dbusarow

Take a look at the HorseShow brand buckles Weaver has. http://www.leathersupply.com/downloads/catalog/Hardware/HorseShoeSaddleryHardware.pdf I use the 4010 and 4030 for bridles and folks seems to like the look. Dan

Try Wickett & Craig's Oiled Latigo. I have a side of 6/7 oz Tan that looks similar to the picture. It's not listed on their website unless it happens to be on the over-stock sale. That's where I found it last month. http://www.wickett-craig.com/index.html The special (lowest grade) I got had a few scuffs on the grain side but that was it for defects. For your purposes those would be an enhancement. Dan

The Art of Making Leather Cases, Vol. 3 by Al Stohlman includes instructions on making a hard pistol case. And a bunch of other useful information/patterns. Dan

Find an eye bolt with an eye large enough for the leash to go through. Attach firmly to wall. Run the leash through the eye. Grab one end of the leash with each hand. Imitate a cross country skier, pulling leash first with one hand then the other. Lean back and put your weight into it. The repeated bending/flexing of the leather over a small radius will break it down quickly. Dan

Here you go, http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=22026 Dan

There is room. Trust me. Once you have the needle pushed through part way DO NOT wiggle it to pull it through the rest of the way. If you cannot pull it through using your fingers only use a pliers to pull it the rest of the way through. But pull straight. It is the wiggling that breaks the needle. BTW, it took a few broken needles for me to figure this out Dan

Do you mean a single layer 10oz belt? I have one I made for myself from W&C 8/10oz bridle leather. I sometimes use it for a dressier belt when carrying IWB. The single layer belt is really comfortable with a G19 IWB. But carrying OWB it is just doesn't feel strong enough. Strictly a subjective feeling. My normal belt is a 6/7 double layer. Dan

The label says water resistant. It is not water soluble, that is for sure. And it is cheap enough to experiment, a 16oz can is around $6 at my small town TruValue store. Dan

No. But you can build the holster as is and wear it "butt forward" on your right hip. Look at photos of old cavalry holsters and the men wearing them. Dan

I also got a Cobra 4 2 weeks ago. Hardest part of setup was carrying the head in and bolting it to the stand. I had never use a leather sewing machine before. It worked fine right off the bat. Of course as soon as I changed a couple of things while experimenting and managed to mess up the threading on top of it it developed problems. Still sewed, just not as well. 15 minute call to Steve sorted it out. Worth the few extra dollars, no doubt. Dan

My old eyes couldn't pick out the stitches in among the sting ray beads. Thanks, Dan

K-Man and Dwight. Are you just using single layer on the billets? Thanks, Dan

If I understad your question properly, you could cut some more stitches, separate the two layers and then slip the tail end with the old buckle slot between the layers. Dan

Shelly, Any chance you could post a larger picture? What I can see makes me want to take a closer look! Dan

Dwight, Since I am too cheap to buy proper end punches , can you tell me how long a piece of sharpened conduit holds up? Thanks, Dan

Very cool. Doesn't look like scrap to me! Dan

Might be Herman Oak Old World Harness leather. I don't think you can order 48 ounce but if you order 12+ one end of it (neck?) will be a lot heavier, easily 1/2" maybe up to 3/4. I would not want reins that were that heavy for their full length but having a foot or two of extra heavy at the bitter end works for me. Dan

Very nice. Is the strap an English girth? That's what popped in my head when I saw it. Dan

Way to go troop. I agree with you about jbird. He has been an inspiration to me as well. Just keep working and your work gets better. Dan

Frank, You can order a reprint of the article from them directly. See http://www.leathercraftersjournal.com/10th_Anniversary_Issue.html Dan

I just got my PIF from twinoaks. WOW! My photography does not do it justice, Mike, if you have better photos please port them. The detail is incredible. Her right thumb has a thumbnail. The whole thumb is less than 3/16 x 1/16 and you can make the thumbnail out (using a magnifying glass in my case). And she has bumps in the right places too Thanks Mike. Dan

I'm looking for a generic pattern for a saddle horn cover. Cap and wing style. I know i saw one posted a while back but I've searched and searched and can't find it now. Thanks! Dan

Thanks Art. That's what I was looking for. Cobra it is. Now I just need to decide between the 3 and the 4 Dan

As I re-read this post in the morning it looks like I'm trolling for a sewing machine war here. I'm not. Really. I'm trying to figure out if there is a good reason that I should NOT go with a TORO 4000 over a Cobra 3. I would guess that Artisan is better able to sustain a price war against Cobra, and while I feel some sympathy for Steve I need to get the best deal for myself that I can. Thanks, Dan

Congratulations Lobo! Always nice to hear when hard work pays off. Dan