Club Obi Wan

OK so I started to cut out some more strips of leather and the cheep stuff I got (cowhide) stretched a lot but only against the grain of the leather. So the strips get thinner at points, this of course is bad.
Is this solved by stretching the heck out of it before I cut it?

You have to cut the strands a lot wider at the stretchy parts so that when you stretch the strand, it will thin down to the width you need it to be. This can be hard to guage if you're new to cutting laces. If the hide you have has a lot of really thin, stretchy areas on it you may want to just go around the hide and trim those pieces off until you get the hang of allowing for stretch. Remember to cut those laces wider than you need them to be, even from the strong parts of the hide, because you're going to get some degree of stretch no matter how strong the leather is. You also have to allow for paring as well.

Jim

That brings up another question, about paring. it makes since and i see it working when i pare the flesh side. But when I pare opposite sides it seems that you can see that cut edge. No I’m not cutting too big it’s like thread thin. It seems that it just helps slide the plats in to place but seems just as good if you do both on the flesh side, thoughts?

The general rule I use is to skive both edges of the flesh side when braiding four plait. Everything higher from six plait up I skive opposite edges of the flesh and grain sides. There isn't any hard and fast law though so if you like the results you are getting by skiving both edges on the underside then so be it.