TomE

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.

I've had good luck with all of these vendors. Each has certain items that I prefer. I also use Batz Corp (hardware) and Beiler's manufacturing (leather, hardware, tools).

Looks good. Of course, working with leather is (mostly) fun too.

I think there are 2 issues, minimizing dye rub off and producing a shine. One way to solve both problems is to apply an acrylic finish like Resolene, Tan Kote, or Mop N' Glo after dyeing and buffing the leather. I don't use them on horse tack because I prefer less shine and like to maintain the leather by regular cleaning and conditioning. Fiebings Pro Dyes have less rub off than their Leather Dyes. I use black Pro Dye with good results. Some folks start with a base coat of brown, dark green or blue then apply black. I don't find this is necessary with the black Pro Dye. After dyeing its a good idea to buff with a soft cloth to remove excess dye and to add some shine. I usually condition after dyeing. If more shine is desired I use neutral color Lincoln Stain Wax (shoe polish) and continue buffing and brushing the leather. For undyed veg tan I will sometimes add some color and shine with the Mid-Tan Stain Wax. There are lots of ways to finish your project. Try searching these forum using a Google search with the syntax "site leatherworker.net <<key words here>>"

@Mulesaw Thanks, Jonas! I do have that book, and it's nice to have a digital copy as well. I am always on the lookout for books on making English saddlery and tack. The electric stapler would have been a good choice, since I needed to decrease the air pressure to a minimum to avoid driving staples through the leather. We have Harbor Freight discount stores here for cheap tools made in China. My stapler cost $39 and I think it will last for as long as I need it. I already had a portable air compressor. Used to be a car guy before my wife conscripted me to be her farm hand. Keep us informed about what is coming out of your workshop. Always interested in seeing your work and getting advice.

I am now the proud owner of a pneumatic rivet setter and stapler. Maybe I can go into the upohlstery business. Wish I could find more formal instruction and references on building English saddles. I was told that the books by Shields ("To Handmake a Saddle") and Davis ("The Saddler") are hopelessly out of date, but I find them interesting even if only historical. Maybe the old construction methods are superior?

Peaked my interest. I found reference to an article entitled "Make a 3-Pad Ox Collar" in Rural Heritage Magazine, Winter 2004. https://www.mischka.com/shop/product.php?productid=17252 This issue is out of stock at the publisher, but you might find it at a used book seller or private seller. I would be interested if you turn up this information.

I think your thread is too heavy for the thinnest parts of the project. Not enough thickness to hide the knots. I have a Class 26 loaded with #138 thread and a 22 needle that handles a wide range of thicknesses but I don't sew anything below 3-4 oz. Needle size 22-23 is the typical range for #138 thread. I would make up some practice pieces with these same leather thicknesses, switch to a larger needle, rethread the machine, and adjust the tension until you're happy with the results. Should be able to pull the knots to the top then loosen the top tension until they're where you'd like them.

@Mulesaw That's a good point, Jonas. In an interview with an Olympic groom, who was retiring after working for several well known riders over the years, she mentioned that she uses dilute houshold ammonia to cut through the sweat and scum on tack before futher cleaning and conditioning. Ammonia might also clean up an oil/greasy surface caused by inadequate care. It is interesting to me to read discussions proposing to only use "natural" and pH balanced products for tack care, in light of how leather is tanned and the strength of the bonds that join the collagen fibers in tanned leather. My main concern would be removing too much of the oils and fats in the leather, but I think we have solutions for that problem.

@bethgay what a great story! Made my day. Hope you are well.

I normally charge $150 to change billets, which is what I quoted to this client. I figure about 1 hr to make the billets - edge finishing, punching 6-7 buckle holes and 12 holes for sewing onto the webs. Dressage saddles have 4 billets (~2 ft long) and jumping saddles have 6 billets (~1 foot long). Another 1-1/2 hrs to disassemble the panel, sew the billets, and restitch the front of the panel. Materials are 6-8 feet of 1" strap from the best part of the hide, some thread, and staples. Some saddles have surprises like a billet that is directly riveted to the tree. For sewing the billets, I use a single needle backstitch with doubled up 0.040" waxed polyester thread from the Maine Thread Co. The billets are pre-punched with 6 holes in 2 lines. I avoid pushing an awl through the webs so I don't cut the threads. The backstitch pattern gathers more threads per stitch on the backside when sewing leather to woven fabric. This saddle took considerably longer to completely remove the panel - cut the lacing in back, remove ~15 staples - and then to restaple and lace the panel to the back of the seat. All this disassembly was required to expose 4 staples that attach the 2 tabs on the front of the panel (see in picture above) to the tree. I think my prices will be increasing. I've seen saddlers listing a price of $180-$200 for changing billets. I messaged Stubben's saddler/service manager about this particular saddle. He said it is the most difficult construction that he deals with (PIA in his words) and he charges $300 for this type.

Thanks Jonas! I recently replaced the billets on a dressage saddle that had the front billet directly riveted to the tree, instead of a short web riveted to the tree. I ended up buying 3/16" solid aluminum rivets to match existing, and a dome shaped rivet setter that fits on an air hammer. Worked out fine after I practiced setting rivets. On this saddle I learned how to use a pneumatic staple gun. Decreased the air pressure to ~55 psi so it would drive the 1/4 x 3/4" staples into oak with a piece of 6 oz leather on top, without damaging the leather. Once I got it dialed in, it worked well driving staples into the plastic tree.

Stohlman's Encyclopedia of saddle making is a fairly complete description of western saddle making, from the perspective of someone who hasn't built a saddle. There are also books and DVDs at the Leather Crafters Journal online store. The only references I've found for English saddle making are old books. Steinke's book "Repair Your Own Saddlery and Harness is useful, but becoming rare and expensive.

It's a tree. Traditionally made of spruce and steel. This one is a plastic material and steel. The longer webs that run lengthwise support the seat (like a hammock), and the webs running side to side attach to the billets.

Just finished the repair today. I didn't take a picture of sewing the new billets (girth straps) on the web. In the second picture, you can see the white nylon webbing with the new billets attached. The stitching is hidden under the flap, which is why all this has to come apart to change out the billets. Jumping saddles have 6 billets but only 4 are buckled to the girth at a time. Allows for some adjustment. The 3rd picture shows how the panel is attached to the back of the seat by "lacing" with heavy thread in a zig-zag pattern. The thread is run through all the holes before pulling it tight to draw the panel tightly against the seat. The panel serves as padding to cushion the saddle on the horse's back. It is filled with wool flocking that can be adjusted (add or remove wool) to fit a horse's back. You can see the whole panel in the lower part of the 1st picture. it has 2 pockets that fit over the points of the tree (the curved metal piece in first picture with 2 leather pads on the tips of the points that fit into the pockets of the panel. English saddles are sort of like leather upolstery.