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I am very proud to be able to help others with their horses! My client wanted to get a custom headstall for her daughter's horse, who she said has been almost impossible to find a bridle that fit. Their existing headstall was too big with a much too small browband that they were using in shows. They requested a bigger browband to be made for it, which in turn, helped with the overall fit of the bridle and freed up their horse's ears. They also went for a second headstall to be custom fit for daily riding, which came out fantastic. The fit was better than I could have hoped for! When my client put the headstall on their horse, it was instant gratification for us all. Her and her daughter were so excited to get something that finally fit, and I feel so blessed to be the one able to help them. This is the fit of the headstall. I am so beyond happy with how it turned out!

Padded bridle and reins for a special gelding from our breeding program. Hermann Oak bridle leather, stamped steel bridle buckles from Weaver, and lots of nylon thread. Hand sewn.

Hi Everyone. I have 2qty brand new ENGLISH BRIDLE 8-10 oz leather from Wickett & Craig. Leather hasn't been used. It's in the Orange Carrot color. I bought them for $250 and selling for $200 each pls shipping.

Hey all…happy new year. Im still downsizing and here is the rest of my leatherworking hardware. I have counted most of the items along with added part numbers for those of you wanting to know what left. Many of the hardware is from Weaver, some from Mast and some from my local supplier. I separated most of the hardware into labeled baggies and some of the hardware have been just tossed into the same baggy. Most of the hardware is English bridle hardware and/or halter hardware since it what is repaired or made the most of. But I think you will find a mix of other hardware too. Browse the list and see if the 2 boxes are of any interest to you or worth it to you. Note, the parts are in 2 Large USPS Priority Mail – FLAT RATE – boxes. So the total shipping for both will be $46.00 Im putting a price of 30 USD for all of the hardware + the 46 for shipping so a TOTAL of 76.00 USD. I would prefer a USPS Money Order, but will consider other forms of payment. Only serious inquiries, please and im not interesting in busting up the bunch for someone wanting onesies and twosies…sorry. i have attached some photos of the hardware too. The photos are not of everything but most of whats in the 2 boxes. I have also attached a excel listing too. Thanks for looking… FIRST - I WILL TAKE IT, GETS IT. PLEASE REPLY TO POST AND STATE SO. THAT WAY OTHERS WILL KNOW ITS TAKEN. ALSO, IF PAYMENT DOESNT SHOW, THEN IT WILL GO TO THE NEXT PERSON. ALSO, this is only for USA, Alaska and Hawaii. Sorry for anyone outside... Also, keep looking...i will be selling off my tools and equipment soon... if any of you are thinking im scamming anyone, if Shadybrook is still around ask him. He got everything but what i have here for free. But he had to pay the shipping & customs from the USA. LEATHER STUFF FEB2023 PDF.pdf

A little bit of Hermann Oak bridle leather, and a lot of thread.

Hi all, I recently made myself a new pair of reins to use for themed photoshoots and last weekend a friend of mine visited to make some photo's of me and one of the horses with my handmade outfit. Now onto the task of making a matching bridle for this set! So happy how they turned out! The quiver, ridingskirt, saddlepad, reins and armbracers are all selfmade. Bridle by Woodenwulf.

First time making a horse bridle.

I have just finished this lunge cavesson for a friend who has Sorraia's. This is a primitive breed here in Portugal, pony sized. She wanted one without the usual metal nosepiece, so I have made a more normal noseband, and covered it with a velcro'd on padding that is washable.The clips at the bottom are for attaching a bit if needed.

For sale first quality Sedgwick Bridle Butt . Colors and Size: Black - 54.5" x 15.5" - $180.00 Dark Green - 19" x 55.5" - $200.00

looking to make a few single ear loop headstalls- nothing fancy but sturdy and clean for everyday ranch use. I have been thinking of using H.O. 7/8 oz. Bridle leather doubled up and stitched for strength then buttered and hot oiled for feel and durability. I am getting stuck on the ear loop. It seems your general store-bought options are "ok" and functional but I saw a couple in Vegas last year that were rolled, almost hiding the stitching. I really liked this because it was really really well-made. The extra steps to round off and roll the loop made it less stiff but almost seemed stronger- if that makes sense? In addition, I really like how it would lay on the horses head as opposed to the general flat,strap-like generic ear loops. Now my issue is I should have just bought it so I could dissect it and see how it was done. Has anyone seen a loop like this? Do you have any processes for making them? What kind of leather do you prefer for headstalls/ bridles and how do you oil yours for that supple yet durable feel? Thank you all in advance.

Hi I have a strip of Sedgwick English bridle leather in Dark Havana. I’m from Australia and wanting to have a go at making stock horse bridles, just work ones to start with but would like to make some good enough to show horses in eventually. My problem is the leather I have is very shiny, almost glossy on top. Other bridles I’ve seen by well known makers don’t seem to have quite the shine on their bridles that this leather has. Have I brought the wrong type of leather? Help !!!

Here is a card wallet I made for my wife for xmas. Red English bridle fully lined and accented with pink veg tan.

Here is a collar I made for our Dachshund from English bridle. It is a bit over built, but that is how I wanted it. fully lined, including the strap, with 2-3 oz veg tan. Had a bit of trouble with the edge kote sticking. It might be a bad batch.

My first carved headstall All hardware - solid brass

So I’m new to leather working, I’ve been hand stitching my projects but it’s SO tedious! I’d like to get a sewing machine, but the ones I’m seeing are over $1,000? I usually use 2 layers of 8 Oz leather for my breast collars and a layer of 8 Oz and a layer of 5-6oz for inlays on the bridles I make. I don’t want a machine that barely gets through the leather, I’ve seen a few that sew 1/4” leather well (or they’re advertised to do so). Is that enough? Or do I need to get something more heavy duty? Any advice on what brands are good and what price range they’re in (around $500 would be best, but i know it’s a long shot)

Definitely not the first on this board to visit, and probably not the first to post about it, but today I visited the semi-legendary tannery J & FJ Baker's of Colyton, Devon. For the uninitiated they are the last oak-bark pit tannery in England, and possibly Europe. This isn't some rediscovered or retro skill -- the company has been operating essentially unchanged since there was a tan yard in every village. Apologies in advance for the limited and low quality photos. I'm not much of a photographer, I only had my phone with me and we were on a time-scale so I didn't fancy looking like a complete tourist and only took a few snaps as we went round trying really hard not to fall into the liming tank. Baker's has been owned and run by the same family for about 140 years. Today's company director is the 5th Mr Parr. However nobody knows how long the tannery has been here. (There was a tan-yard on this site in Roman times. That's nearly 2000 years, history fans.) The tannery operates in a maze of buildings on the banks of the River Coly, from which it draws water and motive power. (The hides are are agitated in the tan pits by the water wheel which runs in a leat off the river.) These range everything from ancient stone and brick to wriggly tin sheds you might find on a dairy farm. The site has clearly been built and evolved over time, as needs changed to meet a fickle market. One thing that is constant is the impression of age -- a combination of wear from centuries of honest, hard graft and grease which covers every surface. This is what "vintage" dealers aim at and completely miss. Nothing around this site looks old because it's had orange paint daubed on it, been hit with a hammer or rubbed with wire wool -- it's simply been doing its job since it was new. If you've spent time at an industrial site you'll probably know what I'm talking about. Hides arrive as "wet blues" from the slaughterhouse-- just as the got sliced off the cow, except they're covered in salt so they don't rot before they get tanned. They're still hairy and bloody, but that won't last long. First they go into the liming pits. This is an alkali bath which dissolves the fat and little scraps of flesh, loosens the hair, and plumps up the skin. The limed hides go through a couple of machines which dehair and deflesh them, then they're passed to a man who removes any stubborn bits that shouldn't be there. He uses a large knife in a scraping motion. Before machines came about all flesh and hair was removed on the fleshing beam in this way, which was tedious. At this stage it's all still rawhide. After dehairing the leather goes to the tanyard, which is the heart of the operation. Hides are hung in the pits by hand, strung from the oak beams you can see. the beams each hold two hides and fit into wooden frames, which are rocked back and forth by the vertical rods you can see, which in turn are moved by the water wheel. Hides start out in the oldest tanliquor, which is changed by pump each week for a stronger liquor until it's been through the strongest, newest liquor. Talking of tanliquor, Baker's primarily uses oak bark. They have used standard bought-in veg-tannin in the past, and still sometimes do, but these days mostly run oak bark because that's what Baker's is famous for. It's prepared separately in a series of pits underneath the tanyard, with shredded bark left to steep in water for "a while". It's encouraged to ferment before it's ready to be pumped up to the tanyard and the smell is... well let's just say it doesn't smell like a forest. Once the liquor is drained the remaining mulch is sold on as fertiliser. Tanning takes many months and exactly how long I don't know. However the average is 18 months from coming in to being ready for sale. It's this tanning which turns rawhide into leather. Freshly tanned hides are hung to dry in naturally moving air. Once dried, hides are dipped in hot grease and folded in half before they go hard. Later they are put through a hot water bath, laid flat, graded and cut. At this stage their fate is decided -- will it become shoe leather or equestrian leather? Shoulders, backs or butts? Grading is a skilled job but mostly revolves around how many flaws it has -- barbed wire scars matter a whole lot less on a shoe sole than a pair of driving reins. Hides are split to final thickness at this stage. Soling then goes to the butt store but equestrian leather goes on to be curried (dyed, dressed and treated). Most dying is done in a tumble drum these days for speed and uniformity but they still hand-colour some hides. Hides are set out on a stone slab, using a slicker to smooth, even-out and slightly polish the leather. Currying involves the rubbing in of dubbin by hand, which is a mixture of tallow, oil and wax. I didn't get any pictures of the dubbin tank but I think you could submerge an estate car inside it without too much trouble. I've alluded to shoe and equestrian leather and those are the traditional divisions but leathers from these groups is suitable for all sorts of purposes. Baker's sells shoe soling as well as specific cut components like sole blanks, toe puffs, heel stiffeners etc. It can be cut into regular shapes for a beautiful (but rather delicate) flooring material. Soling is also hot fatliquored in a tumble drum to make machinery belting. Equestrian leather is of course traditionally used for riding and driving tack but its use is largely for other goods like belts and bags. Traditional products are bridle and harness in various shades of brown, tan and black. (Some undyed stuff is made, which in England is called russet. That's the sort of thing you might use for tooling.) There's also a certain quantity of lighter weight hides like bag/girth hide, which has an obvious use. Other specialist leathers for making stirrup leathers and girth points on English saddles are available too. Traditional cuts are backs, shoulder, butts and bellies. Backs and butts are sold as pairs or half-pairs (singles). There's also a limited quantity of Russian calf coming out the tannery these days which is amazing stuff. Baker's has been through some rough patches in the past but the quality and beauty of their product is well recognised these days. They're running at full capacity, which is 80 hides per week. It's not the cheapest leather in the world but neither is it the most expensive and I think it's a bargain for what it is. Now I just have to convince my customers the same ;-) You can see some good quality shots of Baker's main products here.

looking for one or two sides of black english bridle 3/4 oz. in Hermann Oak or W & C. Is there any suppliers out there that can do that? I know Hermann Oak wont and thats who I had ordered 3 sides from a couple years ago but they need 5 sides in same color in order to make a sale? That breaks my heart. I have almost a full side of 5oz black Hermann Oak bridle if anyone out there wants to make a trade. 3 to 3.5 oz black is what im looking for. Wickett and Craig id be willing to try too

The answer to this question is probably in this section somwhere but I can't find it! Can anyone tell me who sells good quality tack hardware please. I've been buying from Weaver...great stuff, fantastic customer service. Are these guys the only source? Thank you in advance! Silverd

The answer to this question is probably in this section somwhere but I can't find it! Can anyone tell me who sells good quality tack hardware please. I've been buying from Weaver...great stuff, fantastic customer service. Are these guys the only source? Thank you in advance! Silverd

A while ago I made a harness for an Akita. It didn't go so smoothly. It broke twice and wasn't the correct dimensions. But, it taught me a lot. 1. Don't skive the turn where any hardware will be.... And 2. It pays to make a mock up in craft foam to test fit it to the dog. This harness is made from 1" wide 9/10 oz European bridle leather in Havana brown from rjf leather. I used mostly .6mm tiger thread to hand stitch it (fit my 8spi irons better) but I ran out and had to use some .8mm which worked well. The back strap was a problem on the last one. So to fix, I made it tripple thickness. All turns are full thickness and not skived or split. Each chape has a stationary and floating keeper. Let me know what you think. I'll try and get pics on the dog (for a husky this time)

I am inundated with strap scraps that need a new home. Prefer to sell by the giant box full, weighing about 40-60 pounds per box. Come and see it all and make an offer for a truckload! Located in Aurora, CO. Herman Oak golden tan bridle, 8/10 oz veg tan, and 9/11 oz. struck through Black Latigo from Chahin. Most are mixed boxes, with both colors. Most leather is cut and edged, from 3/8" to 1" wide. Also plenty of random bits and trimmings from the edges of the sides. Asking $1.50 per pound, or $40 per big box. A few boxes full of ONLY the bridle leather cut to 9/16" width. This is beautiful stuff, it's just a little too short for the products we make with it. Asking $2.00 per pound, or $60 per box. Perfect for key fobs, bracelets, small projects, 4-H, scouts, crafts, etc. Remnant from dog leash/collar business (IE: nothing long enough or strong enough if this is what you want to make, because we've used what we can for this purpose). I have a continuous supply of this stuff. Feel free to reply here, but for faster reply, just give us a call. Call or text Brian three-o-three 653-184FIVE

Hi! I starting a custom horse tack business, foremost making dressage bridals and Halters. I'll be using Biothane. Is there anyone around the Lehigh Valley area (Allentown, Easton, Strodsburg, Phillipsburg in Pennsylvania) that can help me make them? email me at carina at swedishequine dot com Carina Vretman

I had posted this in another thread, but thought you might like to see what Beetroot Red Tiger thread looks like on a black bridle belt. I like it. I kinda wished I'd had some 1.0mm for this, but in the end, the .80 looks pretty good too.

Good afternoon, Guys! I have a handful of Wickett & Craig English Bridle Leather Sides in 3 / 4oz for sale. This leather was originally tanned for Coach and I purchased the lot when I was visiting the tannery earlier this year. I have limited quantity available in Olive Drab and English Tan. Some of the Olive Drab sides are slightly discolored around the edges, otherwise I would consider the majority of the sides to be rated as Standard & Utility Grade (According to Wickett & Craig Standards). I was really hoping to introduce these options into my collection, but I just moved into a new studio and would love to clear out some space and get organized, that said - Sides are sold as is. $150/Side + Shipping from Nashville, TN Free free to direct message if interested!

Bridle leather is very easy to scratch, how to remove this scratches? And this type of leather doesn't like water, how to protect Bridle from water? Renapur? Thanks!