Issues With First Pair Of Chinks

[AdamTill]

Hi folks,

Hope you don't mind my posting this here, since lots of you folks both make and use use chinks as well as saddles.

I recently finished my first pair of chinks, and while they turned out pretty decently I think and I got some great feedback in another forum here, over the last couple of weeks I've determined that I don't particularly like wearing them.

The beltine hangs well when walking in them, but on horseback the leather kinks between the sidepanel and belt yoke , and the belt yoke rides up over my jeans belt. It's then a little tricky to get my mecate through my belt, and they end up not quite sitting right since the mecate holds one side down a little. The beltline riding up is annoying since they catch me in the ribs every now and then when my horse makes a hard turn.

I'm guessing this isn't normal, but I'm new to chinks...is it? Did I get the measurement wrong from beltline to top of leg? My horse is extremely wide, and I'm not sure if that's exaggerating the fit issues. Also not sure if 7 oz leather was right for the carved panels, since they don't seem to want to bend at all which might be making the kinking of the chap leather worse. Not sure it it would be worth trying to move the panels down a bit by popping all the stitching and trying to unbind them, if I should just try to sell them, or if this is something that needs to "break in"

I've ridden dressage and jumping horses for years, but I'm pretty new to the buckaroo and vaquero traditions, having had my first real introduction a year ago riding with Richard Caldwell. I bought some tall western boots recently, and I hated riding in them as well...I missed the freedom of ankle movement that I got while riding in english paddock boots. I'm just glad Andy is making me a saddle in the next little while...it'll be nice to have gear from someone who knows what they're doing before trying something else on my own!

Thanks for any thoughts,

Adam

[Russ]

Adam;

I have a couple thoughts:

What thickness leather are you using for the chinks themselves? I make some work chaps out of 7/8 heavy oil tanned leather, and they hang better standing than sitting until they break in. They kink when sitting on the horse with legs spread for awhile.

Although the measurements from the yoke to the plaquard look right, I think the design themselves may be lending toward your kinking problem. On heavier chinks or chaps I use rounded yokes and plaquards (side panels). I've found a rounded design on heavy stock works better.

For sure, the belt line riding up over your jeans' belt line and hitting your ribs is a big problem, and sounds like a fitting problem. Are the back belt and front belt below your belt when you are wearing them? Western chinks are worn pretty low. Perhaps, since your aren't used to wearing western chinks, you aren't wearing them tight enough? Chinks and chaps of such heavy stock are for protection, not for closely laying against the body for "show," like leggings or other english wear. Aside from them rising up on you, maybe you are being too unhappy about with the way they fit since you aren't used to them.

How about posting a picture of you wearing your chinks so we can see the problems you are talking about? Hard to imagine with them just hanging as you have them. But, those chinks look great for a first effort.

Hi folks,

Hope you don't mind my posting this here, since lots of you folks both make and use use chinks as well as saddles.

I recently finished my first pair of chinks, and while they turned out pretty decently I think and I got some great feedback in another forum here, over the last couple of weeks I've determined that I don't particularly like wearing them.

The beltine hangs well when walking in them, but on horseback the leather kinks between the sidepanel and belt yoke , and the belt yoke rides up over my jeans belt. It's then a little tricky to get my mecate through my belt, and they end up not quite sitting right since the mecate holds one side down a little. The beltline riding up is annoying since they catch me in the ribs every now and then when my horse makes a hard turn.

I'm guessing this isn't normal, but I'm new to chinks...is it? Did I get the measurement wrong from beltline to top of leg? My horse is extremely wide, and I'm not sure if that's exaggerating the fit issues. Also not sure if 7 oz leather was right for the carved panels, since they don't seem to want to bend at all which might be making the kinking of the chap leather worse. Not sure it it would be worth trying to move the panels down a bit by popping all the stitching and trying to unbind them, if I should just try to sell them, or if this is something that needs to "break in"

I've ridden dressage and jumping horses for years, but I'm pretty new to the buckaroo and vaquero traditions, having had my first real introduction a year ago riding with Richard Caldwell. I bought some tall western boots recently, and I hated riding in them as well...I missed the freedom of ankle movement that I got while riding in english paddock boots. I'm just glad Andy is making me a saddle in the next little while...it'll be nice to have gear from someone who knows what they're doing before trying something else on my own!

Thanks for any thoughts,

Adam

[GrampaJoel]

Adam,,

I wonder how high you may be wearing therm. Many folks wear them to high they should ride below the belt line.

On another path,

I have changed my yoke design on chinks I make. I now only make a yoke that accommodates sitting down while wearing the.chinks and riding.

I also have gone to making each yoke to fit the individual . So I make each yoke from scratch now. No more fancy big styles from me.

Here is a photo of a pair in heavy oiled leather.( dark brown pair) They were pretty stiff at the get go but have since become very flexible, and well used by the owner.

Also I have added a photo of the step in chinks I personally wear. The body is deer tan cowhide, and much more flexible and they have the high cut yoke also. Mine will wear out a lot sooner than the oil ones will. But I guess there is always a trade off.

I agree with Russ. A photo of you wearing them might give us more hints about your cuts.

Joel

[AdamTill]

Thanks gents - sounds like I need to get some photos to be more descriptive here. They hang below my belt fine when I'm standing, but as soon as I get on the horse they ride up over top of my belt. That's what led me to believe the upper length was too long.

Will report back as soon as I can.

Thanks again!

Adam

[AdamTill]

Hi folks,

Took a while to get back around to these since I've been working on a couple of saddles in the mean time, but I finally had a chance this weekend to make the alterations I mentioned above.

I restitched the belt panels 1" lower down, and shortened the leg bands so that they fit on the leg strap's middle hole. Grinding the heads off 14 copper rivets was a pain, as was picking the bits of stitching out of the separated pieces, but but it was pretty quick to resew everything together and they don't look any the worse for wear from the front.

With those alterations, they rode really nicely last night, so that just confirms that I should have followed Mark's directions better in the first place! When I went back and rewatched the DVD, I'd made the beltline too high, and that's why they were riding up so badly I think.

Thanks for the help BTW, most appreciated!

Adam

[MarkB]

Adam

Glad to hear that you got them to fit better. I had not seen this post before now so I am late like most of the time. It sounds like you did have them to high, this can sometimes be from the drop being to high as well, At least that is been the case with some I have made in the past.

Glad it is working for you.

Mark

[AdamTill]

Adam

Glad to hear that you got them to fit better. I had not seen this post before now so I am late like most of the time. It sounds like you did have them to high, this can sometimes be from the drop being to high as well, At least that is been the case with some I have made in the past.

Glad it is working for you.

Mark

Hi Mark,

Thanks, and no worries...I had a couple of threads going. Life seems to be good now, so all that's left is to get them good and dirty!

Thanks again for the DVD, and sign me up if you ever do an armita pattern.

Cheers,

Adam

[MarkB]

Adam

I plan to do the pattern this winter along with some DVDs if the ranch work will let me.

Mark

[bartlett]

just somthing i do on your back belt riding up , since you do a buckle on it run it threw you back belt loop, everything else just got to break them in

[AdamTill]

just somthing i do on your back belt riding up , since you do a buckle on it run it threw you back belt loop, everything else just got to break them in

That's a good point, but I was actually doing that before unfortunately. Prior to the alterations the issue was the front parts of the belt digging into my sides above the points of my hips whenever I'd turn in the saddle, but it seems that the extra inch or so of beltline to top leg curve was to blame.

I've since put in about 30 hours in the saddle riding them, and life is good. I've all but forgotten I'm wearing them, which is exactly what I wanted.