AdrianS

Thanks Cyber, I'll have a look at glass burnishers. Does it glaze the leather, though? i.e. make is glossy? I bought 'standard' grade from W&C, which was their most expensive on their price list so I presumed it was their highest grade despite the name. Their 'special' grade was cheaper, from memory. If I'm not doing any tooling, would anyone advise to treat the leather before working with it? I ask because another problem that I'm having is that during cutting, gluing and stitching, the leather seems to absorb every bit of dirt that gets in contact with it, so by the time I've finished all the hard work, it's covered in specks of dirt that are hard to clean off.

Thanks for the replies guys. The bridle "spew" is very interesting and also confirms that brushing my leather wouldn't do any good. Glazing seems to make the surface glossy, where I prefer a matte finish. I might give neatsfoot and mink oil a shot, thanks. I've taken a picture of the type of markings I was talking about. There are heaps of these which I have to work around, quite disappointing for a very expensive leather, especially as these look like damage incurred at the tannery rather than natural scars and because they're scattered all over the side, I wouldn't be able to make anything with large pieces - but thankfully that's not a problem for me, yet. Here are some more photos of other people's products with natural veg tan leather. And of course, Louis Vuitton famously uses it too and their leather seems to have zero imperfections. Surely they must do something to it.

Hi folks, how's it going? I've got two questions about "untreated" veg tan, as I want to try making something with a little feature with the natural tan look. I know you guys mostly dye and treat, but I'm hoping someone can answer my qusetions. See image for what I mean about the natural tan look (no comments about the quality, please). Question 1: These types of leathers are usually made for tooling, which also means they're very easily damaged when left intreated. Is there something that I can do or apply to protect the leather whilst retaining the look and feel? Does mink oil really work? Question 2: The leather I received from W&C was a little disappointing and has quite a lot of light blemishes like markings. Is there any way to remove or minimise these to get a more consistent surface like the leather in the image above? In a video I found, a pretty inconsistent piece of leather seems to be made more consistent by brushing it? Would this work with the leather above? Before: Brushing: Final product: Video link: www.youtube.com/embed/Kg8QWVgtUzc As always, any input would be really appreciated! - Adrian

Thanks for the in-depth replies. I actually took the safe option and bought off-cuts from eBay to get an idea what I was about to delve into. I didn't really intend to use the leather for any project, but to experiment with it and figure out how to manage the beast that vege tan is. I've been in contact with Wickett & Craig because from browsing these forums, some people seem to be quite happy with it although most seem to be Hermann Oak type. I've told them what I'm after, but no proforma invoice yet - maybe all you leatherworkers are making their lead time longer! Cyberthrasher, your experience with the grades is extremely helpful - thank you! The stuff I've got fits your C-grade description perfectly. Judging by price, I believe W&C's highest quality natural tooling hides are known as "standard" grade - can anyone confirm this? Speaking of tooling hides, I'm after the natural, matte (not shiny) finish with a soft-hand, but I don't plan to do any "tooling". It's quite contradictory, but is there a way to treat the surface to prevent superficial damage whilst retaining the look and feel?

Hi guys, I bought my first "natural" vegetable tan leather. It's very pinkish and extremely solid - something I didn't expect (oh the troubles of purchasing online). The leather I had in mind was more beige in colour, like a very white coffee. I also hoped for something a bit more pliable and with a softer hand. Quite a lot of the videos and work I've seen floating around online have leather with these two traits. My questions are - well the obvious one is; where can I get this sort of leather from? But the other thing I'm interested to know is what's the difference in the tanning process that makes natural vege tan vary as described? Are there any certain attributes I can specify to a tannery which would help them to understand what I'm after? Any help would be much appreciated! - Adrian

Does anyone know what the stuff is called that's used as filler inside rolled handles? I've attached a picture that I found online. Has anyone tried making rolled handles? What has worked well as a filler for you? I am making a man bag, so I prefer the handles to be pretty rugged and stiff (I know some people use rope as filler, but I find it kind of flimsy). Cheers guys.

Hi, Is it possible to stick leather grain sides together? Preferably with a water-based adhesive. I'm using double-sided leather and need some sort of way to stick them together before stitching. Thanks for any input!

Hello, I'm quite new to leather working. I know most of you use thick vegetable tanned leathers, but would this method work on softer, chrome tanned upholstery leathers? I tried a similar technique and the edge looked great, but after a lot of flex, the burnished wax turned into a big crumbly mess. Perhaps someone here can suggest a method for softer leathers? Thank you.

Hello, I'm curious as to where I can purchase Vergez Blanchard tools from a place which knows English? I've seen their French site, and a (ridiculously, stupidly expensive) Japanese site, but no luck on English. I'm searching for high quality stitching chisels and wheels with stitch lengths around 4.5mm. Vergez Blanchard seem to be the only brand which makes a range of different stitch lengths with different numbers of prongs. Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

How did you go with the edge painting? Do you have any images of the results? I'm very interested in buying a similar machine, but I'm not sure as to the durability of the painted edge. Painted edges look great, but the last thing I'd want is it to crack or peel. Adrian

Hello guys, Thanks for providing a place to let me ask questions. I'm trying to find out where I can get my hands on a finishing product and machine that can do this: Here is a picture of their process: A lot of common leathergoods brands use the same or similar method, but I still can't find any information. Many thanks for any input.