roo4u

is that the over 1 under 1 6 strand? i dont like that one if you do the other pattern it is alot easier....we used to sell leashes wholesale and my mom can braid the damn things with her eyes closed....she wont do that braid...too much of a pain. i guarantee if you do the other braid you will like it as it is so much easier and easier on the hands. my mom can do a 6 foot 6 strand using the other braid in about 1 1/2 hours.

ur welcome....ive heard the folks at springfield are really helpful so i bet if you call them and tell them what you want to do they could set you up with a starter set of the basic stuff you need...

well for my collars i have the following tools.... a small set of hole punches- cheapo from tandy a couple of bag punches for the slots for the buckle tang- bought form weaver...i just got the two sizes for the size collars i made the most of strap end punch-these are pricey but one for each size of strap is needed for a really finishes look an adjustable stitching groover a bench splitter that can also be used as a skiver for evening straps and then skiving down the end that folds under the buckle to reduce bulk. as far as the stitching is concerned there are many different options....hand or machine...look in the sewing forum for stitching advice. rivets and stuff ask your supplier for the correct tools to use with the products you buy. oops forgot...an edge burnisher.

in one of grants books there is a picture of a guy using a woodworking planer to split his rawhide....i always wondered how well that would work. they can be pricey but on the other hand they are highly adjustable and there are a variety of sizes. i currently use a homemade splitter from plans someone had posted on this board a couple of years ago.

the members of peta, not the general membership who just think they are helping animals, but the leadership, they work very carefully from behind the scenes to impose their beliefs on others...getting legislation passed, even influencing what is taught in schools. the money from peta, from all those animal lovers, is funneled into an outfit called ALF the animal liberation front. alf is a terrorist group that is organized into cells and they are heavily armed. they have been raided a few times and each time the feds found large stashes of weapons. all those lab raids were animals were turned loose and facilities were destroyed thats what peta pays for. the founding leaders of peta also formed alf...they are ira trained terrorists that originally formed in the uk in an attempt to disrupt the british economy. now they are doing the same thing in this country.

hey druid that celtic zodiac link is very interesting...thanks for posting. parts of my personality can be found in each of the sign descriptions i read....chinese, celtic, star sign....even the mayan had a pretty good description. interestingly enough in mayan im a serpent and chinese im a snake and the descriptions are very similar.

ya i dont have much spanish either....but google translate works fairly well for the bits that i cant work out. some of the work is just amazing, and alot of the web links they have dont come up in a search. the argentine braiders are the best in the world...it is so much a part of their culture.

hey all...i found this cool site while surfing. has links to many braiders sites and if you look back through the archives you may find other tutorials like the 10 strand croc ridge braid shown on this archive page. http://eltrenzador.blogspot.com/2010_12_01_archive.html it is in spanish but still very informative.

well i would use saddle soap rinse thoroughly allow to dry, then apply a conditioner...neatsfoot oil could be used but may leave residue on your dog. plus over oiling is not good for the leather. i like lexol non oil conditioner for stuff that i feel doesnt really need oil. for instance if leather is in good condition but i removed surface soil with soap, then i use the non oil conditioner.

those look great megabit....

its funny cuz my moms 28 y.o. gelding is a grulla and his nose is red like that which is one of the signs of the color....he just looks dark brown all the time, darker in the winter of course....but if you bend his hair back its silver underneath...then if you shave him he is silver grulla with dun factor that you cant usually see.

when i read your post miguel i though you were being very sarcastic.....maybe its the language difference. but if that is the case just be aware that it is occurring. brian...that looks awesome....i may have to steal that turnbuckle idea...i have been racking my brain for a better way to attach keyrings...and lo and behold.... :-)

looks real good!!!! and your mare looks good in it. is she a grulla?

very cool and insanely difficult....thats alot of practice!

she actually just posted some braiding today in the braiding subforum...

well the rest of it looks really good.

that looks AWESOME!!! really really nice....

check out this link.... http://brucejohnsonleather.com/content/index.php/leather_tools_for_sale/ he is a member here and all the used tools he sells are in ready to use condition and excellent quality.

im a peta person....People for Eating Tasty Animals......mmmmmmm but seriously, when the carcass removal people go by and pick up dead critters the hides are sold to the same place that buys the hides from the butcher shops...so i think more people get leather from field death cows than we think.

miguel is correct this is just the same as the turkshead....these diagrams are meant only to show which bights go thru ring and which go around. if you can tie the turkshead just take it slow and you will get it.

no i would say a leather bit would not be a good idea...as stated slobber will break the leather down..plus horses will chew leather, this is why slobber straps or rein chains are used to save equipment. many leathers are tanned with toxic substances this is why the epa shut down so many tanneries.

yup......time to lock this bad dog up so we dont have to shoot it!...lol