Horse blankets repair

[Catharina]

Thanks all for the input! Lots of information. I really think people should bring in clean, washed rugs. I don't think all hairs will be gone..... but most of them, and the rest is washed. How much I try to keep dog and cat hair out of my workshop, it is impossible. So probably, when people bring in rugs, there will be a few hairs on it as well. If it is an inexpensive rug, then, no, it isn't worthwhile repairing it. Same is with putting in new zippers in trousers, repairing holes in sweaters etc. There is just no point in it. I have no idea if this is going to be worthwhile or not. Just trying to see what I can do, create objexts either textile or leather, to make, or repair and make this into a little business. That is going to be difficult, so don't worry all, I have another job that is making some money. But if I can make this work, and quit my other job......dreaming....

https://www.facebook.com/AC.catharina

[jcuk]

7 minutes ago, TomE said:

One tidbit from the Steinke saddlery and harness repair book that I found interesting.  He recommends the single needle backstitch, instead of a saddle stitch, when sewing leather billets on fabric.  Suggests the longer stitch lengths on the backside (against the fabric) grip the weave and are more secure than a saddle stitch.  Of course, this doesn't apply to machine sewing which is how we do larger repairs on blankets.

Thats how's girth billets are stitched to the saddle webbing it does produce a longer longer stitch on the backside of your work ie the webbing. 

[Handstitched]

23 hours ago, Mulesaw said:

How do you charge then, just curious?

By the job.   Some are just small holes on the top layer, but some have gone all the way through to the lining.  Small holes ( on top)  take merely 5 - 10 mins to repair .  Through the lining may take only  20-30 mins at best. But, quite often theres  a number of holes to repair, and maybe a belly strap... and a leg strap etc. If new hardware, and new webbing  is required, thats added to the invoice .  It soon adds up.  Some rugs I've done have been completely destroyed, some just a few days old,  they  do take a while,  , but I re-build them and cheaper than buying  a newie for the client  . I've done enough rugs in a week  to earn me a weeks wage ( pre-covid) . 

4 hours ago, Klara said:

I wouldn't mind a rug with a few hairs on it

Never a seen a bald horse before .  Rugs do come with hair on them .  After doing rugs for over 10 +  years, never had any issues .  I've also been wormed ..ha!!  ...... so true 

As for seat belts, no scrap yards anywhere near here, much heavier to sew . Webbing is reasonably cheap anyway.  

HS

[DrmCa]

On 2/17/2022 at 10:12 AM, Klara said:

I also have my doubts about seat belts: I cut some out of a car wreck and they are not just nylon webbing (at least those weren't): Inside it's almost like glass fibre.

Not sure about France but in North America they are stiff when on the car but can be washed in a washing machine to become soft. They are waxed from the factory. I can keep them waxed for belt liners or wash them for binding or reinforcement on soft items.

[Mulesaw]

4 hours ago, jcuk said:

Thats how's girth billets are stitched to the saddle webbing it does produce a longer longer stitch on the backside of your work ie the webbing. 

Hmm, I just changed a couple, and I couldn't really see if they were machine sewn or regular saddle stitched. So I did a regular saddle stitch. It was  Kentaur saddle, I don't know if it is the same on other brands? (I suppose I could go out and check on my wife's Passier, but frankly I am too lazy at the moment. :-)

 

[jcuk]

The reason why they use this stitch is on the backside of your stitch you gather up double amount of webbing with one stitch, he is a link but i would not recommend using your stitching awl as it may tear and cut (slice) into the webbing use a a scratch awl or another needle of the same size on your thread.

Hope this helps

JCUK 

Edited February 20, 2022 by jcuk

[Mulesaw]

@jcuk I checked today, and I could see that on a Stübben saddle we have it is clearly made with a backstitch. But on one of the other saddles (can't remember which one) it really looked as though it was a machine sewn job.

I can see the idea in the backstitch, so I'll just use that one in the future. 
When I repaired the last saddle, I made the holes in the leather first and then just wiggled the needles through the fabric without using an awl for that. 

Brgds Jonas

[jcuk]

 

25 minutes ago, Mulesaw said:

@jcuk I checked today, and I could see that on a Stübben saddle we have it is clearly made with a backstitch. But on one of the other saddles (can't remember which one) it really looked as though it was a machine sewn job.

I can see the idea in the backstitch, so I'll just use that one in the future. 
When I repaired the last saddle, I made the holes in the leather first and then just wiggled the needles through the fabric without using an awl for that. 

Brgds Jonas

This is what they use to punch the stitch marks, before i had one i use an old billet for a template it is probably a fore runner for a stitching chisel as opposed to a pricking iron. 

https://www.abbeyengland.com/economy-strap-pricker-13-3-8-7-35mm-g--s--pricker

Hope this helps 

JCUK

[Klara]

12 hours ago, Mulesaw said:

I checked today, and I could see that on a Stübben saddle we have it is clearly made with a backstitch. But on one of the other saddles (can't remember which one) it really looked as though it was a machine sewn job.

Perfectly possible, I guess it depends on the saddle makers idea of quality. After all, the machine-stitched one seems to have held as well, otherwise you would have told us.

[Mulesaw]

9 minutes ago, Klara said:

Perfectly possible, I guess it depends on the saddle makers idea of quality. After all, the machine-stitched one seems to have held as well, otherwise you would have told us.

So far I haven't seen any saddles where the stitching was the problem, but I am not a professional saddle maker, so I don't see that many different saddles everyday :-)

To me it seems as the problem is that the holes in the leather straps become elongated and finally break through, or some of the straps delaminate if they are made out of two pieces glued together.