Mulesaw

Thanks I have actually thought about just that, but our farriers (husband and wife) already have aprons. But I guess I could ask them if they needed a new one :-)

Thanks, I have never tried to wear chaps, I am a bibbed overall type, and that works for me (no need to change something that works just fine) I love dogs too, there is just so much personality in them, and who am I to say that they can't lay down on the leather? Our youngest son said some really wise words a couple of years back when our old Newfoundland passed away, and we were getting a new puppy. I think he was maybe 10 or 11 at that time. He said something along the lines of that since we outlive our dogs we could choose which dogs we wanted to get. But a dog doesn't have that possibility, it only gets one chance of a family, so we are obliged to make sure that the dog has as good a family as possible, since it can't call quits and go to another family to see if it is any better. I have often thought that it was really deep for a kid that age, and true too. So I do my best to make sure that the dogs will have as good a life as possible.

@jrdunn Hi Jim Thanks for the good suggestions. I have to admit that besides it is the first pair of chaps I have made, it is also the first pair of chaps I have seen except on films, It seems as no one over here uses chaps for riding. So I just followed the Tandy pattern blindly. Turning the flesh side out on the yoke makes a lot of sense, it will stand out just a bit more without too much bling effect. It is actually one of the things I regret most about the chaps. Since the shape of the yoke is kind of dramatic with lots of curves and points etc. But no one gets to see it because it just blends in with the rest of the chaps. I also see what you mean about the inseam. I purchased the Tandy rodeo chap pack, so I'll try to see if they need to be made higher in the inseam too, or if it is just this free pattern that needs it. I never thought about orienting the pattern the other way. I was just trying get as little waste as possible. Which was kind of not needed as the leather was bought at a sale, and I think I paid like 15$ for the piece. I have to admit that I would much rather have had wrinkle free legs instead of saved 2$ worth of leather that I probably won't need anyway. This is further proof of how good this community is! Sound advice from all who chimes in. Brgds Jonas

@Dwight I can see that I shouldn't be afraid of adding a bit of ornamentation. But us Scandinavians are a bit afraid of things that stand out. That is also why Scandinavian furniture look so much like Shaker furniture. The good thing is that my daughter has received so many compliments from people when she has been wearing the chaps that she just might be willing to make a set with a bit more bling the next time. Your chaps look really good I think!

@chuck123wapati WOW, just plain WOW. That knife looks fantastic. Thanks for showing it. I really like that it is so well proportioned. and the antler steel and brass plays so well together. On the backside there are those grey streaks from the antler that looks like they concentrate towards the center of the handle and then gradually become the same tone of grey as the tang. Almost as if the steel grew with the antler. And the knife itself just seems to have the right size.

I helped my daughter make a set of chaps. We used the old Tandy free pattern to make a set of shotgun chaps. The leather was something I bought at a sale without a distinct use in mind. The patterns was pretty easy to follow, and she wears the chaps on a regular basis as a regular garment (fashion). We made the yokes out of the same leather ad the rest of the chaps, Laura liked that they matched, but I think that for the next pair of chaps I'll try to make the yokes stand out a bit more. All the sewing was done on my old patcher. Laura posing with her chaps. Me trying to figure out the plans. A temporary break caused by a newfoundland on the leather and a labradoodle puppy being provocative. As soon as the dogs left - the work could continue..

The holsters look good. BUT I can't even concentrate on looking at them with that beautiful awl and knife in the picture too! You have been so kind earlier to show a picture of the awl, so I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to show a couple of pictures of the knife too? That antler handle just looks perfect to me. Brgds Jonas

I would be interested in a saddle as well, but I would really like to be able to see if it was a dressage or a jumping saddle, and perhaps the size. Meghan, does your group have a webpage where you perhaps could post some pictures of the saddles? Brgds Jonas

@Davm Here's a link to an old thread about doing it. I don't now if the rope will be too big for your holsters?

If the leather is from old saddles, I'd probably look into making some dog collars and maybe dog leashes from it. If the girth straps or stirrup leathers are still there, they could be used for making belts. Those would look worn from the start, but I suppose that somebody would like that look too. The leashes could be made by joining small pieces of leather, kind of like a figure 8 that is stretched a bit, You fold it on the middle and insert the ends through the loops of the next piece. My dad made a leash like that that held up for a couple of Newfoundlands, and I copied the design and helped my daughter make a leash for a horse (probably not the correct name).

Nice set of tracks, I think that you should suggest your nephew to install a sawmill of some sorts again, then maybe he can use the tracks as they are. :-)

First of all, beautiful work! Second: Since they look so good and in leather, I was wondering if you could substitute the lower reinforcement with some leather as well? I think it will hold up better, but it is just a guess. Kind of like that beautiful upper soft looking round cushion. For leather I would go with heavily oiled veg tan, I am not an expert by any means, but for horse gear I like to use something that can just get the same treatment as the rest of the gear I use. It is possible that you can also do it with chrome tanned, but again I am not that much into that science. Would you perhaps be so kind as to show a picture of the backside and the inside too? I would like to make a set of those for our son's jumping horse, and it looks like you have really nailed it with those (That is if you don't mind me trying to make a copy) Brgds Jonas (awestruck with those that you have made)

So sad to read this. I have a hard time understanding why you should pay to get your own car back because some idiots stole it and parked it in a wrong place. What about the police? will they do nothing in terms of investigating the matter? Comforting thought sent your way through cyber space. I hope that you'll get her back up and running again.

So far I haven't seen any saddles where the stitching was the problem, but I am not a professional saddle maker, so I don't see that many different saddles everyday :-) To me it seems as the problem is that the holes in the leather straps become elongated and finally break through, or some of the straps delaminate if they are made out of two pieces glued together.

@jcuk I checked today, and I could see that on a Stübben saddle we have it is clearly made with a backstitch. But on one of the other saddles (can't remember which one) it really looked as though it was a machine sewn job. I can see the idea in the backstitch, so I'll just use that one in the future. When I repaired the last saddle, I made the holes in the leather first and then just wiggled the needles through the fabric without using an awl for that. Brgds Jonas

@55rick Looking really good. Thanks for also showing the underside. I just talked to a friend today. He and his grown up son have managed to find a 1920 Indian Scout as a cardboard box project. I'll probably get the honour of making the seat for that. I was searching for inspiration when I read your post.

Hmm, I just changed a couple, and I couldn't really see if they were machine sewn or regular saddle stitched. So I did a regular saddle stitch. It was Kentaur saddle, I don't know if it is the same on other brands? (I suppose I could go out and check on my wife's Passier, but frankly I am too lazy at the moment. :-)

@Handstitched How do you charge then, just curious? When I say hourly rate then they only pay for what time I actually use, down to minutes. I just thought that it was much easier to do compared to having rates for changing a buckle, and changing this or that. Because not all buckle changes are equally fast etc. I keep a piece of paper near when I work, and I write the start time and stop time, and any materials I use. First I always make a quick assessment of the blanket, to see what needs to be done, and then I make a loose plan inside my head for how I want to go about the repair job. The assessment also helps so that I am sure that I will fix all the little faults and not accidentally send a blanket out the door where something is still bad/broken. If the owner delivers the rugs / blankets themselves, sometimes they'll say what needs to be done, but often I just get a pile and then I just repair them as I see fit. Most of my customers have come to me because I change zippers in riding boots. That's a great way to get new customers I have found. WHen they come to pick up their repaired boots I always make sure to tell them that I also repair blankets and other tack, such as the straps on a saddle etc. Brgds Jonas

My sincerest condolences.

I repair a lot of horse blankets. Here is what I have found out: I use a Singer patcher with a homemade table that fits around the arm. It makes it a lot easier to me that I can keep the horse blanket "still" and change the direction of the needle. The blankets should be washed when you get them, otherwise the dust and sand will quickly cause extra wear to your sewing machine. I charge an hourly rate + spareparts/materials. Most of the time the crossing surcingles (50 mm webbing) that goes below the horse are torn off. The front closure is also prone to require some work. My suggestion of spareparts for a start up is: 50 mm webbing, you can start out with 15 m. I just use black. 25 mm webbing for the front closures, 2 m will do for a start. 50 mm velcro, get 2 m. 50 mm buckles for the surcingles, get 15 sets. 25 mm halter type buckes for the front closures, (5 pcs) 25 mm karabiners for the front closures, (10 pcs) (these are often the first thing that needs to be changed on a halter as well) Often if another horse has been biting the blanket, the inside with the padding is torn off. I just use whatever thin fabric I have to repair that on the inside. If it is e.g. a wool blanket with a long open tear, I will put a piece of reinforcement on the inside and sew along the sides of the tear. I often use 50 mm webbing for the reinforcement. If a blanket is too far gone, some parts of it can still be used for spare parts such as webbing or hardware if there is still any of it left. Just be sure to ask the owner if they want it back or if you can buy it for a symbolic sum. Laederiet.dk or pethardware.cz has got all the spare parts that you will need. Have fun.

Selling a Dürkopp 61-1 leather sewing machine. It should be very similar to an Adler class 4 sewing machine.' The needle bar has been renewed and the bushings for the needle bar have been reamed to accommodate the new slightly thicker needle bar. There is a coupling motor on the machine, as it is European it will run on 220/230 V 50 Hz. The original large flywheel and treadle pad is still on the machine, so foot power can be restored by making a new connecting rod for the crankshaft and the tread pad. Fair condition given the age of the machine. it sews nice and smooth. The stitch length can be varied up to approximately 3/8". Only straight stitching, no zig zag or reverse. Price 168 US$ (DKK 1100) or 148 Euro (DKK 1100) The machine is situated in Northwest Denmark (Scandinavia) on the island of Mors. There are bridges to the island, so no need for a ferry crossing. If the buyer arranges shipping, I can put the sewing machine on a pallet and secure it for transportation.

@ConstabularyThanks Folker, I had hoped that you knew the answer :-) I will try to google for an Adler class 4 to learn a bit more about the machine then. There is precious little information about Dürkopp machines on the Internet compared to e.g. Singer. Brgds Jonas

I bought an old Dürkopp 61-1 sewing machine last week. I was hoping for a different machine, but after taking the drive I decided to get it despite not being what I originally wanted. The needle bar and the guide bushings were so worn that needle bar could move 0.5 mm back and forth. I borrowed a reamer from a fiend and enlarged the bushings to 10 mm instead of 9.5 mm. I then made a new needle bar out of a piston rod from a pressurized gas cylinder like those that lift the back door of a car. The sewing machine has at some point been retrofitted with a clutch motor. And that works really well. My only problem now is that I need to find out what needle system the machine uses. There is only one needle in the machine. It says SIMANCO 25Y on it, but that doesn't mean a lot to me. The needle is approximately 60 mm long, and the diameter of the shank is a bit less than 2.5 mm. If anyone of you know what needle system that might be, it would be great. I am not emotionally attached to this machine, so if anyone would like it I'd be happy to let go to a new home.

@Wizcrafts That's really good info! I have noticed the twist tendency on my patcher when using some small spools that I got from a regular sewing machine store, I can't remember the brand, but it was heavy duty thread, I would guess it to be similar to a #69 or a Serafil size 40. I'll try to see if I can re-route it the way you suggest. I have no idea of the Amann Serafil is left or right twisted. But so far it has worked, but I don't know if that is just because my sewing machines are old? (Singer class 7 from 1905 and a 29k51 patcher from the 30'ies if I remember correctly)