The Art of Handcrafting Custom Game Calls > Handcrafting Custom Lanyards
Essential Leather Braiders Kit
schwert:
Essential Braiding Supplies.
I realize that most here are bending paracord rather than leather, but leather work can not only be fun but also produce some nice useful items.
A few have commented on my work posted here, most stating how hard it looks….really is it easy. So the point of this post it to introduce a few resources and tools that can get anyone braiding leather in a heartbeat.
For years I have been braiding small items ranging from lanyards and baldrics to awl sheaths. In every instance I would say that the end result looks far more difficult than the actual process. I have learned very few of the bag of skills and tricks that a master whip braider likely has in his tool kit.
So that leads us to the essentials for a braider
First should be David Morgan’s wonderful book. Amazon carries it for a better price than David…but you have to order leather lace from him anyway, so you might as well make his day with a book order too.
The essential book…Braiding Fine Leather by David Morgan
http://www.davidmorgan.com/product_info.php?products_id=78
Lace….you can use all sorts of stuff…but take my word for it and get a spool of 3mm kangaroo lace. It braids superbly, looks great in the finished item, and is durable and strong. It currently costs $1.15 per meter…so it is not cheap, but it is well worth it.
3mm Machine cut lace $115/100m
http://www.davidmorgan.com/product_info.php?products_id=484
Awl ….you will want an awl with a fine, but NOT sharp point. Too sharp and awl will frustrate you….a blunt belting awl is ideal, but any awl can be dulled to work fine. The Osborn belting awl, with the wide flattened area, works perfectly to spread the braid for easy work.
Belting Awl
Semi-sharp awl.
Sharp short thin knife….really an essential that is already in everyone’s hands…but essential it is. A wharncliffe can make trimming close to your work a bit easier and safer so as to not cut into the braid…but anything that is sharp sharp sharp and small will work just fine.
Braiding Soap I make mine from lard and ivory bar soap. However a tin of saddle soap or Pecards leather dressing also works. I like the lard/ivory mix (recipe in David’s book) as it is not as slick as Pecards dressing as you braid. Saddle soap is an excellent alternative.
Nice to haves:
A few other tools that come in handy sometimes are:
Smooth jawed pliers
Lacing needles, I prefer the Tandy hollow tube type.
Spring clamp
Cheap table top clamp on vise
Cutting board or piece of scrap lumber
One of my favorite leather braids I have done for calls is a short leather hanger….this can be hitched to a traditional paracord drop or used on a fancy leather lanyard too.
trkyklr:
now thats some spiffy braiding.....
Braz:
I think you did a great job of providing information. I really like what you did here and am pinning it so it can easily be found again.
schwert:
Thanks Braz.
I appreciate that.
Here is how I got started braiding:
I live outside of Seattle Washington…luckily just a few miles from the most skilled and famous leather braider in the United States (Bullwhips for Indiana Jones and CatWoman)…David Morgan. Many years ago I visited his shop outside of Bothell WA bought some leather lace, asked a few idiot questions about braiding etc. He grabbed a pile of cut lace, hauled me into the backroom and showed me in about 5 minutes how to braid efficiently…not just how to do a simple 4-plait braid, but how to hold the lace, position my hands and rapidly and precisely braid. This was a revelation to me, as while I could braid…it fought the process more than just let it flow. This was long before his braiding book was written and it set me on fun path that has lasted for decades.
His braiding book shows and discusses the tricks he showed me in that backroom years ago. Not quite the same as 5 minutes of hands on with a master braider, but close.
dogcatcher:
--- Quote from: madarchery on March 30, 2010, 06:00:35 PM ---I wanna see that knife with the woven handle :bow: :bow:
--- End quote ---
X2
Marvin
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