Playing with Buffs

[Horsewright]

Recently been using a new leather for some projects. Last year as a special project I'd sourced some water buffalo leather. I'd an order for two matching knives with water buffalo horn handles. Once I received the leather I felt it would be ok for sheaths but it would be really great for belts.

This is one of the knives, sheath and belt from the original deal:

My initial assessment has been correct and we are on our 4th bend of this leather mostly making belts. In fact this pic is our neighbor and good friend. He saw the bend laid out on my bench, ripped off his belt, cut off the buckle and had me make this belt, the first out of this leather then and there. Hard to say no, I'm big and he's a lot bigger, plus he shows up with an occasional bottle now and then:

Colored stitching seems to be popular as the brown color contrasts well with about any thread:

We also found it popular for spur straps and other items like boot sheaths. In fact at one show we sold several pair of the water buff leather spur straps and none of the others. Here's a couple of boot sheaths:

So all out and we go to reorder. Sorry out of stock back ordered etc: Dave don't usually do backorder. So I'd seen another color call Antique Brown. Order up a double bend of that. Very different leather. Not as oily and has a clear crackly coat on it. Honestly at first we didn't like it. It sat for quite a bit before we did anything with it. Then we made a couple of belts with it:

Ok not so bad. Wern't keen on how the edges rubbed. Both of these belt orders were for a very thin belt so it was skivved down to about 4/5 ounces and then sewn to a 4 oz Horween brown latigo lining. Just couldn't get all the fuzzies to lay down when rubbing the edges.

One of the belt orders also included a pair of spur straps with silver dollar conchos:

That seemed to be the secret. We left the spur straps full 8/9 oz thickness, lined them with the same Horween and wow, edges slicked up nice.

So made more spur straps:

So then I thought I'd make some sheaths for In Stock knives. What the heck I did make them on different patterns this time where I didn't have to mold as much. Some pancake sheaths:

And a vertical pancake sheath:

So what do ya guys think about this stuff? Different kind of buffalo but one of my next projects is a pair of woolies from a buffalo robe. Questions and comments always welcome.

 

[WhiteKnuckle]

I love it, but I'm a sucker for distressed leather.

 

[Knife freaky]

Great work on everything as usual! I particularly like the belts! I've been thinking I might make belts for people for Christmas gifts this year!

Ps. You make the best pancake sheaths around in my opinion!

Daniel.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jhensley]

Love it. But I'm keen to the rustic look.

 

[i4Marc]

Incredible work as usual. Buffalo is a beautiful looking material.

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks guys! Aprreciate the kind words.

Whiteknuckle I was describing the antique brown color to my son over the phone. We were talking about making him headstalls. i said "its like its 20 years old but its brand new leather".

Knife freaky both Weaver and Springield sell this water buffalo in pre cut belt strips. Be perfect for Christmas and then ya don't have to buy a whole bend of it. A bend is the heart of a side with the back, butt, belly, shoulder and neck cut off. Still its a pretty big chunk of leather. Thanks, I didn't invent pancakes but I've sure played around with a lot of em. I've probably made more of them than any other single sheath design. My Slot and Loop, Slotted and Horizontal sheaths all evolved from my pancake design.

Thanks Jhensley. My ranching partner is too. He built a word for it. He calls it "rustisicity". He's had me build him brand new holsters and then "age" them so they looked used and abused already.

Thanks Marc. The dark brown is called Crazyhorse and the reddish one is Antique Brown. They have other colors too and I'll have to play with them as time allows.

 

[High Standard]

Great work. The second hide is nice, but, I really, really like the the first. That will age real nice.
The silver dollar spur straps are incredible. I really like the boot sheath with that hide.

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks High Standard. They really are two different leathers. The brown is very easy to work and the red more difficult. We too have a preference for the brown.

 

[Eaglestroker]

Dave, I'd wear and like a belt in either or both of those colors. Is it veg tan buff or is that why you're lining the sheaths? That would look killer on top of a holster or three! Might have to look at getting myself a hide I think those would be popular with the family.

 

[Horsewright]

Good to see ya Eagle!! Hadn't seen ya around in a while. Ya know I don't know how its tanned. My guess would be veggie but I've never asked. Yeah I made a belt for myself out of the dark brown and I really like it. Scuff it up and its got enough oil in it that ya can just rub the scuff out. Also just made a bowie sheath out of the red stuff and used a different buffalo (chrome tan, bag/chap stuff) with incredible grain for the chevrons. Really looks cool. Will take some pics as soon as I get the frog and the saddle chinkasa done.

No those boot sheaths are just always done with a lining like that so I just didn't change my pattern any. Protects the blade from the clip and the rivet on that side.

 

[Diomedes Industries]

Dude. How tall if your friend? 38L pants!?

I wear 36" length. I am 6-5".

Jason

 

[sheathmaker]

Jason, my real length is about 30" but my Wranglers are all 34". Sitting a saddle takes up about three or four inches, and when you are not in the saddle the "stack" is not only accepted,....it's expected.

Paul

 

[Horsewright]

Exactly, I wear 40's. Use to be 6'4" but last physical I'm shrinking, down to 6'3". Not only is he tall he is crazy stupid strong. I have NEVER EVER seen anybody grab a hay bale by the middle string in each hand (3 string bales so about 135 lbs each) and move two hay bales from the truck at the same time, one in each hand. Plus like I said he showed up with a bottle of Knob Creek Bourbon today.

 

[Horsewright]

Water Buffalo leather for the sheath body and the frog. American Bison on the accent chevrons.

Frog, Saddle Chinkasa and sheathed Tehachapi Saddle Bowie. The saddle chinkasa (slang around here for thing), securely attaches an item to the rigging of the saddle. It works by sandwiching the rear billet over the rear D ring and attaching to the billet with the two Chicago screws. the straps then attach your item to the saddle. The top one will go through the belt loop of the frog and the bottom one goes around the body of the item to prevent it from flopping around. Knives, holsters, camera bags, binocular cases, anything with a belt loop can now be secured to the saddle. Cool part, the rigging of the saddle supports the weight of the item, ya know the part that was built to rope bulls, you're not tying it on with the weak saddle strings.

Three Tehachapi Saddle Bowies built in this batch.

They each had the same sheath and a saddle chinkasa out of water buffalo too.

 

[kaizo]

Beautiful work Dave!

I especially like the bolsters on the Bowie.

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks Kaizo!

 

[ANovinc]

Those sheaths are gorgeous. Very inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks ma'am. Working on yours in the morning. Cool deal I'll use your roundknife to cut out the sheath. Wow its sharp.

 

[ANovinc]

Awesome. I am really looking forward to having a blade that I don't have to fight with in order to get it through the leather.

 

[Hengelo_77]

beautiful