Plain Leather Horse Tack?
Where can I purchase plain leather horse tack to decorate? I'm able to do leather work- carving, stamping, and painting- but I definitely can't make/sew the tack itself. Does anyone know where I can purchase unfinished leather tack that I'm able to spiff up on my own?
Thanks!
Bummer! I was afraid that was going to be the case. Now it's time to get the product to take the finish/oil off. Thanks!
I'm sorry to give you bad news, but there is a small chance of getting a good result that you could be proud of, by trying to fancy up a plain saddle or other tack. It would be very hard to remove all the finish, and any spots with the original finish left on will stick out like 3 sore thumbs. Perhaps a breastcollar, but even that would be iffy. You can make handsome tack without sewing, though. The original cowboy tack was made by men who didn't have sewing machines, and repaired by men who only had a few basic tools.
Talk to the folks at your local Tandy Leather Factory, or seek their help online ( tandyleatherfactory.com ) or on the phone. You can attach rings and straps with copper rivets and burrs or by lacing them on with thin latigo strips. Bleed knots are another attractive way of joining leather straps. Go to your local tack shop and look at how things are put together, other than with stitching.
I have sewn long stretches of even, straight stitches by punching the holes with a thonging chisel then using 2 blunt harness needles and a saddle stitch.
A bridle is a good first project, but it doesn't allow much room for carving and tooling. I don't like the look of those 'bronc' halters with the enormous part on top of the nose, but they do have a great place to show off your decorative work. You could buy a plain leather halter and just cut the noseband off and replace it with your work.
You could make a very attractive breastcollar that would show off your decorative skills and also be functional. I would suggest using the type with a ring in the middle for a pattern. Remember to add enough length to each piece, to fold over the ring or buckle or whatever. Get a medium thickness skirting leather - thick enough to be stout and keep its shape, but not so thick that it is difficult to cut and work with. Cut the leather from the back or butt, because that is the most firm part of the hide. If it has the fat wrinkles from the neck or belly around the legs, it will stretch out of shape and look like crap the first time the horse sweats on it. Use top-quality hardware - you don't want your gorgeous work tainted by rust or corrosion of the hardware!
After you've done the decorative work, soak the ends that will need to bend around the hardware and you can block or wrap it with a thin cotton cloth until it starts to dry in the desired shape, then use your rivets or whatever.
If you have any more questions about making tack, drop me an email and I'll be glad to advise you. I've been doing this stuff for a few decades, making my own tack and having a part-time business making and repairing tack for other people.
Be aware that there is a good reason you don't see much colorful leather tack. The deep penetrating dyes will darken with the rest of the leather as it ages, and the surface 'paints' will look gaudy at first, then look crappy as they start to peel. If you want to use color, I suggest using shades of brown. That way as the item ages, it will still look good - it will all just be darker shades of the same color it was before.
Also, used tack will not accept tooling well, even if you are able to remove all the finish products from it.
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