MikeRock

A piece of garbage bag plastic put over the spout, then the cap..... works. I didn't think of the Vaseline!!

Dwight, Thank you. I like a taller loop too. I was thinking the leather of this and many other cartridge loops on these belts is too thick... drop back a few ounces and it would be both more flexible and easier to work with both in the making and in use. I never saw a two loop per rifle cartridge belt except in a few collections and museums. The very old belts I have had over the years were 'really' thin in the loop department and varied in width all over, from almost covering a .45 Colt to as narrow as half an inch. Lost several old, nice ones in the Rapid City flood..... Wish I had them now.. they were fifty bucks to almost free back then. God bless

I just laid this out in a drafting program. It looks like the rivets you have between each cartridge loop actually lever material back up through the slot and loosen the fit. The normal, non-riveted designs, like in Packing Iron do not have this feature or problem. Your loop leather looks thicker in proportion than the PI illustrations. Dwight, any thoughts on this analysis? Piqued, peaked, peeked? God bless

I went off on a tangent and searched for 'antique leather top desk'. There are some dandies out there and some are reasonably priced. One, made in 1910 has a nice writing surface, of leather. There is a small hole that reveals the leather only being in the 3-4oz range. Another reveals about the same. These two were permanent leather tops, not a layon unit, like a desktop calendar. I thought surely they'd be much thicker. https://www.etsy.com/listing/571560844/large-antique-english-mahogany-leather?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_all&utm_custom1=_k_b65f9c2664e018e312d3fc4adc841cd1_k_&utm_content=bing_319339186_1310617986645934_81913644654434_pla-4585513245482005:pla-4585513245482005_c__571560844&utm_custom2=319339186&msclkid=b65f9c2664e018e312d3fc4adc841cd1 Go search and good luck. God bless

Latigo, Patterns, as in foundry work?

I just searched the site using 'pack saddle' and came up with 54 hits. LOTS of good stuff! I'm cutting leather for a tree made about twenty years ago. Can't rush this stuff:)) It is the last of about a dozen we made. Good luck and God bless. Mike

Dave M, Since your grandpa's stomping ground was so near Cheyenne, was the holster a Menea? God bless

Wow, I just figured out what all those things are on a sows belly.........grease zerks!!

If you look at catalog descriptions of harness leather they boast about the many 'stuffing' operations. They are stuffing tallow, among other greases, into the leather to weather proof it.

Eli Schlabach at Landis Machine Co. at 115 E Cr 500 N, Arthur, IL 61911. 217-543-3464. Sometimes you get the machine, sometimes Eli. He always calls back. If you tell him (via the machine) what you need, exactly, it will show up in a few days with a bill.

Talk to Eli at Landis Machines in Illinois.

Nice! They look like Lara Croft boots with Angelina Jolie~~ God bless

BZ

I like them with the gook and grease on them so I can decide what to clean or leave. God bless

I started with a similar Tandy punch in the mid-sixties. Learned right off to punch through, fairly gentle, but through, then rotate the punch and leather to loosen the cut piece out. Worked well for years of hobbiest work until I got a few solid handled punches from the old saddle man at Duhamel's in Rapid City. Still have them all. Yes, there was a difference, but the old fellow was still twisting with his solid handled tools. God bless

Thanks Dwight, I confuse easily, no worries. God bless

Dwight, By 'back side' of the barrel, do you mean the bottom or top of the barrel while holstered? It's pointed generally straight down, so 'back' to me seems to mean the bottom of the barrel. God bless, Mike

Darn, remind me not to go fishing THERE!! Nice! All my trail cams show are coyotes and white tails. And one neighbors cat.

It is so cool that your aunt was one of the first mermaids. Keep up the good works. They awaken memories in most of us of our childhood. The fishing themed ones really grab me. Might be fun to be grabbed by a mermaid too! Places we fished, under old railroad trestles, along canyons in the Black Hills, not much room for mermaids....

Darned nice! Remember in the movie 'Riddick' where the bad guys had helmets with faces on either side and to the rear? Make the skulls a bit shallower and put the turn signals and brake lights work.... That would be weird.

Sculpey clay is the ticket! It has very low shrinkage. https://www.sculpey.com

Thank YOU!! God bless, Mike

Any way to filigree that? Cut out and insert a background material of some contrasting color/texture. Lots less sewing. That sure is pretty though!! God bless

The text parts are handy but don't go by the sizes of the black circles. On my screen the 16......1/2" measures 3/4"...

Sonia, Bruce's book explanation is very clear. I tied my first one with the help of an old cowboy. He and his new bride rode from Wing, ND down into 'Old Mexico', in 1923-25. He taught me rope work and a lot more. I bought the book, brand new, in 1962 on a trip to the big town of Bismarck, ND. Still have it.