Some R. Nikolaidis Tack

 

A friend asked me to show her my Regine Nikolaidis bridle.  As usually happens, two pictures turned into nine and one bridle expanded to 4 representative pieces.  This post covers all my known Regine Nikolaidis model tack.  My absolute favorite is this gorgeous 2004 ring-cheek curb with its throat tassel so huge it could easily pass for a jowl plume.

 The best feature of this particular bridle is its simple but elegant design, combining rawhide braidwork with flat braid on plain rust-colored lace.  The red, white and wheat tones go well with my red chestnut Luan.  The braided-ring foldover cheekstraps and the slip-fashion throatlatch are amoung my favorite features in model braidwork.  The browband is tied (not shown well here) while the (non-adjustable) curbstrap is merely glued.  The small red and white buttons, not actually braided just wrapped, -- grace notes, not overdone -- add a delightful pop.

I remember Regine telling me how she'd made the tassel.  "I dipped it in hot water," she said, "over and over again, sitting there in the kitchen, until the wax was all melted away.  It took forever!"  Regine was always an excitable collector and tackmaker.  Despite her Greek name she was a German and lived in Germany.  She was active in the hobby throughout the 1990s and into the first half of the 2000s.

Regine made this extraordinary fully-braided rawhide bridle circa 1996, and delivered it in person to me at BFest in 2001.  She came to BreyerFest several times.  She knew Brigitte Eberl and was instrumental in introducing her to the hobby in this country;  when Brigitte first arrived she did not know English very well, and Regine helped her.

 The tag says "Regine Nikolaidis" on one side and "1996" on the other.  This shot (above) shows the design of the romal.  Clearly this bridle is too large for this horse.

The bit was made by Anja Schmidt, of Germany, from aluminum.  The bit shank brace, not shown well, is matching in design and workmanship.  The braided end knots, holding the white tassels, are coated in some kind of glue.

My camera lens refuses to stop regarding Luan, so we're stuck with him, even when the sloppy bit angle makes him look rather silly.  At least the (adjustable) curbstrap is more or less correctly posed.

Earlier I mentioned four pieces of tack.  Here is a Traditional scale Old-West style saddle by Regine.  I am not sure where the blanket came from.  It's entirely possible I rustled it up myself.

This saddle is a really solid-feeling, beautiful piece, standing out in my collection for its comfortable-looking seat, so unlike the Rio Rondo mass production.  Regine made her own trees, usually from some sort of plastic.

Birds Eye.

Here is my last piece, an extraordinary braided Western cinch by Regine.  It's rather large for a Trad.  In fact it is overdone in every way, but that's very typical of this particular tackmaker.  I was amazed when I first saw it and I'm still amazed.  The material is some kind of glossy nylon-like or rayon-like heavy thread.

The German model horsers were, and still are for all I know, quite devoted to and crazy about the American Old West.  This was certainly the case with Regine Nikolaidis.