Horsewright Knives and Leather

[Sacto]

Well boys! It happened. I sold the Sonoran Skinner and Hunter as a set and the customer wanted the PackPac. So I got around to building it. This is how she ended up:

The only one I've ever done with a water buffalo overlay.

Since the individual sheaths on these knives are a heavy chestnut colored leather I wanted to incorporate that into the PackPac.

Whadya think?

I love it when a plan comes together!

Thank you sir for the kind words. Pricing is something that every maker struggles with, at least every conscientious maker. I know I do. I use to sell a Coyote with a wood handle and a sheath for $85! But I've been doing this a long time. Nowadays, just the sheath is well north of that. For years one of our stated goals was to make knives that working cowboys could afford. My wife says that ship sailed a long time ago. I still sell knives to a lot of cowboy so I don't know. Again thank you for the kind words!

Yeah, the knives are expensive, but when you compare them to the cost of a nice pair of boots or a nice hat that every cowboy is running around in, it’s not bad, and the knife will last longer.

 

[echoscout]

Thank you sir for the kind words. Pricing is something that every maker struggles with, at least every conscientious maker. I know I do. I use to sell a Coyote with a wood handle and a sheath for $85! But I've been doing this a long time. Nowadays, just the sheath is well north of that. For years one of our stated goals was to make knives that working cowboys could afford. My wife says that ship sailed a long time ago. I still sell knives to a lot of cowboy so I don't know. Again thank you for the kind words!


On the pancake sheath I will usually only welt the one side. A lot of it comes from experience I think, when laying out your stitch line. Just how much room does that knife handle need. I do this from the inside with the knife on the leather so I can see the engineering so to speak. I then transfer the lines to the front side to lay out the stitching lines. You're gonna have to come hang out in the shop some day.

Well boys! It happened. I sold the Sonoran Skinner and Hunter as a set and the customer wanted the PackPac. So I got around to building it. This is how she ended up:

The only one I've ever done with a water buffalo overlay.

Since the individual sheaths on these knives are a heavy chestnut colored leather I wanted to incorporate that into the PackPac.

Whadya think?

Glad you got them sold together. They need to be together. Water buffalo overlay looks good

Yes sir. In these inflationary and supply chain issued times it's so, ya do have to adjust to stay alive. The glue I use on knife handles doubled overnight. Leather has gone up too but the big kicker there is getting that leather, shipping from my suppliers to me has just about doubled too. Thank you for the kind words!

I think your knives are a real bargain

 

[RLB0414]

Thank you sir for the kind words. Pricing is something that every maker struggles with, at least every conscientious maker. I know I do. I use to sell a Coyote with a wood handle and a sheath for $85! But I've been doing this a long time. Nowadays, just the sheath is well north of that. For years one of our stated goals was to make knives that working cowboys could afford. My wife says that ship sailed a long time ago. I still sell knives to a lot of cowboy so I don't know. Again thank you for the kind words!


On the pancake sheath I will usually only welt the one side. A lot of it comes from experience I think, when laying out your stitch line. Just how much room does that knife handle need. I do this from the inside with the knife on the leather so I can see the engineering so to speak. I then transfer the lines to the front side to lay out the stitching lines. You're gonna have to come hang out in the shop some day.

Well boys! It happened. I sold the Sonoran Skinner and Hunter as a set and the customer wanted the PackPac. So I got around to building it. This is how she ended up:

The only one I've ever done with a water buffalo overlay.

Since the individual sheaths on these knives are a heavy chestnut colored leather I wanted to incorporate that into the PackPac.

Whadya think?

Beautiful pair of blades. I hope the buyer uses them to skin and process a lot of game.
I know you struggle with pricing. The price of material and shipping does make it a struggle to be fair in pricing while making a buck or two.

 

[Horsewright]

I love it when a plan comes together!

Yeah, the knives are expensive, but when you compare them to the cost of a nice pair of boots or a nice hat that every cowboy is running around in, it’s not bad, and the knife will last longer.

Hadn’t thought of it that way. Yeah my good felt even 10-12 years ago when I got it cost more than this set and the PackPac. I traded 3 Bowies for the hat!

Glad you got them sold together. They need to be together. Water buffalo overlay looks good

I think your knives are a real bargain

Thank you sir!!

Beautiful pair of blades. I hope the buyer uses them to skin and process a lot of game.
I know you struggle with pricing. The price of material and shipping does make it a struggle to be fair in pricing while making a buck or two.

He will. He does a lot of hunting and fishing. A Lot! He’s been a very good customer over the years. He buys a lot of knives to give to his good customers. He’s an outfitter/guide. He has several Sonoran Hunters and Skinners already but none in the high carbon or with the PackPac. He also has the only machete I’ve ever made.

 

[cudgee]

He buys a lot of knives to give to his good customers.

Says a lot about your reputation.

 

[Horsewright]

Says a lot about your reputation.

Thank you sir! He always says that my knives come with a good spirit. A few years ago he gifted me this Colt Bisley in .38 WCF (.38-40). It had belonged to several generations of TX Rangers, three if I have the story right. He said that it needed to be with a cowboy and that I was way more cowboy than he would ever be! Lots of use there to wear all the nickel plating off and those grips smooth!

 

[echoscout]

Thank you sir! He always says that my knives come with a good spirit. A few years ago he gifted me this Colt Bisley in .38 WCF (.38-40). It had belonged to several generations of TX Rangers, three if I have the story right. He said that it needed to be with a cowboy and that I was way more cowboy than he would ever be! Lots of use there to wear all the nickel plating off and those grips smooth!

Dave reckon that Bisley is a treasure. Look good with the Mesquite, DIW Cowboy

 

[pjsjr]

that Bisley is a treasure

No safe queen there...beautiful

 

[Horsewright]

Dave reckon that Bisley is a treasure. Look good with the Mesquite, DIW Cowboy

Thank you sir!! Need more coffee. I kept seeing DIY Cowboy not DIW and wasn't getting it!

No safe queen there...beautiful

The stories it could tell for sure. I have the original Heiser holster too. See if I can find a pic.

Found it:

 

[cudgee]

I have the original Heiser holster too.

Found it:

Quality leather work made to last.

 

[Horsewright]

I've read that they were one of the first outfits to use sewing machines. One of their slogans was something like: "No and can outlive a Heiser Holster." This one is solid indeed.

 

[pjsjr]

The stories it could tell for sure. I have the original Heiser holster too. See if I can find a pic.

Found it:

Thanks for sharing, that combo...spectacular!

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks for sharing, that combo...spectacular!

You bet!

 

[Horsewright]

Working on another batch. Here are some of them part way through a few days ago. Now the knives are all done and am tooling the last four sheaths. Sheath construction will start today after the tooling:

Couple of new woods I hadn't used before. Any ideas what they are?

 

[waynorth]

Couple of new woods I hadn't used before. Any ideas what they are?

I can only see they look like burl and/or crotch wood!! Stabilized??

 

[Horsewright]

I can only see they look like burl and/or crotch wood!! Stabilized??

Yes sir both stabilized. To the left of the ironwood and below it.

 

[waynorth]

Yes sir both stabilized. To the left of the ironwood and below it.

Wild ironwood on the second knife!!
So the far left is not mammoth tooth!! Ha Ha!! I give up!!!

 

[Horsewright]

Wild ironwood on the second knife!!
So the far left is not mammoth tooth!! Ha Ha!! I give up!!!

The resemblance to mammoth is what got my eye originally. Reminded me of some knives I'd made way back (had to stop using mammoth ivory and mammoth tooth 7/1/2016 here in Calif.), using end cut mammoth ivory:

Ready for this Charlie? its spalted maple!

 

[waynorth]

Ready for this Charlie? its spalted maple!

Too bad you can't use that cross-cut Mammoth - dim government decision??

I've never seen spalted maple look like that !!!
The spalting is usually with the grain!! This looks crosswise??!!

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Thank you sir. I don't like dyeing leather. Almost won't for multiple reasons, mostly durability. So I use what's referred to as tannery dyed. The leather comes that color from the tannery. The color is all the way through the leather and you don't have the drying out cracking problems that dyeing leather by hand can cause. So in our PackPac there I used the chestnut leather and the main body is russet. Both have only had a little oil applied during the construction and a finish after.


Yes sir. In these inflationary and supply chain issued times it's so, ya do have to adjust to stay alive. The glue I use on knife handles doubled overnight. Leather has gone up too but the big kicker there is getting that leather, shipping from my suppliers to me has just about doubled too. Thank you for the kind words!

Interesting stuff as always. I had no idea the leather was dyed all of the way through. I've found that when you hand dye, the stitching doesn't contrast as well because of that, even when you dye after grooving and punching it somehow changes the look/contrast of the stitching.