Wild Rose,
Just after David showed me how to braid, I went home and made myself a nice Bolo. A few days later I went back to his shop and from across the room David said, "Your knots do not match". To this day I think the knots match, and proudly wear my Bolo. He is indeed a master craftsman.
David nearly always pares off the edges of his lace to make the round braids slide together very neatly. He has shown me how to do this a couple of times and it looks like Childs play. I go home and chop up some perfectly good lace and decide that I really like the appearance of unpaired lace.
My wife bought me one of David's 10' Bull Whips a few years back...outdoor use only
I only wish I could braid one-tenth as well.
I visited him just after Christmas to get the Black lace for Mike's knife. I bought his new book, which he began writing 30 years ago. Digital photos made the difference for him. It is a clear easy-to-use book, I found I had been making the same mistake in my 6 plait braids since I started.
I find braiding to be easy and relaxing....except when you are doing it for someone else! I hope Mike likes this one.