A Little Introduction Of Myself And A Couple Of Questions.

[howitzergun]

Hello there.

I think I should introduce myself a bit before asking something, since I am a new member of this community.

I`m from Riga, capital city of Latvia. Located in Baltic States, northern Europe.

1.5 years ago I started to do small tack repairs, since i`ve been with the horses some 10 years or more. Last spring I visited United Kingdom and took part in the saddle re-flocking course, now I started a small workshop at home and mostly i`m doing re-flocking, some saddle and tack repairs (like girth strap and girth strap webbing replacement, torn apart bridles, martingales, etc). Sometimes I make something simple from the scratch, like wallets, phone holsters, and so on. I know that these are only a small steps on this long road, but I hope that with a lot of patience and hard work I could turn this into a small family business and together with photography make some living from it.

My equestrian friends and other horse owners are really interested in this, since i`m the only one who could, for example, re-flock a saddle (we had one old dude who was pretty good with tack repairs, but now he`s running a tack shop and is not very interested in repairs - simple math, if it`s broken, come and buy a new one), or do some other repairs. Of course, some stitching and leather jobs still can be done in the shoe repair shops (ah yeah, I worked in a small family company as a shoe repairs guy, just to get some expierence with leather, athesives, sewing, etc) but still people are more interested if other equestrian carries the repairs since it`s much easier for other rider to understand what exactly is necessary.

Ah, a little notification - I`m talking about classic, English tack and saddles. Western riding and movement is not popular in our country.

So, maybe, let`s try some questioning?

At first - guys, now slowly I`m starting to make something, not just repairs. Slowly working on my first classic English bridle (a ridiculous try to replicate something from my own tack).

As i`m making something, I need tools. I have knives, hammers, awls, threads, leather, etc, but I`m lacking finishing tools, to make my creation not look like from the Stone age. I would like to know, what are good tool brands (but still at least a bit affordable) and, most important, can you, please, guide me to some on-line shop, that`s shipping worldwide?

For example, I bought some edge beveler from ebay for a couple of $, just for a test, but the piece of crap isn`t from steel. Its cast metal and totally unsharp. Threw it in the garbage can. As far as I`ve heard, the "Tandy" tools are crap also. Am I wrong?

I`m buying my tack spares from a store in UK that`s called "Abbey England", they ship to my country and they`re offering some tools manufactured by "Osborne Tools". Are they any good?

here`s a link: http://www.abbeyengland.com/Store/tabid/77/CategoryID/202/Category2ID/129/Level/2/language/en-GB/List/1/catpagesize/0/Default.aspx

Second question from me:

I own an very good Kieffer jumping saddle (originally in black), that I restored for myself.

Got the saddle in totally abused condition. Flocking was terrible, leather was hard and was never greased or maintained, girth straps gone, etc.

Reflocked, feeded dry leather with an tack oil, replaced everything, except the old paint, that is slowly tearing apart from the leather.

I would like to know how could I restore the paint on my saddle? I`m doing it for myself and would like to have everything top notch. Of course, a lot of people are also asking about color restoration, painting, etc. What paint should I use, how the leather painting`s done and, most important, is it possible to apply a fresh coat of paint so it does not leave markings on the riding breeches? If some of my customers would get his or her`s white riding breeches black, I think, that would be my last job with that person.

I`m very sorry for my extremely long monologue and, please, excuse my english, since it`s not my native language.

Have a splendid day, and best wishes - you, guys, have a wonderful website, tons of priceless information!

Edited January 21, 2016 by howitzergun

[gmace99]

Just read your post . Well done on reflocking the kiefer.i am a saddle maker ant a international leatherwork instructor. Www.uksaddlery.com .

I can flock a panel in 15 minutes the whole job in under a hour. Speed comes with making 5/6 saddles a week for to many years to remember.

Kiefer is not the easiest saddle to take apart and flock so well done to you for doing it.

If you type uksaddlery into YouTube you will come to my videos. I have some on there on how to make the saddle seat and some other bits.

The quality of the video is not great as I did them years ago. However I have a new camcorder and aim to do new videos.

I hope the videos help a bit

[howitzergun]

Hello, Gmace99!

15mins is impressive, truly. By whole job do you mean by complete re-flock, when unstitching the panels, taking everything out and then new wool completely in? I always do a complete reflock, not a part time, because mostly the old flock varies in condition and materials. I`m using only 100% natural sheep wool, that`s been prepped especially for flocking. I`m ordering it from "World Of Wool" in England.

I love working with Kieffer, I enjoy those "bolt on" backs, easy and quick to work with, a lot faster re assembly than stitching whole rear again. Most of my customer saddles are Kieffer, Stubben and Passier, they`re very popular here.

Do you know anything about the Osborne leather tools? Worth the penny?

Hey, if you`re working in UK, maybe you know David May, he`s from Shrewsbury. He was my tutor at the re-flocking course. Wonderful person - lots of expierience and a great sense of humor!

Edited January 21, 2016 by howitzergun

[gmace99]

Yes I know of David he had a good reputation. His methods are different from mine.

He is what we call a country saddler. The way he teaches flocking is the way they do it in the country .

My methods are much faster and the way they make it in Walsall the original way the saddle was made.

Faster does not mean you loose the quality . I have won awards in London for saddle making.

Again David has a great reputation. And is a very skilled man. You will find in time you will learn your own technique.

I have taught all over the world and although I show people my way sometimes you go back to see them and they have adapted to a way that suits themselves.

[Black Dogg]

Welcome to the forum, howitzergun!!

The Osborne tools are very well made and definitely worth your money!

The company is almost 200 years old and is still making their tools in the USA. Here is their website: www.osborneleathertools.com .

I have a few and hope to add more as I can afford them.

Your English is excellent by the way!

Best of luck for your shop.

Black Dogg

[howitzergun]

Thanks, then i`ll try to order something from Osborne!

[howitzergun]

Hello, gentlemen!

I don`t want to make a new topic about my question so i`ll just bump my old one. Everything`s fine, i`ve been working myself up slowly and taking more and more complicated jobs with my simple equipment (bridles, headcollars, wallets, belts, holsters and so on).

The time has come for me to look for a manual leather splitting/skiving machine, i`m just pretty tired skiving with knife all the time.

Unfortunately, I can`t afford something like this for the moment. 

http://abbeyengland.com/Store/CategoryID/441/List/0/Level/a/ProductID/75890

I`ve seen plenty of China made copies and alternatives, for some 200 bucks or so on ebay. Are they up to the task or it`s just a simple money waste? Would`nt like just to shoot in the dark and try my luck without any reccomendations about stuff like that. Should I grab it or just keep punishing myself with my skiving knife until i`ve saved enough for an Osborne machine?

Thanks in advance!

 

[msdeluca]

I've been having good luck with http://goodsjapan.com/ for leather working tools.  I recently bought an edge beveler and am quite happy with it.  They say that they ship to all countries.

[howitzergun]

Just checked their site - unfortunately, they have only small handheld tools and instruments, not the machinery. Still, thanks for an advice, browsed their sortiment and found some useful stuff for me.

[LumpenDoodle2]

There is (was?) someone in Eastern Europe on ebay selling the 4" Tandy skiver for a lot cheaper than Tandy was.   I know it's a smaller blade, but it due to costs I find it does me for the moment.

I would have little hesitation to buying the Chinese 6" skiver, as long as I was happy with the quality of the blade.    Maybe I've been lucky, but I have been mainly pleasantly surprised at the quality of a lot of the higher end Chinese tools.

 

Edited August 14, 2016 by LumpenDoodle2

[howitzergun]

Well, I guess, that blade itself wouldnt be the biggest problem, since I know a few guys who`re working with knives and other blades. I guess, if the original blade is crap, I could order similar shaped better quality blade for an reasonable price.