BondoBobCustomSaddles

Jason, actually, the zippers only come one way, but; if you take off the stop at the end of the zipper on the side that has the slide, and turn the slide 180 deg. and put it back on you will then have the opposite hand zipper. Works well. Bob

Ya done good pilgrim. As for your critiques, you are pretty much on the money with what you would do different. I have made a lot of chaps and especially a lot for the excercise guys at the track. I would plan that the zippers come around to about the outside seam on the chaps and on those that don't have fringe, ((some like it some don't like it), I would leave about an 1 1/2" flap to cover the zipper from getting crud in it while in use. Also, I put the zippers in so that they sip down instead of up and make them left and right hand so the zipper slide is on the part that comes in from the back . It makes it a lot easier to start them that way. In cases where the rider is actually riding 6 or 7 hrs a day on lots of horses, I also put a wear patch on the inside of the leg so that when they wear them out a new patch and they are off and riding again. Oh and one more thing, I put a 3/4" binding in the top of the leg cut from where it comes away from the yoke all the way around to the zipper. It adds a little strength inthat area. Here are a couple of pics of ones that I made. Bob

I can only speak from my own experience. So far, in the past ten years or so, I have had at least half a dozen folks come to me because they had horses that were a little out of the norm in conformation, and were having problems with their horses soring up when they used conventional saddles that did not fit well. These people had then bit on the sales pitch that treeless saddles would cure their ills. WRONG!!!! They spent the money for new treeless saddles and then were stuck with them and their horses were still sore. Eventually they came to me and had saddles made that fit and so far, I have yet to have one come back and complain. They all will tell you that treeless saddles aren't worth it. Bob

Ran, my wife is a quilter and does a lot of material cutting so, I get her those cutting pads about once a year, that you can buy at Joann fabrics, and she loves them. That way I get her used ones, which I use. They really work well for me to use, don't dull the blades, and are marked off in inch squares as an added plus. They are no good for punching as they are only about a 1/16 th inch thick, but really work good for cutting most everything I do. For long cuts like cutting reins, or long straps, I just cut them on my layout table and slide a piece of leather that was only partially cured (and no good for use in saddles) under it as I go. Bob

Just to add, I just got home with my new CB4500. Bob Kovar and son had my machine set up and waiting for me, when I got there. I tried some test scraps that I had pre-glued and even had some sheep skin glued on and in some spots had the test piece go from thick to thin and back to thick like it might in some parts of a saddle. It performed flawlessly, obviously, as a result of the time spent on setup by the guys at Toledo Industrial Machine. Once I got it home, it took me about a 1/2 hr to get it downstairs in my basement, and set back up and running. Can't say enough about the professional attention that I recieved from Bob Kovar and Son. By the way, Wiz I made it a point to tell Bob you sent me. Bob

Very Nicely done! I am sure your customer will be happy with it. I agree with Tim, I also like your flow and how the front and back compliment each other. Keep up the good work! Bob

Welcome Bob, and as Pounder said, Thank You for your service. I know what it is like to spend time away at this time if the year, in service to your country.. Wish I had been doing leather work back then, it would have helped. Anyway, nice work, keep it up, by the time you return back here you will be ready to make tack for some of those cowboys back in Oregon. Happy Holidays and Be safe and return to us soon. Bob

Well, I'm not sure if this is what you want, but; a while back I did a saddle for a lady that wanted a thistle border. I played with it for a bit and she jumped on the first thing I showed her and said it was exactly what she wanted. So this is what I did for her. Not fancy, but; again it is what she wanted. Sometimes simple is better. Bob

Thanks for sharing Silvia! It's always good to start the day with a good laugh. Guess today is going to be a good one, and as soon as I can remember what I was going to do today I'll get started!! thanks again! Bob

I also will speak up for the completeness of the how to's and why's in laying out your patterns as it is explained in Bob's book. I have been making saddles and tooling for a long time. Mostly self taught, however; the additional knowledge that I gained from Bob's book really made a change in my work. When it comes to making saddles, I would put mine next to most without hesitation, however; my tooling is another story, while most I have done work for like what I do, I really wasn't happy with my own tooling till I got Bob's book and started using the principles the way he explained it. Neat thing, I talked to him personally when I ordered the book, and in just a few minutes it was like I was talking to an old time friend that I have known for years. When you read his book, the directions come across the same way. It's like he is there with you in the room, coaching you along. I highly recommend the book, it will answer the questions you have raised, and more. Happy tooling, Bob

There you have it. Good sound advice from a good source. That is why I recommended Bruce in the first place. He knows his tools, and won't steer you wrong. Next time I buy a new one, I will go to Knipper, (if we are still around!) and for used tools, Bruce can't be beat. I am still using the CS Osborne Newark that I bought new, a bunch of years, and hundreds of hides ago. Invest in good tools and they will last you a lifetime. Bob

Hey Don, welcome. You will have a good time here, lots of good folks and good info. Since you are from the east side of WA. you aren't too far from Eugene OR. You might even know an old ropin" buddy of mine who is pretty well known in that part of the country, Bill Jones. If you do, and you run across him at a cutting of roping, tell him I said HI. Once again, Welcome! Bob

I am sure that is for another very satisfied customer. Nice job, keep up the good work! Bob

I was a boy scout back in the 50"s. I can't even begin to describe all the benefits I personally have gained from that experience and how much of what I had learned then, had carried me forward to today! Welcome to the forum, the more the merry'er! Hope this is as fruitful for you as it has been for me. Again Welcome! Bob

Ok, I am going to jump in here. I will try to keep from rambling on, however; I am old so I might wander off, that's the chance you take when you listen to me!! First, regardless of what you use to cut with, round, box, exacto, butter, it dosn't matter, It must be sharp if you want to produce quality work. I am of the opinion that if you want sharp, you should take the time to at least learn how to sharpen a blade. I learned over 65 years ago in the boy scouts, and it has been a skill I have used and been glad I learned many times over. Second, if you are going to buy a round knife, used, Bruce is a very good place to look. New, then be prepared to spend some money to get the advantage of getting the very best tecknology in steel in your blade. Knipper, and all the other guys on this sight can get you in the right direction. Personally, I still use the old Osborn I bought about 25 years ago, it holds a real keen edge, and gets me though anything I want to cut. Not sure how the Osborns of today match up in quality of steel, but mine holds a real edge and gets me through any project I choose to make. I use 13 to 15 oz skirting leather to start, for almost all of my projects. As for using a round knife for straight cuts, and tight corner cuts, I use it for all. A little tip: If you want to cut a straight line lean the knife forward so that the edge of the blade is forcing the knife to go straight. If you are cutting around a curve, lean the blade backward so you are cutting with the tip of the blade, which will allow you to follow the curve you want without messing it up. Last, someone here mentioned that they use a groover or similar tool to mark where they want to cut, that it gives you a good start without buggering up the cut. That works and gives you a nice line on the curved cuts. After all that, bottom line is what ever you use, practice makes perfect, be your own worst critic, and you will get to where you want to be as a leather artist . Now that's my story an I am sticking to it!! Bob

CW, perhaps the look of the binding is simply showing the work underneath it. when you bring the three peices of leather up to the point where you cut them off, be sure to be really fussy to make sure that the crease that is behind the cantle edge is really deep and pronounced in each of the three pieces (seat leather, filler and cantle back), I constantly go over mine many times with a tickler or deer horn to be sure it is prominent. Then I use divider to scribe a line about an 1 1/2" out from there, using that groove. to mark the outer edge, being careful to make sure that at the point where the cantle meets the bar in front on both sides is identical and not out past that scribe line. That way when you add the binding, it will be uniform when finished. Take the time, you will be satisfied with the results. Bob

Simply put, I use my round knife so much, and so often, that after all these years, I still haven't made a holder for it! I just set it on my bench, cause I know that I will be picking it up in just another minute to use again. Once you have mastered it, the round knife becomes the most used tool you have. If you plan to do a lot of work with leather, by all means the round knife is a good investment. If you are having troule sharpening it, get the Stohlman book on leatherworking tools and their use. Bob

Simply put, you just seem to settle into what it is that tickles your fancy after a while. For me, I find my groove by having a few beers, turning the lights down low, putting on some "old time" county music. LOL Bob

Like Troy said,that is pretty much the norm. Be sure if you are stitching by hand with waxed thread, to burnish the thread with a piece of paper (I use a piece of shopping bag) to get the excess wax off, or you will be fighting the fibers of wool locking up your thread as it is plled through the piece. It is a bit tricky, but; you get the hang of it afer a while. Bob

How far from the Detroit bridge are you? Bob

I do Mike. I was a little young to be really helpfull on my Uncle's farm, but; he had a bailer that used wire also. His, however; had a board with two grooves in it that was put in between the bales and when it was time to tie it, you put two precut wires through the grooves and then it would continue on down the chute to the mechanism that tied them. Or at least that is the way I remember it. That was back in 50-51. I was about 7 and even though my dad had moved to the "city", he still went back up to the family farm to help the family during harvest time. As I remember it, a good time was had by all! Bob

OK, it seems like it is time to step in and make a couple of observations. I have read all the posts and they all are spot on for those who care about what they do. I found out early that a couple of simple pieces of advice will get you over all of the "hates" you have listed. First, the guy that coined the phrase "patience is a virtue", must have been a leatherworker! Always take the time to enjoy what you are doing and do it with the intent of enjoying it when you are done. Second, (this is a piece of advice given me a long time ago and it still holds true) seek out the person that has achieved the results you desire, and then ask him how he did it. ( there are lots of good folks on this forum that will gladly share their technique with you). Once you have found out how he/she does it, strive to do it the same way. Third, always strive to improve. If you follow these, you will find there is nothing that you will fear or hate in your quest to achieve excellence. Bob

Way Cool!! like the twisted fringe, As for the Zebra, best place for them. A friend of mine from Virginia, did a clinic and started a zebra under saddle once. He said that them critters' minds are wired different. Said he would never do one of them again!! Bob

Many, many hours of beautiful work! Let us know how you do. Thanks for sharing, Bob

Yes, what she said. We all would like to see them. Bob