TomE

@Mulesaw Thanks for the tip, Jonas. I used a brass YKK zipper for riding boots but it didn't close smoothly until the sharp edges had worn off the teeth. Meanwhile, I coated the teeth with pencil lead to lubricate them. The Vislon zipper sounds like a better deal. Do you install a metal stop at the bottom of the zipper after trimming to length?

Holes look good. Thank you for the haft info. Been looking for a sturdier handle for a jerk needle.

Looks like a winner! Can you show us the holes the awl makes? Where did you get the haft? It looks very sturdy.

No, I made it like the original. The rope is looped through the other ring, I think to even out the pressure from both segments when the reins are applied.

Thanks, @bruce johnson. I enjoy learning from you and appreciate you taking the time to put the information out there.

That is nice stuff. I don't have much experience with Western tack, and most of my connections are in the English riding community. Perhaps it's an area for future growth.

I don't have experience with older Osborne tools but I've been happy with those I purchased new in the last 10 years, after doing a bit of finish work and sharpening. In my experience, any shortcomings were superficial and fixable. The tools have been a good value. @bruce johnson is the expert. He can sell you vintage and new Osborne tools that are tuned up and ready for work.

Thanks, Jonas. The lead is 1" wide. Client wants a heavy lead for Western Showmanship in Hand classes. She wanted the 3/4" straps for the halter to show off her horse's refined head. Thanks @DieselTech! I like the brass but I have a growing number of clients who do dressage and want black leather with silver hardware. Beiler's and Zach White Leather have a nice selection of stainless hardware. Thank you, @DJole. Love the TBs. They have improved many of the modern horse breeds, including the warmbloods that we breed.

Thank you, Jonas. Replaced the flexible noseband today. Trainer said my leather covered nose band didn't slide easily with rein pressure, so I swapped it out for braided rope to match the Monty Roberts Dually training halter. The client has a Dually halter but wanted something nicer looking. It took me a while to find a rope clamp to match the stainless hardware. Found stainless steel rope clamps at Beiler's, cut one in two and ground/polished it for looks. Learned that the steel rope clamps are A LOT harder to close than the brass clamps.

Beiler's Manufacturing and Supply in Ronks PA is an Amish company without a website. Call them at 717-768-0174 for a catalog.

Right you are! 12 square feet.

For reference, I paid $90.38 for a 12 foot long cream colored sheepskin ordered this summer from Beiler's Manufacturing and Supply. They have golden and cream colors in different sizes.

You can order from his website. https://heprecision.com/

Beiler's has veg tanned sheep skins in golden and cream colors, and different sizes. The wool is about 3/4" long and I've been pleased with the quality. If you're new to hand sewing shearling, be sure to burnish the wax by drawing the thread through some heavy brown wrapping paper to smooth and remove excess wax. Otherwise the wool will stick to the thread and get pulled through the holes in your leather.

Happy birthday, @DieselTech. Looks like a very useful knife.

The drum sander can smooth/even out curves and flat edges. There is a reason why most burnishing machines include a drum sander. I use a drum sander frequently to ease the transition from a strap edge to an end point made with a strap end punch. The end punches are usually a bit uneven or not quite the correct width. I make items with 2-3 layers of 9-10 oz leather and the drum sander makes quick work of leveling out the layers prior to hand sanding and burnishing.

That bag is a work of art! I particularly like the handle, and the contrasting piping is lovely. Takes time to become known but there is a demand for such high quality work and they will find you.

Thank you, Ron. The round nose strap for reins is a separate piece that can slide across the nose. There is an additional, fixed noseband behind the halter square to support the halter on the nose. The throatlatch round is 7 oz leather wrapped around a filler strip of 7 oz leather, sewn, trimmed, and shaped in a rein rounder. It is described in the PDF linked to this post:

Thanks, @DieselTech. I don't use a stitch groover. I mark the stitch lines with a divider for machine sewing, and use pricking irons for hand sewing. I tap the stitch lines on the backside to flatten the blowout from the machine needle. When repairing tack it's typically the leather that breaks, usually where it wraps around hardware, not the thread. The only thread I've seen fail is old linen thread that rotted.

Halter or bridle? This training halter has an additional noseband that attaches to reins, functioning as a bitless bridle. The flexible noseband is made from woven rope wrapped in soft leather. A browband was added to secure the crown. Made from Hermann Oak bridle leather, nappa leather for the padding, stainless steel hardware from Beiler's Manufacturing and Supply, and Equus rubber grips on the reins from Abbey England.

I haven't had that outcome with Effax Leder Balsam, but it does happen with Blackrock Leather N' Rich conditioner. I buff repeatedly with a soft cloth, and finish with a soft brush for polishing shoes. Applying some heat with a hair dryer might improve penetration into the leather so there's less buildup on the surface.

That's a good looking belt. I would use an edger on both sides, flesh and grain, for a more finished look. You will learn whether or not your edger is sharp when you work on the flesh side. There are lots of recipes for finishing edges, depending on thickness, type of leather, and how to item will be used. Here's some ideas

Regarding paranormal phenomena related to cows, my brother-in-law is a retired veterinarian who used to do a lot of work at dairies. When they were implanting embryos in cows he would hold his vet tech's wedding ring on a thread over the petri dish containing the embryo. They would predict the sex of the embryo based on the direction that the ring rotated. Had to be his tech's ring to get an accurate reading. Probably another case of cow magnetism. He is a bit of a magician and story teller, which his clients enjoyed.

Good looking bunch of straps. Hard to choose a favorite. I like your unique artwork.

Looks like a winner and thanks for personalizing it for me. Last time I tooled leather was in the 1970s. I sold small items, mostly Tandy kits, in the general store at a resort where we spent our vacations. Still have my little collection of stamping tools and I use one of them - a large pear shader for molding leather straps in a rounding block.