Mulesaw

Yes, I just googled it, and draw reins are what I am talking about. I just gambled with a direct translation from Danish :-) Here they are called: glidetøjler. glide = slip or slide, tøjler = reins. Brgds Jonas

In Denmark saddler is also a protected title that requires you to have a journeymans certificate. I am self taught and never refer to myself as a saddle maker. I just make repairs, I have a basic idea about how a saddle should lie on a horse, but I am not good at determining whether it is the correct saddle for the horse and rider. I once replaced a billet strap that someone else had tried to repair. I don't know who (and I prefer not to), instead of lifting the seat of the tree, the person had just used a stapler to mount the billet. At least the local horse club had spotted that it wasn't done properly, so they sent the saddle my way. I am guessing that it might have been a parent connected to the club who didn't have the guts to tell them that the repair job was beyond his capabilities. They way I see it, if you have sound judgement, knows the basics about how to stitch etc, and know when to say NO, then I don't see anything wrong in doing repair jobs as long as you do them properly. The same goes with some new items such as halters and sliding reins etc. Brgds Jonas

33" That is a long billet! The lengths that I can get from Laederiet (my supplier) are 13", 18" or 26" So far I mainly get the 18 and 26" ones. My only gripe is that the holes are a bit elongated on the 18" ones, and not one the 26". It is only a visual problem, when I need to use a long one on the front part of a saddle and a shorter one near the middle (on Kieffer dressage saddles for example). I have only heard of Hermes saddles, never seen one in real life :-) I agree on the maltreatment of the cobblers hammer. It should not be used as a regular hammer, I have a ball peen hammer with a polished ball end, I only use that one for peening copper rivets. The sad thing is that despite her shortcomings in tool treatment and repair knowledge/execution, she seems to have a large audience. Maybe it is because people are more likely to watch someone telling them that "this is just a simple job that anyone can do" compared to someone who knows what he/she is doing and telling people that "this part is better left to someone who has a basic understanding of saddle repair". I guess it is just rare that a good craftsman also makes good videos, I know that there are some out there capable of both, Lisa Sorrel is a prime example. Her boot making videos are top notch, and she really seems to know what she is talking about. Once in a while you manage to come across a video made by such a person, and it is almost reinvigorating to watch it. Sadly this saddle repair video was the complete opposite Brgds Jonas

Hi Tove Welcome from the north-western part of Denmark. I am looking forward to seeing some of your creations here. Brgds Jonas

This is horrifying to watch. I was cringing the whole time. The patch work is dubious, but it might work as a temporary measure, but most saddles are so heavily treated with soap/oil/grease/conditioner etc, that I can never get any glue to stick properly. The girth job... Plenty of stitches across the strap, and I guess it is just out of pure ignorance that she doesn't lift the flap all the way up and reattach some new ones at the webbing. I first made my own girth straps, but I was never really satisfied with them. I buy mine ready made now. They come from England according to my supplier, They have the right feel to them :-) Brgds Jonas

This thread contains a wealth of information about selling and setting up at events. I like the U shape table idea or if there is not room, then one table but lengthwise (not like a counter that you stand behind). Also bring lots of water+ food + snacks for yourselves, buying stuff is costly. Bring lots of change. Have fun Brgds Jonas

@PrePro One day late (I hope you don't consider me a complete untrustworthy fraud) :-) I was so tired when I finally made it home, that I fell asleep on after eating supper. But here's some information on the thread: I used Gütermann extra stark M782, colour 327 Over here in Denmark it is available in most regular sewing machine/fabric/embroidery shops. So I guess it should also be available in the USA. If it is possible, I would bring the bag that you want to repair into a physical shop to check if the colour is a good match. I have no idea of the age of the bag that I repaired, so in theory the colour could be faded a bit. But if you don't have a Gütermann shop near you, the colour I used was 327. I have used the same line of thread (the extra stark M782) for other projects as well. Occasionally I get a pair of riding boots in light brown or dark brown. And instead of buying a large spool of 2000 m in a cpecial colour, the M782 gives me 100 m of any imaginable colour for around 5$. Good luck with the project, and please let me know if you need any more help :-) Brgds Jonas

Hi PrePro I can't remember the thread colour/brand, but I'll sign off the ship tomorrow and go home, so if you can wait one more day, I can tell you the brand/colour. Regarding the pig skin, it was something that came from my dads collection after he dies, so I have no idea whatsoever of the brand. I would look for a colour in the whiskey/cognac range (depending on what the store will call it) Like this: https://www.laederiet.dk/shop/81-foerskind/4030-svineskind/?variantId=20968 I used some double sided tape to hold the edge in place during sewing. It is not messy like contact glue can be, and it is plenty strong to hold the pieces in place while you sew, and if you mess up a bit when placing it in the first attempt, it can be removed without making a mark etc. Brgds Jonas (who will be back with more info tomorrow)

Nice find and great job so far. What method did you use to remove the rust? Brgds Jonas

Hi Tom Beautiful looking bridle! We had a Micklem bridle for my wifes horse, and that had the same system, I was always of the impression that it was made purely to protect the horse from having a buckle gnawing directly to the skin under the jaw (where as you know there isn't a lot of meat to add natual padding). Also having the buckle directly on the skin has the potential of gripping some hair from the horse, especially in the winter time where the hair s long (It might be a bigger problem in Scandinavian winters than in e.g. Florida) I have never heard anyone complaining or bad mouthing the system, but I am not on FB, and that might filter some of the most enthusiastic voices 🙂 As I see it, you can still overtighten a cavesson noseband, but if you are a skilled rider - you make sure that your equipment is fitted correct anyway, and then it won't matter if your system allows for tightening more or less. Brgds Jonas

@dikman Ah, yes, that is a mistake from my side 🙂 In my head it was for powder, not the lead shots. I have never seen one of those before, so I thought it was for simultaneously filling powder in a double barrel muzzle loaded shotgun. But is the idea that you carry 2 sizes of shots? Or is it for a double barrel shotgun ? Brgds Jonas

That is really a specialty item! Looking really good I must say. My best suggestion would be to use a cow horn. In Europe it was the standard thing for holding black powder, so it won't be damaged by the chemicals in the powder. Cow horn can be shaped if you heat it up first. I am unsure about what temperature, but I think 325-350 degrees Fahrenheit seems to be the spot as far as I can see on the Net. You heat it up in some hot oil, and then you shape it. I'd make a tapered piece of wood with a broom stick as a handle. The tapered piece should look like a small cartoon christmas tree, with the brrom stick out the wide end. Cut a cow horn to a length a bit longer than the tapered piece. Heat up the horn, and press the tapered piece into the horn, and when it cools down it should retain its shape. An alternative route is to take the wide part of a cow horn, cut a piece off, slit it open and heat it up. Then you flatten the piece. WIth the flat piece you mark out to form a tapered pipe. THen heat it again and shape it over a prefabricated piece of wood. I have never tried working with horn this way, I just know the theory behind it. But I guess it might be a heckuvalot of work to make something like that when no one is ever going to see it. A second option would be to form a small cone using some sheet metal brass. Brass is easy to solder and if you get something fairly thin, it is easy to shape as well. Brgds Jonas

Hi John G Welcome to the forum. To me the most important points are: Strength/solidity Size Design/style Finish to me is part of the style, and I normally prefer just a regular brass finish like the one in your picture, alternatively it could be silver coloured, but I prefer no "bling" on my buckles. Price is not especially important since I don't make 1000 belts, and compared to the time invested in making a nice belt, the price for a buckle is only of secondary importance. But I guess that if you run a regular production of belts, it is of more importance. I like the small "dip" where the prong of the buckle nests. That is a nice touch in my opinion. Depending on what type of product I am making, I use either "normal buckles" like the one in your picture, or "roller buckles" or "center bar buckles" For belts I prefer sizes 1.25" and 1.5" (30mm and 38-40mm). Brgds Jonas

Welcome, nice looking products on your website. Brgds Jonas

Welcome to the forum, Really nice looking tooling! Brgds Jonas