TomE

Lots of different treatments for smoothing the flesh side. Typically involves a glass slicker to apply a wax or adhesive. I use this water-based adhesive when I split bridle leather, in order to replace the moss-back (pasted) finish. It creates a smooth, flexible surface that is sealed.

Got it.

I'm sure I paid more than $7 for an ounce of mutton tallow, which is ~60 ml? The boots and saddle look great. Will have to try it out. Interesting variations with color added, and the scent is a good idea. I'm sure that's why Effax Leder Balsam costs so much.

Thank you, Scott. I'll check it out. Thanks, Chuck. Good stuff! Did not find this reference. Is the link complete?

Interested in learning about the components of beeswax and which one(s) are antioxidants. The biochemist in me thinks rancid describes the result of animal fat and protein oxidation (?).

Great job of repairing the awl. I typically sharpen the point of the awl and only strop the remainder. I think the idea is to pierce the leather with the cutting edges then stretch the hole a bit as the awl is advanced. The hole then relaxes around the thread to make a tidy looking stitch. I like the gradual taper you put on the point. Osborne awl blades have a stubby point that I modify.

Great experiment and lucky dogs! I bought a couple of 1 oz tins of mutton tallow (McQueen's from the Anita Baker Co) for more than I should have paid. Planning to make a leather strop with tallow and carborundum powder but haven't gotten around to trying it. Think I'll find a friend with sheep and try your recipe. Would be interesting to compare this dressing to Effax Leder Balsam and other pricey conditioners.

If you fancy black or shades of brown, bridle leather has a nice finish and a smooth pasted back (moss-back). It is veg tanned leather stuffed with fats and waxes. Sedgwick bridle leather seems to be a favorite in the UK. Available from Abbey England and other shops.

This little round knife has been a handy addition for cutting and skiving in tight places. It seems to hold an edge. https://www.abbeyengland.com/abbey-round-knife-68mm-fs0480

I’ve seen this wear pattern on stirrup leathers with rotted linen thread. The thread on the surface is lost but the holes contain plugs of thread. Haven’t seen it turn black but I haven’t worked on pieces that were recolored.

Thank you! Still giving them away to people who give feedback on fit and function. Perhaps I will complete my apprenticeship in 2023 and make a business out of this hobby.

Thank you for your kind remarks. It is hand stitching. I too am curious what type of machine is used for commercially available bridles and reins. Can't compete with them on price.

I used an Arkansas oil stone to shape and sharpen a 3/4" English point punch last night. Mainly pushing strokes on a medium and fine stone, then stropped using green compound. Took over an hour but I wanted to go slow and keep the cutting edge flat. The luxury of being a hobbyist. I am using the punch to cut a taper on a strap and its much improved. The dull punch was drifting towards the edge of the strap instead of punching straight down.

Good job! Not something I am able to make. I bet she likes it.

Handsome suspenders with lots of stitching! The trigger snaps are tack and harness hardware. Batz Corp sells them in brass (5103B, 5105B) and stainless steel (5103SS, 5105SS) in addition to zinc diecast.

Nicely done! Craftsmanship and kindness are a winning combination.

Stohlman used thin plywood plates tacked on with leather strips. Gives flexibility for holding odd-shaped projects. I keep collection of leather blocks of different thicknesses to shim the project on either end of the clamp when needed.

This is a Weaver stitching horse with modified jaws. The notched aluminum plates resemble a Stohlman design for sewing rounds ("The Art of Hand Sewing Leather"). I sew a lot of straps and can use the center section like regular jaws, or clamp the strap with the raised sections on the ends. That is especially handy for sewing a fixed loop on the buckle turn of a narrow strap. I can clamp the buckle at one end and the strap at the other, then sew the fixed loop in the gap between the ends. Same idea for sewing rounds, although I do most of them on a machine then shape them in a rein rounder.

These are 30 in. grips on reins that are 55-60 in. long, for Warmblood jumpers. I haven't replaced grips, only made new reins.

Sorry to be late to the party. The panel is secured with a single needle running stitch known as a pop stitch. The awl and needle are angled to create ~1/4 inch stitches spaced about 1 inch apart. For the repair, it is best to reuse the old holes without using an awl. I use 0.040" waxed polyester thread from Maine Thread Company, doubled up, for this job. I find it helpful to use a second needle to probe each hole from the opposite direction that I'm pushing the needle and thread. The probe pushes through one of the layers and helps me to get the 2 layers lined up as I push through with the needle and thread. The link you mentioned says to begin by knotting the end of the thread and doing a backstitch to secure the end of the thread before continuing with the pop stitch. That should be sufficient to hold everything together if you have the tree and panel properly positioned for the reassembly. Steinke has more information in "Repair Your Own Saddlery and Harness."

If it takes up water normally then it's probably fine. Can dye a test piece to be sure. A safe bet is to clean the surface with Fiebings Deglazer. I have used Deglazer to prep bridle leather that I dyed with Fiebings Pro black dye. It removed the waxy surface and a bit of brown dye from the bridle leather. The black dyed piece looks and wears like black bridle leather from the tannery.

Thanks. I think I spent about 30 min pop stitching each rein. I see it would be better to include a stitch over each end of the cuff to secure the edge. Learn something with each one I make.

Finished the 5/8" reins and used a pop stitch to secure the rubber grips, per @jcuk's advice. This running stitch is done by angling the awl to separate the stitches and minimize the number of holes in the leather reins. For reins I made previously, I sewed along the length of the grips using a machine. These reins were made for the winning bidder of a silent auction to support educational programs of the American Hanoverian Society breed registry.

I will look into the sole stitcher option. I can sew raised leather pieces with a small border but not the swells that have no border. Here are some practice raised pieces. I would use a smaller needle and thread for the real item. The swells are two layers of skived leather with a padded liner added for a halter. The pictures below show a swell being shaped in the rounding block, and a skived strap along with a shaped swell ready for sewing. The bridle picture shows the hand sewn item.

The paddle foot might be worth a try. For raised leather pieces, I have used an inline presser foot. It requires a bit more border than I want on the finished piece but I can trim after sewing. For swells that taper continuously and have no border along the edge I am uncertain how to sew them on a machine. The process of forming the swell by skiving and shaping 2 layers in a rounding block is not conducive to leaving a border that can be trimmed after sewing. Additionally, the padded liner sewn on the bridle pieces would interfere with trimming the edges after sewing. I guess this bridle is designed to be hand sewn. I agree that for machine sewing at 8+ SPI I would need to use a smaller thread and needle.