Looking For A Specific Type Of Leather...

[twiggyscarab]

Extreme newbie alert. I'll try to make this question as comprehensible as I possibly can...

I have begun fooling around with leather from the craft store, and have decided it is time to make something serious. I'd like to start with leather wristbands, adding snaps/buckles/other various hardware. For this purpose, I am looking for thick leather, like the type that is usually used for wristbands, belts, etc. Fairly thick, firm leather with at least one "shiny" (excuse my lack of technical terminology) side. The issue is, I've found it incredibly difficult to pinpoint the type of leather I need to buy. Basically, I am trying to find out the industry term(s) used for this type of leather.

Kind of a part two to that question...

I have already learned all about dying leather, but it is still unclear to me whether it needs to be processed/prepared in a specific way to be dyed. For example, it seems to me that "shiny" (that word again ) leather wouldn't dye very well.

Feel free to link me to other sites; not afraid to do some research if I am pointed in the right direction.

Thank you in advance for bearing with me through this jumbled mess!

P.S.- Not sure if this is in the right subforum, feel free to move it if its not.

[Glendon]

Sounds like you need to go get yourself a quick crash course in leather tanning. The Wikipedia article is pretty good for a first read. By shiny do you mean the grain / skin side of the hide, or do you mean finished leathers, like what a leather jacket looks like for example? If what you've been playing with from the craft store is flesh tone and dyes well, it's most likely vegetable tanned or veg-tan. The other really common leather is chrome tanned. That will not dye at all. What you see is what you have.

A good place to start with reading would be The Leathercraft Handbook and anything by Al Stohlman. Leather is still a pretty off-line hobby. Good old fashioned dead trees is where most of the information is. One last thing, to get you started with wrist bands, what you should look at to start is 8-9 oz veg-tan leather. Here are some pre cut strips you can play with from my favorite leather supplier, or maybe I should say dealer. Feels that way sometimes. http://springfieldleather.com/16964/Belt-Strip%2C1%22x72%22/ A few of those plus a $4 10 pack of snaps and some $0.80 buckles should keep you entertained for a bit.

[twiggyscarab]

Sounds like you need to go get yourself a quick crash course in leather tanning. The Wikipedia article is pretty good for a first read. By shiny do you mean the grain / skin side of the hide, or do you mean finished leathers, like what a leather jacket looks like for example? If what you've been playing with from the craft store is flesh tone and dyes well, it's most likely vegetable tanned or veg-tan. The other really common leather is chrome tanned. That will not dye at all. What you see is what you have.

A good place to start with reading would be The Leathercraft Handbook and anything by Al Stohlman. Leather is still a pretty off-line hobby. Good old fashioned dead trees is where most of the information is. One last thing, to get you started with wrist bands, what you should look at to start is 8-9 oz veg-tan leather. Here are some pre cut strips you can play with from my favorite leather supplier, or maybe I should say dealer. Feels that way sometimes. http://springfieldle...p%2C1%22x72%22/ A few of those plus a $4 10 pack of snaps and some $0.80 buckles should keep you entertained for a bit.

YES, the grain. I wasn't sure if you needed to dye the leather in a specific stage of production or not. 8-9 oz veg-tan, noted.

I'll be sure to check out that book/author. I did notice that I wasn't really finding much info online. Guess I'll have to dust off those "book" things again. I'll also definitely check out that link.

Learned a lot already. Thanks a ton for the response.

[ramrod]

also, chrome tanned leather is not typically as thick as 8 or 9 oz. it's generally garment or upholstery weight.