TomE

Thanks, Ron. That's a creative solution that takes advantage of the flexibility of hand sewing to finesse stitch lengths, and I can stitch even closer to the hardware than with machine stitching alone. I will try it out. I did hand stitch the ends of the throat strap round and the buckle straps with 277 bonded nylon to match. I ended up waxing the bonded thread to prevent twisting and bunching as I pulled up the stitches. I tried the holster plate and stirrup plate to stitch close to the buckle but decided hand sewing was the best solution.

Thank you, Ron. I'll keep practicing to get more consistent feeding as I approach the hardware. I will look into Oakwood. I have Bick 4 and Aussie conditioner but was unsure if they are adequate for waterproofing tack. Thanks JCUK. Triple stitching is also a thing in the sport horse world. My hand stitching leaves something to be desired but I enjoy the process and aim to improve What type of thread do you use for hand sewing halters?

Completed my first halter and would appreciate some advice. I'm having difficulty keeping the stitches uniform next to the hardware, especially when overstitching at the start a stitch line. I am using a double presser foot on a Cobra Class 4 machine with the standard plate and feed dog. The straps are 2 -3 thicknesses of 9 oz veg tan. Adding a welt/wedge to ease the transition helps but I still have trouble maintaining consistent stitch lengths near the ends of the straps. Any tips or tricks? Also, Tan Kote is causing a yellow discoloration of the thread (white 277 bonded nylon). I am using Fiebing's leather stain then oiling with olive oil, and applying Tan Kote after stitching. Does the Fiebing's pro dye eliminate bleeding of pigment? I like the satin finish of Tan Kote but it acts like a solvent and lifts pigment out of the leather. Any ideas?

Batz Corp has a good selection of harness hardware. Download their catalog to see everything then search their online store using the catalog number to see price and ordering info. Their website is not easy to navigate.

Don Gonzales uses a Tan-Kote finish on his saddles and tack. It can be reapplied as needed. I've noticed Tan-Kote lifts some of the pigment from leather I've dyed with Fiebing's leather dye, and discolors the stitching. Do you see this happen with Pro dye? I'm brushing on a light coat of neatsfoot oil after stitching , letting the oil soak in overnight, then applying Tan-Kote.

Batz Corp carries harness hardware including some of the larger sizes you asked about. Download their PDF catalog to see everything then search online store using the catalog number for price and ordering info. The drop down menus don't show all items in the online store.

I learned to tie a fiador knot from this video https://youtu.be/mMcX3ZQM9n4. After tying many rope halters I am now learning to repair and make leather halters.She also has good videos for making the eye splice and butt splice for lead ropes.

Eye candy! The design of the tooling flows well. Makes our jumping saddles look like a sofa.

I just purchased an old Osborne rein rounder from Bruce Johnson Leather Tools https://brucejohnsonleather.com/. They're hard to find (and expensive) but I am pleased with the job it does.