Horsewright Knives and Leather

[Joefairbanks]

I was lucky enough to find a Vaquero on the website a few years ago. I absolutely love this little knife, and the horizontal sheath that it came with! It seems every time I check the site, I happen to pick a time when there’s no knives available. I need to check more frequently. Dave, Horsewright you are a true craftsman, and from the pictures I’ve seen- so is your wife!

 

[Joefairbanks]

I was lucky enough to find a Vaquero on the website a few years ago. I absolutely love this little knife, and the horizontal sheath that it came with! It seems every time I check the site, I happen to pick a time when there’s no knives available. I need to check more frequently. Dave, Horsewright you are a true craftsman, and from the pictures I’ve seen- so is your wife!

View attachment 2579931

Well, as soon as I posted this I checked the site
I’ve got a Cowboy coming now too!

 

[cudgee]

Understated simple beauty to these eyes.

100% understatement.

 

[echoscout]

Well, as soon as I posted this I checked the site
I’ve got a Cowboy coming now too!

You'll love it!

 

[cudgee]

Dave, Horsewright you are a true craftsman, and from the pictures I’ve seen- so is your wife!

Both absolute craftsman. Their work is outstanding, and really good people. .

 

[Joefairbanks]

You'll love it!

Both absolute craftsman. Their work is outstanding, and really good people. .

Thanks guys! I can’t wait for it to get here!!

 

[Mongo]

Can you please show how the Buckaroo sheath fastens/works?

 

[Sacto]

Wow guys thanks!!! Wow!

Where to start, still taken aback a lil. For those that don't know me maybe a lil intorduction is in order.

I'm Dave and my wife is Nichole. Together we are Horsewright. I make the knives and sheaths. She makes the bags and purses etc. We both make holsters, belts and many other items. Much of our work is pointed at the cowboy, rancher, western, world cause thats who we are too. We recently retired from being cattle ranchers ourselves, so have quite a bit of street cred in that world. We do still have four horses that we try to work with several times a week. Here's a lil tidibit though that not everyone knows, I'm introduced in a friend's memoir as "the only cowboy you will ever meet that played rugby at a high school in Scotland." Thats true I did live in Scotland for 3.5 years but my friend Jack Black has said he's met another rugby playing cowboy so there's that.

We have three kids Josh and Logan are both 32. Josh is an IT guy. Logan is a working cowboy and Alyssa (27), (Smoke, Rudy, Sally, Ally or any of her other nicknames), is a nursing student. All have helped at one time or another in the Horsewright business.

Been making knives for sale for twenty plus years and have made and sold tens of thousands of knives and sheaths. All of my knives come with a sheath that has been made and fitted to that specific knife, not just to that knife model. We do make a lot of our sheaths for other folks knives not just our own knife models. Been doing professional leather work even longer. Was figuring in my head of that being north of forty years. Lately, we've cut down on some of the leatherwork options we do for the cowboy side. So we don't really make chaps, leggings, reins and some other items like that much anymore. So thats pretty much it as an introduction I guess. I always welcome questions and anything that interests you about my knives, building process, leatherwork, cowboying heck bout anything feel free.

If you are looking for one of my knives, check our website often. I usually have a batch of knives I'm currently working on or just put on the website. If you are thinking of something specific message me here or call.

Thanks again guys for all the kind words!

Here's the current batch I'm working on a couple of days ago. Bolsters are on but not the handle materials.

Bout halfway through yesterday's work. Ya can tell that this old plastic work table has seen a few knives:

Got this group finished up, hand sanded the handles and then buffed and polished. They are ready to be sharpened today. There are five with different wooden handles that need to be buffed and polished today. They were drying yesterday.

Couple recent sheaths for other folks knives:

A few knives from a while back:

Dang Dave, I didn’t know you retired from the cow business. That’s got to feel kinda weird. I bet your dogs miss it. I hope you were able to take advantage of this crazy market we’ve been having.

This is a great thread, I always love seeing your knives. I especially like the way you do elk and the ram horn with the green liners. I’m hoping to order a ram horn one of these days.

 

[Horsewright]

I was lucky enough to find a Vaquero on the website a few years ago. I absolutely love this little knife, and the horizontal sheath that it came with! It seems every time I check the site, I happen to pick a time when there’s no knives available. I need to check more frequently. Dave, Horsewright you are a true craftsman, and from the pictures I’ve seen- so is your wife!

View attachment 2579931

Thank you sir for the kind words. Ya'll like that Cowboy, thanks!

Both absolute craftsman. Their work is outstanding, and really good people. .

Thank you sir for the kind words too!

Can you please show how the Buckaroo sheath fastens/works?

Ya bet Mongo . Here's my wife sewing some up yesterday:

There's a slit in the end of the strap. This allows you to back feed it or back braid it onto your belt loop:

Ya can drop the knife in the pouch and put it in your pocket. I tend to carry mine, when I carry a folder, in my left front pocket but took these pics on the other side as most folks seem to prefer the right side.

Ya can stick it in either the front pocket or the rear as shown here:

So basically a Buckaroo Pouch acts as a slip with a tether. It protects the folding knife from keys and debris and also makes access easier. Ya need your knife, just tug up on the tether and the pouch will come out of your pocket. Use your knife and just let the pouch dangle. No misplacing the slip while you use your knife. All done back in the pouch and back in your pocket. They are extremely popular in the cowboy world. When this is your corner office with a view:

But digging your knife out of a pocket when wearing those leggings can be tricky, particularly if you need it quickly, The Buckaroo Pouch makes that easier. My friend Dave is pulling his knife out at this branding to cut a calf. We didn't make that particular Buckaroo Pouch, I did make his leggings though:

Did make this one though at the same branding:

Dang Dave, I didn’t know you retired from the cow business. That’s got to feel kinda weird. I bet your dogs miss it. I hope you were able to take advantage of this crazy market we’ve been having.

This is a great thread, I always love seeing your knives. I especially like the way you do elk and the ram horn with the green liners. I’m hoping to order a ram horn one of these days.

Yes sir, its weird! Developers bought our lease. Gonna build houses and a retirement center I believe. They offered to let us stay on another couple of years while they got permits but we felt it best to go out on our terms and our timing. Instead of getting the call Sunday night at 9, Hey the bulldozers will be there in the morning, or not get the call at all, cause that did happen to us once. Found out the city was building a road through the flats using Eminent Domain by coming to gather cattle one morning and there's a hundred foot hole in the fence here and a hundred foot hole in the fence way over there and bull dozers running back and forth. The construction boss said the city just told him to cut fence and get to work! And ya wonder why Curly (Jack Palance), sat there on his horse, up on the hill looking down on Billy Crystal and all the chaos. Figured that was gonna be us again. Anyhoo better to go out on our time frame and our terms. So we gathered and shipped in Oct. Yes we certainly benefitted by the historically high prices and certainly that was part of our reasoning too. Keep hearing that prices gonna tank after June, we'll see. Sometimes ya just got to kiss the pretty girl and ride off into the sunset with her:

Just built a knife like you described in this batch. Going to a cowman up in WA.

 

[echoscout]

would a Buck 112 more than likely fit better in a large Buckaroo sheath? I assume it would be that one since it is only a little bit smaller than a Buck 110.

Buckaroo pouch with a Buck 112

 

[Sacto]

Thank you sir for the kind words. Ya'll like that Cowboy, thanks!

Thank you sir for the kind words too!

Ya bet Mongo . Here's my wife sewing some up yesterday:

There's a slit in the end of the strap. This allows you to back feed it or back braid it onto your belt loop:

Ya can drop the knife in the pouch and put it in your pocket. I tend to carry mine, when I carry a folder, in my left front pocket but took these pics on the other side as most folks seem to prefer the right side.

Ya can stick it in either the front pocket or the rear as shown here:

So basically a Buckaroo Pouch acts as a slip with a tether. It protects the folding knife from keys and debris and also makes access easier. Ya need your knife, just tug up on the tether and the pouch will come out of your pocket. Use your knife and just let the pouch dangle. No misplacing the slip while you use your knife. All done back in the pouch and back in your pocket. They are extremely popular in the cowboy world. When this is your corner office with a view:

But digging your knife out of a pocket when wearing those leggings can be tricky, particularly if you need it quickly, The Buckaroo Pouch makes that easier. My friend Dave is pulling his knife out at this branding to cut a calf. We didn't make that particular Buckaroo Pouch, I did make his leggings though:

Did make this one though at the same branding:

Yes sir, its weird! Developers bought our lease. Gonna build houses and a retirement center I believe. They offered to let us stay on another couple of years while they got permits but we felt it best to go out on our terms and our timing. Instead of getting the call Sunday night at 9, Hey the bulldozers will be there in the morning, or not get the call at all, cause that did happen to us once. Found out the city was building a road through the flats using Eminent Domain by coming to gather cattle one morning and there's a hundred foot hole in the fence here and a hundred foot hole in the fence way over there and bull dozers running back and forth. The construction boss said the city just told him to cut fence and get to work! And ya wonder why Curly (Jack Palance), sat there on his horse, up on the hill looking down on Billy Crystal and all the chaos. Figured that was gonna be us again. Anyhoo better to go out on our time frame and our terms. So we gathered and shipped in Oct. Yes we certainly benefitted by the historically high prices and certainly that was part of our reasoning too. Keep hearing that prices gonna tank after June, we'll see. Sometimes ya just got to kiss the pretty girl and ride off into the sunset with her:

Just built a knife like you described in this batch. Going to a cowman up in WA.

Glad the timing worked out with the market. The same exact thing is happening up here. I lost a 1,000-acre lease last year to development and I’ve got a couple more years on the 1,000 acres across the road before they start building there. At that point I’ll have to downsize significantly.

Do you ever make a wharncliffe style blade? I find a straight edge pretty handy for general use.

 

[RLB0414]

Thank you sir for the kind words. Ya'll like that Cowboy, thanks!

Thank you sir for the kind words too!

Ya bet Mongo . Here's my wife sewing some up yesterday:

There's a slit in the end of the strap. This allows you to back feed it or back braid it onto your belt loop:

Ya can drop the knife in the pouch and put it in your pocket. I tend to carry mine, when I carry a folder, in my left front pocket but took these pics on the other side as most folks seem to prefer the right side.

Ya can stick it in either the front pocket or the rear as shown here:

So basically a Buckaroo Pouch acts as a slip with a tether. It protects the folding knife from keys and debris and also makes access easier. Ya need your knife, just tug up on the tether and the pouch will come out of your pocket. Use your knife and just let the pouch dangle. No misplacing the slip while you use your knife. All done back in the pouch and back in your pocket. They are extremely popular in the cowboy world. When this is your corner office with a view:

But digging your knife out of a pocket when wearing those leggings can be tricky, particularly if you need it quickly, The Buckaroo Pouch makes that easier. My friend Dave is pulling his knife out at this branding to cut a calf. We didn't make that particular Buckaroo Pouch, I did make his leggings though:

Did make this one though at the same branding:

Yes sir, its weird! Developers bought our lease. Gonna build houses and a retirement center I believe. They offered to let us stay on another couple of years while they got permits but we felt it best to go out on our terms and our timing. Instead of getting the call Sunday night at 9, Hey the bulldozers will be there in the morning, or not get the call at all, cause that did happen to us once. Found out the city was building a road through the flats using Eminent Domain by coming to gather cattle one morning and there's a hundred foot hole in the fence here and a hundred foot hole in the fence way over there and bull dozers running back and forth. The construction boss said the city just told him to cut fence and get to work! And ya wonder why Curly (Jack Palance), sat there on his horse, up on the hill looking down on Billy Crystal and all the chaos. Figured that was gonna be us again. Anyhoo better to go out on our time frame and our terms. So we gathered and shipped in Oct. Yes we certainly benefitted by the historically high prices and certainly that was part of our reasoning too. Keep hearing that prices gonna tank after June, we'll see. Sometimes ya just got to kiss the pretty girl and ride off into the sunset with her:

Just built a knife like you described in this batch. Going to a cowman up in WA.

Always good to exit on your terms.
I for one will miss the cowboyin' photos.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

It's kind of bumming out thinking about you fine gentlemen not overseeing vast swaths of cow ridden land.

 

[DavidABQ]

You do beautiful work Horsewright!

 

[mitch13]

Thank you sir for the kind words. Ya'll like that Cowboy, thanks!

Thank you sir for the kind words too!

Ya bet Mongo . Here's my wife sewing some up yesterday:

There's a slit in the end of the strap. This allows you to back feed it or back braid it onto your belt loop:

Ya can drop the knife in the pouch and put it in your pocket. I tend to carry mine, when I carry a folder, in my left front pocket but took these pics on the other side as most folks seem to prefer the right side.

Ya can stick it in either the front pocket or the rear as shown here:

So basically a Buckaroo Pouch acts as a slip with a tether. It protects the folding knife from keys and debris and also makes access easier. Ya need your knife, just tug up on the tether and the pouch will come out of your pocket. Use your knife and just let the pouch dangle. No misplacing the slip while you use your knife. All done back in the pouch and back in your pocket. They are extremely popular in the cowboy world. When this is your corner office with a view:

But digging your knife out of a pocket when wearing those leggings can be tricky, particularly if you need it quickly, The Buckaroo Pouch makes that easier. My friend Dave is pulling his knife out at this branding to cut a calf. We didn't make that particular Buckaroo Pouch, I did make his leggings though:

Did make this one though at the same branding:

Yes sir, its weird! Developers bought our lease. Gonna build houses and a retirement center I believe. They offered to let us stay on another couple of years while they got permits but we felt it best to go out on our terms and our timing. Instead of getting the call Sunday night at 9, Hey the bulldozers will be there in the morning, or not get the call at all, cause that did happen to us once. Found out the city was building a road through the flats using Eminent Domain by coming to gather cattle one morning and there's a hundred foot hole in the fence here and a hundred foot hole in the fence way over there and bull dozers running back and forth. The construction boss said the city just told him to cut fence and get to work! And ya wonder why Curly (Jack Palance), sat there on his horse, up on the hill looking down on Billy Crystal and all the chaos. Figured that was gonna be us again. Anyhoo better to go out on our time frame and our terms. So we gathered and shipped in Oct. Yes we certainly benefitted by the historically high prices and certainly that was part of our reasoning too. Keep hearing that prices gonna tank after June, we'll see. Sometimes ya just got to kiss the pretty girl and ride off into the sunset with her:

Just built a knife like you described in this batch. Going to a cowman up in WA.

Thanks for sharing Dave

 

[Horsewright]

Glad the timing worked out with the market. The same exact thing is happening up here. I lost a 1,000-acre lease last year to development and I’ve got a couple more years on the 1,000 acres across the road before they start building there. At that point I’ll have to downsize significantly.

Do you ever make a wharncliffe style blade? I find a straight edge pretty handy for general use.

Glad the timing worked out with the market. The same exact thing is happening up here. I lost a 1,000-acre lease last year to development and I’ve got a couple more years on the 1,000 acres across the road before they start building there. At that point I’ll have to downsize significantly.

Do you ever make a wharncliffe style blade? I find a straight edge pretty handy for general use.

Yep sounds like the same dealio! No I haven't. Doesn't mean I couldn't.

Always good to exit on your terms.
I for one will miss the cowboyin' photos.

Oh I've still got a bunch. I'll use em as I can. Branding time:

For those that may not know, knives are an important tool for a cowboy or cowboygirl in their work. Not only at a branding but in their day to day deal:

My knife models reflect this heritage and certainly my sheaths are all about safely wearing a fixed blade while horseback. If they work well for that, think of how well they work for a walk in the woods or around town on an edc basis, hunting, fishing, gardening or whatever you do.

It's kind of bumming out thinking about you fine gentlemen not overseeing vast swaths of cow ridden land.

We are still very involved with horses and I have a new two year old gelding I'm bringing up. We go slow with the youngsters. Our son who has always been a working cowboy is still involved in that field. He currently works for a large ranch in south eastern Oregon. Its interesting cause 15 years ago right out of high school thats where he started his cowboying career. In between he has cowboyed for several ranches here in California, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Some of these places redefined vastness. The first place he worked one time he called me and we was chit chatting. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was taking some strays back to the next door neighbor. I asked him if he was tailing them (pushing them horseback) or trailering them. He said he was trailering them. I asked him how far a drive that was. Oh bout an hour and a half. To the next door neighbors! When he was on the Diamond A in Arizona, they had pastures that were 80,000 acres! He ran a ranch in NV, relatively small by the standards he was use to, 126,000 acres. So it was basically 7 miles wide by 35 miles long! Huge right? The last ranch he worked at in Nv was 1.2 million acres! Literally bigger than the state of Rhode Island and the same size as Delaware. Hard to wrap our heads around that kind of size.

You do beautiful work Horsewright!

Thank you sir!

Thanks for sharing Dave

Ya bet!!

 

[afishhunter]

The last ranch he worked at in Nv was 1.2 million acres! Literally bigger than the state of Rhode Island and the same size as Delaware.

So about the same size as TV's Cartwright's "Ponderosa"?
Wonder how they prevent squatters from coming in and making an Adobe home or taking up residence in a cave or a long abandned mine.

From what I remember of southern Nevada, any way, trees are rare.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Yep sounds like the same dealio! No I haven't. Doesn't mean I couldn't.

Oh I've still got a bunch. I'll use em as I can. Branding time:

For those that may not know, knives are an important tool for a cowboy or cowboygirl in their work. Not only at a branding but in their day to day deal:

My knife models reflect this heritage and certainly my sheaths are all about safely wearing a fixed blade while horseback. If they work well for that, think of how well they work for a walk in the woods or around town on an edc basis, hunting, fishing, gardening or whatever you do.

We are still very involved with horses and I have a new two year old gelding I'm bringing up. We go slow with the youngsters. Our son who has always been a working cowboy is still involved in that field. He currently works for a large ranch in south eastern Oregon. Its interesting cause 15 years ago right out of high school thats where he started his cowboying career. In between he has cowboyed for several ranches here in California, Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Some of these places redefined vastness. The first place he worked one time he called me and we was chit chatting. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was taking some strays back to the next door neighbor. I asked him if he was tailing them (pushing them horseback) or trailering them. He said he was trailering them. I asked him how far a drive that was. Oh bout an hour and a half. To the next door neighbors! When he was on the Diamond A in Arizona, they had pastures that were 80,000 acres! He ran a ranch in NV, relatively small by the standards he was use to, 126,000 acres. So it was basically 7 miles wide by 35 miles long! Huge right? The last ranch he worked at in Nv was 1.2 million acres! Literally bigger than the state of Rhode Island and the same size as Delaware. Hard to wrap our heads around that kind of size.



Thank you sir!



Ya bet!!

What was the name of the big one in NV? My brother worked on one out there for a while that was about that size

 

[Horsewright]

So about the same size as TV's Cartwright's "Ponderosa"?
Wonder how they prevent squatters from coming in and making an Adobe home or taking up residence in a cave or a long abandned mine.

From what I remember of southern Nevada, any way, trees are rare.

That is indeed a problem. We, in fact, had a whole meth head village on our place we had to clean out.

It was the Winecup Gambel an old historic ranch in north east Nevada. Jimmy Stewart had been a previous owner.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

That is indeed a problem. We, in fact, had a whole meth head village on our place we had to clean out.

It was the Winecup Gambel an old historic ranch in north east Nevada. Jimmy Stewart had been a previous owner.

Cool experience for him to work on a place like that. My brother worked on the RO in Nevada.