Saddlebag

Bob, you've convinced me to up the ante on refleecing. I'm getting better at standing my gound on the other repairs as well.

I've had two moldies in two weeks. One is finished and looks great. The second very bad and the stirrup leathers have deteriorated. One had broken. I'm awaiting word from the owner as to whether I proceed with cleaning and replacing the leathers or hand it back.

When refleecing saddles it's a lot different from doing it the first time. You will need to have pretty precise control of the speed. A walking foot is best because it doesn't leave skid marks in the leather. Also you have to decide if you will create a new stitch line in the skirts or can set your machine to reuse the old holes. And your machine needs to handle the heavy needles and thread required for this work.

I was told it was the result of a hard blow to the animal, not enough to break the skin but enough to cause some scarring under the skin. My instructor referred to it as a bone as that's what it felt like.

My father was particularly fond of classical music and as a wee child I too developed a fondness for it. Growing up I heard his collection so many times it is indelibly etched in my brain. While working in the shop I enjoy the silence - no fridge humming, no micro beeping and definitely no radio or tv. There is an old saying that a low tolerance of unnecessary noice is a sign of high intelligence. Well, I must be a genius if that's the case. Lol. Any time I want music my brain will play the most beautifully orchestrated music to suit whatever I am doing.

Having worked for a prominent museum is the repair and restoration of library materials I learned that bibles have no marketable value even the quite old ones. Once Guttenburg got a printing press rolling bibles became the #1 best seller for many many years. If this fellow is hoping to restore the bible, that it might have a marketable value, he's in for a big disappointment. But, he may just hold this particular one in high regard and wishes for a new cover. If you've never covered or recovered a book it is something you will need to research. Does he want the leather as a soft cover or on book boards? You can always tell him you have too many orders at the moment and to perhaps check back with you in 6 months. That way you will have clearer thinking about not getting in over your head.

Try John Leighton at john@leightons.ca I bot a British United Shoe machine which is a wonderful saddle/harness machine from John. He is a machinist and has a special interest in these solid old machines. If anyone would have a manual John would.

I don't know what else to call these but they are invaluable and free. I got tired of the struggle to feed stirrup leathers around the bars when I'd either cleaned or replaced stirrup leathers. One particular saddle almost had me beat when it occurred to me to cut a plastic strip about 4" wide all the way around a tall yogurt container. I rounded the corners on one end. With two of these I slide these in first then slip the leather in, like a sandwich. It slips thro in a heartbeat. I repeat when I've gone thro the bar and back under the skirt. I'm done in less than 5 min and no struggle.

These trees were being sold in the 50's, perhaps earlier and were often sold by Eaton's and Sear's catalogs. Birt Saddlery in Wpg. sold them as well. They sold for under $75 and predate Ralide trees. I have an old Birt Saddlery catalog from about 1960 and can provide some info on the items they carried at the time.

I moldy saddle just arrived at my shop for 3 years of improper storage. The owner wants me to repair one stirrup strap which broke but upon carefully examining the leather I won't do that. Both should be replaced. The straps are only 2" wide and in some places less than 1/8" thick, add the mildew and it's an accident waiting to happen. I need to call her about replacing both sides, for her safety.

Some charge as high as $375 Cdn but seldom get any business. When refleecing skirts one has to consult the customer on whether to just create a new stitch line or pick out all the old stitches and reuse the existing holes. Picking stitches ups the ante as one can spend an entire evening picking stitches.

I'd check to see if your library has a great book with the simple title of Saddles. It documents early saddles, how the styles have changed, some with beautiful elaborate carvings. Many wonderful black and white photos of the earlier saddles.

I'd eliminate the list and put Strap Goods. I'd also eliminate leatherworker.net - member. If you make chaps I'd put include that above strap goods on the left hand side.

It seems to me my stirrup hobbles are cut 10" which fits a 2"-2,1/2" stirrup leather. I usually make them of latigo. I think you will find that by lining your curb strap with latigo it will be bulky where it turns back thro the bit and difficult to buckle. Many are make with veg tan leather. Cinch connectors - if you mean the offside billet they are often 36" long x 2" wide. I like to add about a 6" piece of thin latigo on the inside to take the extra wear of the cinch ring. If and when it wears thro it's easily replaced rather than the entire strap. Both ends of the latigo are skived to make a smooth join. I glue this on and then stitch both sides.

Latigo is excellent if the article may get wet such as bridles, saddle strings, knife cases, etc. It will stretch a bit when wet unless one exercises a little care.

Very nice work. A fellow who's lived in the bush all his life, hunting, trapping, etc. told me that one doesn't want anything shiney as it can reflect in the sun. When I make knife cases I run a thin strip of leather about 1/4" wide along the stitched edge. This protects the stitching from the sharp blade as it's slid in and out of the sheath.

Pegboard makes an excellent 3 sided screen as a backdrop or for hanging stuff and it will stand by itself on a table. Perhaps paint it in a light color that will enhance your work, not overwhelm it. I don't know how much room you'll be allowed but it's often the space of a table. Some inexpensive broadcloth would make a nice table cloth and it comes in many colors.

Do you include an applicator with the cream? How about a nice little cloth bag to keep them together?

Always great to know there's another from the home province. I'm from the Dryden-Kenora area near the western end. Right now it's the land of ice, snow and slush.

The stirrup leathers on kid's or pony saddles often have roller buckles, even some larger saddles. They are popular at riding stables where the length is often changed.

By now you should have knocked on 10 doors. And when you get home, phone your wife and see if you can help her with anything, dishes, the kids, whatever. Don't go there to beg her to take you back, don't even mention it. And have the good graces to leave after a few hours without a word about reconciliation. Right now she needs some breathing room and you have to respect that. It's the shortest route to reconciliation.

I won a small jar of quarters from a "guess the object" contest that cost 25c to enter. I was the only one who recognized it as a stitching horse but a three legged one. And like any typical leatherworker I had to check over every square inch.

I believe this was used to scrape fat from the inside of hides. That is why no notches. It would be small to better control the scraping so as not to puncture the hide.

My saddlemaker mentor referred to those as bones as that what it felt like. Sometimes restarting from the other end will get you thro it. I encountered two when cutting out a saddle. He said it could be caused by an animal getting bruised which resulted in scarring underneath the surface. I too would much rather get straps in the needed thickness

Have you tried Leighton's in Alberta? He shipped a Peason type machine to me made by United Shoe. (apparently one machine was a copy of the other). He is a machinist by trade and sells and refurbishes machines for the leather trade. I highly recommend him.