My Custom Leather Work

[CM McKenzie]

I know there are several leather workers on African Hunting. Some that dabble in it some that are very experienced, and those in between. I think I have stolen ideas from everyone so far. I hope I can contribute an idea or two.

I do most of my leather work in the winter, and keep a semi real job in the summer.

This winter I am in a unique position to pretty much just build whatever I want. I am relocating my shop, so I am mostly just filling old orders, and building what my wife tells me to.

I have already posted a couple of items I have made, so some of the things will seem a little redundant.

I have a couple of major projects going right now. So I thought I would post the entire process of how some of this stuff comes together.

Here are two of the redundant ones, I have already posted on. I will not include the process for these since they have their own threads.

 

[CM McKenzie]

I’m going to start with a briefcase/ messenger bag I’m building for a ranch manager in on the WY-COLO border.

All of my patterns start out on a chunk of poster board.

Pattern progression. Drawing these patterns is a process that takes me several days to a week. I do a little at a time until it is done. I find, I get a better flow if I leave and come back to it several times.

 

[thi9elsp]

Thank you for sharing. Most of us don't realize what really goes into doing something like your leather work.

 

[CM McKenzie]

I’m just waiting on the custom buckle now, before I start cutting up any leather.

This is from Pardue Silversmith in Midland TX. He is my go to anytime I need custom silver work, and he builds some really cool belt buckles.

 

[CM McKenzie]

The other project I will be posting on is one of my honey do projects. It’s a little saddle for my oldest daughter.

This is how it begins. Custom tree all marked up and ready to start. Forgive my makeshift shop.

 

[CM McKenzie]

The posts for this saddle are going to go pretty quick for awhile, because I’m actually about a quarter of the way done.

Saddles are actually fairly easy to build. The hard part is building them correctly so the horse and rider can both move freely together without interference.

I wish I could locate my first dozen saddles or so because, I would set them all on fire.

The first things I do to the saddle is cover the gullet and start building the ground seat. I am extra careful to make sure everything is centered on the tree.

This saddle is for a miniature person. It is a little bit of a guessing game building this seat, because I cannot fit into this

tree to see if it’s comfortable.

The ground seat is a process I work on throughout the duration of the build process. Built correctly, it is comfortable, doesn’t have any pressure points, and helps the rider move correctly with the horse.

 

[CM McKenzie]

One thing I would like to touch on is hide selection. This is good information to keep in mind even if you are just buying something made out of leather.

Too many large companies rely off of the name of the tannery they use. Such as, “Made with top grain Herman Oak Leather”.

That doesn’t mean there isn’t poor quality leather within a good quality hide.

This is the back of a piece of Herman Oak I have been cutting on. There are roughly six different grains and consistencies shown right here. They all have their uses. But you have to be very selective where you use some of this stuff.

If you see an item at a store claiming quality leather, and it has a lot of wrinkles in the leather and feels like a rag. It was cut out of the belly and should be avoided. If the grain is prone to cracking when you bend it; it usually means it came out of the tough shoulder/ neck area. Not ideal, but better than the belly.

That said, the shoulder/ neck makes perfect leather for a ground seat.

 

[CM McKenzie]

Next piece of the ground seat in and hand hold cut.

 

[BourbonTrail]

I knew a few saddle makers back when I rode regularly…I always enjoy watching the process.

 

[CM McKenzie]

I knew a few saddle makers back when I rode regularly…I always enjoy watching the process.

I try not to build to many saddles anymore. Usually just one or two a year. But I too enjoy watching them come together.

 

[CM McKenzie]

Here’s a binocular case for those of you not interested in watching a saddle come together. It’s a little more African Hunting safari type of thing.

I didn’t document how I did it with photos, and I wish I did. I can tell you I cussed more when I built this little case than I ever have with any saddle.

 

[CBeck]

Nice work, thanks for sharing.

 

[CM McKenzie]

Nice work, thanks for sharing.

Thank you. It was your thread that made me decide to post this. A few months ago I built a rifle strap like you did. Looking at yours, I realized I built mine wrong. I figured we could all draw a little information off of each other.

 

[degoins]

very nice work!!

 

[CM McKenzie]

The next step I move to is designing the saddle skirts. Like I said everything starts out on poster board.

Once the final shape is decided, the leather is cut, carefully tacked to the tree, ensuring both sides are perfectly even. And then the leather is soaked in the water and wet molded to the contact areas of the tree.

 

[CM McKenzie]

After the skirts are dried in, I design the rig

 

[CM McKenzie]

Things will get a little more interesting now. I start the first bit of design on the rig.

 

[Nomadx2]

Great work and thread, thanks for sharing!

 

[kevin masters]

That is some serious talent!

 

[CM McKenzie]

Rig tooling finished.