This One-Ear flat braid curb bridle, in rust, dark brown, rawhide-dyed and linen white, with split reins, was finished December 2. It is now up for offers! I will stop (soft-close) taking offers at 9:00 pm, Tuesday, the 9th of December. The current high bid stands at: suggested reserve price $125.00
This will be the last piece the Timar Star II tack shop offers to the public for the year.
There was a clear best-of during the photo shoot: Cosimo the Murguese! I hadn't thought of this horse at all while making it; but once I put it on him, we had a winner.
Yay Mink! [Sculptress of the Murguese]
Every piece of tack starts with a vision. This bridle started with the cheek buckles. A customer had requested a portrait piece (she sent me photos of a championship bridle with beautiful custom-engraved cheek buckles), but after I managed to execute the buckles,
she said she didn't want them!! A lot of work went into those babies; I hadn't engraved Argentium since 2020. I got them the way I wanted, and started really liking them.
The customer later changed her mind; but by then my vision had grown to the point where it drowned her desires. (She got her bridle, and thank heavens, was pleased with it.) I was determined to take those buckles and make a separate bridle of my own design with them. I would sell it on my own. And that is how this piece came to be.
Right around this time, Brooks the buckskin pinto Troubador Morgan was appearing. I didn't have room for him on my shelves -- I already had a Troubador, Morganquest Native Sun -- but he lurked in my heart for a while. This bridle was surreptitiously made for him, though, naturally, it looked splendid on my own Wacahoota.
Other equally interesting and detailed parts of this bridle include the braided-thread rein-to-bit connectors, which actually work,
and the matching braided-thread curbstrap. I suppose this last point is its greatest weakness (if model tack could be said to have such). It is removable, being made with button and slit,
so if someone feels strongly enough against braided-rawhide curb straps, I can make a plain leather one for them. But at the time, creating this little charmer from my beloved Sue-Rowe-supplied linen thread, and fitting the world's tiniest sewn leather keepers to it, made me inordinately happy. After 45+ years in the field I could still think up something I hadn't made before.
I tried the bridle on several larger Trad heads. It looked reasonable on palominos,
though I had to adjust it 'smallest' for the Carrick. I tried it on a Stone, with splendid results.
This horse, Bladewalker in my herd, has a deformed left ear. But you don't see it above.
(See that rolling eye? He's mad I shot him from this side!) The bridle is surprisingly easy to adjust, though one needs to be a little careful with those buckle hooks.
I decided against tassels. If I had chosen them, a minimum of 4 would have been required: two rein ends, Ear and curb. It seemed too much work for a piece I was trying to finish and keep somewhat affordable.
It is wonderful to be doing braidwork again for straight sale, after my 3-year hiatus for the book. I know there isn't a Christmas on Mane Street this year. But as a ghost of that, as well as for Brooks, I offer my first piece to the public since last year's BreyerFest. Enjoy!
What's next? Starting on 2 silver parade sets, one for myself, one for a customer. Blogging on subjects as diverse as congas, pin sales, historic model Cavalcades (weddings), and, oh, did I mention: Silver parade sets? !
Happy Tacking!
