Whacha Been Up To......

ty_higg · Mar 22, 2019

Horsewright said:
Very cool! Nice work. Yeah once you use one of those card wallets.....all I use anymore. My bifold is in the gunsafe with all the stuff I thought i needed to carry around. I've been a card wallet guy for 3/4 years now.

Those are just rockin!! I too like the contrast between the chestnut and the natural. Did ya split the bridle leather? Like that clutch. See that creaser along both sides of the strap and along the edge of the flap of that prototype would just put it over the top. I like the range marks on it. I've found bout 50% of folks like em and about 50% don't

Thank you I really appreciate the kind words! I ordered the bridle leather from District Leather Supply and they had it for sale already split anywhere from 1 oz to the full thickness. They sell full hides or you can get it in 8" x 18", 4" x 18", or 12" x 24" pieces. I ordered two 8" x 18" pieces just to try it out and see if I like it a few months ago. I agree on the creaser; I'm probably going to order one today just not sure what brand to go with. When I make stuff that I'm going to carry around and use/test a new design I always look for the range marks. I like them a lot and I think it brings some character to the piece.

Horsewright · Mar 22, 2019

Good deal, I've got a couple of Osborne creasers but I just use the cheapie Tandy one. It works well for me. Traditionally a creaser was warmed over an alcohol burner before use. I've never tried that.

ty_higg · Mar 22, 2019

I'll probably just pick up the Tandy one, and do you wet the leather before or no?

Horsewright · Mar 22, 2019

Yeah I do, works better. Do it with a tooling stone underneath for a cleaner impression.

Horsewright · Mar 23, 2019

Couple recents. The holster and belt shipped out yesterday to a fellow BF member:

The travel bag still to ship:

Some pics of the holster getting finished:

The little tweak on the end of the loop strap is important:

Floating on my highlighter/antiquing mix:

Letting er dry:

Then rivet in the loop, fold the holster back down into the loop and you are all done. My new personal EDC too. I stole it out of the last batch:

The holster pattern is from Will Ghormley's Law Dog holster pattern packet and the carving pattern is from Al Stholman's book on holster making.

Robber58 · Mar 23, 2019

Dave,
Can you tell me where you sourced the buffalo leather you used on the belt you showed pictures of earlier this month. The one with the Rodeo buckle.
Thanks,
Randy

Horsewright · Mar 23, 2019

Ya bet Randy. Ya can get it from Weaver, Sringfield and Maverick. All three sell it by the bend (a good chunk of a side) or in pre cut belt strips.

Edited to add: Weaver also sells the premade belt loops that I used on those three belts. I normally don't use a belt loop with that type of buckle but the customer did request them.

ty_higg · Mar 23, 2019

Made another one of these for my fiancé to hold her business cards last night. She to loves the chestnut and natural contrast.

Horsewright what color buffalo is that, and is it real waxy?

Horsewright · Mar 24, 2019

ty_higg said:
Made another one of these for my fiancé to hold her business cards last night. She to loves the chestnut and natural contrast.
View attachment 1097001 View attachment 1097002

Horsewright what color buffalo is that, and is it real waxy?

If we're talking the belts they're matte black, Grey and crazy horse. Some waxy ,yes but not bad.

ty_higg · Mar 26, 2019

Here's a wallet I finished a while ago but forgot to post pictures. I made this for my fiancé with her help designing it to create her ideal wallet. It has a water buffalo back and a natural veg tan interior. It's about 7" tall and can't remember the open width.

Thank you

Horsewright I'll have to pick up some of those colors next time I order water buffalo!

Horsewright · Mar 27, 2019

ty_higg said:
Here's a wallet I finished a while ago but forgot to post pictures. I made this for my fiancé with her help designing it to create her ideal wallet. It has a water buffalo back and a natural veg tan interior. It's about 7" tall and can't remember the open width.
View attachment 1098743 View attachment 1098744

Thank you Horsewright I'll have to pick up some of those colors next time I order water buffalo!

You bet and very nice on the wallet.

Young lady came by and picked up her chinks we'd made her yesterday. Water buffalo legs, with milk "Granada" leather high lights and double fringe. She had her boots on so didn't mind crawling up on George for pics. Leggings often photograph better horseback.

Stitched in natural color thread, not white, to match the milk. Milk underlayment under the yoke, leg plate, leg reinforcement and the pocket.

Milk front belt too and the rear belt is lined with milk.

She loved them and loved riding George to as he's one of my really finished bridle horses. He's pretty dang tuned.

Just all smiles. She choose the colors and the pics don't really do em justice, they are just striking together.

Its fun seeing the customer when they see their order for the first time. Thats not real often since we ship all over the world. Also makes me proud to please the customer so much, particularly when they are young like this (she just turned 18) and they worked for the money to place the order. A fancy pair of chinks like this aren't cheap ($685, 3 sides of leather involved and all that carving). Its a great feeling to know the customer feels it was worth it.

bflying · Mar 27, 2019

Horsewright said:
You bet and very nice on the wallet.

Young lady came by and picked up her chinks we'd made her yesterday. Water buffalo legs, with milk "Granada" leather high lights and double fringe. She had her boots on so didn't mind crawling up on George for pics. Leggings often photograph better horseback.

Stitched in natural color thread, not white, to match the milk. Milk underlayment under the yoke, leg plate, leg reinforcement and the pocket.

Milk front belt too and the rear belt is lined with milk.

She loved them and loved riding George to as he's one of my really finished bridle horses. He's pretty dang tuned.

Just all smiles. She choose the colors and the pics don't really do em justice, they are just striking together.

Its fun seeing the customer when they see their order for the first time. Thats not real often since we ship all over the world. Also makes me proud to please the customer so much, particularly when they are young like this (she just turned 18) and they worked for the money to place the order. A fancy pair of chinks like this aren't cheap ($685, 3 sides of leather involved and all that carving). Its a great feeling to know the customer feels it was worth it.

The tooling on there is spectacular! The whole thing is a work of art really. Are you saying you do that much work for under $700? Or is that just what the leather cost you?

Horsewright · Mar 27, 2019

bflying said:
The tooling on there is spectacular! The whole thing is a work of art really. Are you saying you do that much work for under $700? Or is that just what the leather cost you?

No they sold for that. You can use our website to build a pair and what the cost of the different options are. She came over prepared and knowing what she wanted. Thanks!

Hengelo_77 · Mar 31, 2019

My cousin immigrated from Holland to rural Sweden with her family.
So I made her a puukko with Dutch oak for a handle and a custom blue-yellow bolster/guard. (the Swedish national colours)
And a blue stiched traditional scandi sheath to go with it.
I realy enjoy making these, no weld, no glue and it fits exactly.

Horsewright · Mar 31, 2019

Wow very nice work, knife and sheath.

ty_higg · Apr 3, 2019

Finished this custom order for a customer yesterday. They wanted a 7" zippered pouch with 3 card slots on the outside, and mahogany dyed.

Horsewright · Apr 5, 2019

ty_higg said:
Finished this custom order for a customer yesterday. They wanted a 7" zippered pouch with 3 card slots on the outside, and mahogany dyed.
View attachment 1103957

Thats really cool! Zippers aren't near as tough as everybody thinks are they?

ty_higg · Apr 5, 2019

Horsewright said:
Thats really cool! Zippers aren't near as tough as everybody thinks are they?

No not at all, I was real iffy about zippers before I finally tried them. For some reason I thought I needed a machine to do them right. But I just use weldwood to glue it in place (I know some people use a double sided tape) and my thicker 1.00 mm thread to stitch it since it's a high stress point. Now I really enjoy making stuff with zippers it really opens up the possibilities since most of my work recently has been wallets.

ty_higg · Apr 5, 2019

Also thank you I really like how the design came out. Nice and clean looking.

Horsewright · Apr 5, 2019

Did some cowboyin' last weekend. We were looking for a specific steer thats heading for the freezer. Had to go find him. Had a few friends and family out to help and its was nice weather for a change. Everybody been'd getting cabin fever. Lots of Horsewright gear being used:

Some old guy in the corrals. Horsewright Sandwashed Silk wildrag and Double Wool vest. Don't know why they call me Chief Greybeard:

Our son, Logan and I. He's riding Nichole's mare Josie as Nichole had surgery a few weeks ago and can't ride yet. Horsewright martingales on both horses.

After the gather and why we still had some cattle in the pens my son went and swapped out horses. He had brought two young colts to ride and work on the cattle, just to give them some experience. This bay colt's first time on cattle. Horsewright reins and headstall:

Our good friend Salty is a horse trainer. He makes his living riding other folks horses for them. Here he's working a bay colt. Reins, headstall, leggings and spur straps by Horsewright:

His girlfriend Lucia is the only Slovakian cowgirl in these parts. Horsewright leggings, carved belt, Coyote knife and Horizontal sheath:

We do lots of trading in our world and even amongst ourselves. Logan had traded a horse for a saddle. The horse was stupid gentle and the guy wanted it for his kids. He had a nice saddle with only about a years and a half riding on it. So they traded as Logan had been looking for that kind of saddle and buying a good one is always an issue with working cowboys cause they cost a lot. Seems like a working cowboy is always saving for his next saddle. They start at about $4500 and working cowboys on average around the west probably don't average $2K a month. So its a deal. Anyhoo this trade worked out well. However the saddle had very short fenders and stirrup leathers, too short even for Logan's wife let alone him since he's my height 6'3"ish. Our good friend and neighbor Tyler had a set that he'd had replaced on a saddle he had and they were perfectly good they just didn't fit him as he's a hair taller than me. But they would work for Logan and his wife as Logan rides with a very short stirrup for his height. So Logan rode Tyler's horse for him for a week. This is Tyler's first ride back on her after Logan had her. He's wearing Horsewright shotgun chaps.

And Horsewright reins and headstall. Ya know everybody is really loving our reins, which is a new product for us. They really like the feel of them. Funny thing? We don't have a set yet.