Horse Hide

[ABC3]

I've started playing around w/ Horse Hide & planning to make a dual layered belt. Horse Hide on the outside & 6/7 oz Bull Hide for the liner.

Question: How do you cut a strap of "Horse Hide". I have 4 strap cutters, that I use for different widths for various things (the old basic wooden type - that has served we well in the past) & have cut hundreds of straps, put a new blade in it & still cannot cut past 6 inches on a 1 1/2" strap of HH. It just will not cut. Have I got a bad pc off Horse Hide or am I missing something. The Horse Hide is as stiff as a board but recent shippment according to the Dist. It's not the thickness (which appears to be maybe in the 8/9 oz category) so then what is the problem .

Any suggestions......

[NoahL]

I only use horsehide, and my cheapy wooden strap cutter from Tandy makes it through okay--I generally have to push the leather through, rather than pulling the cutter, but it still works. I have had a few pieces that I think were "burned" in the center that made it really stiff and insanely tough to cut, but I wasn't cutting straps, I was cutting shapes, so I don't know how the strap cutter would be affected. I soaked the leather in water for a bit and it softened up enough to cut, but you would have to be careful of the strap cutter marring the surface leather if you did that. Good luck!

[ABC3]

NoahL:

I just broke my 3rd blade in the strap cutter. I don't know what the problem is. But it's time to relax with a glass of wine & figure it out tomorrow. Bytheway, how did you come out in your Tour ? (A little off topic, but short) My son came in third - Regionals)

Have a safe one & thanks.

[NoahL]

Yikes! I was using an Exacto knife, but I managed to only bend it . Hopefully the morning brings answers for you.

I came in 2nd to another guy from my dojo--it was just a little local tournament, but it was my first judo tournament (the rest have all been karate tournaments). Thanks for asking!