Does Hermann Oak Not Take Orders?

[DavidL]

I contacted hermann oak a month back for a request of a 10 hides for tooling leather and they redirected me to a canadian supplier that charges 2 dollars a square foot more than there wholesale price. No communication after I emailed them again.

Wickett & craig is sending out samples and answers my emails, I do want to try out hermann oaks first because they are suppose to be stiffer than WC.

Is that a mark in quality, to have stiffer leather means that it is better raised cows? or merely a manufacturing difference?

I find that more retailers stock HO than WC. WC also sells for more than HO and from my understanding HO has a better brand name. In your opinion is WC better than HO, but HO has a better brand name?

Has anyone encountered this? Do they only want to deal with wholesalers? SLC sells B and C grade sides for significantly higher than A grade straight for the tannery if I buy 10 hides.

[camano ridge]

My guess is that they re directed you to a Canadian supplier is because shipping to Canada and customs fees on 10 Hides may very well be more then $2.00 per square foot. I am not sure HO is a better brand then WC I belive they both have their strengths and weaknesses I have used both. I use Wickett and Craig all the time for holsters and they are very stiff. I have gotten some HO from SLC that was much stiffer then Wickett and Craig but it was also very dry and I think that contirbuted to the stiffnes.

[DavidL]

Thanks for the reply. Il have to try them both out and see for myself. I dont think its much of a difference in price to ship to Canada than it is to ship to USA. They are NAFTA and don't hold any duties. Canadian domestic shipping sometimes cost more than USPS first class for some odd reason.

I may have to go with Wicket and craig since I can't get a decent price for HO.

Can anyone confirm that wicket craig sells to Louis Vuitton?

[camano ridge]

I don't know if you consider this confirmation, it works for me.

Vegetable tanning is a method of tanning that uses tannin, a natural chemical found in trees such as quebrachos and mimosas, to cure the hides. These trees are often specifically grown for the chemicals. According to Matt Bessler, sales manager for Wickett and Craig Tannery, there are only two full vegetable tanneries in the United States, one being Wickett and Craig, located in Pennsylvania. The company was established in 1867 and has since grown into an 180,000-square-foot facility. Wicket and Craig boasts more than 4,000 active accounts, with Louis Vuitton as one of the company's biggest customers.

[DavidL]

I don't know if you consider this confirmation, it works for me.

Vegetable tanning is a method of tanning that uses tannin, a natural chemical found in trees such as quebrachos and mimosas, to cure the hides. These trees are often specifically grown for the chemicals. According to Matt Bessler, sales manager for Wickett and Craig Tannery, there are only two full vegetable tanneries in the United States, one being Wickett and Craig, located in Pennsylvania. The company was established in 1867 and has since grown into an 180,000-square-foot facility. Wicket and Craig boasts more than 4,000 active accounts, with Louis Vuitton as one of the company's biggest customers.

Yea that works.

Curious why I mostly see Hermann Oak on websites and the only website that sells wicket and craig is sheridan leather. Is it because its easy to buy straight from wicket and craig tannery??

Doesn't really matter in the end.

I just want to find the proper supplier that I can rely on out of the two though.

[ChuckBurrows]

FYI - W & C will double or triple plate your leather for no charge which will give you a stiffer leather. Stiffer leather is not necessarily a sign of quality (in fact it can be the opposite - some of the stiffer/crappier imports tend to crack while building goods ) - it all depends on your end product i.e. knife sheaths and most modern holsters tend to use a stiffer leather, but other items should have a softer temper .....

[DavidL]

did not know that. I actually have veg tan where it is tumbled so its soft and has wrinkles in it, not very good, it would make a nice vintage look though.

Does the plating affect the leather's colour? I want something slightly stiff but not solid, double plating on tooling leather works well on wallets do you think?

WC sample will come in the mail soon so I can get an upclose look and feel.

[truenorth]

Try Moore Pearsall here in Toronto the have WC

[DavidL]

il check them out thanks

[Tinkerton]

It's not the shipping that'll cost you, it's the customs fees. That's probably why they're directing you to a canadian distributer.

[DavidL]

I suppose so. USPS has good fees for small packages 5 dollars for the brokerage fee plus HST tax. Larger order of 200sq feet I don't know what to expect in terms of brokerage fee for an item so large. It is under NAFTA so there should be no duties. Id like try to not pay extra 400 dollars from the wholesaler markup if I can.