Latest shotgun chaps hot off the bench

[VanHornSaddlery]

Hello,

This is my latest pair of shotguns. Had a different request on this pair. The customer wanted the look of laced in zippers, but wanted them sewn in. Brass spots, conchos, scalloped edges, wickett and craig tooling leather. Let me know what you think.

Thanks

Jake

[Bob]

Jake, thats real nice work. Do you keep track of time spent on a project like that? My estimate would be about 1 1/2 days work. Very nice work. Thanks for posting the pictures.

[TrooperChuck]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing the pics with us.

[ChaChi]

WOW!!!! Absolutely stunning. Someday I hope to be able to do something like that. Amazingly crisp lines and perfect tooling. Great job.

[ArtS]

Beautiful job!

Art

[Ian]

Jake, that's really sharp. I'd be interested in hearing from chap makers:

Apart from the Tandy patterns, is there another source for western chap patterns?

Do the leg part of the chaps go all the way up to the top of the yoke, or does the yoke have just an overlap (if you know what I mean).

I have lots of questions, but that's a starter.

Thanks

Ian

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Hi Jake! Nice work, they look like they will fit and wear properly. I have made a lot of chaps of all kinds for my customers, from show chaps, shotguns and bat wings,to chaps for the excersize riders at the track they are the toughest to please since they wear them 6/7 hrs a day every day and are very discriminating. One thing I have done to make sure that my paterns work is to actually make a pair for myself, and then wear them around out in the paddocks while I am doing chores, blowing snow or what ever. (my wife thinks I am crazy!) The idea is that if I wear them and use them a lot, I can see where they may need some adjustment to the pattern to make them more "user friendly" always looking to improve the product. By that I mean they don't slide down, or bunch up just above the thigh and below the waist when sitting on a horse and so on. Actually, I have found that a steep back to front angle on the belt/yoke will cause them to hang well, and not bunch up in front when you are sitting. Also, when I cut my fringe, I cut all by hand because you can't buy it cut to a length that gives the look most of my customers like, I cut it a full 6.5" to 8.0" long at a slight downward angle about 30 deg, 1/8" to 3/16' wide. At that length, once the fringe is out past the side of the chap it hangs straight down and gives that professional hand made look that is desired. By the way, I start most patterns for a person by using a pair of their pants that they like the way they fit. I mark them up with a marker and cut the beginning pattern out of those pants, that way the outside seams hang straight (very important). Suffice it to say that they don't get the pants back!

Just a few tips for you. Keep up the nice work. There is a lot of people out there wanting custom chaps, and you will find no trouble getting work when your work gets out where people see it. Word of mouth is the best advertising.

Happy Trails!

Bondo Bob

[dbarleather]

Jake,

Beautiful work!

[VanHornSaddlery]

Hello,

Thanks for the comments and the tips, I sure appreciate them. They took me just short of two days to do Bob. The yokes go on top of the chaps, the legs go all the way to the top and the yokes go on top of them, Ian. As for patterns I started out with the Tandy patterns and then started copying patterns from friends of mine chaps that I liked. Thanks for the fitting suggestions Bondo Bob, I never thought about using pants for a pattern. I am going to try that. Thanks again.

Jake