roo4u

probably have to find someone whos carving you like and have them done...ive never seen predone ones like that for sale.

i use many different methods...dunk and shake for colors that i want really dark...or i mostly just pull the lace thru the dye(i use a bent shower curtain hook to hold it down in the dye then i just pull it tru reall quick)...this i do on a table covered in the brown paper that is often used to ship my leather to me. this method keeps the lace from getting really wet from the dye, it is colored but not soaked thru. then hang it to dry...i feel it is important not to coil it while it is wet...when dry i polish the lace with an old sock on my hand, seal it and done.

knothead was size hide was that price for? charlier...charles hardtke inc in el paso tx sells the drum stuffed hides from packer tannery as well. i have ordered alot of roo from them and never gotten a bad hide. 8thsinner...another combo thats very nice is the brandy and purple. and i once did a leash in sombodys clan colors....black, purple, blue and green....i thought it would be horrible but it really looked awesome. and it still looked good two weeks later when i repaired it cuz her dog liked it also.

sounds cool!

yes alcohol based dyes evaporate really quickly actually. i never use the dyes straight out of the bottle i use canning jars for mixing my dyes and im only dyeing lace so dye it right in the jar. when i mix the dye in the jar i put a measured amount of the dye into the jar and then use a big ole syringe to add alcohol until i get the color i want then i write the mix on the top of the lid so i dont have to guess when i remix

oh yeah i forgot to say...really nice work. your braid came out really smooth and even. when i do that aussie flat braiding i have to work really hard to make sure my tension stays even because just like my knitting i pull it too tight.

yup very easy, i just use floral tape or masking tape around the tub to make the shape i want for my knot and to build up the edges so that when i pull it off the dowel the bights cover the plastic edges completely

is that a d ring belt? and if so did you twist the strands so the flesh side is in on the end of the belt when it is in use?

i tried the leather thing a couple of times but had a hard time getting it the right size...then i read on a website somewhere that they used the tubing so i got some and tried it and it works great. when your knot is nice and tight and covers the cut ends of the tubing it makes everything really smooth. i make 1/2 and 5/8 size and i just cut the tubing to the length i want and then slip it onto the dowel and away i go

i tried the leather thing a couple of times but had a hard time getting it the right size...then i read on a website somewhere that they used the tubing so i got some and tried it and it works great. when your knot is nice and tight and covers the cut ends of the tubing it makes everything really smooth. i make 1/2 and 5/8 size and i just cut the tubing to the length i want and then slip it onto the dowel and away i go

i googled gum dragon and that is just another name for gum tragacanth and it is water soluble so they probably get it as it comes direct from the plant and then mix it themselves whereas the stuff we get is premixed.

do you have any problems with the rawhide directly on the scarf snagging the material? i am using tubing from the the ag store for my interior.

check out this link to nrs.... http://www.nrsworld.com/istar.asp?a=3&dept=17&class=400&subclass=4900&sortby=&numperpage=30&pos=30 they are just crown knots of various sized cord...

ya im not real happy with the recent service from them either. ordered some leather from an email i got from them. they quoted me wrong price and when i corrected them i got questioned extensively about the email like i was making it up or something...had to offer to send them a copy of it. one of the items was the 3 for $50 goat rawhide and i only got one hide...so had to call them and that person also questioned me extensively about the email....and i still havent gotten my other 2 hides. so probably wont go back to them any time soon...maybe after they get their s*@t together.

the moisture shouldnt be a problem with a mohair cinch. just make sure you hang it so it can dry between rides.... mohair is very comfortable for horses and wont burn them when wet like a leather or neoprene cinch sometimes can.

welcome to leatherworker. i will try to answer some of your questions, though by specialty im a braider. in order to sew the kind of projects your talking about you would need a leather sewing machine. otherwise you will be sewing by hand, which isnt that hard but it takes practice. do you have a tandy near you? they would be able to help you pick the right starter tools for what your wanting to do. for hand sewing i use an awl, a groover, and a stitching punch to make the initial holes and keep them evenly spaced. go to some tack stores and look at headstalls you like...if possible take some basic measurements of width and thickness. there are a couple of books that have measurements for several different types of western headstalls and many other types of horse tack. as to the inlay hopefully someone with experience will be able to answer that question.

unless you have specific things that are causing your bp to be high a diuretic is usually the first step in getting meds on board and will be followed by whatever else. some people can use only that for quite a while before they need an additional drug.

in the past my most profitable was leashes out of roo. at shows they sell by the inch. also one of my most popular items at shows was a leather slip lead with a sliding knot to limit the slide. call them western slip leads.

nope not those either....here are the over unders from bg book the small boton oriental or small fan knot. begin as a gaucho knot of two passes. thong is passed up around mandrel and then back down o1, up o1, down o2, up o2, down u1 o2, up u1 o2, down u2 o2, up u2 02. now here is where the difference starts. down u3 o2, up u3 o2, down o1u3o2, upo1u3o2, down o2u3o2 up o2u3o2, down o3u3o2, up o3u3o2, down u1o3u3o2, up u1o3u3o2, down u2o3u3o2. now the working end is brought around u2 alongside the standing. and your done. 3 section fan or boton oriental begin up thong is wrapped twice around mandrel now down o1 u1 o1, up o1u1o1, down o2u2o2, up o2u2o2, down u1o2u4o2, up u1o2u4o2, down u2o2u6o2, up u2o2u6o2, downo1u2o3u4o1u2o2, up o1u2o3u4o1u2o2, down o2u2o4u4o2u2o2, up o2u2o4u4o2u2o2, down u1o2u2o5u5o2u2o2, up u1o2u2o5u5o2u2o2, down u2o2u2o6u6o2u2o2, working end bought around 2 along side standing end your done!!! i will try to post pix of these and the large and small pampas knots during construction sometime in the next couple of days. hopefully it will help you to follow the instructions.

no the small boton is similar too the gaucho knot but not the same... the edges are o2u2 but the center is o3u3. in the large boton the edges are o2u2 and the center is o6u6

i dont think thats the same thing the small boton is tied similar to a gaucho knot not started as a turkshead.

they are in bruce grants encyclopedia...i think they are not a popular knot because they are hard to tie and i dont think you can interweave them...least ive never tried. the small boton is also called a fan knot and the large boton is also the three section fan knot, it is considered very difficult. the pampas is a 3 section lazy knot and is easier than a boton to tie. im making some bracelets now so ill take some pix of these when im done. i really like them because i think they are some of the prettier knots to tie.

megabit is right...the wood stick, aka mandrel, are mostly just for learning. . all my small knots, ring knots, gauchos, pineapple knots whatever i need i tie around my finger. bigger projects i tie right on the item. even a botan or a pampas button...when i put them on bracelets i braid them right on.

thanks for the links skyout...off to give it a try......