BlackDragon

I recently got a saddle into the shop for cleaning, inspection, and repairs along with a breastplate. I let the owner know about any the issues they don't know about. When it came to the breastplate I explained the bottom strap was severly cracked and should be replaced. They asked if I could just patch it and move on. I explaind that if one part of a strip is bad the rest is on it's way out. The cost to replace the whole piece and patching it would wind up being the same but with the patch there's a chance the old leather will fail. They agreed with the repair.

All the sites I find these are Japanese. One name I found them under is pattern clip but I cant find them in the US

You can use a utility knife and make multiple cuts to make straight cut appear curved. Instead of doing 3 or 4 cuts, which makes it look boxy, use 10.

The curb strap attaches to each side of the bit and sits under the mouth to apply leverage when the reins are pulled, amplifying the rider's signal. Yes, thank you. Many years ago I rode Hunt seat over fences and was getting into saddle seat but left the sport because life got in the way.

So is this nose band essentially like what a curb strap does, adding extra pressure around the muzzle instead of chin for better control?

It looks to me like the two circles the leather goes through are grommets that were painted. If you look at the edge of the patch there is a spot where the leather is thicker. I believe that's where the loop leather is anchored, much like you make a purse handle. it's tubular in the center and flat on the ends. It just passes through two grommets. It's a neat concept but I would worry if it can take the weight of the jacket for long. I guess if it's large enough it can be ok.

This is a great setup! Yes a laser cutter did the cutting but YOU told the laser where to put everything, YOU did the stitching, YOU put in the hardware, YOU worked the leather, and most importantly YOU came up with a great design.

Really great work!

@Northmount Great catch! When I worked at Toyota in KY I have to wear that type of belt for that exact reason. The ones we used had two prongs.

Quick note on airbrushing with ANY type of oil. Use a respirator because oils, when atomized, can cause lung issues. When I dye it's oil, dye, buff, finish. I oil with neatsfoot oil and let it sit until the oil is absorbed. How long it sits depends on the thickness of the leather. This allows the dye to spread evenly when applied. I then dye and let it sit for a day so the dye has time to spread evenly. I then buff any excess dye off. I then add my finish, usually Resolene diluted with water 50/50 or a wax.

That's not a work belt, it's a display belt. Beautifully done! When I first started making serious belts I made my brother-in-law a belt, it was one of my gun carry belts, but he wouldn't wear it unless he was going out somewhere nice. I told him to just wear it while he worked because I wanted it to be tested in the field. He has an excavating business so he's literary in the trenches all day. I finally just made him a second one and put some scratches in it so it didn't look as nice. lol

Another tip on searches. Most search engines have tabs under the search field. The first one is usually "All" this is the default tab, the second is usually "Images". Click on that an it'll show you the image search.

You can look up bag stiffeners in google. Here are a couple links that may help. https://www.rmleathersupply.com/collections/lining?utm_source=chatgpt.com https://springfieldleather.com/products/bontex-bag-stiffener?_pos=1&_psq=bag+sti&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Well done!

The bridle looks beautiful! When it comes to keyboard warriors, there's always someone that says how awful something is and how devastating it'll be if you continue the practice. The sky will always be falling for them. A very wise person once said "Haters gonna hate, hate, hate. So, shake it off, shake it off."

Yes AND you can cuss out your leather all day long without repercussions.

Oops.

Thanks!

Some people hate AI but for things like this it's pretty awesome. I told ChatGPT5 what I was looking for and attached your image and it came up with a few things. Some were nothing close but a couple hit directly to what you need. The first close match was the entire belt with that buckle out of Germany. https://www.guertel-nach-mass.de/belt-with-matt-silver-coloured-3-part-buckle-set-4cm-wide.html Another was a wholesale company in Spain. You can probably call or email them to see if they have some one in your area to buy from. https://zamakcerdan.com/gb/home/1907-hebilla-senora-pase-40.html

It came out really well. As far as cost you need to consider cost of each material. In your case 400cm for outer materal + 400cm of inner material, + thread, glue, dyes/paint, hardware, etc. You should also consider your overhead costs. What does it cost for rent, power, shipping costs (items you ship and items shipped to you), etc. And you need to consider man hours. What do you need to get paid hourly. So you need; Materials cost + Overhead cost + Time The biggest issue people have is figuring out what their time is worth. What you charge per hour should depend on on your level of ability. A person just starting out can't charge what a person doing this for 20 years could charge. So, If it took you one hour to make this then, with what you charged, your time is worth 9.50 an hour. If it took you 2hrs then you valued your time at 4.75/hr. You also have to figure out what people would be willing to pay for the item. For that same item if you were to charge $40/hr USD and it took 2hr to make, most people wouldn't buy it. You would have to market it to select few that have the money to spend. It's a delicate balance you have to find.

Hey that's pretty cool! What materials do you use? Do you have a wire in the brim? what did you do for the lining?

Thanks. I tend to be nick picky with the things I make. I'm always looking to improve, not only what I do but how I do things. The suede I used for the sweatband is too soft and tends get floppy, so when I take the hat off the band turns inside out. next hat I make I may buy the correct sweatband already made.

Thanks! This one was with my own pattern. I've made a hat before with a pattern from Dieselpunk but the hat didn't fit right so I redesigned it. His cowboy hat pattern is to round so presses one the front and back but leaves a gap on the sides.

This is really well done! I like how you tapered each piece symmetrically. The tooling is great! Leaves on one side and wood chips on the other. Great attention to detail.

Great way to save the project! Just the other day someone asked for a belt, when I ask for the belt size they said "about 30inches". I told them I couldn't make their belt if I dont have the correct measurement. I instructed them how to measure their current belt and it turned out to be 34". People are pretty vague when you're trying to get product info from them. What color do you want? Brown. What shade of brown? Like wood. What type of wood, like pine or mahogany? Yes