roo4u

the biggest difference in the precut vs hides that i have seen is the precut has some kind of finish on it that makes it alot harder. leashes i see made from precut i can always tell cuz the braids are not as tight and the knots dont lay as well. i have not seen any of the lace from yknot so maybe theirs is better? all i know is it pays to do it yourself if you possibly can.

for cutting i use a little wooden cutter sold by davidmorgan.com. he is a whipmaker and braider and these little cutters are what they use in their production. only 12.00. prior to that i used a lacemaker from tandy. my splitter is homemade from a design that someone posted on the forum a year or two ago. for beveling i just bought the beveler from yknot lace...70.00 and easy to use works well.

ive tried that before...not as easy as it looks in the video.

the best part of braiding is when you see your stuff being used! we used to do alot of dog leashes and because of the way i finish our leads i can tell its one of ours...so i could watch a dog show on tv and recognize our work...even though nobody knew who actually made the leash they were using. oh wait i also like that just when you think you have it down you can go online and see someone elses work and be inspired to learn another knot or braid. you know what else? even the elite of the braiders are more than happy to share their knowledge with those willing to learn.

i know not everyone has the time or even wants to cut their own lace....just make sure that your not getting chrome tan roo....its very much more stretchy than veg tan and especially be careful if your using it for lacing seats or something like that.

what is the price difference between getting a hole hide vs buying the discs? i assume your getting them both from the same source.

best quality lace? cut your own!

i agree with curly joe and the others...learn to braid first. see if you can do it, you like it etc then learn to make the rawhide. learning to braid can be frustration enough without adding the extra problem of trying to make the stuff. as i said before many braid their whole lives and never touch rawhide or leather...try cords of various sizes. to anyone who buys from bill at tejas...what are they getting for rawhide?

well that just means you dont have to run out and buy it in order to give that braid a try. and once you get the hang of the 8 strand its easy to change to 10 or more strings and the more strings you add the prettier it is.

rob.. what is your source for the sodium sulfide? and how much do you use per hide. im looking for a better way to use than lime. my first hide ended up ruined like the one in this post. i was going to try to cook it but your way may be easier. thanks in advance

look in bruce grants encyclopedia of rawhide and leather braiding....he calls it the square braid of 8 thongs..and also shows it with 13 and 21 thongs and as a combo with the crocodile ridge braid. its in the details of the combo of the two braids that he calls it the treza patria.

very cute...i like the combo of the hair on and metallic

there is a link on the side says 2010 online catalog. wait here try this link http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/events/tcaa/2010catalog.html should open right onto the catalog. its a mix of silverwork bits spurs saddles and other leatherwork and braiding.

ive used heat shrink and never had a problem...maybe cuz its altered to be able to shrink.

there is a tutorial pinned in braiding on turksheads...in the example shown at the beginning of this topic the center knot is a pineapple knot, which is a turkshead with an interweave, done over a bead to give it size and shape. then the two knots that are on either end are simple spanish ring knots. ring knots are very easy to do, hardest thing is not breaking the lace when you tighten them . then you simply use smooth jawed pliers to make them flat and push them up against the bead.

i love my 97' ford with 7.3 turbo. i dont think i would buy a new ford diesel though cuz the whole cab has to be lifted off to work on engine...dealer has a special lift for it...

nope never had it crack the stuff they put on top stretches as well...i think its meant for shoes. the very first white i bought from davidmorgan was a dry white hide...got dirty really fast. i dont think they even sell it any more.

i thought thats what it looked like!

yeah well they dont sell it as braiding leather but i can tell you ive braided a zillion leashes and a bunch of them have been white/color or all white...never had it break. course in a show leash they need it to stay really white. i wouldnt use it for a whip or something like that but it works well in knots and such.

cool...whats the black part at the top? aggie...charles hardtke in texas has a white...it is called italian white and it is a crusted leather probably meant for shoes....stays bright white...just feels a little weird. use a SHARP blade when cutting to keep your edges clean. i have also dyed it with alcohol based dyes it takes purple really well...it pops.

looks like a crocodile ridge braid to me. there are several in bruce grants encyclopedia. none of them are very difficult. good luck.

hey all...the 2010 tcaa catalog is on line. this link was posted in the saddle forum i thought id copy it here. there are 5 or 6 braiders represented. the best of the usa and argentina. here is the link... http://www.nationalc...aa/default.aspx enjoy, drool, the work is amazing...makes me wonder why i think i can braid.

yup big holes thats what happened to me when i tried to make my own...now im gonna buy a hide and wont do my own again until i can get set up to cook it. mine was in to long and not only had the holes but also lost alot of the top layer where the strength is so it was useless. you can start braiding using something else..leather, paracord, different sizes of cord. check out knotheads site alot of folks braid without ever touching leather and you could learn the basics very cheaply.

congrats on striving to improve...i look forward to seeing your next saddle!

roo has the highest tensile strength of any leather...cow doesnt even come close.