Leather Reins

[entiendo]

I don't come on this side of the board often, as the only thing I really do is braid but I'd like to ask about flat reins. I have decorated bridles and reins with my kangaroo buttons with nice results. But I have a customer that wants reins that's a little more difficult to find. (9' loop rein) I think this is a nice opportunity to figure out how to make my own reins. I have the ability to cut the straps, though I'm sure it's much more difficult than kangaroo. I suspect that nice reins should be veg tanned but what's the thickness and what part of the hide is used for tack?

[rawhide1]

entiendo

WOW thats one long necked hoss!! By loop rein I assume(I know ass out of u and me) ya mean a roping rein. I like to use harness 15oz. or heavier. I will then split it down to a uniform thickness. If your using conway buckles ya might run into a problem with getting the rein back thru the buckle. I'm not sure of the oz.the rein needs to be to fit back thru the conway buckle. If I need to I just split it down till it fits. When I order from wicket and craig I tell them the length I need and their good about not shipping until they get a hide I can get a couple of long cuts out of. Although to get a nine footer ya may be waiting awhile. The other thing about ordering 15 plus oz. is ya can always split it down if ya need to. But if ya need that weight for say split reins ya have it. I always try and use the back for reins and the belly for headstalls and such. As far as being easy to cut it just depends on the tools ya have. I use a good ole walnut inlaid handled osborne drawgauge alot of folks get by with the wood handle drawgauges and some use a plowgauge. I hop this helped some what if not just ignore it. LOL Just be sure whatever ya use is dang sharp. Best of luck.

Mike

[entiendo]

So you can't cut a cowhide in a spiral pattern so you can get a nice long rein? Well you know those "natural horsemen" they like their reins long. One of my girls use 9' too. The other rides a pony so she doesn't count. I'm finding 9' reins are usually nylon or cotton though.

I wasn't going to use any buckles I was going to use a snap, sinew to secure it and then a nice tight roo button over everything. She also wants roo buttons spaced evenly on the whole length of the reins. Kind of like a set of English reins.

I was actually thinking about 10 oz or so. I wouldn't have thought about 15. So the belly is the better leather? Veg tanned the best?

I have a good cutter but my splitter is just a small one used and designed by a whipmaker. It does a great job on my roo string, but 15 oz cowhide might be something all together different.

[rawhide1]

So you can't cut a cowhide in a spiral pattern so you can get a nice long rein? Well you know those "natural horsemen" they like their reins long. One of my girls use 9' too. The other rides a pony so she doesn't count. I'm finding 9' reins are usually nylon or cotton though.

I wasn't going to use any buckles I was going to use a snap, sinew to secure it and then a nice tight roo button over everything. She also wants roo buttons spaced evenly on the whole length of the reins. Kind of like a set of English reins.

I was actually thinking about 10 oz or so. I wouldn't have thought about 15. So the belly is the better leather? Veg tanned the best?

I have a good cutter but my splitter is just a small one used and designed by a whipmaker. It does a great job on my roo string, but 15 oz cowhide might be something all together different.

The best leather is going to be along the back. I've always straight edged the back and cut the reins as long as I could. Usually 7 to 8 feet in length If a side isn't split by the tannery then the neck area will be the thickest. Which I like for the tail end of split reins for the weight. I've put snaps on them before and instead of the conway buckle I punched holes and used a piece of leather to secure it with. The buttons covering the sinew would look nice. I dont know if folks spiral cut sides I never have but that dont mean others dont and have it work for them. There are 9 foot sides out there but you my have to wait awhile for one.

Best of luck, Mike

[entiendo]

thanks rawhide1. Now I need to know if anyone has cut their hides in a spiral pattern. I guess I can now tell my customer why they don't have many 9' leather roping reins. LOL

[harnessman]

thanks rawhide1. Now I need to know if anyone has cut their hides in a spiral pattern. I guess I can now tell my customer why they don't have many 9' leather roping reins. LOL

Hi

The best leather for reins is English bridle leather. That is what it is made for, though a lot of western riders seem to like the stiffer feel of harness leather, your, or their, choice. For riding reins I normally use 10-12 oz and only cut them out of the back and upper side, which is the strongest least streatchy part of the hide. Personally I would not use belly leather for any part of a bridle as it is too streatchy and weak. If you need really long reins you can lap skive them, about 2 to 3 inches back, and sew two togeather. This is what we do to produce driving reins that are as long as 30+ feet! If done carefully the thickness of the leather will be the same throuout and the splice will be at the center where it is between the hands so it is not really noticed anyway. If you need heavier reins, double them up and stitch them togeather! No, your lace cutter will not cut it (VBG) on bridle leather. Pick up one of the wood handle leather cutters that uses a razor blade, cheap and work well and no learning curve like the draw knives. No, cutting them out of a "round" like you would lace will not work and the leather will make a kinky rein that is unuseable.

Hope this helps

Jim

[entiendo]

Thanks harness man!

[Pqstraub]

Hello.  I have a dilemma.  I found a leather worker on Etsy and after a whole bunch of questions I decided to get him to make me a set of 8’ reins. They’re barbwire stamped and stitched and he suggested and then included some slobber straps. To further match my headstall he added some star conchos.  He told me it might take him awhile to get the veg-tanned hide he was going to need to get the length of reins I wanted. I said that was fine.  I just today after a long wait, got them in the mail.  The reins won’t lay flat. It’s quite apparent that they have been cut in a spiral pattern or at least mostly. There isn’t a single foot in either rein that doesn’t have at least a small curve to it.  I’m just shocked.  I want to complain, I want to send them back.  I would even almost bet they were cut free handed.  I know what y’all do is time consuming and is an art that I will never accomplish even though I have spent a lot of money on tools and I did try to get into it but I just don’t have the gift.  I guess I feel like I don’t have the right to complain.  What would y’all do?

[fredk]

Soak them in water for a few hours, then stretch them out, really stretch them out and let  them dry  and see if that improves the lay

caveat emptor

Edited July 5, 2024 by fredk

[Pqstraub]

Hello Fred, thank you for your reply. If I do what you’re suggesting isn’t that going to completely halt my chances of returning them?  If it doesn’t improve the lay significantly they are still not going to be acceptable and afterwards I won’t be able to return them???

I also have to add. You’re living in one of my favorite countries.  If I couldn’t live in Texas I would like to live in Ireland.