Handstitched

Man, that is so versatile

They would have to wear bio suits to skin them lol

That might explain why I have never seen any ' skunk leather' items on here , yikes ...and besides, they'll never sell. HS

My latest creation. It took forever to make , in between this thing called 'life'. But finally got it finished today . The leather is 3mm VT with 5mm on the cap & bottom . Carved design, dyed with ' brandy antique' sealed with ' Seal 'n' Shine' , fitted with brass hardware. Theres also neoprene foam rubber insulation inside. It takes a standard 750ml bottle ( Aust.) Theres a few things I would do different next time , like the stitching on the spine. Herringbone or ' X' stitching would have been better. I put the foam rubber a bit too high inside, near the inside ' lip' causing it to " bulge" a little bit where the cap goes on, that makes it just a wee bit tight getting the bottle out, that may stretch in time. The most fiddly bits were with the hinge and the mounts for the ' D' rings. I may also consider making a detachable strap and include a short carry handle. Undecided atm. This may also be utilised for a telescope or camera lens, It is padded inside after all. I do have more pieces cut out for another, but it will just be plain, or with a simple stamped pattern , and with air brushing. Otherwise I am quite happy with the result HS

That tune is pretty catchy, I have to admit, probably start singing that myself I dare anyone to pick up those skunks Smell like burnt rubber....apparently All we get is ' dead roo's in the middle of the road' and the occasional Wallaby or Emu . However, a decent sized roo can right off a car.

If your Mum farts in the car, do you keep you mouth shut, or risk death by saying a smart a**se comment ......while casually winding the window down ? Or, you could say , " OMG, there must be a chicken farm nearby " ....even though you're in the CBD Or " There must be sewerage works somewhere"....... while getting an evil look HS

One of the very first belts I made 18 years ago , I am still wearing as I type. It shows signs of regular daily use, the holes are a bit stretched, but its still in one piece & holds my dacks up ...and holds my gut in , lol Thats a good indication of how long stuff should last. The heavier stuff should last a lot longer than that. Its a bit harder for dog collars or horse gear , as animals are unpredictable and break stuff a lot. HS

I just use a Kingchrome folding knife and a pair of kitchen shears, and few other pairs of scissors. The folding knife fits in my hand just nicely , my hands are small . Its strong , sturdy. Blades are easy to change*. I also sharpen them on a stone to extend their life. HS * I also use it ( with a new blade) to score the skin on a piece of Pork, true

Perhaps similar designs or materials can be utilised for breast plates for hunting dogs ( wild bore etc.) I have refused to make breast plates( or any other protective gear) as I simply don't want to be responsible for someones dog if something goes wrong, let alone the legal implications. HS

Just about every man would shed a tear or two at the sight of their ' manhood' being gored OUCH!!! Hernia is bad enough HS

Here in Oz, over in the east, Carp are an invasive pest , but no doubt good eating , and good for their skins. I have some Carp skins, I really should get my ar*** into gear and make good use of them. HS

I have done this myself,by mistake, I was just experimenting, doodling , as we all do, and thats what happened. I later dyed some key rings using two colours after stamping . The first being red, let dry, and then using a flat cotton cloth, , not a swab, with black dye. I carefully applied the black dye over the top without dying the the stamping.I had to be careful not to dye the stamped bits, but it came out quite effective , wish I'd taken pics now. So, I did the same on some other items, a light colour underneath, and a darker colour on top. I let dry completely , and then gently and carefully applied a sealer as not to smudge the red dye. I didn't know what to call it, so I made up my own name , ' over dyed' / over dying, one colour on top of another . You've done just that, put one ( dark) colour over another light colour. Looks great Experimenting/ doodling can yield interesting results.One knife case I made, the ( mahogany) dye came out all streaky, like wood grain ...almost. I thought " OOPS!!" But I left it like it. Sold it the next day . So I made few more like it, sold them too . Go figure. Just when you think you've made a mistake..... HS

Can't help you there, but what protects ' the bits underneath ' on the rider? Always wondered that. Hate to have a horn go where it shouldn't go ? Quite an impressive pic btw. HS

The stitching really stands out , love it HS

There it is again, great minds thinking alike , but I thought the skins would be too thin , but then again I do have some carp skins in my drawer, that I haven't used ...yet. . So, whats for dinner tonight fred, fish ? Just kidding lol HS

Nah, all good Theres heaps of Aussie ' lingo' that would make us all sound like we're from another planet , lol I know what chuck would do with the fish, cook em' on an open fire . Now its gone from holsters, to recipe ideas, Ha !! HS

A 'h hahhhh !! me ol bwain box not wot it yoosta woz The fish look good Perhaps some butter, lemon pepper , and a nice wine mmmmm HS

Like you, I thin my adhesive using toluene , to around honey consistency, with a bit of guess work Its too expensive to keep throwing out the gluggy bits at the bottom. HS

I'd be happy to try eating that, perhaps with some dipping sauce , at lunch, while I'm doing leather work, and washed down with a nice red wine or a beer. They look more tasty than chicken nuggets . While the holster looks great, ' Judgement' has an ' E' in it , sorry to point that out. HS

What a beautiful job you have done Monarch butterflies are here in Oz too . You have a lot of friends here , friend Keep an eye out for white butterflies.... theres a reason they are there. Just saying HS

Sorry Frodo, gone off topic again here. So , in 'Two Mules For Sister Sara', Clint Eastwood & Shirley MacLaine, that would be true. Always wondered about that. Thanks. Tastes like chicken too I guess. The pattern on the holster ( bottom pic) , would have been just difficult as basket weave & tri weave ,and making your eyes go 'cross eyed' Quite like it. HS

Thats all good We all have horror stories, that we hopefully learn from. I used to be in the fibreglass pool industry. I used to use my leg as a "work bench" off to the side, to cut cardboard form work for reinforcing etc. using a very sharp ' stanley knife' . During lunch, I noticed all this blood literally pouring out from under my jeans onto my boot, took forever to find where it was coming from. There was a tiny cut in my jeans....and in my right leg , just under my knee cap. My knife was so sharp, I didn't even notice. 3 stitches later...... Stay safe HS

My Mother was spinning some fleece on her spinning wheel one sunny arvo. She was trying to hook some fleece through the spindle to start a new bobbin. To this day, I still dunno how, but she managed to get a piece of the wire hook thingy through her finger . I tried using pliers myself ( without throwing up & passing out ) , but 3 hrs & 3 stitches later in the ER..... HS

My goodness, you have been a busy boy Speaking of bourbon, I'm almost out of it. Well done on those HS

all of it Love the ' rattler' *. HS *Dumb Question Dept. : do 'rattlers' still rattle after their dead?