roo4u

looks pretty good to me...i see a tiny bit of twist in your long pineapple and your 8 strand...but ive been braiding for years and still havent conquered the twist completely. id say keep up the good work.

hey i made one of those little splitters and its ugly but it works and thats what matters. and yes you can bevel any size lace. with rawhide you absolutely have to bevel, i practiced on the roo first so it would be easier on the rawhide now that ive started playing with it. i used to cut all my roo with a lace maker all the same size cuz all i ever did with it was leashes. now i am cutting it differently. check out this video http://www.youtube.com/user/bernie46#p/a/u/0/aDSxaaUyXzY it shows the right way to cut a roo and from there you can cut the size laces you need. also take a look at bernies other videos as there is really good information there from a top aussie braider. when i cut up my goat rawhides i did it like bernie shows and it is working out really well.

my sliding knot foundations are always ring knots...that way i can control the amount of slide in them. real tight for leashes and less so for bolo ties, lanyards. to get size i have done two ring knots with leather in between similar to what aggie described. or just 2 or 3 ring knots with a turkhead or larger ring knot over the top to keep them together and add some shape. if you post your braiding questions down in the braiding forum you might get more answers.

here is the link for the splitter. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=787&st=0&p=28154&hl="splitter"&fromsearch=1entry28154

i agree with 8thsinner....lace needs to be beveled. also that turkshead needed another pass. also the tension on the ring knot to get it looking smooth. the lace cutting just takes practice. did you split that lace to even it out? if you dont have a splitter there are plans on here to make yourself a decent little splitter out of oak. youve done woodworking before so you shouldnt have any trouble building it. i just posted the link in another post i think you have made real progress so far so keep working

perhaps reinstall flash

when i cut used lariat for projects i just tape it cut through the tape and then use either a torch or a woodburning tool to melt the end....but you have to get it hot and then kinda roll it to keep the ends together while cooling

i dunno..i got this email today also....after all that went on it seems a shame that seigel leather is giving up over this. maybe not kick a guy when hes down.

in argentina the dye with beets to get red, im betting beet juice is easier than having to boil onion skins. i think i have some pickled beets so i may try it. im also going to pick up some easter egg dye and give that a try. bruce grant mentioned it in his book and im thinking that if it still mixes with vinegar then it should do a decent job. sorta like when they make vinegaroon to dye leather black.

well the two-prong can be a pain at first... but once you get used to them they are quick and easy to use.

well i use those little two-prong lacing needles instead....they are easier to get through a tight knot. i hardly ever have to tighten my knots. they can be a bit of a pain to get the lace into at first but if you put the lace in and crimp use pliers to set the prongs into the lace it will not come out.

oops kings x.....that was stand...not stamp.....glad im not the only one that does that....lol

looks really nice, i wouldnt have known it was your first if you hadnt told us. the horse carving is very nice, i liked it alot. good job!

ray....those are beautiful straps....that guy is trusting alot of money to your work. straplocks are really the only safe way to hang a heavy expensive guitar around your neck. dragonspit.....the width of the strap is really just a matter of personal preference. some like wider some narrower.

what kind of hardware are you looking for?