Leather Suggestion From Tandy

[Azenrain]

Hey all,

I was hoping to get a few suggestion regarding what to buy for my next order. Here's the thing, I don't have physical access to a leather supplier right now, and so need to order online. The closest retailer seems to be Tandy as far as I know to northern Ontario, so to not be killed by shipping I thought I'd stick with them.

What I'm looking for is some veg tan that is flexible enough to fold around the edge of a book cover, while still having a great depth to the tooling. I've used 3-4oz in the past for this, but I find that its just a little too flat after tooling.

And since I used to buy from a local that closed down, I have no idea about the properties of the brands they sell. Any I should stay away from completely? I'm honestly not that picky, just looking for something that gives the best balance of tooling vs. flexibility.

Thanks for any insight you can give.

[JLSleather]

I got one of their 4/5 oz double shoulders a couple of weeks ago, wasn't too bad. Supposedly their "B" grade, but came out in a flyer so I got one. Tools pretty well and dyes evenly. Under $5/ft and good color. Depending on how many projects your going to make, should be big enough (you can ask, and they'll send you one closer to 9 feet or closer to 14 feet).

I got it for a couple of small handbags, which I'm going to line with a 2 1/2 oz fairly firm chrome tanned, so the 4/5 oz was plenty heavy enough. They said to expect "some range markings" but I didn't have any ... all good clean leather.

Now that I've said something nice about Tandy, I'm gonna go brush my teeth again (ugghhh... those "kits").

[alyshae]

If you really wanted to use a slightly thicker leather, you could try using a V-groover at the folds. That's what I did when I made my hubby a bookjacket and it worked well.

Good Luck

[Tina]

I have made my fair share of book covers and I use 6-7oz or 7-8oz depending on what I have at home for the moment. To bend it around you get it some moist befor and then bend it to the shape you want, Here's a link to some of the ones I've made so you can se how the turne out on the thickness I suggested: http://vildkorpens-laderlya.deviantart.com/gallery/

[Sylvia]

Azenrain: The problem I see with Tandy is they charge a $5 handling fee. I live near Boise, ID which has a Tandy so I often will call and place an order and they send it to me. It's fast shipping time wise... but it's expensive with that handling fee.

Another choice you might consider is Bruce at http://www.stecksstore.com He carries all of Tandy's stuff and will honor their flyer prices. If you see something in a Tandy flier, but it's not on his site, call him. The reason I recommend Bruce is his shipping is fast, inexpensive, and his regular prices online are comparable with Tandy's "Gold" membership prices. (He takes paypal too, which is really nice.)

[rosiart]

Azenrain: The problem I see with Tandy is they charge a $5 handling fee. I live near Boise, ID which has a Tandy so I often will call and place an order and they send it to me. It's fast shipping time wise... but it's expensive with that handling fee.

Another choice you might consider is Bruce at http://www.stecksstore.com He carries all of Tandy's stuff and will honor their flyer prices. If you see something in a Tandy flier, but it's not on his site, call him. The reason I recommend Bruce is his shipping is fast, inexpensive, and his regular prices online are comparable with Tandy's "Gold" membership prices. (He takes paypal too, which is really nice.)

Since the original poster is in northern Ontario, Canada, I think the shipping costs would be pretty expensive from an american supplier. I could be wrong though :-)

[Sylvia]

I must admit I didn't notice his place of residence. But still, I would think the difference between retail and what Bruce charges and shipping would/could be less than shipping from Tandy Canada. Just saying it's worth checking out.

[rosiart]

I have made my fair share of book covers and I use 6-7oz or 7-8oz depending on what I have at home for the moment. To bend it around you get it some moist befor and then bend it to the shape you want, Here's a link to some of the ones I've made so you can se how the turne out on the thickness I suggested: http://vildkorpens-l...rt.com/gallery/

Thanks for sharing your link . I had great fun checking out your gallery. You do some amazing art.

[Tina]

Thanks for sharing your link . I had great fun checking out your gallery. You do some amazing art.

Thanks a Million for taking the time to visit and soooo glad you like my work :-)

[Russ]

I wonder if there is someone here on Leatherworker.net that lives in Canada and near a Tandy or other Canadian supplier that could go to the store and pick out some leather for you and have it shipped? I know I've done that for someone here on the board. They ordered what they wanted from my local Tandy and I went and picked it out for them.

I hate buying my leather blind. I go to Tandy and look for what I want. If I can't find it, I hold my breath and order from SLC or Weaver. I haven't been burned too badly yet, but I certainly prefer to pick out my own.

Russ

Hey all,

I was hoping to get a few suggestion regarding what to buy for my next order. Here's the thing, I don't have physical access to a leather supplier right now, and so need to order online. The closest retailer seems to be Tandy as far as I know to northern Ontario, so to not be killed by shipping I thought I'd stick with them.

What I'm looking for is some veg tan that is flexible enough to fold around the edge of a book cover, while still having a great depth to the tooling. I've used 3-4oz in the past for this, but I find that its just a little too flat after tooling.

And since I used to buy from a local that closed down, I have no idea about the properties of the brands they sell. Any I should stay away from completely? I'm honestly not that picky, just looking for something that gives the best balance of tooling vs. flexibility.

Thanks for any insight you can give.