SaddleBags

Great words, Nelson!!! That is about as concise as you can get and I agree with every single word.

Mikesh, Hasbeen is right on top of it. If there were a one-size fits all solution, then this saddlemaking game would be much simpler. But as I like to remind myself, there are many right way and many wrong ways to build a saddle. ...and there and many right ways and many wrong ways to fit a tree to a horse. I prefer making to fit "horses of a type" rather than making to fit a specific horse. Other than the one horse I built specifically for (and that horse was built more like a giraffe) I can honestly say that the saddles can move freely amongst others of the same type. While I didn't intend to intimate (re-read my previous post if in doubt) that ALL white marks are cause by bridging, nor are they all caused by too narrow a gullet. All I'm saying is that if I have the latitude to do so, I prefer to address the bridging issue in the building of a saddle rather than in the saddling process. Seems to me that eliminating what variables you can is the prudent course, no matter how long you have been in the business or how old you might be.

Well, Mike, What I think you are suggesting is to intentionally induce "bridging" in your saddlemaking. Most of us try to avoid this. If a guy has 25 horses in training, he can probably afford to buy a couple of well-fitting saddles. If he's trying to "make do", then he will soon run out of clients. When you see horses in the movies or on TV and they have white spots on their loins and withers, this is mostly because the saddles "bridge". This is uncomfortable for the horse, as not only do the ends of the bars carry all of the saddle's weight, they also carry the totality of the rider's weight. Add to this that the saddle with slip about under "performance conditions" and you can see why this isn't a good idea. As a parallel, get yourself a backpack weighing about 70 pounds or so, and then where the pack frame contacts your hips and shoulders, add a block of wood, then go run a couple of miles. Makes a believer of you.

Barge also sells a thinner especially for the glue. I also just add "new" glue. Either way works. I have taken to using Masters. because of the hazardous material considerations here in the Peoples' Democratic Republic of California. ... can't buy Barge's in quantity without hazardous material fees.

I was scared to try to remove the butt of the handle, as there weren't any screw slots and I didn't want to ruin the knife. Any secret?

I have a 225 that a dog got ahold of. It is "original, and looks like it. Lots of surface rust and a name etched in the blade. Thought about re-doing the handle, but haven't got around to it yet. What part of Ohio?

If you can do that with a scalpel, imagine how much better it will be with a swivel knife!

Hey Seabee! I'd recommend that you look at what Tandy offers in the "beginners' Tool set as a basis. Then expand to take in what you want to accomplish. I like Sheilajeanne's recommendation, but would add stone of whatever you prefer and a strop board. ESSENTIAL!!! as you no doubt know. Don't know what you normally use to cut against, but you can go to a kitchen shop and have them cut you a board to a size of your choosing to use as a cutting board. It's the same stuff used in commercial kitchens . My cutting table is topped with the stuff. ,

How authentic are you intending to be and involving what period? Like everything else, the patterns changed over time and with different manufacturers. Are they for use, or to display? Canvas or Leather? On or Off a saddle? If on, then which saddle (including year/period, please). Be glad to help, but need a bit more to go on.

I would think that the first consideration would be , "how permanent is the attachment"? The second would be whether it's intended for static display (limited movement) or for full-motion depiction. After you answer those two questions, then you can get a more definitive answer, and one that will better fit your purposes. Did you make a jacket as well?

Kinda like decoup0age, huh?

The easiest thing to do is to print out the image on some mid-weight vellum (which is waterproof) and then trace it onto the leather. If you use this method, then you can re-size the image on the computer to fit the available "canvas" You're off to the races.

IMHO, the only reasonable way to install a scalloped rawhide binding is to brad each scallop and then live with the work until it's cured. Other than that, it will lift and the sharp/hard edges will remind you that they're there every time you ride. You might want to consider twisting and setting the stirrups. I know there aren't many cowboys in Ohio that will spend the better part of a day in the saddle, but even a couple of hours can make a BIG difference.

Before you do that, you might want to ask what the "other end' of the blade looks like. might be a one off and blades could be made separately. not all blades fit all knives. I have a couple of those creaser blades, but never found them easy to work, so I gave up on them.

look up Old Cowdogs for high-quality buckles. They aren't cheap, but they are beautiful. See website for Old Cowdogs.

Shot, Porter made in Phoenix and there is still a shop in that area. All of the Porters that I have refurbished had a card on the near bar aft of the cantle with the necessary information. I did one that was made in 1906, I believe, and another that was made in the late 1920s. They're easy to work on and nice to have around. I have two of my own (old ones). Central Coast here.

If you have a cake of saddlesoap, then follow these steps. 1. Wet your sponge and wring it out so it holds just enough moisture that it doesn't run out under presssure. 2. Beginning at one corner, press the sponge against the leather and stroke it in ONE DIRECTION ONLY for several stroked (8 - 10 should do it) 3. Take your cake of saddlesoap and rub it briskly IN BOTH DIRECTIONS along the edge until you have applied a slick coating along the entire edge. 4. Repeat for the additional raw edges.