Horsewright Knives and Leather

[Sacto]

Nice to see the cowboyin’ pictures and hear about the trip, Dave Horsewright . Glad Mitchy is working out This summer will be the first summer in 15 years or so that I haven’t had cattle up in Oregon. I’m going to miss going up there.

Luckily rattlesnakes are pretty rare where I graze, wrong soil for burrows, but I’ve been doing some work a little south of here in Tracy and have seen 10 over two days.

We boosted calves and pulled bulls Friday and Saturday. I had my Horsewright with me. We have one more bunch of calves to do this week.

 

[echoscout]

Nice to see the cowboyin’ pictures and hear about the trip, Dave Horsewright . Glad Mitchy is working out This summer will be the first summer in 15 years or so that I haven’t had cattle up in Oregon. I’m going to miss going up there.

Luckily rattlesnakes are pretty rare where I graze, wrong soil for burrows, but I’ve been doing some work a little south of here in Tracy and have seen 10 over two days.

Those are some good sized rattlesnakes .

We boosted calves and pulled bulls Friday and Saturday. I had my Horsewright with me. We have one more bunch of calves to do this week.

Good pic of your Mestano with the Angus bulls

 

[RLB0414]

Nice to see the cowboyin’ pictures and hear about the trip, Dave Horsewright . Glad Mitchy is working out This summer will be the first summer in 15 years or so that I haven’t had cattle up in Oregon. I’m going to miss going up there.

Luckily rattlesnakes are pretty rare where I graze, wrong soil for burrows, but I’ve been doing some work a little south of here in Tracy and have seen 10 over two days.

We boosted calves and pulled bulls Friday and Saturday. I had my Horsewright with me. We have one more bunch of calves to do this week.

The second photo would cause some to have nightmares. I love the reptile house at the zoo. Something about snakes. We had some huge Eastern Diamondback rattler in NW Florida Friday where I grew up.
Some healthy bulls in the last photo

 

[Horsewright]

Nice to see the cowboyin’ pictures and hear about the trip, Dave Horsewright . Glad Mitchy is working out This summer will be the first summer in 15 years or so that I haven’t had cattle up in Oregon. I’m going to miss going up there.

Luckily rattlesnakes are pretty rare where I graze, wrong soil for burrows, but I’ve been doing some work a little south of here in Tracy and have seen 10 over two days.

We boosted calves and pulled bulls Friday and Saturday. I had my Horsewright with me. We have one more bunch of calves to do this week.

Great shot of that Mestano!. We've had horses and a bull get bit on the ranch. We had the Mojave Green rattlers there but other types too. The bull belonged to our partner and he never did get right although the bite didn't kill him. The horses made complete recoveries.

The second photo would cause some to have nightmares. I love the reptile house at the zoo. Something about snakes. We had some huge Eastern Diamondback rattler in NW Florida Friday where I grew up.
Some healthy bulls in the last photo

Yeah just not a fan. Ya could tell what time of the year it was by what gun I'd carry on the ranch. In cowboyese, least around here, any snub nose revolver was a snake gun. First round or two was always snake shot.

I think I lost some knife handles in this lil project I did for Nichole:

Still got lots of walnut left though. Just finished this one up. Its from the new batch that should be hitting the website this evening.

Ya know all the different spacer combos I've done and I don't think I've ever did turquoise and ironwood together before. Nichole suggested it. Whadya think?

 

[Sacto]

Those are some good sized rattlesnakes .

I’ve been seeing some big ones this year. I saw one last week trying to get a ground squirrel but the squirrel got away.

Good pic of your Mestano with the Angus bulls

Some healthy bulls in the last photo

Thanks guys, hopefully the bulls did their job! Finished the last bunch of calves and pulled the last bulls today.

Great shot of that Mestano!. We've had horses and a bull get bit on the ranch. We had the Mojave Green rattlers there but other types too. The bull belonged to our partner and he never did get right although the bite didn't kill him. The horses made complete recoveries.

Thanks Dave. In the 20-some years I’ve been doing this, I’ve had one cow get bit and one of the guys that irrigated for me got bit. The irrigator had on heavy Muck boots which stopped the bite and he was fine. He actually called me to ask if he could kill the snake, to which I said “yes, you need to kill it!” The cow was also fine but for a while it looked like she was wearing a mask while all for the hide sloughed off her face and neck.

 

[AkAlces]

Horsewright Dave, do you carve roughout leather or keep it to smoothout? I’ve seen carving on your smoothout and stamping on your roughout, but haven’t come across carving on the roughout.

 

[Horsewright]

I’ve been seeing some big ones this year. I saw one last week trying to get a ground squirrel but the squirrel got away.


Thanks guys, hopefully the bulls did their job! Finished the last bunch of calves and pulled the last bulls today.

Thanks Dave. In the 20-some years I’ve been doing this, I’ve had one cow get bit and one of the guys that irrigated for me got bit. The irrigator had on heavy Muck boots which stopped the bite and he was fine. He actually called me to ask if he could kill the snake, to which I said “yes, you need to kill it!” The cow was also fine but for a while it looked like she was wearing a mask while all for the hide sloughed off her face and neck.

Dang! Cool deal on the Muck boots. I wear a pair myself when it's wet. Never thought of em as being kinda snake proof. He was a lucky man! I did come very close to getting bit one time. We were in the corrals feeding some heifers we were weaning. I'd just walked past the chute and I got pushed from behind by a friend along with me. Right there in the head catch area of the chute was a big rattler. He was all coiled up and getting ready to strike. If I hadn't of been pushed to get me out of the strike zone so to speak quicker, I'd of probably would have. He stuck his head out and it wasn't on the steel floor anymore so I shot him and hung him over the fence. Interesting about that cow losing all her skin like that. One horse I remember did lose a little bit of skin on his face but I don't recall the other doing any of that.

Horsewright Dave, do you carve roughout leather or keep it to smoothout? I’ve seen carving on your smoothout and stamping on your roughout, but haven’t come across carving on the roughout.

Yes sir you can carve roughout but you do lose some detail. I would and have done oak carving on roughout but probably wouldn't do flower carving. It would kinda be a waste of time for the results at least how I do it. The Oak carving is bigger and bolder and works. Stamping will work very well. Just finished a roughout rifle scabbard with a Carlos border stamp, a brand and initials yesterday.

Got that new batch of knives on and that Vaquero above with the turquoise, was the first to go.

I was expecting this one to be the first but it's still there. A Sonoran Belt Knife with dyed and stabilized giraffe bone.

This handle material had a bad rap years ago. Not because it's a bad handle material but because unscrupulous types were putting it on knives and selling it as mammoth ivory. Dyed green or brown it can very much look like mammoth ivory, however, it's actually from a practical standpoint a much better handle material. As one would think it's very hard and dense. I mean it's gonna take some density to support those big ol bodies on those long legs. Doesn't seem to be as chippy as other bones either. I like it and will probably (depending on how it sells) use more of it.

This Gordo sold second.

Been a bit since I made a Cowboy with turquoise and elk:

Finished another scabbard too. This one is going to an elk guide in MT. They've been having some bear problems in his area and this was made for one of the new Ruger/Marlins with the large loop in .45-70

He wanted smoothout as he felt it would be more rain resistant, which is true. Easier to use a water resistant conditioner such as Ray Holes Chap Wax on something smoothout.

 

[Rookie82]

Dang! Cool deal on the Muck boots. I wear a pair myself when it's wet. Never thought of em as being kinda snake proof. He was a lucky man! I did come very close to getting bit one time. We were in the corrals feeding some heifers we were weaning. I'd just walked past the chute and I got pushed from behind by a friend along with me. Right there in the head catch area of the chute was a big rattler. He was all coiled up and getting ready to strike. If I hadn't of been pushed to get me out of the strike zone so to speak quicker, I'd of probably would have. He stuck his head out and it wasn't on the steel floor anymore so I shot him and hung him over the fence. Interesting about that cow losing all her skin like that. One horse I remember did lose a little bit of skin on his face but I don't recall the other doing any of that.


Yes sir you can carve roughout but you do lose some detail. I would and have done oak carving on roughout but probably wouldn't do flower carving. It would kinda be a waste of time for the results at least how I do it. The Oak carving is bigger and bolder and works. Stamping will work very well. Just finished a roughout rifle scabbard with a Carlos border stamp, a brand and initials yesterday.

Got that new batch of knives on and that Vaquero above with the turquoise, was the first to go.

I was expecting this one to be the first but it's still there. A Sonoran Belt Knife with dyed and stabilized giraffe bone.

This handle material had a bad rap years ago. Not because it's a bad handle material but because unscrupulous types were putting it on knives and selling it as mammoth ivory. Dyed green or brown it can very much look like mammoth ivory, however, it's actually from a practical standpoint a much better handle material. As one would think it's very hard and dense. I mean it's gonna take some density to support those big ol bodies on those long legs. Doesn't seem to be as chippy as other bones either. I like it and will probably (depending on how it sells) use more of it.

This Gordo sold second.

Been a bit since I made a Cowboy with turquoise and elk:

Finished another scabbard too. This one is going to an elk guide in MT. They've been having some bear problems in his area and this was made for one of the new Ruger/Marlins with the large loop in .45-70

He wanted smoothout as he felt it would be more rain resistant, which is true. Easier to use a water resistant conditioner such as Ray Holes Chap Wax on something smoothout.

Is the turquoise held in place by epoxy on 3 surfaces: (the black spacer, the red spacer, and the blade tang?)

 

[Horsewright]

Yes sir it is. Seems to be a very secure attachment method. I’ve had none fail that I know of and I’ve done several hundred with different spacer materials like that.

 

[AkAlces]

Dang! Cool deal on the Muck boots. I wear a pair myself when it's wet. Never thought of em as being kinda snake proof. He was a lucky man! I did come very close to getting bit one time. We were in the corrals feeding some heifers we were weaning. I'd just walked past the chute and I got pushed from behind by a friend along with me. Right there in the head catch area of the chute was a big rattler. He was all coiled up and getting ready to strike. If I hadn't of been pushed to get me out of the strike zone so to speak quicker, I'd of probably would have. He stuck his head out and it wasn't on the steel floor anymore so I shot him and hung him over the fence. Interesting about that cow losing all her skin like that. One horse I remember did lose a little bit of skin on his face but I don't recall the other doing any of that.


Yes sir you can carve roughout but you do lose some detail. I would and have done oak carving on roughout but probably wouldn't do flower carving. It would kinda be a waste of time for the results at least how I do it. The Oak carving is bigger and bolder and works. Stamping will work very well. Just finished a roughout rifle scabbard with a Carlos border stamp, a brand and initials yesterday.

Got that new batch of knives on and that Vaquero above with the turquoise, was the first to go.

I was expecting this one to be the first but it's still there. A Sonoran Belt Knife with dyed and stabilized giraffe bone.

This handle material had a bad rap years ago. Not because it's a bad handle material but because unscrupulous types were putting it on knives and selling it as mammoth ivory. Dyed green or brown it can very much look like mammoth ivory, however, it's actually from a practical standpoint a much better handle material. As one would think it's very hard and dense. I mean it's gonna take some density to support those big ol bodies on those long legs. Doesn't seem to be as chippy as other bones either. I like it and will probably (depending on how it sells) use more of it.

This Gordo sold second.

Been a bit since I made a Cowboy with turquoise and elk:

Finished another scabbard too. This one is going to an elk guide in MT. They've been having some bear problems in his area and this was made for one of the new Ruger/Marlins with the large loop in .45-70

He wanted smoothout as he felt it would be more rain resistant, which is true. Easier to use a water resistant conditioner such as Ray Holes Chap Wax on something smoothout.

Those scabbards look sharp. Do you have pictures of where you’ve carved oak on roughout anything?

 

[Rookie82]

Yes sir it is. Seems to be a very secure attachment method. I’ve had none fail that I know of and I’ve done several hundred with different spacer materials like that.

I was trying to figure out how it was held in place, and was just curious. Looks great, the elk/turquoise is my favorite handle combo I think.

 

[Horsewright]

Those scabbards look sharp. Do you have pictures of where you’ve carved oak on roughout anything?

Thanks! No sir. Did that back in the late 80s long before digital pics.

 

[Horsewright]

I was trying to figure out how it was held in place, and was just curious. Looks great, the elk/turquoise is my favorite handle combo I think.

Good deal, glad ya like er. Gonna be doing jade with an ironwood handle in the next batch. First time for that combo.

 

[AkAlces]

Thanks! No sir. Did that back in the late long before digital pics.

I love oak carving on smoothout. I’d think there’d be more of a subtle beauty to it on roughout.

 

[Horsewright]

I love oak carving on smoothout. I’d think there’d be more of a subtle beauty to it on roughout.

Ya know oak carving kinda lost its popularity for a while. I use to do a lot and then didn’t have any requests for it for 15-20 years. Then bam it became popular again about 10 years or so ago. I even know which customer it was that asked for it first. Since, I’ve made for him, all oak carved, spurstraps, chinks (short chaps), several sheaths, couple holsters and a belt. My own saddle is oak carved.

 

[RLB0414]

Good deal, glad ya like er. Gonna be doing jade with an ironwood handle in the next batch. First time for that combo.

I am looking forward that combination.

 

[Horsewright]

I am looking forward that combination.

I'll be getting started on the next batch soon! Gotta order up the jade.

Here's another from the current batch. A Paisano in 26C3 high carbon steel with an ironwood spacer and a stabilized buckeye burl handle:

 

[echoscout]

I'll be getting started on the next batch soon! Gotta order up the jade.

Here's another from the current batch. A Paisano in 26C3 high carbon steel with an ironwood spacer and a stabilized buckeye burl handle:

Great looking knife Dave Those two woods work good together

 

[Horsewright]

Great looking knife Dave Those two woods work good together

Thanks David. I think so too.

 

[jfk1110]

Dang! Cool deal on the Muck boots. I wear a pair myself when it's wet. Never thought of em as being kinda snake proof. He was a lucky man! I did come very close to getting bit one time. We were in the corrals feeding some heifers we were weaning. I'd just walked past the chute and I got pushed from behind by a friend along with me. Right there in the head catch area of the chute was a big rattler. He was all coiled up and getting ready to strike. If I hadn't of been pushed to get me out of the strike zone so to speak quicker, I'd of probably would have. He stuck his head out and it wasn't on the steel floor anymore so I shot him and hung him over the fence. Interesting about that cow losing all her skin like that. One horse I remember did lose a little bit of skin on his face but I don't recall the other doing any of that.


Yes sir you can carve roughout but you do lose some detail. I would and have done oak carving on roughout but probably wouldn't do flower carving. It would kinda be a waste of time for the results at least how I do it. The Oak carving is bigger and bolder and works. Stamping will work very well. Just finished a roughout rifle scabbard with a Carlos border stamp, a brand and initials yesterday.

Got that new batch of knives on and that Vaquero above with the turquoise, was the first to go.

I was expecting this one to be the first but it's still there. A Sonoran Belt Knife with dyed and stabilized giraffe bone.

This handle material had a bad rap years ago. Not because it's a bad handle material but because unscrupulous types were putting it on knives and selling it as mammoth ivory. Dyed green or brown it can very much look like mammoth ivory, however, it's actually from a practical standpoint a much better handle material. As one would think it's very hard and dense. I mean it's gonna take some density to support those big ol bodies on those long legs. Doesn't seem to be as chippy as other bones either. I like it and will probably (depending on how it sells) use more of it.

This Gordo sold second.

Been a bit since I made a Cowboy with turquoise and elk:

Finished another scabbard too. This one is going to an elk guide in MT. They've been having some bear problems in his area and this was made for one of the new Ruger/Marlins with the large loop in .45-70

He wanted smoothout as he felt it would be more rain resistant, which is true. Easier to use a water resistant conditioner such as Ray Holes Chap Wax on something smoothout.

I'll be getting started on the next batch soon! Gotta order up the jade.

Here's another from the current batch. A Paisano in 26C3 high carbon steel with an ironwood spacer and a stabilized buckeye burl handle:

Beautiful work as always...