Hello From Vancouver

[Old Soldier Sahib]

I've just found this forum today after a few hours of 'internet research' and I'm mightily impressed.

My Maternal grandfather was a Staff Sergeant-harnessmaker who served in the Royal Horse Artillery 1879-1903 and the CEF 1914-1919. I inherited many of his tools and the fragments of his harnessmaker's bench when I was a small boy. He worked in a livery stable at the corner of Oak and Broadway in Vancouver from his demob in 1919 until postwar prosperity led to the end of horse-drawn vehicles in urban Vancouver in around 1947. he then repaired shoes at the same shop until the day he died.

Growing up in a family that, while not poor had ungrateful memories of poverty, meant that anything I wanted beyond a certain line in the sand I was going to have to make for myself. This was great, as I learned a great many skills including the rudimentary use of my new/old awls, palms and needles!

My 11-years-old daughter has the usual adolescent female horse-madness, so we took a trip down to the stables in Southlands that one of her friends goes to. Having obtained the brochure (and winced at the hourly rates) something posessed me to say: "Do you have any tack that needs repair?" The instructor promptly showed me some saddles that had had the stitching come adrift. A couple of enjoyable hours double-stitching a saddle thrown over a rail fence in trade for a couple of lessons for her!

I've a lot to learn, as I suspect that some more work will be offered to me, and it won't be all as easy as that was....

[CitizenKate]

I've just found this forum today after a few hours of 'internet research' and I'm mightily impressed.

My Maternal grandfather was a Staff Sergeant-harnessmaker who served in the Royal Horse Artillery 1879-1903 and the CEF 1914-1919. I inherited many of his tools and the fragments of his harnessmaker's bench when I was a small boy. He worked in a livery stable at the corner of Oak and Broadway in Vancouver from his demob in 1919 until postwar prosperity led to the end of horse-drawn vehicles in urban Vancouver in around 1947. he then repaired shoes at the same shop until the day he died.

Growing up in a family that, while not poor had ungrateful memories of poverty, meant that anything I wanted beyond a certain line in the sand I was going to have to make for myself. This was great, as I learned a great many skills including the rudimentary use of my new/old awls, palms and needles!

My 11-years-old daughter has the usual adolescent female horse-madness, so we took a trip down to the stables in Southlands that one of her friends goes to. Having obtained the brochure (and winced at the hourly rates) something posessed me to say: "Do you have any tack that needs repair?" The instructor promptly showed me some saddles that had had the stitching come adrift. A couple of enjoyable hours double-stitching a saddle thrown over a rail fence in trade for a couple of lessons for her!

I've a lot to learn, as I suspect that some more work will be offered to me, and it won't be all as easy as that was....

Glad you're here! There are so many ways to get sucked into leatherwork... glad that arrangement worked out, and I'm sure your daughter did, too.

Kate

[King's X]

Welcome to the forum! It is good that you are following the family tradition.

[Cobra Steve]

Hi Old Soldier Sahib, and welcome to LW. Glad you found us. Steve