Getting Started in the Model Horse Hobby: Leather

  Ok, this is a BIG one. It took me so long to find the appropriate leather online. To make most model horse tack you need two types of leather,  2/3 oz (0.8mm) tooling leather and skiver.

Sliver is really thin and it’s used to form around tack parts. For example around the saddle seat. Sliver has a nice drape to it and it can me folded and stretched really easily.

Tooling leather is used for saddle flaps, sweat flaps and more. It’s the stiffer, thicker leather for the foundations of a saddle or other model horse tack piece.

     Leather this thin is very hard to come by. I've found that Etsy and Ebay are two great places to find leather. 

    For the skiver I just type razor-thin leather in the search bar. Your looking for leather that is paper thin and has a nice drape. I usually buy my skiver from FrankLeatherShop on Etsy. You could ask him for really thin sheepskin leather. Bookbinding leather is also usually thin enough.

    The tooling leather was the most difficult to find. You don't want leather that is too thick or else it'll look to bulky on your horses. I found that 2/3 oz leather is the perfect thickness, you won't be skiving* for ages. Recently I bought tooling leather from here. 

*thicker tooling leather will also work if you don’t mind spending more time prepping it.*

Cindy dressed as Harry Piggy!

Getting Started in the Model Horse Hobby: Tools

    Hello!  I know how hard it can be when your just starting out and you don't know what to buy or how to make anything. Thats why over the next few weeks I'm going to tell you exactly how to get started in the model horse hobby.

    So one of the big things that your going to need are tools and supplies. There are an endless amount of tools and supplies that you can buy, but I'm just going to go over the basics. 

Glue:

    So, Ive tried many different types of glue and I found that when working with real leather, Tacky glue works best. It dries really quickly and its non toxic and still flexible when it dries. Another option is Duco Cement.  I've also used this but it smells very strongly of chemicals and its harder to wash out.  

Scissors:

    Most people think that you're going to need some heavy duty scissors to cut leather, but no. Since model horse tack needs thin leather most regular scissors will cut very well through skiver leather. Just make sure that the scissors are sharp.

Exacto knife:

    I probably use the exacto knife the most. For cutting leather lace, skiving, and many other things. When you buy an exact knife I recommend buying lots of replacement blades, I go through a lot! In fact I bought a pack of 150 replacement blades.

Awl:

    I use my awl for punching buckle holes in my leather. (Also for getting my tack glue bottle open when I forget to put the cap on :) You could potentially even use an awl for making stitch marks on saddle flaps.

Pounce Wheel:

    If your looking for something to create perfect stitch marks on your model horse saddles, then a pounce wheel is for you! This little wheel creates perfectly even stitch marks on leather. While it does take a bit of practice to master, its a really awesome tool.

Ok, thats it for today! I hope this post helps you to find the tools that you need. If you have any tips or tricks that you'd love to share then feel free to tell me! I love new tips and tricks!        

Cookie looking really cute over her sand bath!

   

Quick Tip: Burning the Edges of Lead Ropes.

If you notice that the ends of your lead ropes are unraveling, I have a quick and easy way to seal the edges. You can use some tacky glue to seal the edges, but I find that to be a sticky mess. 

I use a fire to burn the edges. I know that this may seem crazy, but it works! I used the stove, but you can also use a candle, or a lighter. I asked my mom to help with the fire, so make sure that you are doing this safely. 

So basically what I do is hold the edge up to the flame for only two seconds, and it gives the ribbon this nice and neat finish! 

Make sure not to hold it in the fire for too long, or you might start burning the end. If that happens your tip might be black! I recommend practicing this with a piece of scrap ribbon to get the hang of it, before you try it on your lead ropes.

 

Quick Tip: Super Shene

Today I wanted to give you a quick ( and handy ) tip that makes saddles and bridles look shiny. The trick is to use Super Shene.

Here is a close up picture. Without the Super Shene the leather has a green hue on it. ( It might be hard to tell in the photo). The leather dye also bleeds onto your fingers when you rub it.

I use the Super Shene by Eco-Flo, although any brand works. To apply it, I get an old rag, dip it in the bottle, and apply the Super Shene in small circular motions. I like to add multiple layers to get that extra shine.

Well, that was my quick tip! If you don’t already have Super Shene, I strongly recommend investing in a bottle. It makes my tack so much more realistic and shiny.

 

Dressage Saddle Pattern

    I have been wanting to make a dressage set for a while, so today I decided to try. First I got my all purpose english saddle pattern by Model Horse Tack School. You can buy the pattern here. Keriokie is a great website to get tack books and patterns!

This is my English saddle pattern by Keriokie.

First I got out my handy dandy light up tracing pad and I traced the saddle flaps except I made it a bit longer.

Then since I made the saddle flaps longer I had to do the same for everything else.

Once I came to the saddle tree I made the seat a bit longer because dressage saddles have a deeper seat.

Once I did that, I glued all of the pieces onto a piece of paper and then I scanned it so that I can keep it forever! I can't wait until I can start to make this saddle using my new pattern!