Mulesaw

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

beautiful work as always! The stitching looks fantastic, and the colours are spot on.

I am so glad that you aren't mad at me. :-) The beret thing is interesting, I never knew that there were different "fashions" in how to wear them. So if whomever receives the notebook immediately can identify the war pig as a paratrooper - well then it should definitely outweigh that it might be a bit out of regulations :-) But I forgot to mention that the tooling looks really good to me. I especially like the shadow effect that you get from giving a bit more depth to the border on the right side of the tooling compared to the left side. It sort of gives a bit more depth in the tooling that both sides are not to the exact same depth (if that makes sense) Brgds Jonas

@RidgebackCustoms I have a couple of comments. And I am in no way able to make something like that myself since drawing is not my strongest suit, but you asked for comments so here they come :-) To me it initially looked like an angry Santa Claus merged with an orc. (Sorry about that) I think the beret is a trifle too long, or it should fold nearer to the insignia mark over the left eye. I guess there are different models of berets, so it could also be that your model beret is longer than a Danish one. Normally when I see them on personnel, the tip ends sort of just under eye level. The long tip is what made me think of Santa Claus. The tusks are spread out too much, and the aft tusks are somehow too visible. I think that is why I initially thought of an orc instead of a wild boar. On your drawing it looks as though the main tusks are set in the upper part of the mouth, and that looks kind of strange when they are in the lower jaw on a wild boar. I would suggest leaving out the aft tusks all together since they very much contribute to the orc look. The beard/hair looks nice, with good flowing lines. The eyes and the wrinkles around them including the scars also look good. Brgds Jonas

@DoubleBarrelCustomLeather I haven't participated in large events as a vendor yet, but I was offered a booth last year which collided with some other plans, so I couldn't go. But my suggestion would be something like: - nice leading ropes. - belts, perhaps with some tooling or stamping - key fobs with a horse head on them or the stamp of popular horse brand in the OHSET (quarter horse, Morgan, Danish Warmblood etc) - pictures or examples of stuff that you have repaired or can repair. (If you do repairs) - cowboy cuffs - spur straps - halters - dog leads - dog collars - "luxury items" like saddle bags and complete headstalls. Be sure to bring lots of business cards that describe what you do, like for instance: Doublebarrelcustom leather, bespoke leather goods for the active horserider, specialty: Headstalls and western gear. repair of all horse related leather equipment. (again only advertise for repairs if you do them) My experience in setting up a booth is that if you put the table between yourself and the customer, kind of like a counter at an airport, it will feel kind of like at a border. Not particularly welcoming. By orienting the table the other way, you sort of "invite" people into your space which can lead to people feeling more comfortable and apt to talk to you. And then you can explain much more in depth what you do and why your products are good. I like items for sale to be labelled so that customers can see the price. A small label tied on with a piece of rustic looking string signals handmade more than a sticker. A couple of curiosity objects can spark the interest in customers and lead to interest in your booth and your products. I'm thinking of something like a good quality drawing and a model of how you attach a buckle. Many people won't know that you skive the end of the leather, bevel the edges, sew a saddle stitch, polish the edges etc. So by making a non skived, non beveled double cap riveted buckle attachment and place it next to a really nicely done example, you can explain people what the difference is and why that makes your products so nice. Also explain that double cap rivets are super fine for some uses such as key fobs, but for stuff like a girths or breast collars, safety is paramount, and that is why you use the saddle stitch. And by coincidence - you happen to have an enlarged example so people can see what that is. Dog leads and dog collars play well with horse tack since people at horse shows are "animal people", there is most likely a large percentage of those who have a horse who will also have a dog or two. And it gives you more products to place on your table. By far, my biggest income from leatherwork related jobs has been repairs of tack and other leather equipment. So when I find the time to set up a booth an arrangement, That will be my biggest focus point. I would describe my price list and also explain the typical time it takes me to do a repair, and make sure to tell people that mailing is not a problem and that my mailing rates are this or that. Get a roll of heavy brown paper to wrap any purchase in. Few things can deduct from a buying experience as having the thing you just bought either just handed over, or worse, just slapped in a cheap thin plastic bag. If it is for a small item like a key fob or something similar, you could go with a small brown paper bag. Good luck and remember to have fun Brgds Jonas

Impressive work! I bet it is flatter in the bottom now than it was when it was new :-) Brgds Jonas

Sound advice form @Dwight as always :-) I might be reading it wrong, but you mention that you already have a shop, in case that is a boutique (shop) then the advice might be different compared to if you have a workshop (shop). Also cases is a fairly broad term, so my understanding of cases might not be what you are referring to. So if you have a picture or two that could help in us giving some better suggestions to you. The two types of social media that I am familiar with is blogging and Instagram. Both can generate sales, but blogging is something that takes a lot of work before you'll see some sales from it. Instagram might be a bit quicker in that respect. I think the secret on IG is to use some accurate hashtags, and make sure that they correspond with what your cases can actually be used for. At the moment in Scandinavia, knitting is incredibly popular. So I would guess that if you could make some super cool and elegant cases for knitting supplies and you used some knitting hashtags, then it could help boost sales. But you most likely need to specialize, if not - your IG posts will never reach those hardcore in whatever field you choose. My company (which I have together with our oldest son) specializes in horse related stuff. post once in a while with pictures ranging from repairs we have done, or stuff we have sold such as special productions for tack rooms. We get 99% of our business from word of mouth advertising and very little from social media contacts. But still the 1% is nice because it is a new customer that we didn't have before. You can make a pretty good page easily on blogspot (Googles blogging system). That will enable you to post every time you make a new product or do something special. And it is free to use. Instagram is also free which is a huge benefit. If you set up a homepage where you need to pay, even if it is only 150$ per year, you still need to make those money first. A real advantage of using a blog as sort of a "showroom" is that if people ask questions or comments, you can answer them and explain more about the thing they comment on. This will work kind of a FAQ except it is a bit more personal. Good luck Brgds Jonas

@Frodo Darn that is some impressive work! Great to get a truck back on the road again. I still firmly believe it is better for the environment if people fixed their old cars instead of buying new electric cars and throwing the old ones away. Brgds Jonas

My best guess is that you accidentally used the diameter of your arm instead of the circumference. That would give a cuff about 3 times smaller than what you would need. You need to use either a tailors type (soft) measuring tape, or a piece of string to measure around your arm. And remember to measure outside on any shirt etc. that you want to wear under the cuffs. I just tried to see what my measurements are: And with bare forearms mine are something like 8" for the fwd part, 10.5" for the upper part, and the length is something like 5". The picture / diagram in your book sort of gives the wrong impression size wise. You need a fairly large piece of paper to be able to draw the pattern. Good luck, brgds Jonas

@Tastech Thanks for the explanations. I sadly don't have a wooden or a plastic last, so I just hope that the insole will mould to the foot over time. I suppose I could have tacked it all together I never thought about that. My anvil is an old cobblers thing with a cast iron base that extends around 24" from the ground. I have different sizes of foot shaped anvils that fits on top of the base. Most of them seem to be for really small feet. The biggest I have is a size 8 as far as I remember. But I can move the boot around to get support all the different needed places. Originally Gustav wanted to throw out those boots, but I sort of wanted to try to copy them, so for a long time my plan was to cut them open and copy the shapes and then try to make a new couple based on that. But I am glad that I repaired them. I need to find the time to make some wooden lasts so I can try to make a set of boots or jodphurs or Chelsea boots. But there always seem to be so much going on that it is difficult to find the time to do it. In the mean time Gustav has ordered some new boots and those that used to be the daily boots are now in need of a repair job. I think it is the heels that are won on those. They are a different model with stacked leather heels. I have replaced the outer rubber piece of the heel some time ago, but I thin that he has worn them down so much so that I need to replace the entire heel block. I was wondering if I should buy real sole leather for that, or if I could take some thick veg tan and moisten it before compressing it - then leaving it to dry. My guess is that sole leather is just heavily compressed veg tan, but I could easily be wrong here. Brgds Jonas

Glad to be able to inspire a little :-) I think I would use a regular diamond shaped awl if I had to make holes in leather soles. But I'd make sure that it was well sharpened before using it. So a bit of sharpening and stropping should help I think. The hook-awl I used for attaching the uppers to the insole was a cheap one I got form the Internet (TEMU), it was not at all sharp when I got it, so I started by making it nice and sharp. And like in woodworking: Sharp fixes everything. If you have leather soles, I think it also depends on if they are sewn along the edges (Goodyear welt as far as I have understood), or if they are sewn from the inside (McKay stitching I think it is called). I don't think you can do the inside stitching without a McKay stitcher which is a big sewing machine. But if it is a Goodyear welt, you can do it with hand tools. @Tastech is a pro, so if he chimes in with advice, I'd 100% go with what he suggests. This is my first attempt on this type of repair. If you needed advice on replacing zippers in riding boots, I'd be much more comfortable giving advice since I have done that a lot. brgds Jonas

I got hugely inspired by @Tastech to do some more serious repair work on a riding boot this time home. Our oldest son works full time as a rider at a jumping stable, and his old daily boots had come apart. The glues outsole had loosened completely, my guess is that it happened since the insole was only made of some pressed cardboard like material, and the uppers were only glued to the underside of it, so at some point everything started to loosen and the boot was damaged. I took off the outsole and inspected the boot. The midsole was also some cardboard like material, and that was removed as well. I made a new insole from a piece of veg tan leather, tracing the remains of the original insole and guessing how the tip should look. The new insole was glued in place and I used a curved awl with a hook on it to make a lock stich to attach the uppers to the insole. Since the original sole didn't have a sewing channel, I thought that I'd better not change the design too much and that's why I chose the lock stitching method. When the insole was in place, I glued the sole stiffener in. I didn't have any cork filler, and I had too little patience to get some. So I tried to make my own filler from latex paint, sawdust and PVA glue. It looked all right, but I after letting it dry I as afraid that it would not hold up to the job, so I removed it all again. I didn't want to risk that the sole came off because of my homemade filler. After spending a lot of time removing the sawdust paint filler, I decided to fill in the voids with some scraps of veg tan instead. That went surprisingly well, and after attaching the mid sole, I rigged up an old round sanding wheel, and roughed up the bottom and shaped it to correspond to the inside of the sole. After one failed glue attempt where I had placed the sole too far back, I managed to get a decent positioning and everything was hammered tight. I don't have a heel press at the moment, but hammering seemed to do the trick. I didn't time myself for the repair job, but given that a set of boots like those will most likely set you back around 600 US$, it is still worth spending a couple of hours doing it plus the added benefit that it is an interesting job and I like to learn something new. The biggest surprise for me was that the original insole and midsole were of such a crappy quality. And also that the upper and the insole/sole only relied on glue to hold it together. Aside from that, it was daunting at first to separate the boot, but once I got started it all seemed fairly logical. And given that the boot was so damaged that Gustav originally wanted to throw it away, I didn't risk much except investing a bit of time and learning something in the case that I hadn't been able to repair it. Damaged Cavallo riding boot. Close up of the damaged part of the boot. Sole, inner lining, midsole, insole with stiffener on it. The new insole is glued in place prior to stitching. Wavy stitching, done with a hook-awl, it doesn't look pretty, but I think it holds better than no sewing. The white stuff is the remains of the homemade paint/glue/sawdust filler. Now the voids have been filled with veg tan that is glued in place. New midsole installed and the underside has been shaped on the sanding wheel. The sole is glued on again and the boot should hopefully hold up for a bit more use.

@TomMeyers If it works I can't see anything wrong with that. I think it will take bit of experience to make it easy and look nice, but so does most things. A saddle stitch makes sense to use where it is needed due to strength. But for purses I doubt that there will be much risk at stake should a stitch fail. So I definitely think that you should go for it. Brgds Jonas