Fig. 197.—Hansom Cab Harness.
Make the brown hand parts 5 ft. 6 in. long, and narrow the light end of one part to pass through into a ¾-in. covered buckle; then turn down the other point and narrow it for the buckle chape. Finally, prepare a narrow brown loop. Shave and taper the other end of the hand parts to a point, edge both sides below and under, and damp the edges with gum and water, or with water only. Polish them well by rubbing, making them even everywhere; brown paper is excellent for polishing either black or brown edges.
After creasing them very near the edge with a screw crease, place the buckle and loop on the end and mark a line a little inside the outer one, about 2½ in. or 3 in. long, on the end to be spliced on the fore-part. Prick it fine and stitch with a fine thread, pointing the stitches in the upper end to the same shape as the others. The hand parts can be obtained ready cut with buckles, and then all that has to be done is to shave the ends and stitch them to the fore-parts.
Four-wheel cab harness can be made in the same way as van harness, except the saddle (Fig. 192), which is made exactly like a gig saddle, but is heavier and has brass or nickel screw studs in each corner of the skirts; Fig. 193 shows the top or tree.
Hansom cab harness is not much different, though the saddle (Fig. 194) is lighter, and some have rollers inside the saddle so that the back-band may run smoothly backwards and forwards through the tree; these trees are made to order. In Fig. 197, A indicates the noseband, B winker, C forehead band, E throatlash, F cheek, G rein, H collar, I trace, J saddle, K shaft tug, L cantle of saddle, M crupper, N tug strap, O bearer, P breeching, and R shaft strap.
The hansom reins must be about 20 ft. long on each side, each brown hand part being about 7 ft. long. They are generally showy and ornamental. Winkers and saddle, hip straps, martingale, and breastplate have ornaments, the reins have ivory rings and stops (Figs. 195 and 196), and there is a face piece ornament on the bridle.
Both four-wheeler and hansom harness (Fig. 197) are larger and heavier than gig harness, except at the saddle.