hidepounder

Good job Tim, looks very nice! Bobby

Rookie, I agree with you....this is the best work yet! Congrats on a good job! Bobby

Without seeing one of those belts, it's hard to answer your question. 40 hours is LOT of time on a belt. It's certainly not impossible....I have a pattern with dime size flowers that takes me a very long time to tool and if I have to dye the background and add a laced edge it will easily exceed $1500 (without silver). But that is a pretty extreme example. If you are spending 40 hours on a belt, it better be a pretty intricate pattern. My belts start at $400 (without silver) and go up from there....most selling in the $600 range. I would hazard that a lot of toolers would consider my patterns are pretty slow/difficult to tool. I don't charge for drawing a pattern. It's my pattern and if it is any good I will be using it again. Heaven help me if the customer who paid for the pattern ever meets the second customer I tooled that pattern for and they begin discussing what they paid! It really isn't fair. The other thing that I personally think is really important, is to recognize what skill level you are at and charge accordingly. Also, I personally try to determine how much time it SHOULD take to tool a pattern after I've done it a few times and charge accordingly. I do not charge what it costs me the first time....I don't feel that it is honorable to charge the customer for my learning experience. In my mind, you offer a belt (with a tooled pattern) for a certain price and the customers agrees to pay you. It is assumed that you already have a selection of patterns for the customer to choose from. Others may not agree with this, but that is my approach. It is certainly imperative to know what your market will bear. If you are competeing with the swap meet vendors like Billy mentioned, you probably aren't going to sell many belts that take 40 hours to make. As a matter of fact, a belt that trully takes 40 hours to make is in the Peter Main category and should be of that quality so that should give you some means to evaluate yourself. We all suffer from crafters underselling their products but it is just a fact of life. They make it difficult for a legitamate maker to get paid. However, if you charge what you feel is appropriate for your product and your customers are paying you, then you are probably where you need to be from a price standpoint. Just some random thoughts..... Bobby

Darcy, I had missed this.....what a nice saddle! Great lines....everything really lays smooth and tight! Tooling looks terrific. I don't know how you guys can do that corner tooling and not mark up all the untooled leather. I'd have it all scarred up, LOL! Great taps too! Wow! Bobby

Steve, What a beautiful saddle! I missed the little detail in the tooling where you wrapped the vine around the border and had to go back and find it after Darcy mentioned it...really cool! (do they say cool anymore?.....I think it's supposed to be "kewl" nowdays). I was hoping someone else would ask what the large back ring was to be used for because I didn't know...rear latigo carrier...tie ropes? Anyway, great lines on the saddle and beautiful tooling! I love the taps too! Bobby

Darcy, Ben, Johanna, Casey..... Oops...sorry everybody! I trully didn't mean to steer the subject off track with my comment. Casey and I have had a lot of discussions regarding my point of view...I feel I should explain. There are a lot of shows where braiders, silversmiths, saddlemakers and bit/spur makers are invited/allowed to enter and demonstrate their skills in a friendly compettitve public forum. Entering is an important part of obtaining name recognition which is so important in marketing. Quite often, toolers are not allowed to enter these shows because they are not saddlemakers. The same holds true for a number of clubs/organizations who recognize braiders, bit/spur makers, silversmiths and saddlemakers as cowboy artists...but not toolers. Consequently, toolers are often forced to enter "craft" shows which IMO are organized for enthusiasts and non-proffessionals. This was recently just brought home to me where upon mentioning my intent to enter the IFOLG show in St. Louis, I was criticized for having an "unfair advantage". There are some exceptions to all of this of course (thank goodness!) and NBSSCA has now joined that group. It gives guys like myself, who don't qualify to play, an opportunity to strut our stuff,... for which I am very grateful! Casey brings up another point that I think is very significant. Whether anyone realizes it or not, the greatest work ever produced is happening right now! The very best saddlemakers and toolers of all time are making gear right now...today. In recent years we have lost some greats, of course, but their influence has created new masters, who are doing even better work. These shows, like the Art of the Cowboy presented by NBSSCA afford a terrific opportunity for collectors, enthusiasts, craftsmen and professionals to see some of the best work ever gathered in one location for eveyones enjoyment. Thanks, Casey, to you and NBSSCA for recognizing this and making it possible for all of us to see! And thanks to you, Johanna, for making LW the wonderful place it is, bringing us all together and advancing our craft! Bobby PS.....thanks, all of you, for your kind words!

Casey, you are so right about toolers, as we have discussed mumerous times. I've always thought there was a sort of parallel in the relationaships between saddlemakers/toolers and bit & spur makers/silversmiths. However, where silversmiths are duely recognized for their engraving skills, toolers are sort of considered second class citizens in the saddlemaking world which I have never quite understood. So I'm really thrilled to see a tooling category! Bobby

Casey, Thanks for sharing the results of the show and congratulations on another great win this year! Very nice job on the saddle! I would also like to thank you for the hard work and long hours you put in helping to promote this event for NBSSCA. It's a unique event where makers can demonstrate their skills while being judged by their peers and the public as well. I'm especially tickled to see the approval of a leather carving category for next year and am anxious for the details as I am ready to begin designing my entry! Thanks again for all that you do and congratulations on the Peoples Choice award. Bobby

Nice job Josh!

I think every tooler should study "Sheridan Style Carving" by Bob Likewise. It contains a world of information that is basic for doing any floral carving. It is not just for Sheridan style carving. There is great instruction by Bill Gardner and great photo examples of work by the Masters. I refer to mine frequently. Bobby

If it were me I wouldn't consider making anything but a roper breast collar to give away at a roping. After all it's not a tripping! In my opinion a roper style is a much more versatile, all around breast collar. I wouldn't use a tripping collar unless I had a horse who couldn't get along with anything else. To be honest most of my friends who trip use roper style breast collars anyway. A tripping collar is easier to make but I think a roper style is more appropriate for a roping...IMHO. Bobby

Denise, Thanks for sharing. I think it is facinating to see some of these unique trees! Bobby

I use cordovan almost exclusively. Occasionally I will use black and when I do I use Lincoln Dye. Bobby

Good design Elton!

Nice job Tim! Bobby

Beautiful chaps Elton....yours always are! Bobby

Riding lessons! Sorry Brent, I couldn't help myself!!!

Old Barge and Masters!

You might contact Troy West....he has done a couple of those saddles. Also you might contact Dennis Spring, he is selling them also. Bobby

Really nice job Max!!!

Nice job Clay!

IMHO the best thing to do with a RubyAt blade is to put it on the shelf and admire it while using a quality steel blade in your swivel knife . Barring that RubyAt blades do need to be stropped and even sharpened from time to time. The problem is that it takes some pretty expensive and sophisticated equipment to sharpen them. I do seem to recall that BearMan said he had successfully sharpened one with diamond stones, but don't hold me to that. Hope this helps..... Bobby

I have never supplied a buckle with a belt. I think most of my customers had buckles for which they needed belts made...

I would echo Bruce's comments and add that in my opinion all makers have some tools that they do better than others and that what is "best" is purely in the eyes of the beholder. My tool rack contains tools from all the different makers and I use them all depending on the pattern I am tooling. Bobby

That is a simple box stamp as colttrainer suggests with a seeder added at the intersections. These stamps are available through Tandy, Barry King, Wayne Jueschke, McMillan, Jeremiah Watt, Hackbarth and Bob Beard. Hope this helps..... Bobby