roo4u

it means the core is throughout the leash and doesnt just stop at the point were you backbraid. In the case of my leads I used waxed nylon and tied my core as a leash before any braiding then the core was braided over, there was a small knot were the handle was tied and this was covered by the backbraid and knot i used to finish my leads. If you look through the topics you will find several on braiding leashes and a link to an online tutorial that may help you with your questions.

in our 10 years of selling our leads wholesale i never had a lead break even though we had just the two strands through the snap eye on literally thousands of leads sold.....the limiting of stretch by the core had alot to do with it. I did in fact repair many leads made by other braiders where the back braiding had come undone. many wanted us to change the leads from the standard back braiding to the knot finish that we used but that was reserved for our leads. I actually had another braider buy a leash from us and she then proceeded to take the knot apart to see how we did it so she could copy us but she ended up with just a couple bits of lace and no clue on how to. the lead she bought was a slip lead with a sliding knot which she also took apart trying to copy....and couldnt and still cant many years later. we also did the four strand flat through the hardware for a particular style of lead we sold and i never had the core show.

here is the link to the plans for the splitter....i made it myself it wasnt too hard....mines not pretty but it works...you can also use an adjustable woodworking plane for splitting....i got a decent small one for about 25 bucks that i am trying out cuz the little splitter is awesome with roo but doesnt like rawhide much.. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=787&st=0&p=28154&hl=+splitter%20+plans&fromsearch=1entry28154

i would try to make the one that bernie described in his video...braiders have used handmade tools like that forever. i have a little splitter i built from plans posted on the forum here. also i use a lace cutter i bought from davidmorgan.com that is wooden and was 25 dollars...works great.... you can use the lace without bevel but the edges will be a bit hard and maybe irritating for a while. I made thousands of leashed without beveling but i used lace i hand cut and it was much softer than commercial lace.

here are some pictures of my leads....

i actually will have to take a picture of a leash to show you what im talking about...will try to do that tomorrow. i start my braid at the snap....so for a 24 inch leash i would start with 2 90 inch strands of roo pulled thru the snap to form 4 even strands...then braid is started just like normal....the two strands going thru the snap eye covered my core as the harness thread is fairly thin. plus i used black thread for dark leashes, tan for lighter colors and white for any leash that used white roo. hope that helps a bit more. leads with a ring are started the same way. now loop leads are an entirely different thing...i started mine in the middle of the core end product is more even that way. i will drag out the camera tomorrow and try to snap a couple pics...

i used heavy harness sewing thread for my cores. i doubled the thread around the ring or snap. then i went ahead and tied my handle so that i just braided up and around ...the knot from tying the handle got covered by a combination of the braiding and the backbraiding. I did mine this way because you will lose some length in the core depending on the tightness of your braiding. my mom braided all our leashes and is so consistent that i was able to write the proper measurements for cores down and use that to set up as many of each size as i needed.

bruce grant mentioned the yerba mate dye in his encyclopedia....tea residue and rusty iron he also mentioned easter egg dyes in one of his books and they do work pretty good and penetrate through the hide.

with the paracord i have done the buttonhole/ button shown in the ubraidit book...i have also used leather waterloops

glad to help!

um...ok, first what are you making? i ask because oil tanned can be kinda soft and may curl if you braid too tight. anyway braiding over flat is the same formula as braiding over round. 1 1/2 x circumference divided by how many strings used = width. now if you are using precut lace then instead of dividing by string divide by your lace width to get how many strings to use. example---circumference is 3/4" (.75) x 1.5 = 1.125. divide this by 1/8" (.125) = 9 so by formula 9 strings would be required to cover, you could try 8 it might cover, depends on you braiding style. formula for length is always 1 1/2 x needed plus however much you need on each end to finish your project. the challenge in braiding over flat is keeping your lines absolutely straight, as deviation will be more obvious than braiding around a round core. hope this helps you.

yes, the width of the strands can affect your diameter...to the extent that excess width will make the braid bigger around than needed to cover your core and therefore it will be bigger than the core. this is not good for a dog leash as the braid will be able to slide around on the core and will wear faster. the thickness of the lace definitely affects the diameter of the braid. what size leash are you trying to end up with?

i use the same formula for all my braiding....because it doesnt matter if your braiding over a round core or flat...as long as the width is correct...

i second the david morgan cutter...its inexpensive and easy to use and they sure cut alot of lace with it in his braiding shop....

i have done a croc with a second color that remains in the center but it comes out in a two tone color because you must work in the stands from the outer part of the braid. It is described in bruce grants encyclopedia

the reason for the 4 ends on this knot is to get even coverage of a larger area...i have used the 2 strand for years on my dog leashes....it will only work for a certain circumference and so you use the 4 strand for a larger circumference. as bg is only using this as a foundation he does not concern himself with grain/flesh side. What i usually do is twist the strand as i bring it out from under or out thru the braid i am putting the knot on. when braiding with rawhide you simply pull it tight and it is good to go...however when using it as a decorative knot with kangaroo I always use a tiny bit of elmers glueall...which is a casein glue and bonds with the fibers of leather. put just a tiny bit on the flesh side of the last strand before you pull it tight...the area of the glue should be buried in the knot after it is pulled tight. this will keep the knot from coming loose. My leashes last for years with this method of finishing the knot...even when the leash stretches from use.

i really wanted to enter this year....but I just dont have the money to send right now....I know its only half for the deposit but still cant do it...guess i will have to keep my fingers crossed that the braiding doesnt get canceled before i can come up with some spare dollars. :-(

I just thought maybe it would be posted on the web somewhere....I checked out both of their websites and also the tcaa website and found nothing....guess emailing is only option

In different posts folks have mentioned some upcoming events, one with nate and leland and the other with armando and pablo. I have looked on the tcaa website and found no details. Can someone point me to the right place to find info? I surely would appreciate it. Thanks

oh ok...duh...are you wanting to cover just the three legs of the triangle and the crossbar?

I dont really think just wrapping will work...not on a collar ring. There are a number of braids used to cover rings that will do the trick...I have done this before so know that it will work, if you braid tight.

I think there is a three sided braid in bruce grants encyclopedia...i will take a look

thats true....still the usefulness of using a strap cutter to cut lace is determined by the thickness, temper and size of lace needed....

in bruce grants encyclopedia there are instructions for a turkshead that is used for putting a ring on a strap...I have used it before...gonna have to try it with a cross for necklaces....