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Horsewright

Horsewright

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 4, 2011
Messages
13,482
My son called Fri. Said he wanted to use our roundpen to put a ride on a four year old colt. He'd started this horse a few months back but circumstances had prevented any consitency in riding which is very important to a young horse. He was gonna be doing some day work at a special cowsale and wanted to use this horse for the exposure. Our roundpen has very nice sandy footing whereas the one that the ranch that he works on is pretty hard and rocky. Read that as a softer landing if things didn't go well. This would be the horses 11th ride ever. Things went fine. He also mentioned he needed a new pair of spustraps, he wanted some roughout ones and wanted to use the silver conchos off a pair I'd made him six years ago when he first went to work as a working cowboy. Thought ya might like to see the difference, yeah it was time:

GqtGK1a.jpg


I often surprised at how long spur straps do last. They see mud, snow, barnyard acids and all kinds of nasty. Everybody remembers to condition their boots, nobody conditions spur straps. The boots have 2 and half years on em. New spur straps are 8-10 oz Wickett and Craig lined with 4/5 oz belt laitigo. Build time was about an hour and then another 10 minutes once my son got here to add the conchos. Questions and comments always welcome.
 
Thanks Macan! Yeah they are pretty stout. I made them that way as I know they will be USED. Two ways Ken. Depends on the concho and how it was made. They will have either a chicago screws on the back or a loop, called a bridle loop. So envision an arrowhead of leather, well more rounded, ok a D facing to the left with a shaft of leather coming out the flat side of the D. These conchos have the bridle loop and the shaft of leather from the reversed D has to fit tightly but pass through the loop. Ya put the concho through the slot in the spur strap that you can see in the old pair. On the backside the shaft of the reversed D passes through the loop. The back of the D catches on the loop and prevents it getting pulled through all the way. The end of the shaft has a hole with a slit. This passes over the end of the spur button securing it to the spur. So the attachment of the concho is also attaching the spur strap to the spur. I'll get a pic of mine and post em up for ya. But I'm having puter troubles today so won't be able to do it until my IT guy gets home this evening.

The chicago screw concho way is easier. Just need a small hole in the spur strap for the screw to pass through. On the backside ya have a rectangular tab say 3/4" by 1 1/4". One end has a small hole for the screw the other has a larger hole and slit for the spur button. Put the tab over the spur button and then screw the chicago screw together with some loctite. You're gonna sandwich the tab and the spur strap together with the screw and the concho. Trouble with this system is ya have to find screws for your concho long enough. Ya want the tab to be pretty stout leather say 8/10 oz. Most screws that come with conchos aren't long enough. If ya skive the leather down so ya can get the screw to work its just not strong enough. Had a couple break. Found a place that sold the screws in various lengths and ordered 3 different longer sizes. Fixed it. Yep I've been making a lot of roughout stuff. It sells well.
 
He said he wanted them plainer so I didn't do the basket stamp. Just a change I guess. Also why he went rooughout instead of smoothout.
 
Horsewright said:
GqtGK1a.jpg
Click to expand...

Dave ,

I notice the strap which goes through the buckle on the new ones is stitched around the edge , but isn't on the old .
Did you double side that strap or is the stitching for visual effect ?
Also does one size fit all or do you have different patterns for size ,shape and design of boot ?

Ken
 
Thanks guys! My IT guy got home and a couple of clicks and we're all fixed up. First a couple of more pics of the spur straps:

rIN5TyX.jpg


L2DVQ7t.jpg


Here's a very old pic. This shows the tab to attach over the spur button and how it hods the strap to the spur and the concho on at the same time.

l14gDBA.jpg


Ken I use to make that part just out of single ply heavy leather. Now am lining both parts. More of just upping the game probably more than anything else, looks better. Don't know if its more durable. Been doing that for a couple of years now. We do make the straps in Men's and Ladies but outside of those two sizes they are pretty universal.
 
Thanks Chad. Yeah its a little different ya don't see iit often.
 
Beautiful work.
While you are explaining the world of conchos, how about the kind with 2 slots... what's the best way to use them?

Thanks for sharing your photos and expertise.
 
Thanks Ebb. If I was gonna use a dual slot concho on a pair of spur straps I would punch two hole in the tab. Then I would blood knot together the tab, spur strap and concho having the blood knot finished on the outside of the concho. I'd use a fairly stout piece of latigo or a similar leather for the blood knot as that would be your weak point.
 
Never owned a pair in my life, but I want these just to hang on my wall LOL....beautiful!
 
Ah! Now there's a true Master. If only he could impart all that knowledge and technique to a future generation.

Paul
 
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