hidepounder

Nice site Kevin! really displays of your work......great tunes too!

I like the size of yours better, too!

Hi Art....I was prowling around and saw the cigar cases...they're really neat. I really like your holsters with the alligator too. In spite of all the fancy tooling we do, I still like the alligator....it just looks classy! Great projects!

Thanks tashabear....I can't wait to try one! That's a terrific! It's a mini version of the edge dyer that Weaver sells for lots of money. I like the size of yours better! Does the felt work better than the daubers?

I don't know about those tashabear...never seen one, but they sound really good. Any Art supply store?

Thanks Tom You're welcome Bree....anytime I can help....

Fiebings Light Brown antique, then NeatLac

gicts.....I forgot to tell you and I think this is imporant.......I slick the edge first before I dye it with spirit dye.

I use a couple of different homemade applicators that work well. Take a piece of really heavy felt...maybe 3/8" thick....cut it into a 3/4" wide strip, maybe 2" long....fold it in half and rivet a leather handle to it......the handle is a 6" or 8" strip of skirting leather folded in half so that the felt strip when folded is sandwiched between the handle with about 1/2" to 3/4" protruding out the end...now you can use that as an applicator...it will produce a neat even line. Trim anything fuzzy sticking out. The more you use it, the more a slight groove will form in the middle of the felt and the easier it is to use. The ones I use now are stuffed and pinned in the end of a hollow plastic tube. If You can find a stiff enough piece of felt you can cut it into the shape of a wedge...works the same way. Hope this helpful and not too confusing!

I cut 90% with head knives...my favorites being Gomphs and W. Rose. I like the smaller blades and I take a lot of time removing the shoulder of the knife back about 3/4". Confidence comes with practice, of course, but with a sharp headknife it is reasonable to expect to cut straight never wander outside the pencil line. I also use a couple of small sharp straight knives...they look like parring knives....and for tight radius inside corners, I use a swivel knife first and then finish with a small straight knife. I think the saddlemakers will bear me out here...ounce you learn to correctly sharpen and use a head knive, you'll also find yourself skiving with one, which saves a lot of time and effort! Just my humble opinion.....

CW...if you haven't purchased a French Edger yet, consider buying an old Gomph. They're a little harder to come by and a little more expensive, but the steel used in those old tools really out performs anyting made now (in my humble opinion!). I've replaced all of my expensive pieces with Gomph's, at some considerable expense, and am glad I did! The sizes Bruce gave you are just right, and like he said...sharpen from the bottom. I power polish with green rouge after sharpening and I use a stiff piece of skirting leather heavily impreganted with green rogue and strop the top by hand...just a little...I don't think that top angle should be changed...just strop the wire edge off which is formed from sharpening the bottom. They're available on Ebay from time to time and Bob Douglas almost always has some (307/737-2222). Have fun!

Thanks Rayban....I downloaded a bunch of fonts that I sort thru to find what I want to use with a pattern. I use Adobe Elements to manipulate the lettering until I like it, then trace them on and cut them. I don't like to use the canned letters because I don't think they have the "custom" feel I'm looking for. I have all the stamps but I don't use them.

Thanks Bree....This is the first time I've tooled this pattern...I drew it for the customer who wanted something different with an open flower to accomadate the silver flower center. The belt is tooled on a piece of Herman Oak split to about 5 oz. The background and edge color is Fiebings Cordovan spirit dye. I antiqued with Fiebings Light Brown over a Neatlac resist. After installing the silver flower centers, I use contact cement to join the lining, in this case a piece of 6/7 oz Herman Oak....for a total of 12 ozs. After finger cutting the lining and coating with Fiebings Tan Coat, it was sewn with Rice nylon Z99 thread set a 9 stitches per inch in a stitching groove, edged, edge dyed, slicked and then the top was finished with Neatlac..........the cost?............not enough.

Thanks Mike. Thanks Pip.

No....it's different. Thanks! Thanks Troy. Thanks ArtS!...edging is usually a thankless task.

Bobcat...I just stumbled on this post today and I am stunned! Your finger carving is beautiful! I think it may be the best finger carved piece I have ever seen! The flow is wonderful...simple and complicated, all in one. Your knife control says worlds about your confidence and ability. This is a perfect example of "less is more". I'm printing the image and putting it on my bench for inspiration. Thanks for sharing this with us.!

Here's three photo's of a belt I finished this week. The customer wanted a diferent pattern so I came up with this...please let me know what you think.

Thanks, JW!

JW....I've been prowling around your site...it's very nice! Easy to negotiate. Added it to my Favorites. You look very familiar...I've probably seen you around the shows.

Wow, Dave...beautiful! Really classy looking rig! I'm interested in doing some inlay like that on some western items...your work is inspiring. If it's okay, I'd like to pick your brain before I start. I'm looking for a source fro alligator/croc remnants. Once again, great work!

That's a fine tribute! Please accept my condolences.

Welcome to the forum. Dan & Johnny are right...good places to start. Find something you like and copy it. Your spur straps should probably be around 8 ozs. The headstall should be heavier, but it depends entirely on the style and function. I would think 12 oz would be a minimum...mine are heavier. You'll see that the sky is the limit with regard to style on both....here's a another spur strap to look at. Good luck. SS___L_.jpg

Don't worry, you're in good company. The problem you're having is mostly just an issue of practicing. I would also bet that your cuts aren't deep enough, thus not allowing you to get the toe of the beveler into the cut. Try tipping your beveler toward the cut slightly and only progress about 1/3 the width of the beveler as you move along. Shallow swivel knife cuts are probably the most common mistakes made when starting out. And don't worry about speed...that comes later. Hope this helps....good luck.

Watch ebay...they are on fairly frequently in a variety of sizes...there are some on now, but not a #9. If you need one right away call Bob Douglas "Fine Vintage Tools" 307/737-2222. I'' be shocked if he doesn't have one in stock. Good Luck.