Mulesaw

Thanks, We have tried to look at the positive things like it all happening during the warmer months, so very little risk of catching a cold or a flu which would be bad when the immune system is kind of knocked out by the treatment. Now there's one more chemo treatment to go before surgery, so we are starting to be able to see an end to it. Brgds Jonas

Earlier on I have tried to make halters with measurements from very old books, and the results were a nice looking halter that didn't fit. I guess that the size of warmblood horses have changed over the last 100 years. But using the sizes suggested by @TomE in an earlier post on this forum resulted in some really well fitting halters (link at the bottom). The first one was made as a brown triple sewn halter, but Gustav (our son) asked if I could try to make one also in brown with just a double stitching, since he thought that it would look nice. So I made one for his other horse, and finally I made a slightly smaller black one for his girlfriends horse. For some reason most of the jumping horses use brown tack, and dressage horses almost exclusively uses black tack, so that's why I have used those colours. A couple of months back I bought a pantograph for engraving stuff. And I have engraved some small name plates for the horses, and sewn those onto the halters. Most of the sewing was done on my old Singer class 7, but a few places it was necessary to do the sewing by hand. Since the Singer is an old flatbed, I found out that the easiest way to get the sewing done was to do the noseband last. That way I could still get all the parts to be flat instead and that helped a lot. The edges were sanded and given a bit of Tokonole, and the halters were treated with my homemade leather grease. The first halter, made for Cajou (Holsteiner horse) 2nd halter, for Carlo (Westfaler horse) 3rd halter, for Santos (Danish warmblood) Homemade name tags Cajou grazing between two jumping sessions at a tournament. I followed the excellent instructions provided by @TomE in this post:

@TomE I'll try to see if I can get a post up on the halters, I know they can't in any way compete with yours in the look or finish, but at least it'll show that I once in a while do some actual work Gustav has landed at job at Sören von Rönne in Germany riding young horses, so in a month or so he is off. He is looking very much forward to it. Brgds Jonas

Welcome to the forum :-) Your stuff looks really good. I especially like the camera bag and the red and green bag for your wife and sister. Brgds Jonas

Sorry for being a bit late to the party. Beautiful work as always! I have made 3 halters using your excellent document. Though only one of them was triple stitched (the first one). Gustav wanted me to make one with only a double stitching, and I did that for his new horse and for his girlfriends horse as well. The document is really great, and the sizes are spot on. Something I have experienced problems with when I tried to follow the sizes given in very old books. Brgds Jonas

You are absolutely right. Horses smell the best when they have been grazing. There is a difference in the smell if they have been eating hay in the winter time compared to the smell of them in the summer when they are on grass. Despite being 50 years old, I still deeply inhale that smell whenever we go to fetch the horses and bring them home in the summer. It is a smell that goes all the way down to happy childhood memories. Oh yeah, leather smells nice too, but a horse beats that smell in my world :-)

I have recently rebuilt some driving tack, but I am by no means an expert. I think that your method is the strongest of the two since the buckle is held in place by the folded leather loop. On the lower version it looks like a few of the stitches just on the buckle has disappeared. Perhaps by abrasion? That would in my opinion easier lead to that the buckle could become loose and "slide" further down the strap. Each time a stitch will break on that version, the buckle can move the equivalent length closer to the end of the line. On your version, if 4 stitches break, the buckle will still be in the exact same position. By the way, it is looking great as usual :-)

Thanks for the heads up.

My best suggestion is that there is something stuck in the needle mounting hole (where the shank of the needle sits)- It could be some small debris, it doesn't take much to get the needle out of alignment. My reasoning is that it sewed fine on your first attempt, so I doubt that it is something that has been bent. Try to take out the needle and spray some brake cleaner into the hole, perhaps try to use an interdental toothbrush at the same time. Or if you can take of the needle mounting part (I can do that on my Singer patchers), then you can clean it thoroughly. Good luck :-)

A quick update The chemo therapy has worked a lot better than we had hoped for, Mette has felt OK for most of the time, with the usual side effects like loosing hair and being a bit more tired etc. But all in all a lot better than expected. The last type of medication was of a different type compared to the first rounds, and she felt a bit nausea after getting it, but there are now 2 weeks between the treatments so that is good. The hospital have planned for the surgery in the late September, and they are still intending to do a surgery that will only remove the dead tissue from inside the breast, so that is very positive. Mette has been feeling so well that she has "sent me back to sea", I'll be back in time for her surgery which is good, and it has also been good that I have been able to stay at home with her all this time. Take care y'all

Looks really good!

@Cattledude So sorry to hear about your loss. Cancer is a terrible disease. @Sheilajeanne So sorry to hear that you have had more interactions with cancer than what anyone should experience. I agree that better diagnostics and treatments make it better all the time. We are still trying to stay positive, but I am afraid that there'll be a little dip in the mood when the hair starts to come off by itself. But one of the many things that we have deemed as favourable is that we are in the late spring, so the weather is nice, the garden is full of flowers and blooming trees etc. So if Mette is tired she can rest on the porch with a blanket and a cup of tea. It is a lot easier to stay positive when there isn't rain and howling winds all the time. I painted a pink ribbon on the side of my old military truck (Volvo Valp), to add awareness to the cause and to give support to all that sees it and recognises the symbol. It also says "STØT BRYSTERNE" which is Danish and means support the breasts. Those are the words that go together with the pink ribbon theme.

Thanks to everyone for your encouraging comments, it is really appreciated. So far the treatment is going smooth, Mette has had her hair cut short. That way she reckons that it wont be such a big difference when it starts to come off. Whereas it would have felt strange going from shoulder length to zero (her description). The nurses at the oncologist department at the hospital are incredibly friendly, and there are a bunch of volunteers from different clubs that are knitting and sewing and crocheting hats and scarfs etc that are free for patients to take and use. Also the Danish welfare system subsides getting a wig, so there is an allowance of almost 900 US$ if you want a wig. If you want to buy scarfs, the allowance is about 225 US$ as far as I remember. She got a vein valve installed (if that is the proper phrase) before her second round of chemo. The idea is that it is much easier to inject the medicine in that instead of going into a vein in her arm every time. So we are keeping our fingers crossed and just cherish those small moments with nice weather in the garden and walking the dogs etc. so we have something to remember when the going gets a little tougher. Again thanks to you all.

My wife recently got diagnosed with breast cancer, it has spread a little to the lymph as well.. Good thing is that it was discovered very early, so the doctors at the hospital are very positive regarding the treatment. The plan is chemo therapy followed by surgery to remove the remnants of the tumours. We are 3 weeks into the treatment, and the total time is planned to last 24 weeks, and then there'll be some regular controls and check ups after that. I have applied for and been granted a leave from my ship, so I can stay at home and look after her. I figure that it'll be more needed later on when the full force of the chemo sets in, compared to now. So if she feels really sick she can just stay in bed, and know that there is someone who will tend to the horses and the dogs etc. So I might not comment and post quite as much as I have done earlier on for the next couple of months. You all stay safe and healthy out there

Thanks Tugadude I think that being able to do something with your hands, be it leatherwork, woodwork, metalwork or needlework etc. will automatically give you a basic understanding of a lot of other crafts, things like precision, ingenuity, patience, understanding of a pattern or an instruction etc. I guess it will also very often give people a lot more inclination to try something new. And very often I find that especially for knives, there are other materials involved, like antlers, wood and leather for the sheath, and those materials complement each other, and just looking at those combinations is a joy.

@TomE That worktable looks fantastic! At some point (hopefully in the near future), I am going to convert our old greenhouse to a leather shop, I might copy that idea.

I go pretty strict by the hourly rate x time spent. But with an allowance if I consider the job leather work or more general work. So for me the price would most likely be 8 x 350 = DKK 2800,- + 25 % VAT = total DKK 3500 (~ 500 US$) I reckon I wouldn't sell any but I have decided that I won't work for free, and a lot of people will easily spend a ridiculous amount of money on other stuff, so something that is hand made an good looking should be cheap. When / if people complain about prices I normally compare my prices to a pizza or a cup of coffee at a café. A coffee is easily 6-7 $ and a pizza 12-15$ for a regular pizza. People won't think twice before forking out money for a couple of lattes at a café, and if a job takes 8 hours for me to do - it represents an entire working day, so it should be paid like that.

Thanks Chuck. That makes sense. I hadn't thought about it before, and I actually tried to round the end of the tang with a file, but it was also hardened. I tried 3 times to anneal it by heating it to redhot and then slowly cooling it down (I even packed it in mineral wool insulation) But it was still too hard to file let alone threading. So that's why I soldered in a threaded rod. I am a bit uncertain if it would have been possible to been the end of it since it was so hard, and the handle would also have been a bit longer than Anna wanted. But I actually think that the original Mora knives with the red wooden handle were made the way you describe too. They have a small copper disc, like the burr of a copper rivet an then the tang is peened. Brgds Jonas

Thanks, Yes you really never know when someone thinks it is a good idea to remove a project from the vise, so the note normally helps in this respect :-)

Interesting discussion. I think that both stamping and carving could be considered art. But the entry level and learning curve aren't the same for the two, and also the carving could be said to go higher than the stamping. But as someone earlier said, carving needs stamping too, in order to release the full potential of the picture. I am not very good at any of them, but when I help some kids making a belt, I show them a bit of stamping, and that immediately appeals to them because the results are instantaneous and pretty good regardless of your previous skillset. Some have made star constellations using the tip of a Philips screw driver, that looks just like a small star on leather. And if the creator is happy and the recipient of the work is happy, then all is OK by me. On a side note, it is a pleasure that it is possible to have a civilized discussion even on a subject such as this with strong emotions.

Great looking box, I thought it was a mailbox at first too. I really like the hobby barn It looks like there is some serious sewing being done there!

As suggested by @Tugadude, here's a bit more information about the knife leather handle project. I didn't want to put more pictures in the last post since it was technically a "show off" post, so this is more of a technical description including the few jigs I made in order to get it to work. 1) A lot of small patches, each 1" x 1.5" were cut out from some veg tan leather and some black leather that I had. 2) the patches were soaked in water for about an hour or so, then left in a plastic bag in the refrigerator overnight (casing) 3) A model of the tang of the knife was made. The tang on this knife was wedge shaped, so I made a similar one in steel. 4) A compression plate was made. This is a small square piece of steel with an elongated hole in it. It will slide over the model of the tang. 5) a small piece of pipe was cut to a length of approx- 1.5". 6) two anti-surface-marring discs were made. I used some old gasket material, but the important thing is to have something to protect the leather from the jaws of the vise. One of those discs have an elongated hole. 7) Holes were cut in the leather patches, to make elongated holes. length of hole depends on where on the tang the patch will end up. 8) the patches are stacked on the model tang. We tried to alternate the black and veg tan patches. The veg tan patches were put flesh side to one another, and then two sets of those were stacked (4 veg tan total) 9) The entire tang is now covered in leather patches. 10) The anti-surface-marring disc is put on the model tang and it is backed up of the compression plate. 11) The anti-surface-marring disc is put in the open vise, the stack is then inserted, the pipe is placed over the end of the tang and the vise is tightened. 12) We compressed to approximately 75% of the original length. And we left the stack in the vise overnight. 13) The stack was removed from the vise. Due to the wedge shape it was easy to gently hammer out the model tang. Now there is a basic leather handle. 14) leave the handle to dry at least a day, there is a lot of moisture in it still. Once dry start basic shaping with a knife or a chisel or whatever tool you like. 15) Our knife blades are not intended for this type of handle, so I had to cut of the end and make a small slit with an angle grinder. In this slit I silver soldered a 3mm (1/8") threaded rod. 16) the pommel is made out of two pieces of brass, each approximately 5/32" thick. I drilled a 3 mm (1/8") hole in one of them and a 10 mm (3/8") in the other. 17) those two pieces are silver soldered together. 18) the retaining nut is turned on the lathe, or you can do it with a file and a drilling machine as well. It is a piece of brass of slightly smaller diameter than the large hole in the pommel. A hole is drilled and the correct thread is tapped (the same thread as the small threaded rod that is silver soldered to the end of the tang). A slit is sawn using a hacksaw. 19) Shaping of the pommel is done using a file. When the leather is dry, you can mount it all on on the knife blade and finish the shaping. 20) We glued the pommel and the last piece of leather with a bit of contact glue to prevent it from turning in case the leather dries out even more in another climate. Finally the pommel and the retaining nut are filed/sanded on the bottom, so that the retaining nut is flush with the threaded rod and the pommel itself.

Thanks I always tell my kids that there are two things that I can't say no to: A newfoundland dog and a young person asking me to teach them how to do something. So That's why I very often end up helping our young volunteers making a marlinspike or making a handle for a knife etc. Like you say, a lot of the knowledge will be lost if no one wants to learn it - and likewise if we don't teach it to those who would like to learn.

Thanks Bert03241, I already showed her all the nice comments in here, and she was really happy :-) Hi Chuck, She started on designing a sheath yesterday, and I gave her a few ideas. The guard is fairly large, so she can't make a sheath the covers part of the handle. I pointed her in the direction of a sheath for a Buck 119. And she got as far as to make a template for it. So hopefully later today we'll see a sheath emerging :-) Thanks PastorBob I am amazed at how dense and hard it feels when it is compressed like this. Almost like wood, but still a different feel though. Thanks Tugadude I got her to send me the pictures she had from start, so I'll make a post about the construction, hopefully today. I might have to take a few more pictures of the setup for compressing the leather, but it should make a good post, The retaining nut is actually just a turned brass cylinder approx 3/8" in outer diameter and 1/4" high. There is a M3 thread inside (~ 1/8") and the slit in the top was made using a hacksaw. The pommel was made out of 2 pieces of brass that were first drilled, one with a 3/8" drill, one with a 1/8" drill. Next they were silver soldered together, and it was shaped using a file. The retaining nut and the thread on the tang projected a bit over the pommel, so the final shaping with a file and some sandpaper caused it all to be flush. I agree that there are things you don't expect to read/hear, and that particular phrase is a prime example

Mora knives are great! I like the old model with a simple red wooden handle. It is so simple and yet incredibly comfortable, and the old models out of carbon steel could get wicked sharp. I think I am just as proud as her :-) She really wants to learn all the traditional techniques from splicing and using the sail makers sewing machine. I helped her repairing a hammock today using the old Adler sailmakers sewing machine we have on board. It is nice when people are interested in learning all those things. We are still underway though we have sailed faster than we had anticipated, so we'll arrive at Ponce Roads on the 10th and go alongside on the 12th. The going alongside is the same days as it was planned, but we will get an extra day at anchor before going in which is nice because it will give us a day more to shine all the brass before entering port. Brgds Jonas