entiendo

Very, very nice!!!

Very nice bracelet!

Yeah it does really suck!! I ended up pulling the string out and securing the new string with buttons. There really are no simple solutions. Thanks though roo.

I have no idea how but I had a string break on a 9' long set of reins I just finished. I was even applying the finish! Gosh what a bummer! It broke right in the middle. Any ideas how to fix it? My best idea so far is to completely take out that one string and weave another through and secure it with a pineapple button at the front of the reins. I can't completely take out that string because of the decorative buttons. Grrr. I've never had this happen before. In my experience once it's braided it's safe, even if there is a weak spot.

Wow, I didn't know you you making another. I really like this one, course I liked the other too. The only thing that doesn't look quite right to me is the strings on the heal knot could be cut smaller.

Thanks Brock...Again I added 1 zig zag for the second interweave in most of them. I started on the reverse like you said and it was dead center I believe. I also figured out if you started on the same side as the standing end I couldn't get it in the center. I was just playing around with it.

I found out that gaucho thing the hard way...hours, and hours invested and then I realized it didn't work out right.

Thanks harness man!

Beven, How funny!! I have that book but I don't have time to do a 8 bight heal know with her instructions, I'm dying to try now though. I suspect there is a mistake or 2 there. There are other mistakes in her books as well. I was just showing someone how to braid a few weeks back and we had to go over all the instructions and correct the mistakes. Just one or two but it does make a difference. They are still good books though.

I have all of Gail's books and I love them, couldn't do it without them, but I just met another braider that hates them. She said she couldn't follow her directions until she had the basics down. I guess it depends on how you learn. When you told me you learned from Bruce Grants' books I was very impressed, I couldn't even tie the alamar knot with his directions, so I bet you could learn from Gail's books easy. Just be sure to run through the index to be sure she has something to teach you. I really think they are devoted more so to the beginner. To bad they are so darn expensive!

Thank you so much brock for your tips on round buttons!! I've done it a few times and it really makes a difference in the over all look of the button! I also learned to use my splitter so between the two my work has made quite an improvement.

That's Amazing Oz, he's my supplier. Falconry grade is what they use for falconry duties. The raptor. I buy all my all mine .8mm-1mm for braiding. Any thinner than that and you have book binding. While .7mm you can braid with, you still have stretching and natural inconsistencies in the leather that will make it less than .7mm. If you are going to use falconry duty hide you are going to want to cut your string rather wide or you may have trouble with the string being square. That makes rather troublesome keeping the flesh side up, though working with thicker hides is more troublesome on the buttons.

I cut, bevel, split and soap mine before plaiting or doing buttons. The soap really helps get it just a bit tighter and it goes through my fingers nicer too. I do not make my own soap but I admire those who do! I just used white saddle soap. Then I wash the plaiting, towel dry, and hang for about 45 minutes. I think they roll out just a bit better when they are a little damp. I've only used the ready made string once and it kept breaking on my buttons so I realized quickly I needed to cut my own string. I imagine if you get some string cut from the good part of the hide it could stand up to the buttons. I just started splitting my string and it does make a difference, it may even be more important than beveling. I've been splitting mine to about .8 mm But before splitting I never ordered a hide more than 1 mm thick. That's probably why I got along for so long without splitting. If I had a hide that was a little thick I would bevel on all 4 corners. I may have been taught to cut my hides a bit differently than most. I cut a spiral strip anywhere between 1/2" to 1 1/4" wide (depending on the size of the hide) after I cut the hide into a circle or oblong. I stretch that strip before I cut my string off of it. That way I don't have to account for stretching when I cut my string. I think there might be a little more waste this way but it's the way my cutter is set up to do it anyway.

I really can't tell much either, I can only tell it's braided. The only Bruce Grant book I own is "How to Make Cowboy Gear" but there are a couple of bridles in there you can work from, then add your pineapple knots. The pineapple knots may be a bit tricky though, because you will want to add them in a way so that you can still have a wide range of adjustments.

I have a cutting board and a piece of good hardwood for my rolling. I also use the round end of my bone folder to finish it off.

I don't think it would be good to increase the size of the turks head if it's a bosel heal knot. Only because it's wider at the top than it is at the bottom so the braider is going to have a rough time doing the herringbone interweave at the lower end. Better to add more interweaves so the knot is consistent.

Thanks! That's very kind! Sure, it's really a very basic bridle. A lot of the measurements are in Grants "How to make Cowboy Gear". Though I do think I may have changed the pattern a little because Grants books made a very large bridle. I'll look at those sometime today. The alamar knot, if you choose to add that, is 20" and the piece that goes between the ears is 21". However the piece between the ears can be attached different ways. I looped it through the 2 bridle pieces but if it was attached with a knot it would need to be braided shorter. I also suspect that the knot would need to be braided fairly loose. The alamar knot can be part of the browband rather than a separate piece like I have it. All you would need to do to figure the extra length to account for the knot would be to take your 8 plait core, make your knot and then measure how much string you used. For example, if your browband is 25" and your alamar knot took 10" of string to make you would braid your browband piece 35". Then you would have a double 8 plait browband. Or you can come up with your own way to attach the alamar knot. I've done it 2 different ways now but I have an even better way in my head that won't be expressed until I find the time.

I've thought about this Charlie and I just don't take the time to take pictures during the process. In fact I absolutely hate taking pictures and if it wasn't for the help of my photographer neighbor none of my pictures would be worth looking at. LOL Right now I'm trying to train my daughter to do the picture taking for me. Then I'd be happy to share the process....well as long as she did the cropping and resizing as well. I would be happy to share any of the process in words though.

Over 3 and under 3...not sure what that means so I hope I'm not telling you something you already know, but isn't a heal knot a bosel knot, or are there other uses for the knot? "Not" sure...But I was under the impression heel knots aren't typically extended to make them longer??? Anyways, It may be time to learn to do more interweaves. I personally would not make the string wider, well unless you are using 1/16". The smaller the better...well when it comes to braiding anyhow.

Yeah Gail's books do have a few hick-ups in them. I was just teaching someone to braid not long ago and we had to go over all the knots so I could find those hick-ups for her. LOL I know all about staying up all night trying to figure things out too. Just about 2 weeks ago I couldn't put my second interweave color on a 6 bight herringbone interweave! The worst part is I'd done it many times before but forgot. It's the nature of the beast I suppose. Gotta love it though. Oh, and I was having trouble with an 8 bight gaucho interweave some time ago too. The button itself had a few turns as it was a handle, but I could never figure out how I kept ending up unsplit parallels in the end.

thanks rawhide1. Now I need to know if anyone has cut their hides in a spiral pattern. I guess I can now tell my customer why they don't have many 9' leather roping reins. LOL

So you can't cut a cowhide in a spiral pattern so you can get a nice long rein? Well you know those "natural horsemen" they like their reins long. One of my girls use 9' too. The other rides a pony so she doesn't count. I'm finding 9' reins are usually nylon or cotton though. I wasn't going to use any buckles I was going to use a snap, sinew to secure it and then a nice tight roo button over everything. She also wants roo buttons spaced evenly on the whole length of the reins. Kind of like a set of English reins. I was actually thinking about 10 oz or so. I wouldn't have thought about 15. So the belly is the better leather? Veg tanned the best? I have a good cutter but my splitter is just a small one used and designed by a whipmaker. It does a great job on my roo string, but 15 oz cowhide might be something all together different.

I don't come on this side of the board often, as the only thing I really do is braid but I'd like to ask about flat reins. I have decorated bridles and reins with my kangaroo buttons with nice results. But I have a customer that wants reins that's a little more difficult to find. (9' loop rein) I think this is a nice opportunity to figure out how to make my own reins. I have the ability to cut the straps, though I'm sure it's much more difficult than kangaroo. I suspect that nice reins should be veg tanned but what's the thickness and what part of the hide is used for tack?

Thanks Robin and Tim, Chani is very crippled but can still over bend and look pretty! We didn't even ask. I took the bridle to its new home today and she LOVED it, hugged me like 5 times. We girls sure do go crazy for our pretty tack. LOL

Thanks everyone! I'm pretty happy with it, though I have another idea that might make an even nicer bridle. I was a little worried about the 2 color plaiting as it was the customer's idea but it turned out very nice. No, this is not the horse it belongs to HHB. In fact the piece that goes from the browband to the bridle would need to be adjusted just a little smaller for this horse. That horse is Chani, my friend and neighbor's horse. He really posed well for the pictures, do you think? Show off!