leather vest built with braided leather
This is the most used vest pictured on my web site, in fact, the vast majority of them are brand new = unworn. A local bartender had owned it for several years before this picture was taken. Since it was made, I've changed a few of the standard ways I construct some parts of vests - I've more elaborately braided some parts of them. In particular, I've more elaborately braided the back yokes and the way the pockets are attached. Truth of the matter, I still kind of like the less elaborate way I did this one. Often, I've asked folks how they'd like theirs done and it's pretty regularly been that they want it done the more elaborate way - no problem.
The seams, edges, lapels, pockets, and back yoke of this vest were all braided with 1/4" wide lacing that was cut from the same 4 oz. moccasin cowhide leather that the parts of the vest were cut from. Moccasin cowhide is thicker than most garment leathers and makes for rugged, long lasting apparel.
Over the last 40 years, I've custom built hundreds of vests. You can see over 50 of them on my vest's home page. While they are all braided, that's pretty much where their similarities end. After seeing the many features I offer, folks contact me with their own ideas/designs and we discuss how I should build one for them. Each vest ends up truly being a unique, handmade, long lasting, one of a kind piece.
