entiendo

I think I'm going to get a splitter after all. I too would like the string all the same thickness so that makes perfect sense. We spend a whole lot of time and energy doing this and we might as well do it to the best of our ability all the way around.

I actually use the same tool to stretch that I use to cut and bevel. It's kind of like a large pipe. Thanks for the tip. I wish I still had that bracelet so I could check it out in person. I see what you are saying, I didn't notice it until now. I'm not sure how I missed that, I wonder if it could just be the angle of the camera. I want that piece back so I can fix it! LOL Though the first thing that comes to my mind is I didn't tighten the string enough. So I'd try to tighten the whole button again and the role again. Maybe that would fix it.

Of course..critique away, anyone, I'm always up for suggestion on how I might make a nicer piece. Yes, it's roo. Roo is all I braid with. It's strong, beautiful and very easy to work with. I don't know how to do a lot of the prep work you described. I'd like to try rawhide but so far I haven't. I really admire the rawhide pieces, even more than that I admire those who start out braiding with rawhide. I tried goat once but didn't like it at all. It kept stretching and stretching and it was very hard on my blades. Sometimes I'll have a hide where the rough out side is a little rough, I usually bevel it off if it is real bad or leave it if it's not. But for the most part I cut, stretch, cut again, bevel and braid.

Oh WOW..that is lovely and smoooooth. I had no idea. And it looks just as lovely as roo! Oh what a nice patina. I love hearing about how others do things.I'll post a picture when I'm done with the lead. In the meantime I'll post one of my other pieces. New picture, that first file was way to large.

Oh thank you very much for your thoughts. 8thsinner, I'm assuming you are doing rawhide? I've never heard of soaking roo. That doesn't mean it's not done though. I think it's quite interesting that you have went without beveling and I've went without splitter. I would have thought one could live without the splitter but not the ability to bevel..LOL Yes Spence you did reply to my thread about splitters, thanks again! I haven't had a chance to at the suggested splitters. I do soap up all my strings very well and that helps a whole lot, as you said. The largest string I cut is 1/8" and the largest thickness is 1mm. I wish I had a friend close by with a splitter so I could compare the two ways. I bet a splitter would be more precise.

Today I was cutting some string off the good spot of one of my hides. The string was 3/32" and cut from a center piece. I beveled it and realized that it was still a little square, it felt to thick for the width. The thickness was probably around 1 mm. I was just cursing myself for not checking into those splitters I had asked about and wondered if I should just stop where I was until I got a splitter. Then I remembered something I'd read here a long time ago (at least I think I read it here) about beveling all 4 corners of a length of string, so I thought I would give that a try. The string had a really nice feel to it after I'd done that. I used to to make a long 6 bight button with at least a couple of turns, it didn't break or seem to be weak and the button rolled very nice and smooth. Has anyone done this before? Can beveling all 4 sides replace a splitter in my circumstances? thanks

thanks rcsaddles. I'm going to check all these out as soon as I get a few extra minutes. Do you make flat bridles by any chance? Do you know what kind of cowhide is use and what thickness?

Thank you. I've done a little checking on horseshoe brand, no luck so far. I downloaded part of their catalog but it didn't contain any silver. I did manage to find a lot of ferrules on ebay so I'm good for a while but there has to be somewhere. I'll have to check out those splitters, thanks again.

Wow, I love everything, especially the reins!! Very nice!!

Hiya everyone. It's been a while since I've posted, but I do stop by a couple times a week. My computer is not happy with the new board format and runs very slow. Anywho, to my questions; I'm at the point now in my braiding where I think I need a splitter. A couple of my recent hides seem to be more square when I cut the small strings and of course that makes it more difficult to work with but more importantly it doesn't lay as smooth. What kind of splitters do you all use? I don't need a cutter or a beveler with it, I already have that. I'd appreciate any impute. I'll be splitting it to about .8 mm I think and I only use kangaroo, at least so far. One day I would like to try rawhide but I'm not there yet. Is U-braid-it the only place to get ferrules? Their supply is somewhat limited. It doesn't seem fair that I see ferrules everywhere on line on reins, bridles and breast collars but I can't find anywhere to buy them. Someone is making there somewhere, I just don't know where.

I tighten all my gaucho slides as tight as I can and then work them back and forth to the tension I like. I do not use herringbone buttons as slides anymore. I tried it a few times but they lost their shape and ended up being to loose to quickly. I've used Spanish rings as slides a few times but they are better spacer buttons. Just thought I'd throw my limited experience out there.

Just a nylon core. I think those are 3/32" string with a 1/8" core.

I'm going to add my 2 cents. I've been braiding about a year and a half now so I'm not sure how to classify myself as far as skill level but, I tried other kinds of hides and I always came back to kangaroo. Cow hide is either to thick or to wide. I tried goat and I still have it here, cut but unused. Now rawhide is a fine product, I love the looks of it and I love to look at the finished pieces of art that the members here post, and I even hope to try a bit of rawhide braiding myself at some point but it isn't as easy to work with as roo. And I could totally see a nice plaited black kangaroo crop. Nice thin leather, cut and flattened to perfection. I'm going to find a picture of one of my very first projects I did on my own, I even cut my own string. The natural leash was my first leash. It wasn't my best because I was trying to figure out turn backs at the time, but the braiding is pretty smooth for a braider that was only braiding maybe a few months. The brown/whiskey leash was my second leash and turned out pretty nice. I've even used less than perfect string and after it's been rolled I couldn't even tell. That's the nature of roo, it makes a beginner look good! Of course I'm convinced there is a certain amount of love that needs to be added as well. I love braiding so I work really hard at making beautiful pieces, but the roo really helps!

Actually extending the button should be in the book you have, but here's some instructions from rawhide... http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?s...utton&st=20 That book isn't as basic as you might think. It's the foundation for everything. I was braiding a year and a half before I was ready to move on to other books.

I guess it's just me then, now that's alarming, darn computer anyway. Most the graphics are gone. I just see text. I'd like to see more posts too but it is spring after all and I do believe most of us are outside people. I know right now I should be picking up horse poop and fixing a fence so the goats can't get to my horse hay. Darn goats ate up most of a bale on the bottom of a 4 high stack and brought the whole stack down. I woke up this morning to find the horses gorging on my hay!! And don't ask me why the hay was stacked right on top of the other, I hadn't noticed until I had the problem this morning. I try not to stack my own anymore.

Is it just me or is there a bit of a problem with our board? It's really amazing how we all learn, I couldn't live without those books! The first one sat on my lap for about 3 months while I learned to make buttons. Then after I had the buttons down by heart someone here taught me how to increase my turns and then increase bights. Interweaves are a bit tricky for me yet so I would suggest both books rather than just one or the other. I've figured out how to add a second weave to all sizes and bights it just that sometimes it's easier to start on the side of the standing end and sometimes it easier to start on the other side and I haven't done enough to figure out when that is. LOL...

I have both and love them. Very helpful when it comes to adding more than one interweave string. I know you were having a touch of trouble with your quirt when it came to coverage on the handle, learning how to add more than 1 interweave would come in very handy. However, I don't make bosals except little key chain bosals. The instructions for making bosals are very detailed though and have great pictures. Course I loved her first book! I couldn't live without it. I'm helping someone learn to braid that bought the older edition, could this be what you have? I wasn't crazy about that one at all, I prefer the revised first book. I also like the rein book. There are a couple of new buttons in that one and since I'm used to her way of teaching it really works for me.

What a lovely first project. Is that kangaroo? I might do that plaiting a little tighter and/or bevel the string. It's not as smooth as it could be...but that's just for future reference, it's a lovely piece. I learned the names of the knots same what you do. I don't understand the difference between a pineapple and a herringbone. I just think of pineapples as longer.

Please someone correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't a leash have a turnback at both ends? You only have 2 strings of strength there at the snap. Kangaroo is a great leather and very strong but 4 strings and a core are most defiantly stronger than 2 strings. You could also add up to 4 colors very easily. Unless I'm totally misunderstanding the question, which may be possible.

Same thing works for paint brushes too.

Thanks a lot, I can't wait to try it out. I really appreciate the work you put in it, that's very kind of you.

Thanks everyone! The fair is next month. I'll let you all know. *fingers crossed* I'm glad you mentioned the handle rawhide, I studied it for quite a while wondering if I should add a brown strip in the middle somewhere, as you can see I decided against it.

So I'm showing off at the county fair for the first time. Thank you Sydney and Rawhide for being so helpful and patient with me while I tried to figure out the second interweave. I was finally able to figure out how to add that second string with much trial and error. I'm not completely happy with the way it turned out...the handle is twisted. I can't believe I let it do that. And right after rawhide gave me pointers on keeping that from happening. I decided not to redo the button again. Not sure the string could have took anymore over and undering...LOL But other than that I'm happy with the piece. I'm also very excited I can do a second interweave, so the time was time well spent. Sorry about the quality. And here is an extra picture. This started out as something else entirely but I cut a plaiting string while tying off and here we go, my first bosal..LOL

I'd love to see those pictures wantmoreland. I don't quite get what you are saying and I've run into the same problem.