Saddle Making – Red Ox Brand Tools

Is Form Dictated by Function? Does it Matter?

Is Form Dictated by Function? Does it Matter?

Maybe... I have to ask what exactly is function? And, what exactly is form. A house has to have a way in and out to function as a shelter. It can have windows to let light in and air circulation. Then there is insulation, heating, and on and on. These things determine what needs to be included in the form that a house takes. But we also consider aesthetics. When we do this, we turn the old saying on its ear and start to consider the function of the form itself. That's why I don't view tooling on a saddle as non-functional. I also don't think of refinement in the curves of the fork and swells as non-functional. I suspect that form and function are related to each other in ways besides one of them coming first. A tree for example needs certain things to survive. Getting those things is what affects the way it grows. But other forces will change the form that it grows into so that it can survive. Then there is the variety of forms that other trees in the same neighborhood take to solve the same problems. I'm wondering how this all relates physically because I don't want to miss out on anything that the creative process has to offer, or what I can potentially bring to my work. I think that perhaps intent and focus have as much to do with the form we give to a thing as the thing's aspect as a tool, and each detail want attention. The question I like to ask is; what can I give to this thing that I'm making?

Gordon Andrus

Posted on August 28, 2024August 28, 2024 by Gordon — Leave a comment

New Standard Line Professional Awl Hafts

I've started a new line of standard awl hafts that will sell for $85.00. $150 with a blade. As with a my Artisan Made line, the blades are secured into the haft with two 8-32 hex drive set screws. These tools are not a cheap budget item. They are turned by me on a manual lathe and are made with the same attention to detail as all of my Red Ox brand tools. They are simply less detailed so take less time to make. I'm happy to be offering a more affordable tool that will perform at a high professional level.

Gordon Andrus

Posted on August 27, 2024August 27, 2024 by Gordon — Leave a comment

What is Form?

The English studio potter Michael Cardew expressed an idea, that form is a thing not of the self, separate from the maker, and existing by itself. This thought has intrigued me since I first encountered it thirty-five years ago. My musings on this idea have leant direction to my creative life. The realization — that this search for form need not be crowded by an over emphasis on oneself as creator, artist, and maker — is liberating. There is freedom in the idea that form is something to seek after, to look for in the world.

Posted on February 21, 2024April 24, 2024 by Gordon — 2 Comments

Plans of Procedure

When Starting out as a full time saddle maker, I kept a plan of procedure for each of the various rigging types that I was called on to build. These plans were constantly being updated as I proceeded from saddle to saddle. Here are some of the documents that I worked up back then. I don't do things exactly like this now, and in some cases have changed things quite a bit. My hope is that these might be helpful to some of you just starting out, and that they may provide a guide to your own note taking. When I was building mostly contract saddles this approach really helped to develop efficiency and speed in my workflow.

The fourth PDF here is a copy of the notes I made when teaching other makers to build the hunting saddles that we were contracted to produce.

[pdf-embedder url="https://redoxbrand.sagecreeksaddles.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Fitting-and-Costructing-drop-plate-rigging.pdf" title="Fitting and Costructing-drop plate rigging"] [pdf-embedder url="https://redoxbrand.sagecreeksaddles.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Fitting-and-Constructing-in-skirt.pdf" title="Fitting and Constructing in skirt"] [pdf-embedder url="https://redoxbrand.sagecreeksaddles.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Fitting-and-Constructing-in-skirt-and-hubbard.pdf" title="Fitting and Constructing in skirt and hubbard"]

[pdf-embedder url="https://redoxbrand.sagecreeksaddles.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Fitting-hubbard-skirt-jockey.pdf" title="Fitting hubbard skirt jockey"]

Posted on August 9, 2020August 9, 2020 by Gordon — Leave a comment

Hand Stitching, Revival of an Ancient Skill.

Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in the simple elegance of hand stitched leather work. Mastery with needle and thread is the most fundamental skill in the leather arts. Stitching leather pieces together is a truly ancient skill, which in times past became an art form. The refinement of this form reached a remarkable level among 19th century shoe and boot makers known as Cordwainers, and references can be found for exhibition work being stitched at 64 to the inch.

"St. Crispin IX, 1873 p.181: case of prize-work for Lobb, including jockey with 60 - 1" (this may be Devlin's.)
1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhn: Gray Bros., Syracuse, NY exhibited 'welts' made by Sandy McCarthy, including 1 pr with 64 stitches to 1" round the forepart.
Wore 2 pr spectacles to do them." From the Crispin Colloquy. An internet discussion forum for traditional bespoke shoemaking and allied trades.

Shoemakers use a boar bristle like a needle making what is called a "waxed end" to attach it to the thread. The maker James Devlin wrote that when he did this kind of work he used one of his daughter’s hairs as a bristle, fine silk for thread, and that the awl blade that he used could pierce his thumb without pain and without bleeding.

If I hadn't seen so many references to this kind of work, I wouldn't believe it. At that it is still very hard to comprehend. I find that study of the work done by past masters is always a very good source of humility.

I want to take this opportunity to share a handout that I use in my hand stitching classes. I'm currently working on an online course for hand stitching. This step by step reference will be included as part of that course, along with instruction in making butt seams and the box stitch. Courses will include video lessons, slide show presentations and downloadable content. Please register an account here so I can notify you of upcoming coursework and check this blog for more free content that you can use and share with friends.

Below is a brief gallery of hand stitching samples. Thanks for looking in, and I hope you have an enjoyable visit.