Stuffed Olives Astrolabes Western Saddles
Several millennia before it ever adorned a martini, the olive and its oil were central to many ancient economies. Today, olives remain as popular as ever. Not only are they tasty, they're also healthy, low in calories and cholesterol and high in dietary fiber and iron. Olives are inedible unless they're pickled. These gourmet olives are stuffed by hand with all kinds of fillings, from almonds to garlic cloves, even blue cheese. Straight from the field, they go into barrels of brine. For nine months, they ferment. Their hard and bitter flesh becoming softer and sweeter. Then it's on to a conveyor that takes them to the cleaning area, where workers remove leaves and other debris. Next, they drop on to a belted conveyor. The openings between the belts gradually widen. As an olive reaches an opening exceeding its width, it falls through into a barrel below. By the time the olives reach the end of the conveyor, they're all sorted by size, from small to extra large. The next stop is the pitting room. The first phase of the pitting operation is a spinning drum with olive-sized pockets lining its perimeter. As the drum rotates, an olive settles into each pocket. This lines them up so that they exit the drum in a line onto the conveyor that transports them to the pitting machine. The machine pits 900 olives per minute. Let's slow it down to show you what happens. A coring knife enters one end of the olive, pushing the pit out the other end. As the pit exits, it creates a hole that's just the perfect size for the stuffing. Next, a quality inspection. Workers weed out any olives that aren't perfect. Then it's off to the stuffing department. These beauties are being stuffed with pickled garlic gloves. The stuffer cuts the gloves into hole-sized pieces, then inserts one piece into each olive. It's the same procedure with other stuffings, such as jalapeño peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, habanero peppers, onions, almonds, and more. Workers empty the baskets of stuffed olives onto a table of empty jars, spreading them around until every jar is full. On their way to the capping machine, the open jars pass under nozzles that fill them with fresh brine. An air jet blows off just a bit to help the cap go on easily. From there, it's into the capping machine, which twists a lid on each jar, heat-sealing it for an airtight fit... Then stamping on a lot number for tracking purposes. Finally, the jars head into a machine that rolls on an adhesive label. The brine serves as a natural preservative, giving these delectable gourmet olives a two-year shelf life. In the middle ages, navigators looked to the stars and planets to find their way, and for that, they relied on a scientific instrument called the astrolabe. Using this instrument, they could measure the angular distances between celestial objects to calculate latitude. It was the medieval equivalent of gps. Today, craftsmen still make astrolabes to celebrate their place in history. Without it, columbus may not have discovered the americas in 1492. Back then, astrolabes were hand-forged and hand-engraved. Today, these instruments take shape in two-part rubber molds and closed in a metal drum. The operator ladles molten pewter into the mold through an opening in the drum's lid. Inside, the mold spins, forcing pewter into every part of this astrolabe plate, complete with geometric engravings on both sides. He molds the dial and pointers the same way. He slices off excess pewter. It will be remelted and reused. He then sands the ragged edges of the plate for a smoother circumference. Next, he pours an acidic liquid onto the astrolabe plate, which blackens the pewter. He swishing the blackening agent around to ensure it covers every surface completely. He places the blackened plate in a barrel full of gritty, plastic cones, soap, and water. As it revolves, everything tosses about inside to scrub the surface of the astrolabe plate, believe the engraved designs black. This process adds definition to the markings. In columbus's time, they would have used a pumice stone and a lot of elbow grease to achieve this effect. Next, the astrolabe plate goes for a tumble with bits of ceramic to buff the pewter to a glossy shine. Against the shiny pewter backdrop, the geometric markings now stand out. Clearly visible on the front is a map of the sky and the zodiac calendar. And on the back, the mathematical scales are now clearly defined. The elaborate dial undergoes the same processing to enhance its celestial engravings. He now inserts a brash bushing in the center hole of the astrolabe plate and twists it into position. This bushing will act as a pivot for the dial and pointers. Once the dial is in position, he installs a pointer on each side of the plate. These pointers can be turned like the hands of a clock, and the user measures the angle of the stars and planets in relation to the horizon to calculate his location. He caps the bushing with a screw on one side and a nut on the other. He secures the assembly with a specific amount of torque to allow the dial and pointers to move freely. He slips a metal ring through the top hole of the astrolabe so this instrument can be linked to a chain if the owner wishes. He spins the dial and pointers to confirm that they don't snag on the outer lip of the instrument. Centuries after its heyday, this incredible instrument still fascinates. The amount of information that can be gleamed from holding it to the sky is astounding. More than latitude, the astrolabe can be used to tell time, determine seasons, and predict the future with horoscopes. Of course, it takes a basic understanding of geometry and astronomy to use it. To the trained eye, this astrolabe now reads 1:00 p.m., proving that this instrument from another era can still provide up-to-the-moment information. In the american wild west, cowboys spent long days in the saddle, which could leave them too sore to ride off into the sunset. And that led to the development of the western saddle. Large and sturdy, this saddle was modeled on the type used by spanish conquistadors, and it made chasing cows a less painful experience. Today, riders still saddle up western-style, which is more relaxed than english-stile, with the reins held in one hand instead of two. The contours of the saddle seat are more pronounced for added comfort. A western saddle also has a horn for looping rope, called the lariat in cowboy lingo. It starts with the saddletree, made from laminated wood covered in sections of rawhide. An artisan cuts out the saddle skirt and other components using a hydraulic press. He cuts the saddle seat by hand with this tool, called a head knife. The seat gets special attention because it's being custom-made for a particular horse. He shaves the edges of each cut out so it can be tucked neatly onto the saddletree. The technique is called skiving. He brushes glue on the leather section that fits around the stem of the saddle horn. Then he works it into position, creating a lip around the horn's top. He presses the horn cap onto the leather-rimmed top, then crimps the edges together. He collects tacks with a magnetic tip of a hammer, then pounds them through the leather cap, securing it to the wood. A thick leather cutout hides the nail heads. He carves a groove around the top of the horn and punches holes through the leather. This will make it easier to sew the layers together. He uses two needles to interlock the stitches. This secures the cap and gives the saddle horn a tailored look. To complete the horn, the saddlemaker trims away excess leather with a special forked blade. Now the artisan builds up sections of the saddletree with strategically placed strips of leather. He skives away some leather to improve the form. Then he places a leather-backed piece of tin over the built-up areas and nails it down. This part will add strength to the seat. He continues shaping the seat, then shaves the edges to blend it to the saddletree. The seat area gets one last leather buildup and some intensive skiving and sanding. Next, he glues the nail's leather around the base of the horn-- an area called the swells. He then applies leather to the back of the seat, called the cantle. After cutting away surplus leather, the artisan uses this edging tool to trim the skirt. This makes it smooth so it won't chafe the horse or the rider. Another worker immerses the saddle seat in warm water. This makes the leather soft and pliable, allowing it to be shaped. He drapes the seat around the built-up saddletree and straps it down. As it dries, it hardens into the shape of the tree. He shapes the back section of the seat separately and pins the wet leather to dry to the form. Then he glues the whole seat to the saddletree. But there is much more to be done before it's ready for ranch duty, so stay tuned. A western saddle serves an important function, but it also sports elaborate artwork engraved in the leather. This custom goes back to the wild west, when a saddle was a status symbol and ornate art and decorative silver signified that a cowboy was riding high. The saddlemaker now shapes the seat right up to the back of the cantle. He crimps the edge to build up a part called the cheyenne roll. He maps out its precise dimensions with a compass... Then trims the part following his scratch line. With a wooden dowel, he again presses the leather seat to the saddle's contours for a final shaping. He sews through four layers of leather to finish off the cheyenne roll. The thread is an artificial sinew-- a superstrong nylon that makes the seam virtually indestructible. The focus now moves to the leather saddle skirts, as an artist engraves a floral design. The artist uses a wide range of tools with expertise, like this one, called a back rounder, which he uses to carve recesses around the design. A spray of water softens the leather, making it easier to engrave. Next, he installs metal plates on either side of each skirt. They're part of the saddle rigging, which will be used to secure the saddle to the horse, so it's crucial that these plates be firmly entrenched in the leather. He secures each plate to the skirt with several rivets, then rounds them off, getting rid of any sharp edges that would irritate the horse. The saddlemaker then brushes glue on the back of the skirt to attach a leather part with a rear cinch ring riveted to it. Here, he glues and rivets the top part to this skirt to the main section. He arranges a piece of sheepskin facedown... Then glues the back of the saddle skirt to it so the woolly side will rest against the horse. This part is all about the horse's creature comfort. The saddlemaker sews the skirt onto the sheepskin using a machine with a heavy-duty needle. He then trims the excess sheepskin following the line of the leather skirt. To remove some of the bulk, he shears the wool, tapering it around the edges. Next, he braids leather lace into a tight weave called latigo lace. It ties both halves of the skirt together and will later be used to fasten the skirt to the saddle. He pulls the lace under the weave to secure it. Next, he applies a generous amount of glue to a leather stirrup cover. The stirrup is meat of oak, steamed into a "u" shape and then reinforced with galvanized tin. He presses leather into the crook of the stirrup. Then he bolts a metal spacer into the top. Now it's time to attach the saddle skirts to the tree. He threads cinch strings through the cinch keeper and nails it to the saddle. Another worker now rubs special oil into this western saddle to add color to the leather and preserve it. The oiling also exposes the grain of the leather and highlights the engraved designs. From start to finish, this western saddle has taken 40 hours to make, but the modern cowboy should get plenty of mileage out of it.