60 Strand Horse Rawhide Knife Handle

[Alan Bell]

Here's a knife handle I'm finishing up that is 60 strands horse rawhide. Any critiques or questions are welcome.

Vaya con Dios, Alan

[NoahL]

I'm worthless at braiding, so that is perfection in progress, to me! If you don't mind my asking, where did you get the horse rawhide?

~Noah

[KnotHead]

Excellent work in progress. Nice hide too.

[rgerbitz]

Very cool Alan. Do you work those string with the same moisture that you would to braid? I to would like to know where to get some horse rawhide.

Rob

[Butch]

No critique here. It looks great Alan.

I have a knife I wanted to something similar to, but that's in the future.

Great job.

Butch

[Alan Bell]

Thanks everyone!

Rob and Noah, I got this horse rawhide from a dead horse! LOL Actually it came from my friends in Argentina. I also have some from Nate here and a little left over from a horse that I did last year. You might mention to your vet that what you do and maybe when he puts a horse down they might let you skin it. If it gets to that point I can let you know how since it is a little different than a cow.

Vaya con Dios, Alan

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Alan, I am still trying to get my mind around 60 Strands! You are probably good at keeping track of a whole herd of calves, and where they are, at the same time too! Whew, I do some braiding, but; only what I can teach myself from the book. I think I will stick to saddle making, I can do that one piece at a time.

Very Nice!

Bob

[lilpep]

http://www.furandhide.com/ centralia hide and fur has horse in hides and in if you call them they might cut you a wider strip. i bought some lace before and it was good.

www.chichesterinc.com these guys also have some never bougth kind of pricy.

nice Work Alan post a pic when you do the "remates" at the pomel or are you going to do something else like "envoltura" ?

[Alan Bell]

Wow, Thanks for the compliments everyone! All I see is the mistakes! LOL.

Bob, I started this in the middle of working on 3 saddles since my garage is not heated and I could work on this in the house and on the road! The next handle is a little larger and will be 90 strands.

Lilpep, I have bought horse rawhide from chester inc. and it is from Peru and I am not sure of the process they use but it is not the same as that the Argentines make or that you would make your self. I don't really recommend using it.

Vaya con Dios, Alan

[KnotHead]

Alan,

I have to ask you this question. What was the most difficult thing to do in this project? Criteria for this question is From the start of your project to the Finish.

[Alan Bell]

Alan,

I have to ask you this question. What was the most difficult thing to do in this project? Criteria for this question is From the start of your project to the Finish.

Knothead, i guess if we don't count cutting and beveling 1.5mm strings then the hardest part for me is spiraling all the strings arond the core and keeping them tight while doing the fid work. I have trouble maintaing the 45 deg angle of the working strands too.

Vaya con Dios, Alan

[KnotHead]

Thanks Alan. I wonder if using a rubber band and building the braid in sections would help with maintaining the 45 degree. For example, lay up your lace with a rubber band at the starting point and then another rubber band say about 3 to 5 inches down the project and then twist all of the lace to a 45 degree helix and then working your design in 3 to 5 inch sections. I also wonder if that might help keep the lace tight against the surface that you are covering.

Brian...

[Alan Bell]

Brian, that is exactly how you do this style of work!

Vaya con Dios, Alan

[SpartanCadet]

This might be a dumb question, as I have never worked with rawhide, just paracord and leather, but how do you keep the strands at the right noisture level to work when you are doing these kinds of projects?

[troy]

very nice work alan, I always (despite trying really hard) do not manage to get the lace to run the 45 degree's and get patterns perfectly stright, but you have - jealous as hell now.....

[Leatherpownder]

Nice piece Alan, hope to see the finished project.

[JLD]

beautiful work. where do you get the ideas for the patterns. I have been looking fot books without success. Can you reccomend any.I to would love to see the finished project

Johanne

[Wishful]

Impressive

[venthompson]

Ron Edwards book 'How to make Whips' has some good info on patterns and doing names in braiding.

[8KCAB]

I've always wondered about maintaining the moisture on a big project like this. Do you just let it dry out and add it back when you get back to it?

[troy]

And as if I needed to prove my comment ref's your work Alan, here's my latest attempt at fine lacing - aint easy mate especially when it seems all you thoughht you knew goes haywire, your eye sight goes north and all the laces start to form just one bit mass or mess!