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VintageToolDude, do you still have any 1551 needles for a Junker SD28. Please let me know, thanks.

I know it is a long shot but i have just been gifted a Junker & Ruh SD28. Looking for complete manual. These links that Celticleather posted are not working. Does anyone have a copy they would like toi add oir share, would be appreciated, thanks.

For my strops, the only leather that does the job is panel hide, glue it grain siode down so the underside is facing up, dont need to boil it etc, cut to size of your board, glue it down, I glue a bit on both sides, one soide I smear jewellers rouge for cutting and de burring, then the othersid eof the strop is left as is, I use the plain side after I have done a blade on the jewellers rouge for the finla polish. If ther eis burrs on a blade, I will use a fine wet and dry paper first, then go onto the jewellers rouge then the plain side.

Martyn, all good stuff this, I make all my own waxes for my harness work, including the traditional saddlers black pitch wax. With Coad, along with the beeswax and pine rosin, the traditional recipie is to add add some tallow to the mix once melted, it will bring it to that proper thread wax consistency. I do pourt my Coad mix into warm water, about 25 degrees once its all melted then scoop it out and knead like I do with the black pitch wax, it then comes out at the same consistency. I find without Tallow, the Coad can be a bit crunchy and can have crystals left in it if it isnt crushed to fine powder first.

Hughlle, I'm a harness maker in the UK, the contact glue I use is the solibond 949 contact adhesive from Abbey and I find thiis covers all I need, it isnt stringy when you put your spreader in the tin and it soreads lovely onto the leather with no after mess to deal with and if left for the correct time to go a bit past tacky to the touch then it will glue and stick well. I only work with Bakers oak bark tanned hides for my work and that can be a bit greasy as it's hand stuffed with natural grease and the only way is as you have now found out, sandpapering both surfaces before glueing is the only way. The biggest problem I see folk struggle with when it comes to using contact adhesive is they put too much on.

I dont think Tandy has the same standing here in the UK or if it has it doesnt show on my radar. I remember once I had a look at their website, lasted all of two minutes and left laughing. Folk who are serious about their hobby or job use Abbey saddlery.

Hi Alex, I'm a full time working harness maker in the UK, tooling leather is not my thing and I usually skip by it as it doesnt do a lot for me but in this case, I've looked at the braces you've made and safe to say this piece of work has impressed me, top job, and where credit is due, you'd make the top professionals sit up and take note at the detail in these proving yet again, leatherwork from the UK is a hard one to beat.

Blimey, Marcus gear are still going, havemt heard of them for years, I used to buy a bit of the Swedish Tarnsjo harness leather off them from time to time.

I've just had a look through the link regarding pricking irons, there is a big distinct difference between these irons for leather goods and harness and saddlery. Those wide teeth pricking irons are no good for harness/saddlery work, so yes, it is important to source the right ones for the work being done. There is one hang up for me in the modern world of irons, I really do not like the sizing in MM they are now sold with rather than the traditional TPI. Another personal thing, the cleaning up of old tools. the majority of tools in my workshop are old originals, they have a working life which has ranged up to and over 100 years in some cases, I leave them as they are with the patina etc they have gained over the years apart from the blade, cutting area. I like this aged patina on them as it is part of their history and character. I could spend time cleaning up and polishing the bodies on all my vintage pricking irons to make them look new but to me that would be like scrubbing away and erasing their character and the patina they have come to have from being around in the various workshops and hands they have been through over many decades and the unpolished character they have reflects the age they are, its like older folk who have face lifts, why remove the accrued patina and character. I get why people do polish old tools within an inch of theior life but they just do not look and feel the same. I always have this inner glow about my workshop, it is a working workshop not a show room.

That is a common story Bert, folk reminiscing about how they used see their Dad's and Grandads out working with the horses when they were young but dont see it now. It's always fond cherished memories. As you say, there are pockets where it still goes on as here in the UK with folk farmiing small holdings and small farms with horses but more often than not it is at ploughing matches and working shows which are still a traditional strong hold that is alive and well. There is a strong heavy horse community in Australia, but again, its the showing and working weekends where they are seen out. I have customers and freinds out there, one set of freinds who emigrated out form the UK in recent years took their Shires out there and are running the same business as they did here in the UK doing weddings and tours with their heavies, they are doing really well as it's popular.

Cheers Ferryman, thankfully there is still a strong ploughing fraternity in the UK, mostly at ploughing matches and Demo's at working days but there are still folk out there who plough, seed and crop land with horses but sadly we are reaching the last generation of plough men and women who worked the land when working horses were a common sigjht on most farms. I am based and work out of North Essex of which East Anglia is still a strong hold for heavy horses.

This pic is the above pairs set on the horses being driven at show in the traditional English brewery turn out style.

This pic show the raised bevelled breeching seat and the box loop tugs and trace carrier parts form the above set waiting to be sewn into the breeching seat.

And this picture is one half of the patent leather pairs show set that goes with the above bridle.

I will reply to above posts as one rather than individual posts as the same question is asked. Firstly thankyou for your kind words. As we are in corona lock down and so far, a lot of the summer horse shows and events have been cancelled, these bridles will not be seen out on the horses but no doubt the customer may well put the team together at home at some point so if I do get a pic some time this year I will be sure to add it here. The bridles have been collected so I have to wait now to even see them on. I would imagine bridles of this style are not seen much in the U.S.A. The bridles I see from over the pond are different in the way they are made and fit on the horses. So for now here is a picture of another of the same style bridle I made as part of a pairs set so you can see what they look like on a horse, this one being a grey Shire horse. I had to crop it to get it down to size.