Mulesaw

Great setup!

@Yukonrookie I think the advantage of a slightly tallowed hide is that has a nicer surface and it probably resists dirt and markings a bit better. (but that also means dye) According to my leather supplier (Laederiet in Denmark), https://laederiet.com/shop/48-double-backs/8203-croupon-crust/ In Danish and German it is called a croupon, but when I choose the English text, it suddenly changes it name to a "bend", the desription (if you don't trust the link), is that the croupon is the piece that goes from the shoulders to the back. They claim that it is hte better part of the leather since it is without the folds the leather would normally have around the neck of the animal. I have ordered some once and I was very happy with it. Brgds Jonas

@TomE That lead looks fantastic! I am tempted to copy your design on that one. Is that 3/4" or 1" wide straps that you have used for the lead? Brgds Jonas

Fantastic looking as always! You do an amazing job on those! Brgds Jonas

Welcome, lots to learn here, and plenty of helpful and nice people to help :-) Brgds Jonas

Yes, I noticed that one too. It looks very authentic :-)

@Jaypit Welcome to the forum :-) Since you are a member, you can post pictures directly in the forum. My educated guess is that you'll get a lot more response that way. I think the most appropriate category to post your pictures in would be: https://leatherworker.net/forum/forum/50-leather-sewing-machines/ Just make a fitting headline like: Need help identifying this sewing machine. And then take it from there. Brgds Jonas

Here are the pictures from the ad. Please note that the pictures are not mine, They just give an idea of how the oxen harness is built.

@TomE I just remembered that I once downloaded this paper on how to build an English saddle. I found it in an old tread on this forum Scroll down to the 2nd last comment. There is a link for the pdf there. The first link is dead, but down there the Moderator Northmount added it. Have fun reading it. Brgds Jonas

Thanks for the tip, sounds like a doable recipe (not something with drops of unicorn blood and tailfeathers of a speckled Kiwibird :-) Brgds Jonas

Interesting subject. In Germany, traction harnesses for oxen are called: "Ochsen zuggeschirr". If you Google that and chose "pictures", then a bunch of different ones surface. I know it isn't a detailed how to make instructions, but normally there are plenty of pictures in those classifieds ads that it will help in giving an idea. https://www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/zuggeschirr-fuer-ochsen/2403421497-240-1220 Here's the link to a classified ad for one in Germany. I don't own the right to the pictures, that's why I just put in the link. I know it will expires at some point. but I don't want to mess up some copyright stuff. @Northmount Do you have an idea if we can copy the pictures from that classified ad without getting into trouble and posting them here?

@TomE Good idea with diluted ammonia, I just used grated soap and tepid water, but I had troubles getting the old "caked" grease off. So the ammonia might be a better choice for a start cleaning. And I normally give the saddles a light touch over with grease afterwards anyway, so they look nice and the customer can see that I care about their tack. - so removing a bit of oil/grease in the cleaning process wouldn't be a big deal since it will be reapplied :-) Brgds Jonas

It is a strange construction, I am also most used to saddles that are stitched in the fwd part. I have repaired a couple of Passier Mono Optimum dressage saddles lately. It is admittedly a professional rider that uses them so they see a lot of working hours. But I think that the main course of most of the wear that I see on those particular saddles are due to lack of cleaning. Most people happily oil away on their saddles and give them nourishing creme etc. But the very fine dust that comes from riding in a riding house or on a dusty track gets stuck in that grease/oil and soon starts acting like very fine sandpaper. It also goes on the boots, and pretty soon the lower part of the saddle flaps wear through. I have tried to tell her as diplomatic as I can, but it is kind of hard to break the truth to someone when they haven't even asked why I think the saddles look the way they do. I mean if I was a customer I'd probably feel insulted if someone kind of accused me of not cleaning my stuff thoroughly. It is a different matter if they genuinely ask: Why do you think this happens? Then I'd be able to show them where the dust and grease accumulates and scrape a bit if it of and make them feel it between two nails that it really is abrasive. I think that would give them a better understanding of the importance of cleaning the tack - not just grease it. Before I started the last repair job, I cleaned it the best I could, but I didn't want to use an hour or so on that without having cleared it with the customer, but it still helped a lot as I could see. Brgds Jonas

Welcome to the forum :-) I'd try some beef tallow. There is an old recipe with beef tallow and neatsfoot oil, but the neatsfoot oil will darken it a bit, so if you try pure tallow it might be better. But I guess it will still darken the leather just a bit until it is dry again. Similar to if you wet leather with water, it will immediately become a bit darker. It is possible though, that the leather is too dried up to be salvageable. But you won't know until you try it. Brgds Jonas

Really nice job! Some of the European saddles have the billet attached to the tree with a copper rivet. and I have seen a single one that was attached using a screw. When I have to replace them, I check first if it is possible to skive in a new piece of leather, or if I have to take apart the fwd part of the saddle to get the boom out (the cross stiffener). I don't know why they are made this way. The system where you can sew it onto the heavy nylon webbing works really well, but they must have their reasons for not always wanting to do it that way on the fwd billt. Brgds Jonas

Start with a nice set of chaps. It is something that will look good and hopefully draw some attention. Brgds Jonas

@zuludog Interesting idea to make rounded corners. Most of those Japanese type skiving knives that I have seen, are straight across save for those that are made from the start with a curved profile of the cutting edge. I think that my 2nd bevel ended up on around 6 mm as well, I can't remember it, cause I just eyeballed it on the grinding machine before taking it to the water stones. But getting the blade angle down to a "normal" figure from the original 45 degrees was a winning move :-) My original idea was to convert one of those scrapers to a Japanese skiving knife. and see how that would work. I bought one a couple of years ago for restoring windows. The blade goes all the way through the handle and it is around 2 mm thick. In Denmark it is known as a "rigid scraper" It is used mostly as sort of a very wide crowbar when you have to break off old glass retaining strips from windows. The rosewood handle is decent on them though admittedly it could use a bit of sanding and oiling, but not much work would be needed on the handles.

I don't know anything about the saddle, but if you can't find a makers mark on it, I guess it would be OK to go on and learn something from it. It is always kind of scary to do those things with antiques because like you say you don't want to ruin a collectors item. But once in a while it helps to look at it with a different set of eyes: you bought it, so you decide what should happen with it. If you take it apart and learn something from it - it serves a good purpose. I'd say go ahead :-) Brgds and good luck with the learning Jonas

@ThisIsMyFirstRodeo I had a brace once when I was younger. I had some problems with tendinitis, and that brace really helped. It was the same system as the one in the picture, I borrowed one and made a set for myself back then. can't remember the weight of the leather but is wasn't terribly heavy. Also I used Velcro instead of a buckle to be able to make perfect adjustments. Brgds Jonas

Two paying orders are still a good starting point. As long as you make sure that your products are top notch and the customers are happy, they'll most likely tell friends/families etc about it and you could get a bit of business that way. It doesn't feel like it is fast compared to advertising on the Internet, but word of mouth in my opinion is still the absolutely best form of advertising you can get. If you are mostly into making strap products, dog leashes and collars are also good products. Brgds Jonas

I think I paid around the same price, but razor sharp wasn't the first thought that popped into my mind when I tested it I missed on another chance I took on Temu: They had something that was advertised as a safety skiver. I thought that I had seen one somewhere before and took a chance. It turned out to be one of those hand held planes that can be used to remove hard skin from your heels. I had seen one in our bathroom that I once bought somewhere. And I suddenly remembered that I had tried to use that one as a safety skiver as well. And that doesn't work like that at all. But now I got an extra heel trimmer in case I should need one. Brgds Jonas

@TomE It could be that I just got a bad one :-) Admittedly the 45 degree taper was sharper that I had expected, but it worked a heckuvalot better once the angle got more shallow The shape and size is fine, and the finish is better than I expected. Brgds Jonas

I got myself an account at Temu because I needed some tips for stilettos heels, and it was the only place I could find some with an assortment. There is a lot of leather tools and stuff being offered at Temu, and I was curious to some of them. I have often considered making a Japanese type skiving knife, and suddenly one jumped up as a suggestion. The price was very reasonable, and I decided to give it a chance. After the waiting time of about two weeks time (after all the stuff comes from China) I got the package with the skiving knife. The first thing I have learnt about Temu is that it is incredibly important that you look at the measurements given on the page regarding the products. The page is a master in making things look bigger than than they are. So pay very close attention to the measurements given and try to compare it with stuff you already have to make sure you aren't getting something that you would consider a child's size. The skiving knife was a decent size, maybe a bit on the small side compared to if I would have made one myself. The handle was fitted decently on the blade and all in all the overall shape and feel was OK. What was not OK was the edge.. The thing was able to cut something, but not able to skive very well. The problem here was that the edge of the blade was ground in a 45 degree angle! If I have to prepare a wood chisel for coarse work like mortising for timber framing, I normally use 35 degrees, but 45 degrees is just plain weird in my opinion. I took the skiving knife to the shop and put something like a 20 degree edge on it using the grinding wheel. (I just eyeballed it, so I don't know the exact angle). Followed by some water stones and buffing and then back to testing. This made a whole lot of difference. Now the edge cut as it should. I like the style of the Japanese skiving knife for some jobs, the round knife for others, but when both are sharp they will work. I haven't tested the knife over a long time, so I can't say if the steel is good, average or bad, but I suppose it is average. and most knives that I know of will benefit tremendously from stropping before using , so I guess that if I do this the knife will work as intended. If all has to be summed up, the shape and quality feels OK compared to the price, but the knife is unusable out of the box, so you have to use a bit of time on sharpening it before it will work. Skiving knife straight out of the box. 45 degree cutting angle. Trying to visualize the cutting angle with a piece of paper. This edge won't cut easily!

@CreativeName I have never bought or sold anything on Etsy, so I can't give you any advice there. But if you have some well made products, I would think that a craft market or something along those lines would be a good way to sell some. I have no idea id there are any in your area, or what your local regulations say. But if you are allowed to apply for a vendors license in the state or city, then you could try to set up a small booth at a place where a lot of people come by. If there is a local grocery store, ask if you can set up a booth in the parking lot or something along those lines. The good thing about belts is that: 1) they are not bulky to bring along 2) they are something that most people can /will use 3) they are not prohibitively expensive which means that people could decide to buy without having to give much extra thought to it (as opposed to a new saddle) I know that I am old fashioned, so I would prefer to buy something I have seen and touched with my own hands. And just maybe there are more people out there like me. Brgds Jonas

Nice looking belt. Welcome to the forum :-) Brgds Jonas