TomE

A traditional saddler's edge dye is a mixture of dye and pearl glue/hide glue. Dye and burnish the edge in one step. Some folks use dye plus PVA glue (white Elmers glue). I think there are discussions about this on this forum. I use Pro Dye mixed 50:50 with Martins Edge Solution which does a good job slicking the edge of bridle leather. Another approach is to apply beeswax to the edge with a heated edge iron. The wax penetrates the leather. Need to buff thoroughly to remove excess wax.

Ha! I totally agree and stick to working from the ground with them. It also saves me embarrassment and them from wear and tear on their backs.

Please let me know how I can improve the document. Thanks for reading.

Thank you, Ron. Glad to be done with foaling season, and almost through breeding season so I can spend more time with leather. Thank you! I appreciate it. Thanks, I am a 3-trick pony: halters, bridles, and reins. I hand stitch bridles and reins (just the buckle and billets of reins). I machine stitch most of the halter, although the buckle straps and the hardware on the rolled throatlatch are hand stitched. There's a link to my halter methods in the post below. I buy sides of HO bridle leather and cut long straps from the back/butt of the hide then cut them to length as I go. Halters and especially bridles are made to measure and I've learned to fit them by studying commercial tack, and some trial-and-error refinements. The leather is dyed at the tannery and has a pasted or moss-back. I just dye the edges and any exposed skived parts like the points on a bridle. I've learned a great deal from the folks on this forum and am happy to share what I know.

Thanks! I appreciate it! Thank you kindly! The direction of the halter snap is debatable. In my experience, the outward facing snap will catch on hay nets and on woven wire fencing. We don't normally turn out horses with halters on, but we do use a few grazing muzzles with break away halters (leather crown piece on a nylon halter) for ponies. These inexpensive halters have an outward facing snap. I had a pony leave their broken break away halter clipped to the fence today (she was scratching an itch no doubt), and I just finished making a new crown piece for tomorrow's turn out. So, I think the outward facing halter snaps can be dangerous. A properly sized throatlatch is roomy, allowing 4 fingers to be inserted between the horse's jaw and the throatlatch. The snap should rarely touch the horse.

Triple stitched halter for Romeo, a PRE gelding. Hermann Oak bridle leather, brass hardware, and a rolled throatlatch. Happy birthday to his owner, Haley, my right hand gal at Maefield Farm.

Really cool! Your artwork reminds me of an Andean geoglyph.

I've been using a Weaver Master Tool draw gauge for 3 years and been very happy with it. The Weaver blades are almost sharp when new. Osborne blades require a bit of work to sharpen. I would expect that Bruce Johnson would sell you a draw gauge with a razor sharp blade ready to go. I prefer a wooden strap cutter for widths less than 1/2" and for lightweight leather. Bruce has a useful tutorial on his website about the correct way to hold a draw gauge.

If you can slip in a few photos, I'd enjoy seeing the dogs and how they're harnessed. Like Gaia, our barn cats are top of the food chain around here.

Cutting plywood is about the extent of my woodworking skills but maybe I can find a ready made tray. Thinking the magnetic strips would be good for storing harness needles. I don't know whether to be jealous or feel sorry for you.

Thank you. I haven't tried a magnet. I generally leave the knife (covered) on my bench while working on a project so I don't need a quick-draw option. Thank you. I'll still sorting out where I will store scissors, strap cutters, etc. They are in plastic tubs scattered around the edges of my shop. Thanks. Simple enough that I could pull it off.

My workshop has no wall space - it's taken up by shelves filled with other "stuff." Decided I needed a better place to store my hand tools so I made a plywood A-frame and mounted it on a moving dolly. Now I need more tools to fill the other side of the A-frame.

Second that. Neat design and well constructed. How do you make that edge? What I would call the binding in a fabric project.

Batz Corp calls them safety hooks. Not sure if you need the exact shape shown in your picture. https://products.batzusa.com/category/safety-hooks

Looks nice. Will be interested to hear how this punch holds up with use.

I agree that using an awl is fast and learning how to clamp the work so that your awling is consistent is just as important as how to juggle the awl and needles. And awling is fun!

Guess I'd better learn how to sew. The gal I married was a skilled seamstress but she hasn't sewn much in 40 yrs. Hope to lure her back into sewing as my teacher when/if she ever retires.

Bridle leather is difficult to burnish - fluffy fibers stuffed with fats and waxes. The best method I've found is to dye the edges with a 50:50 mixture of Pro Dye and Martin's Edge Solution then burnish while wet. Be generous with the dye/edge solution. I start with a wooden slicker on a burnishing machine then finish with canvas but canvas only will also work. Can do a bit of sanding then apply another coat if needed. Your file organizer is first rate craftsmanship.

Fiebings Pro Dye (formerly Oil Dye) has less tendency to dry the leather compared to Fiebings Leather Dye. I think both dyes contain an alcohol based solvent, which is why I avoid dip dyeing projects. A light coating of neatsfoot oil after dyeing seems to correct the problem. I also apply conditioner as a final step.

Thanks, @Wizcrafts. Will be fun to experiment once I get familiar with sewing lightweight fabrics.

I posted a writeup on halter making in the saddles and tack accessories forum.

The handles look very nice. I use Stohlman’s method for handle #17 in Case Making v. 2 for a rolled throatlatch on horse halters. Might be too stiff for a bag.

Got a bit far afield but couldn't pass up these Juki blind stitch (CM-606) and loop stitch (BL3-418) machines for $120. Seller's grandmother paid considerably more in 1986, and the lack of wear on the foot pedals suggests either grandma sewed in stocking feet or these machines haven't had much use. Hope the serger will handle canvas and the blind stitcher, well it's pretty cool even if I don't find a legitimate use for it. Will be oiling them and working on learning to adjust and use them this week. My excuse to my wife for this purchase is to sew fabric liners for leather bags. Maybe even horse blankets? I have the user manual for the blind stitch machine and I'm looking for a manual for the loop stitcher. I see several online sellers who want $10-$20 for a photocopied manual. Would welcome suggestions for books or online resources for learning fabric sewing techniques.

This product is designed for that purpose. It penetrates the leather and holds the fibers in place. It is water based and I dilute it 50:50 with water and apply it in 2 coats, working it with a glass slicker. It is flexible and appears to hold up as well as the moss-back of bridle leather. Folks also use waxes, PVA glue, and burnishing compounds for this purpose.

I've been pleased with Ron's Leather Tools French edgers if you decide to make a change. Worth a look.