Functional Craftsmanship
Bill Ferreira is a renowned rawhide braider creating unique and functional gear.
Growing up on the Big Island of Hawaii, Bill Ferreira was immersed in the Hawaiian paniolo culture. These island cowboys were heavily influenced by the Californian vaqueros, adopting many of their styles and tools, including the braided rawhide gear. Hailing from a long line of paniolo’s and rawhide braiders, Bill has become a revered industry expert on the art.
Bill moved to Montana to attend college, but after a few short weeks he found himself a job working on ranch for Curt Pate instead of attending class. Pate helped to cultivate Bill’s love for vaquero style rawhide gear.
“You can take the kid off the ranch but you can’t take the cowboy out of the kid ,” Bill says with a laugh.
Getting a foot in the door
In spite of growing up in culture of rawhide braiders, Bill says he encountered a lot of closed doors on his journey to learning the craft.
“The hardest part for me was at the time when I was really wanting to learn (to braid) there was still a very closed minded network of makers, and it was hard to find anyone that would show you anything,” explains Bill. “Fortunately, that has long since passed. Today, myself and many others are so willing to share the craft.”
Over the years, Bill did pry some of those doors open to learn from some very talented braiders. He said that it took years of practice to prove he was serious about the art before some braiders finally started to share their knowledge. From saddle makers on the Big Island, to workshops hosted by the Traditional Cowboy Artists of America (TCAA), Bill says that these fellow artists made a big impact on his craft.
“I guess at that point they saw enough of a heart there. They saw the love of the craft, and the doors started opening and they were willing to share. Once I started attending workshops, man, I just improved 100%. The guys at TCAA have done a really good job in promoting the art and the craft and perpetuating it. They've done a really, really good job in teaching and sharing it,” says Bill.
Perseverance
Bill has been braiding rawhide for over 25 years, and doing it as a full time job the last five years. When asked what advice he would give to those interested in learning the art of braiding rawhide, he had one word: perseverance.
“It’s the idea of nothing ventured, nothing gained. What you put into it is what you get out of it. It's a very, very time consuming craft, and rawhide is a material that can't be rushed. It tells you when it's ready to go, and every single hide tempers differently,” explains Bill. “Understanding when the moisture content needs to be worked in all the stages, from cutting string to to actually braiding, you can't force it. It has to be ready to go. When it needs to be worked is when it needs to be worked. If you push it too far you your results won't come out as well.”
Rawhide braiding dates back thousands of years, and is constantly evolving. Bill says that he enjoys the continual challenge that the art provides, noting that even his best pieces will always have room for improvement.
“It's what keeps you going and it's what makes it fun, because you're always challenging yourself to do better,” says Bill.
Bill enjoys sharing his knowledge of the art with others. He can be found giving braiding workshops at different events throughout the year, teamed up with TCAA at different events, and can even be persuaded to give one-on-one lessons. His shop is located in Helena, Montana, but he travels across the country sharing the tradition of rawhide with others.
For more information on Bill Ferreira’s rawhide business or to contact him, visit his website at billferreirarawhide.com or call him at 808-769-2512.