TomE

I would agree about avoiding petroleum products for my work. As a point of information Al and Ann Stohlman mention in their Encyclopedia of Saddle Making that they used a lot of neatsfoot compound (mix of neatsfoot oil and petroleum based oils) without any bad effects, recognizing that pure neatsfoot oil is best but expensive. Leather is exposed to a whole lot of unnatural chemicals during the tanning and currying processes, so for me it's more about chemistry than nature. Here's an old monograph on the chemistry of leather. I don't think the process has changed much in 70 yrs. Phillips-1954-THE CHEMISTRY OF LEATHER.pdf

Those are works of art! What is your process for coloring/finishing the skins? I am interested in your thoughts about using rivets in a sheath. Are they copper or brass? I apologize if you've already had that discussion on this forum - I can use the search function. Thanks for posting.

From everything I’ve read the Cowboy 4500 is the same machine as the Class 4 I use. I picked mine up from Springfield Leather and saved the shipping.cost. Members of this forum have taught me how to use and maintain my machine. The cost of the leather I’ve run through my machine in 2.5 years is approaching the cost of the sewing machine and I expect it to last for many more years. I don’t think you can go wrong with either machine.

Ed LaBarre has 3 books on tooling leaves at this site https://leathercraftersjournal.com/product/natures-majestic-oaks-and-other-leaves-book-ed-labarre/

This is Bob Kovar's member profile https://leatherworker.net/forum/profile/7185-cowboybob/. You can also call him at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machine.

I'm starting to tool leather again after a 45 yr hiatus so I understand about the knife feeling awkward. I would make sure your knife is sharp and polished, and check out the pinned post by @hidepounder about casing leather.

I learned today that the narrow presser feet from @Patrick1 also do a nice job of sewing tight against hardware where the material thickness increases. I have used the Cobra needle foot and double presser foot for this job and it requires some finesse to feed the material without slipping on the slope leading up to the hardware. The narrow feet hold the material firmly and walk right up the slope with less hands on guiding. This noseband is 2-3 layers of 10-11 oz bridle leather. I am using a #25 needle and 277/207 thread with @RockyAussie's narrow plate/dog.

Thanks, @RockyAussie. That post is fascinating. I'll check out modifying a soldering iron for hot wax. I'd only seen the small/expensive versions for leveling edge coat on watch straps, etc. Will be another fun experiment. I'll be sewing that halter today using your narrow plate/dog. Really appreciate you passing along your expertise.

Good stuff about the leather trades across the pond! I’m a big fan of the old books on harness and saddlery in the UK, and the equestrian related books published by J.A. Allen. The Martins Mix looks/smells like floor wax but it works well. The edge will accept dye after burnishing with the mix, and the hot wax soaks in nicely. It seems to eliminate most of the surface imperfections I get burnishing with water and saddle soap - and no sanding needed. The edge is firm and smooth without beeswax but I think the wax is a nice touch for tack.

After several years, I think I am settling on a method to finish the edges of tack made with bridle leather. My first project turned a gray horse brown when she was hosed off wearing a halter I made. Since then I've learned a few things about finishing leather from members of this forum and others, and I thought I would share them with the hope that I will learn some more. Thanks for looking. I appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Bevel up or down, depending on your style and the project. For these swells I skive with the bevel up, and thin both edges of the strap to the thickness of the grain. This cheap knockoff (Dujiso) of a Japanese knife holds an edge reasonably well and cost ~$10. Someday I'll buy a real knife.

Table vinegar covers a range of acetic acid concentrations. Might need stronger acid and more time. In the laboratory we used glacial (pure) acetic acid that was diluted with water.

Will look forward to seeing those saddles. I’ve read a fair amount about English saddlery and dream of making a jumping saddle with an experienced saddler. For now, I am focusing on tack. Florida to Montana sounds like an adventure.

You're welcome. Loop making has become a bad habit - I make bridles. The loops are "blocked" on a hardwood loop stick or loop iron. Abbey England sells sets of both sticks and irons. Bruce Johnson has a set of acetal loop sticks that are thicker and work well for running loops that fit around 2 strap thicknesses. https://brucejohnsonleather.com/leather-tools-sale/loop-sticks-and-loop-irons-sale/

Thanks for the tip. I ordered a copy and look forward to learning about it.

That's a beauty! The oak leaves are a standout and the sling looks like a top quality job. One idea for the keepers is to bevel the inside edges (flesh side), skive the ends and overlap them. Run 2 lines of stitching using a single needle backstitch. This is known as a running loop in harness and bridlework.

I think it was my post in that group that triggered the Admin's missive about the accessories for 441 clones. I did a similar post of the same video on this forum. It was rather confusing because the Admin said there is no need for these alternative feet, feed dogs, etc. yet he said he has made modified presser feet himself to solve problems. He said one machine cannot do everything (no one disputes this) and that using a 441 for finer work was like using a dump truck when you needed a wheelbarrow. Pretty sure he's never used the accessories in question. Pretty sure I don't have the space or budget for a second sewing machine. I would have enjoyed learning about alternative approaches that the Admin has used but his post didn't include anything specific or instructive. I am delighted with the 441 accessories I have purchased from @RockyAussie, @CowboyBob, and @Patrick1. They are game changers that extend the range of projects I can sew on a 441 clone. I also like the stock feet, plates, etc. that came with my machine. Each item has its strengths and limitations and together they create an awesome toolbox for sewing. I'd like to thank the many experienced members of this forum for providing me with accurate information and advice, and for keeping an open mind to different approaches to leathercrafting. This forum has been a wonderful resource to help me restart my leathercrafting after a ~45 year break. I'm having a lot of fun as a result.

A sharp round knife makes quick work of strap points, and one size fits all widths. See the bit in this video about cutting an egg point (English point). Steadying the knife against the edge of a clicker/poly board and drawing the leather across the blade makes it relatively easy to make symmetrical curves with a bit of practice. I'd spend the money on a power burnisher with a sanding drum to touch up the shapes. If I do use a strap end punch then I sand the transition to the straight edge to get the shape right.

@joebetoblame the website is https://heprecision.com/.

Congratulations! I made the same trek several years ago and have really enjoyed the Class 4. I recommend watching Uwe Grosse's videos on adjusting the hook timing and the walking foot mechanism. Also, if you can find a digital copy of the Juki TSC-441 engineer's manual it is a good complement to the instructions that come with the machine. Have fun!

Well that was fun! Thanks for sharing. I too am a vet (ISU '83) but spent my career doing scientific research. After retiring, I've been learning some vet medicine while managing our horse breeding farm. Having fun with leatherwork on the side and trying to spread the joy with gifts of tack to friends, trainers, and clients.

Over-oiled tack develops a sticky/gummy feel on the surface, and the temper is mushy - it loses shape. The only thing it solves is providing an excuse to buy new tack. The "nice floppiness" that @simo289 is looking for would likely be achieved by using high quality veg tan that is appropriately oiled and conditioned then allowed to break in.

“Hot oiling” is apparently a thing with some folks who restore western saddles. Neatsfoot oil will turn good tack to sticky mush if you apply too much, like dunking in oil for an extended period. The effect is permanent from what I’ve seen.

Trying out the narrow foot set from @Patrick1 at Hennigan Engineering and Precision using a Cobra Class 4. At just over 1/4" wide, the narrow foot set is about 1 mm (.05") wider than the in-line needle foot from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machine. Here I am letting the toe of the rear foot ride on the raised element to bring the stitch line closer to the raised element. Compared to the in-line feet, narrow foot set provides more even coverage of the feed dog and the needle is fully visible when sewing. Also because the toes of the rear foot overlap the needle foot there is no problem making sharp turns. With the in-line feet it is necessary to back out of square corners to give the rear foot a place to land. Nonetheless, the in-line feet are another good choice for this particular application - sewing straight on a narrow margin. Here I am also using the ultra-narrow feed dog with flat throat plate from Hennigan Precision, which feeds nicely working close to an edge. #21 x 794S needle and 138 bonded nylon thread from Leather Machine Co. Why does narrow matter? When I add a raised element to the end of a 5 ft long rein, I am trimming the width after sewing and generating a lot of wasted bridle leather. Sewing a narrow margin means less waste. This 3/4" strap was split and a narrow leather filler strip was glued in place before sewing. The width will be trimmed to 5/8."

Unlike the color black, the browns represent a wide spectrum of colors. I would think it difficult to control the shade of brown color by exposing leather to sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda is used to extract tannins out of tanned leather, but I haven't seen anything about using it to color leather. Recipes for brown dyes in old books on harness making typically include saffron, annotta, and/or tree barks to achieve different mixtures of yellow, red, and black-brown. Here's some examples. From The Harness Makers Illustrated Manual, second edition (1886). W.N. Fitz-Gerald. STAINS. The use of russet and brown leather for reins, etc., necessitates the employment of stains of various shades in the workshop, in order that the reins or other straps may be of a uniform color after being worked. In most cases rein leather is stained by the currier, but when worked, the freshly cut edges, etc., need to be stained to correspond with the grain. The stains used are generally made of Spanish saffron and anotta, or of saffron alone, made up in various ways, the most common and reliable being the following : Boil a given amount of saffron in water until the color is extracted ; cut a quantity of anotta in urine and mix the two together, the proportions of each determining the shade ; the more anotta used' the darker is the color. Another manner of preparing this stain is to boil 1/2 ounce of Spanish saffron and 1/4 ounce of anotta in water until the dye is extracted, to which must be added some alcohol to set the color. To make a stain of saffron alone, boil a quantity in water until the dye is extracted ; strain off, and, when cold, add alcohol in order to set the color. The shade may be changed by adding oxalic acid in varying quantities according to the color required. The proportions can not be given with any degree of accuracy, as the color is a matter of taste, and can be regulated by using greater or less proportions of each article. Another saffron stain is made by boiling saffron in a small quantity of water until the color is extracted, and reducing with urine. In using any of these stains, apply them with a cloth, and, when nearly dry, rub with a woolen rag slightly waxed. A yellow stain is produced by boiling fustic berries in alum water ; the shade may be darkened by the addition of a small quantity of powdered Brazilwood boiled with the berries. Another yellowish red stain is made of Brazil wood and yellow berries in proportion to suit, boiling them in water until the coloring matter is extracted. This can be applied to sides that have not been stained, when intended for flat reins, halters, etc., in the following manner : Lay the leather upon a table, and rub the flesh side with a warm stretching iron; turn it over and moisten the grain side with water, and rub with a copper stretching iron until the leather is nearly dry ; then apply the coloring matter to the grain, and rub with a copper slicker. When the leather is perfectly dry, rub the grain with a glass slicker. An edge stain is made by adding a small quantity of alum to the above mentioned ingredients. A brown stain is made by boiling equal parts of pine and alder barks in six times their bulk of water until all the coloring matter is extracted, and when cold adding a small quantity of alcohol. Saffron boiled for twelve or fifteen hours gives a good brown stain, to which alcohol must be added to make it set. Picric acid and water, in proportions of 1 to 10, heated to a blood heat, makes a good yellow stain. Wold boiled in water also makes a yellow stain. An orange yellow is produced by boiling fustic berries in alum water. This stain may be converted into a rich brown by washing the leather to which it has been applied, before the stain is fairly dry, with an alkali. A red stain is produced by boiling Brazilwood in lye. If mixed with wold, it produces a brown.