Spence

Welcome, Bernie Your reputation precedes you. I, for one, hope to learn much from you. I've got all the "makings" here ready to go.

lol. There's good $$$ in the outlandish!! If someone were ever to come to you to build a saddle like that for them, change your maker's mark, double the price, draw the curtains and get with it.

I bought a hand-help splitter about a year ago and I keep it at my side whenever I'm braiding. It was designed to split roo and "other mellow leathers up to 30mm wide, to any required thickness up to 4mm thick. The blade is a heavy duty Stanley No. 1992/11/921" (as with other blades, you'll need to strop them). I've also used it on latigo and veg-tanned straps up to 2" wide. The maker is the son of the man that invented the "original" Aussie Strander. Dene Williams also has a hand-held strander, but I haven't mastered that yet. Even with shipping costs, you'll not find a more handy stripper for braiding and straps. I have two email addresses for him...no website. For those of you Down Under, his address and phone # are: 276 Hodgsonvale Rd., Hodgsonvale, 4352, QLD 07-4630 9708 denewhips@icr.com.au denewhips@bigpond.com

IMHO, Everyone is right in their way of thinking, but, and it's a big but, as old as this craft is, is the word "invented" the proper word to be used? Maybe "adapted and improved upon" would be better and if the most recent "adaptor" of this method is known, a reference to them can and should be used - it's just the 'right' thing to do. In ropework, up until about 60 years ago, there was only one knot named after a person - The Matthew Walker knot. In the past 60 years I've come across 5 or 6 knots named after someone and guess what, I've found a much older reference to the knot. These folks may have adapted and improved upon it and maybe even extended it a bit, but they didn't invent it. This is not meant to take anything away from an 'Adaptor'. Anyone that can see something and improve upon it is a Master in their own right, as is someone that feels they invented a process in an age old craft. It just may have lacked research and they've adapted and improved upon the original.

In order of the highest frustration level: 1. The mess. 2. Too many projects going at the same time. 3. Because of #2, not enough space. I don't think there would ever be enough. 4. Tool storage, or lack thereof. Then there's the dogs. Sneaking or barging in to play. All of this and I'm, somehow, happy with my lot in life finally.

I think your idea of getting the D-ring and SS strapping is the way to go for custom work. I had always heard that Ohio Travel Bag had it all and that was the first thing that popped into my head. I scanned through the catalog and found ONE on pg 38, but I don't think it would work well on a saddle. I've seen them all over the place and cannot remember even one place where I've seen them. I just went through the entire catalog and that was it. Pg 38. I am surprised. Sorry if I wasted anyone's time.

I'm dying to use a Dremel tool. I've got 2 of them lying in a heap, at the foot of a far wall. The motors have died a slow death, even before I could use them on leather. I'm thinking about a "Roto-zip" tool. Anything but a Dremel (at this point).

That's great, Storm. Even I understand the tute. Tks

A good place to look would be www.ohiotravelbag.com

I had that happen to one to my dogs years ago. First thing I did was shoot the porcupine out of the tree. Next thing I did was cut the tips of the quills off - I'd heard that it lets the air out of the quills and eases the pain. Then, yep it was a Saturday, we headed to the vet's office. I left him there and picked him up on Monday. I get the idiot home and he immediately went hunting for that, or any other porcupine. A "knowledgeable" neighbor told me I would have to put him down because he'd never stop. I didn't put him down and he never got tangled up with a porcupine again. But I watched him like a hawk for the rest of his life.

My father and grandmother made sure I never forgot that I "will never learn all there is to know about anything and everything." The older I get, the more I want to learn - and believe me, I'm getting old I feel sad for that person and I hope he shows up here, out of curiosity, and finds room in his heart and brain for us. Leatheroo, I believe you have planted the seed of curiosity with this man and I hope you keep on doing that.

Are they albino ? Rare ? They're pretty though.

That's a favorite scam in the dog breeder world. If you get the check, it might be a good idea to take it, along with all of the correspondence to your District Attorney. Also, if they've sent the check and you do not respond, they may try to put pressure on you or threaten you. Again, if this happens, take it to the D.A. The actual chances of someone coming to your door in the dead of night is extremely low because they are all in Nigeria.

Great job, and yes the stitching is great. btw, I need a source for key fob blanks? Or has anyone see a mallet punch for them? tks

Looks great !! Definitely Elvis.

One of THE very best

It's too late at night for me to break out the books, but I'm guessing it's a crown knot. I used that many times before in ropework and just last week did the wall and crown on a braided 'roo key fob.

Tina, Glad you made it okay. We look forward to your pictures of home and your work. Come back soon.

I sure would like to find a German Shepherd head. Purely selfish, but other popular breeds would be nice too.

Thanks everyone. It sounds like I might be trying Hidecrafters. I've got sawdust leaking out of my shop too. Kate, be sure to keep us updated on a grinder.

Thanks Russ. I guess that's what I'm gonna have to do. As luck? would have it, I own a radial arm saw and that monster is an expert at manufacturing sawdust. And thanks for the idea about wrapping the scalpels. I probably have some lengths that would work for that. Although I've been making some pretty small flattened turksheads with that stuff too.(for appliques)

Okay. I bought an electric coffee grinder. Very common item, pretty much the same, regardless of the brand. I put my slivers and bits in there and all it did was wrap around the blades. A minimal amount of dust and the motor jammed. Just in case, I put small, medium and large amounts into the thing. Same result. Any other ideas? Do they sell leather dust anywhere?

It depends on the dog and what you want to use it for. I want a collar that is not going to come apart because of the work and play I do with my dogs. This particular collar is for tracking. It is 1" wide and I use 4/5 oz. leather - doubled. It could be wider (again - depends on the dog). I've done the same design in a 2" wide for "agitation." If you're not familiar with that, it's the training for protection or the protection part in the sport of Schutzhund. The dog is usually pulling to "get at" the decoy and the wider the collar the less stress on the neck. With tracking, my dogs don't pull so much so I can get away with a 1" collar. On live tracking (the real deal) and patrol or protection work, I use a harness on the dogs. The design is as much for function (heavy duty) as it is for looks (and deterrent). A bad guy sees a heavy duty collar on a dog and he thinks twice about relieving you of your riches. I folded it, as opposed to using two straps, mostly to make less work for myself. The D-ring is about as secure as it's gonna get. I had made a mistake in listing the buckle. I pm'd Wildrose, but it is a Bridle Buckle #12, 1", Part # 1603-01 from Tandy.

Tandy - Solid Brass - 1550-01 - 1-1/2" (The 1-1/2" is the outside measurement. It will fit a 1" strap nicely, once you slick the edges.) The Nickel over Solid Brass is 1550-02

Here ya go. You can be flexible with the keepers. You can eliminate the one between the D-ring and the buckle and once you get the buckle sewn on you can place the last keeper when the buckle tongue is in the middle hole. I've got the holes spaced about an inch apart so I've got room to adjust. If I remember right, you're measuring total length of the collar. I measure where I plan to have the collar ride and put the tape around the neck snuggly (not tight). Adding an inch or two is not necessary. For example: On a 19" neck, from the fold in the leather to the middle tongue hole will be 24.5" and overall length can be 30" (I leave that determination until the end) Once I've sewn the hardware in I put the two pieces together with rubber cement and feed it through the D-ring until the inside measurement (circumference) is the same as that of the dog's neck. (from the D-ring, around to the D-ring again. Then you can mark where your center tongue hole will go (where the tongue rests atop the buckle) and punch 2 holes on either side of that hole. Hope that's clear.