaking. this is of course just my humble opinion.

Keith, Leather is a skin, moisture in leather is a good thing. (Bark tan or Veg tan only) Say you try this and see how leather is without moisture. Cut a piece and put it into the microwave for a few minutes. Bring it out before it catches fire and let it cool. Then try bring it back to it's NEW feel, by only adding OIL. Sometimes I get old abused saddles in that are dried out and caked with dirt from too much oil. The only thing that I found to work is striping it down and hauling it off to the car wash. Using a high pressure washer to force water back into it. Saddle leather will stay healthy and strong, with memory if you don't let it dry out. Too much oil takes the memory in leather. This is only common sense, a dried out saddle got that way because the moisture has gone, what makes you think that adding lots of oil will bring it back. Adding water first, then some oil. A good many folks think that only oil should be added to their leather. Because at one time all there was available was linen thread. Linen thread would rot. Today and for the last good number of years, good quality thread is available.

It depends on the leather, chances are it's dried out. Sooooo, water is best. Use saddle soap and water to wash it in warm water. Use lots of water to rinse it off, let it set dry some. (not in the sun)... before it dries out completely, oil it with pure neats foot oil... The trouble with using too much oil on dry leather is that you'll never get water into it after. Too much oil is not good for saddle leather.

Ray, thanks for sharing the pics, it's really awesome to see other parts of the world. Funny things is that if you'd said you went traveling into British Columbia near Kamloops close to our house. I would have believed you. The pictures look like they were taken around here. Cheers

I may use a little of oil, just to protect it from the elements. But not soak it in oil to get the creak out. Baby powder or "any dry" lubricate is the thing to use. Baby powder has a scent with. You don't want that for a hunting rifle. Telcum powder would work.

Saddlebag, if that were in my shop... They would not get those repaired. They would be replaced with proper leathers, both of them. Not just the broken one. With new buckles, would cost them 225. Repaired stirrup leathers never work properly anyway. Liability? Well, we have insurance. Moral obligations? I simply tell people who come in with a piece of junk mexican saddle and want the sheep skins changed. I just say "NO" It's not worth it. You can buy another one for less than what I'm going to charge you to fix this. Besides, it won't fit anything anyway. So why bother. Some folks don't like that, but it's the truth. I just do it in a kind and respectful manner. Most are not offended.

I got a set of Hide crafter tools, the set of barbed wire. they're just junk tools. I phoned TLF where I got them from.... They replied, "Thats never happened before, what did you do?"" I gave them away, and bought Barry Kings tools... Very nice, they don't bend either.

Randy, thats a nice piece of GRANITE.... not marble... too bad shipping that rascal would cost more than it's worth... Nice size for a tools bench...

I think that this answer is what many of us needed to hear. Tastes like a good medicine....

Do sheepskins is often terrible dirty business, if you like a clean shop. Dust and dirt everywhere. Many custom saddle makers WILL NOT RELINE YOUR SADDLE BECAUSE IT'S SO DIRTY. Unless it's their own build The way I've done it for years now is this. Material cost approx 33% labour cost approx 33% PROFIT MARGIN approx 33% Equals invoice price So the bottom line is this. I've been charging 350 Canadian dollars for years now. It includes new strings and new leather concho's also. Besides I also take out the old stitches with old dental instruments. You can get them from the hygenist who cleans your teeth. Replacing the old strings can be as much trouble as you'd like. Thats why they get replaced, it's simply too much trouble to reuse them. They often don't fit properly. Too loose or too tight. So then I can quote over the phone. It don't matter if it's an inskirt rigging, or has a spanish braid lacing the skirts together or not. Those things take time. It don't matter if it's an Eamor saddle or not. (Those are terrible to take apart the first time) It takes extra time and effort, sometimes some blue smoke too. So around here, I'm not the cheapest. Some ole fellas who are retired and doing it for fun have done this for alot less. Not always, but quite often it looks like it too. These customers come in with chrome tanned sheep skins on their saddle and wonder why the fleece is coming out. Or the sheepskin is not trimmed around the edge of the skirts. Thats my take on all this. I'm in business to stay. Not just for the cost of doing it. If we did it just for materials plus labour, who's gonna pay for the mortgage and so on it goes???

Hidepounder, thanks for that referance.

Those of you who may have some of these punches or know someone who has them for sale. This is what I'd like to get. Osborne English point strap end punches, the old style. Not the black ones. 3/8, 5/8, 3/4, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75 inch Osborne Half round strap end punches, the old style also. 3/8, 5/8, 3/4 inch Osborne Bag punches, old style punches only 3/4, 1.5, 1.75, 2 inch If you have or know of some of these that are available. I'd appreciate a note. Send a PM with your phone # and contact information. Many thanks.

Well, thanks for some good ideas. I can't imagine roping off an area, or keeping them behind a counter will work in this shop. It's quite small to begin with. I'm convinced that getting some signs posted will help.

There's not much that bugs me more than that... Someone coming into the shop and heading over to the bench to examine and "Play" with the tools.... GRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! OK, so my question to all you that have shops is this.... How do you deal with that, without offending people, or cutting off their fingers at the neck. Sounds too funny to be serious? Well, I'm no different than most other saddle makers. There's thousands of dollars in sharp tools on the bench. And I don't want people touching them. PERIOD. The other things is when they bring 3 kids........ I best stop here, I think you get the picture...

I too can testify with many others that Bob Douglas makes about the finest-sharpest-prettiest bisonette and turnback edgers that are available. I was lucky to get a complete set of each from him in February. They're worth every cent too. Even my work looks nicer too.

now thats funny Steve, for a second there I thought you may have fallen off your rocker, especially when you said your gonna go buy a china machine..... I've heard you bragging up that machine... I thought maybe now you seen the LIGHT and decided to spend some money and buy a quality needle & awl machine... LOLOL HYAHAHAH Something like a landis 16 or maybe even a "3" Way to go Steve, we loved it. Bob

I have a Atom clicker. We made a dolly with HEAVY DUTY casters under it. Bolted it to the clicker and it now rolls. It was rolled into the garage. It's very heavy, not a good idea to take it down stairs.....

I've got one of these under the bench, you can have it for the shipping cost... I sure don't like it. It's far too easy to burn your round knifes... it's alot of work to fix that.... there is however a bench grinder that turns slower available. they want almost double the money too. I use a hard felt 1 inch disk on the grinder and rouge, and lots of care is also required with that...

Very nice workmanship. Creative too. Can't say I like you saddle though, thats a beginner saddle....LOL With a few more years of experience you can upgrade to a REAL SADDLE. LOLOL

Greg, these old landis machines do pull a tight stitch. even though they are NOT the bullet type shuttles. They're almost exactly the same setup as the landis 12 thats been in service sewing soles/souls for decades now. Only one turn on the tension bar and it breaks 346 thread. I don't know if we can go much tighter than that. I know these newer single needle machines made in China CANNOT AND NEVER WILL HOLD A CANDLE to the needle / awl machines. It's just that alot of folks today won't take the time to learn how to setup-maintain these machines. The pro 2000 Ferdco I got years ago in early 90's has been a good machine, always sews when I go to work with it. Just can't sew as pretty as the landis 16's standing next to it. Exactually, it looks pityful by comparison. Robert............ No Greg, I cannot spell it backwards...

Gosh you guys. I'm afraid with all this talk about Landis 3's and Randals an such. I thought you fella's may like to see what a really nice pair of machines look like.... They're a bit like women, you have to treat them right and they run like a top... Besides they're alot quieter than running machines built with the bullet style shuttles...

I couldn't agree more Steve......

It looks pretty nice Elton, congratulations on your winning the best in the show.... I like those things somebody made for us to paste in here, they're just too cool... I don't to say much more about that.... Elton's saddle is nice.....