Currahee

First of ESSAYONS BROTHER! Joe knows what t means folks So sharpening this is something that I learned from my grand father people will argue but here are my two cents you can leave it on the table or put it in your pocket. My grandfather could sharpen a blade so sharp looking at it would cut you. Lol not really but you get the idea. Heres what he taught me First off angle of the blade...... it doesn't have to be exact. A blade wil cut according to the way you cut with it. The angle i hold a blade may not be the same angle as you hold it so angle is all subjective to who is cutting with the blade. Second take the edge off every blade when you first get it. This is done by running the edge toward the stone as if you are trying to slice a paper thin sliver off the stone. The reason because of rule one you and i hold a blade slightly different because we are different people. HHe always said " You will know you are getting there because it will feel right" sounds crazy but it is true the blade feels different when you find YOUR angle gliding across the stone . It just literally feels right. 3rd once you have that bevel from taking the edge off go the opposite way with the blade to put your edge on it. Instead of taking the edge toward the stone now you take it away from the stone. This will sharpen it. always start a new knife or blade with a medium stone then go to a finer stone like an arkansas stone. after getting the edge so it will catch hair. now you strop it three colors of rouge in this order on seperate strops 1green 2white 3red Strop it just like you did when you sharpened it. Use Light pressure not hard, like your trying to romance the blade " You sharpen a blade like you romance a girl boy light and easy. It's a love affair not a war. Treat it that way. " is what he used to say when i was learning to sharpen. things he said to NEVER do. Never use a wheel to sharpen a blade it creates heat and you can untemper the blade. you use the wheel to shape a blade not to sharpen it and when you shape it your constantly quenching it to hold that temper. Never use sandpaper its not a block of wood its metal you want to polish it not scratch it. that's me and Papwas 2 cents and what I learned from a man who could sharpen a blade so sharp it would cut you looking at it. you know that scene in the movie body guard when he takes the silk sash from her neck throws it over the sword and it slices it as it falls. I did not believe that was possible. My grandfather showed me it was with his bowie knife. My grandmother was pissed beacuse he used her scarf to demonstrate. ( We got in alot of trouble together lol) Hope it helps Sapper

My Grandfather and father had a Max Goldberg Saddle. It was a prized saddle in the family and something my father frequently speaks of. I may be able to shed some light on this for you. Apparently Max built saddles in Colorado for a long time. For whatever reason he moved down to Mexico. This is how they came to own one. They met the man in Mexico on a family vacation he was older but he and them talked a bit and hit it off. He told them he would build a saddle for them as they had foundation quarter horses and this was apparently something Max was fond of. He wasn't making saddles at the time he met them he was making boots and shoes. They left and really did not think on it any more until one day they received a large box inside was the saddle he had told them he would send them. This was sometime in the early to mid 60's. I remember the saddle from when I was a small child because unlike the other saddles that saddle never sat in the barn. It was there favorite saddle. For good reason. It was elaborately tooled and even highlighted with dye and paint on the carvings. The saddle was hand made entirely and not a single piece was sewing machine. so every piece was fit specifically to that saddle. He had built the saddle to fit my father from speaking with him that day and had apparently enough skill at making saddles that without even measuring or taking down information he made the saddle fit like a glove to my father and his discipline of working cow horses. Something that any saddle maker who has been doing it a while will tell you comes from experience that can not be taught. We had a house fire when i was 4 and the saddle burnt in the house. I used to sit on the saddle in the upstairs and play cowboys and Indians on it because that is where it was placed after use on it's own saddle stand. If you run into a Max Goldberg saddle . Buy it. The man was a master saddle maker and you will have something that can not be reproduced. I promise you. This is what i know of the man from my father and grandfather. I have looked for one myself because every time i talk about building a saddle this is what my father says to me. "I wish i had one built like that old Max Goldberg. You remember how that was built right" Lol i was 4 man ya I remember the saddle but no i do not know how it was built. I wish I could look one over though and see what he did.

I have had a request from someone myself to do a rod holder and reel case. I also haven't found any patterns this is what i decided on doing. ROD CASE For the rod I am going to take a piece of PVC pipe and cap the end. Step 1 Skive and tool the leather Step 2 Place glue on the pvc Step 3 place the leather on the case then hand stitch it at the seams Reel Case Step 1 Cut a 2 piece of polymer or plastic 1/2 inch wider in diameter than the reel Step 2 cut a rectangular piece of polymer or plastic 1/4 thicker than the reel Step 3 Use epoxy from the auto parts store that is used to put rear view mirrors in to glue the plastic bottom and sides of the case together Step 4 line the inside with lightweight suede Step 5 Cover the bottom of the case and the side with leather Step 6 Cover the top of the reel case with leather and attache to the bottom with a small hinge or a zipper. This is the project layout i came up with I haven't done it yet so it is just a theory you're welcome to use it and modify it as you like.. Please let me know any Ideas you have on it and good luck my friend. If you're like me I like doing things I haven't tried before. And I hope this helps

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