TomE

Or use a sewing awl instead of pre-punching holes that take up excess dye.

That's a neat looking repair, Jonas. Better than new. The trend towards using soft leather for dressage saddles should be a boost to the repair business. I've been asked about a similar repair but the saddle hasn't arrived in my shop. I am slogging through a pile of dirty tack that's in for repairs. Includes 7 martingales with the bridle loop chewed off, and a lot of halters with broken nosebands. Getting a lot of practice splicing new ends onto broken straps. Not as aesthetically pleasing as making new tack, but it is a skill building exercise. I am aiming for a 2" overlap at the splice, tapering the ends to about 1/4 thickness to maintain some strength.

That's a very nice looking bag! The details are spot on. Thanks for sharing.

Tried to login to my online account and can't find the password. Password reset doesn't work. It's been a few years since I ordered online and I'll have to sort this out. I ordered some bell skiver parts ~1-1/2 years ago but that was a phone order.

No. I've placed online orders or called them to ask questions and place an order. Only 5-6 orders to date.

I've called them and had good customer service.

I use a variety of creasers and like the simplicity of heating the tool in an alcohol flame and pressing firmly with the crease held in the palm of my hand. Takes a bit of practice to learn how much heat to apply, but the hand tools are simple/portable/quick to use. The electric creases look awkward to me but I have no experience using them.

Thanks, @Wizcrafts! As always I learned a few new things from your post, particularly about the spring-loaded screws on the shuttle race. I appreciate knowing WHY as well as HOW.

Thanks, Ron. I chose not to repair the rip in the seat. It's a well worn saddle that needs to be reflocked, in my opinion. I'd need to remove the seat to sew the seam that joins the seat to the skirt. I'll need to take apart a junk saddle or two before I feel comfortable removing the seat from a client's saddle. I don't have good instructions for removing a seat and will have to do some exploratory surgery on a throw away saddle. I was given an old pony saddle that will serve as a training example for tearing down a saddle.

Dye the pieces of leather then cut them to size to create a fresh edge, or buy drum dyed leather for these projects.

It is a tear along the edge of the seat where it is sewn to the skirt. Replacing the seat costs $800-$900 (above my pay grade) and folks are looking for an inexpensive fix. I've been told by clients that some saddlers patch these, but I don't think a glue on patch would hold.

Thanks,Jonas. I look forward to the updates. Have you patched an English saddle seat along the seam next to the skirt? It’s a common issue where the leather has worn and failed at the seam. I’ve declined these repairs thinking a glue on patch won’t hold.

Good looking belt with mighty fancy stitching! The buckle is a beautiful accent to complete the belt. My dad made jewelry as a hobby. I use his planishing hammer and bench anvil in my leather shop. Your buckle brings back memories of him. Thank you.

That lead looks really nice, Jonas. I'll bet she enjoys using it. I bought a used patcher and am learning to replace zippers in riding boots. I appreciate your tips on different styles of zippers. Today I received an inquiry about patching a silver dollar-sized hole on the inside leg of a riding boot. Normally I would pass on that sort of repair but since a patcher is for patching, why not try it? Have you done any leather patches on boots or saddles?

Thanks, @1hp! Those instructions did the trick. It starts slowly/smoothly now. @CowboyBob, function S.1 is the start speed on this motor. I oiled the roller cam and the action is smoother now using the hand wheel. I will be oiling the roller religiously. Thanks for your help. @DieselTech, you were right. The top nut on the belt tensioner was loose. Probably worked loose after I set up the machine then did some sewing. That certainly could have affected the startup action. I installed the missing nut to lock the motor in place. Thanks for pointing this out.