entiendo

I think I get it, but visuals always help. This is just a show leash so I don't think she wants any extra leather on it. I took it to her today though and she loves it. She now wants a short goat leash for showing goats. Maybe I should make it out of that goat hide I have...

I use the one Gail Hought recommends. I tried a homemade one but it was frustrating. Nothing like learning something new and not having the right tools to learn it properly. It's so easy for a rookie to use. Most all my string is just lovely and nicely beveled. I haven't had a need until now to split my leather, but I have a green hide that I think is going to need it, hopefully I can find one that suits me.

Huh??? What's a boot, and what is its purpose? I'm assuming you don't mean the kind you wear. To my defense, I'm very new to braiding. Oh, and I don't sew...I can sew on a button but that's about it.

Thanks guys. I cut and bevel my own string, it's kangaroo. It's 8 plait 3/32 with a 1/8" core. My pineapple knot speed is improving. They used to take me well over an hour to do and then tighten, but I think I've shaved quite a bit of time off that. For me it's more about the knots than it is the plaiting. I love to do the knots and want to improve the look of my knots with each one. Fixing the breaks took me much more time than the knots. I should have just started over.

3 broken strings I had to fix on this one!!! I will never buy an .8 mm hide again. I've had much more luck with .9-1 mm But here it is.

Well I decided not to splice it but to back out the broken string. It took FOREVER to do that. At least 3 hours. I would have been better off undoing the braid and then doing it again, but it's done. Thanks for everyone's help. I'll post pictures when it's done.

Good news....I found a string long enough. I can't believe I found one. It's taking forever to replace the old string though, but it seems that string had a few other imperfections in it, so it all worked out..

Thanks Tracy, just as I suspected you are a master at piecing things together. If I was more confident or it was my own leash I would do it your way for sure. And I'm still actually tempted to, it would be so much easier...But if it didn't hold...that wouldn't be good at all.

That's what my mentor said Alan, she wouldn't send out a piece that's been skived either, but she'd keep it herself for her own use. Her suggestion was to pull out the piece while adding a new one, she said it doesn't really take that long and the piece would be good as new. But I just don't have the leather to do that. You just made up my mind though, it can be a 4 foot leash rather than a 6 foot and not have any mistakes in it. I just wish I had more of that hide because this was my very first commissioned piece and she doesn't want a 4 food lead. I'll double check to make sure I don't have one more string that long.Roo4U...From what I remember, she said that she used a spliced leash for a utility leash. It got wet, stretched, dragged and used. The splice didn't hold and it turned and showed the core underneath. Roo, you sound like you're confident in the work that you do, I'm just afraid it won't hold up....

Well......I talked to my mentor and she said that Gail (master braider) suggests to pull that string out and add another. That's not good news because this was a small hide and I don't have anymore string long enough to do that. She said I could skive it but I should add a button or it will sometimes roll over on itself with use. OK then, so I'm going to skive it AND add a button and hope I can make it look right. I've never skived a thing in my life and this roo hide is .8, so I guess I better get good quick. I have a list of things I need to get from Tandy, I'll add the skiver, thanks.

Yes, I hate when that happens....Grrrrr... Glue, huh. I don't have anything to skive it, but that makes sense.

OOps...Broke a string while braiding an 8 plait dog leash. I've never had that happen before, what do I do?? Help!

I LOVE that rope, good job!

That's real clever to use 2 of the strings for the knot on the end! Good for you. I worry about the turn backs coming out too, but it hasn't happened yet.

Yahoo, I saved one of your pictures and enhanced it a little, I was able to get a decent look at your knots, and yeah it does lay better than a pineapple. My mentor showed me a turn back and it needs no knot at all, do you do those too?

Lovely work. I love that natural 8 strand. I had one similar but I used pineapple knots. I wish I could see more detail. Some of the pictures are a little dark.

That's what I was thinking. But you know I have a great Harry Potter watch that just needs a new band, so I can't be the only one that has a beloved watch that needs a new band. Of course I could just buy the pins for my own watch and then braid the band, but of course that won't help anyone else.

What's a conquistador braid? There is a guy on ebay that makes them, but it's not quite what I had in mind. He uses conchos to secure the watch and the conchos are probably as large or larger than many watch faces, so it's to busy for my taste. I like to use as little hardware as possible. I guess if I bought nice watch faces that would work. I could braid them right onto the watch.

Leatheroo's bracelets are lovely but not quite what I had in mind and I couldn't find "Anne" so I don't know what she does. I'm thinking of a double 4 plait. I know there is a way to do it I just quite put it all together.

thanks, I'll check those out.. I really don't like this question over here. I only visit the braiding room, so I thought I didn't post it. Maybe I'm the only one that stays in the braiding room.

Does anyone know how to make a braided watch band? I can't quite figuire out in my head.

Holy cow, you must have Superman's eyes!! Oh my goodness those are tiny, and of course beautiful.

Please keep us up on your progress! I love, love, love roo, and I will never braid with anything else again. I've tried goat and cow but once you start with roo nothing else feels right. The one thing I'm going to try is chrome tanned roo because it's less expensive and I can get it in more colors. I've got 4 hides on order 2 veg tanned and 2 chrome tanned, I can't wait. I have a great supplier, he's the best unless you happen to have a wholesale license, even then you still can still sometimes get a better deal from him. I use white saddle soap to soften my lace. It's what Gail Hought uses and it works really well, it doesn't darken the leather much at all. I like to keep the colors orginal for as long as possible. They all eventually change but I don't want to help the progress along.

That's okay Sidney. I knew it was a risk. I should have known to look for veg tanned. I was told even the chrome tanned roo is stretchy and a bit weaker than the veg tanned. I can use it to practice making 4 plait bridles. The sad thing is it takes just as long to braid and I know that the coating will eventually wear off. Maybe a couple of goat bridles for the kid's ponies would be okay. With this stuff I'm going to need a core for a 4 plait what would you suggest? I was thinking a couple of pieces of waxed string otta do? Or I can do the math and try an 8 plait...or maybe 6. Not as crazy about 6 plait. I'm going to stick with the roo. It's a no brainer and I just love everything about the kangaroo.

Well my goat hides arrived today....EWE!!! YUCK, won't do that again!! I went ahead and laced them into 1/4" lace but it's not kangaroo that's for sure!! I tried 1/8 inch lace but the strength wasn't consistant enough to be sure the lace would be strong enough. I also had to bevel them on the rough side becuse they aren't dyed but coated with something. So is all this normal for goat, does roo just have me spoiled? Glad I put in an order for another roo hide! There was also a ton of waste. I can use the flanky part of a roo hide but there is no way I can use the flanky part of a goat hide. Now I don't know if this is veg or chromed tanned, could that make a difference?