DYI for frugal bit-collectors.

Dear Reader,

You may remember that my opinions on bits and bitting are quite solid and developed; that is, I like what I like, and I know what I like, and FarmWife knows what I like too. FarmWife loves her bits, but most of all she loves bits that make her mule comfortable, happy, and calm. She likes her bits "just so," and so do I. So, when FarmWife decided she wanted a traditionally-styled driving bit to go with my stupendously splendiferous harness, she set out to find a 5-in. mullen mouth, low-port, rubber, 2-slot, fixed-cheek (no-pinch) liverpool.

What does FarmWife do when she wants a 5-in. mullen mouth, low-port, rubber, fixed-cheek liverpool and the only 5-in. mullen mouth, low-port, rubber, fixed-cheek liverpools she can find are overseas and retail for £85 and up? I'll tell you what she does—she gets a 5-3/4-in. straight-mouth, low-port, stainless steel, 2-slot, sliding-cheek liverpool. She takes it into the workshop, wraps it in a rag, and hammers on it until the mouthpiece has a nice, gentle curve (and is a half-inch narrower). She wraps it in abundance of Sealtex, a rubbery wonder-substance donated to me this summer by fantastic reader K. She applies bit guards, thereby eliminating any pinchiness and taking up the last 1/4 inch. You know what she ends up with, then?

A 5-in. mullen mouth, low-port, rubber, 2-slot, no-pinch liverpool. For cheap. It's PERFECT.

FB