Cletus2014

Thanks Chief and yes, it does help. Primarily your answer to the question of tooling leather - that was what I was really looking for. I've seen the charts of cow hides and horse hides broken out into cuts, as you mentioned, but those diagrams often don't tell the whole story, since leather can be tanned in many different ways. Anyway, I'm now pretty sure the tooling leather pieces I've ordered from Springfield Leather will be what I was looking for. Thanks again for your reply!

These questions are probably obvious to many, but after some searching around here I'm still confused about a few things. I know (or I'm pretty sure anyway) that some of the different leathers - and I'm mostly thinking cow and horse - are defined by the part of the hide, shoulder, belly, bend, etc. that they're cut from, but can also be defined by the type of tanning process used, which confuses us tyros even more. Anyway, I think I'm looking for some plain old "vegetable tanned" leather, as opposed to chrome, brain, oil, or otherwise chemical tanned. Problem is, suppliers don't seem to specify leather as simply being veg tanned. My guess is that Tooling Sides, or Tooling Leather is what I'm looking for, but I can't be sure. Can someone please define "Tooling Leather"? I don't plan on doing any actual tooling or surface designs, just little projects like cases, sheaths, wallets, maybe some molded/shaped items and stuff like that. Isn't 'tooling leather' pretty much the same as all-purpose veg tanned leather? I know there's really no "all-purpose" leather, but hopefully you get what I mean. What about Latigo? From reading I understand this is normally belly leather, but isn't this also vegetable tanned, suitable for these kinds of projects too? I realize Latigos can be heavy/thick leathers, but can't this be skiver or thinned down for straps and things? - Also planning to use Latigo for my tool strops, any comments there? Thinking Latigos tend NOT to be too stretchy? Last, what about oil tanned leathers? Is this similar to chrome tanned leather? Typically stretchy, like Chromexcel? Thanks, as always for your advice!

These questions are probably obvious to many, but after some searching around here I'm still confused about a few things. I know (or I'm pretty sure anyway) that some of the different leathers - and I'm mostly thinking cow and horse - are defined by the part of the hide, shoulder, belly, bend, etc. that they're cut from, but can also be defined by the type of tanning process used, which confuses us tyros even more. Anyway, I think I'm looking for some plain old "vegetable tanned" leather, as opposed to chrome, brain, oil, or otherwise chemical tanned. Problem is, suppliers don't seem to specify leather as simply being veg tanned. My guess is that Tooling Sides, or Tooling Leather is what I'm looking for, but I can't be sure. Can someone please define "Tooling Leather"? I don't plan on doing any actual tooling or surface designs, just little projects like cases, sheaths, wallets, maybe some molded/shaped items and stuff like that. Isn't 'tooling leather' pretty much the same as all-purpose veg tanned leather? I know there's really no "all-purpose" leather, but hopefully you get what I mean. What about Latigo? From reading I understand this is normally belly leather, but isn't this also vegetable tanned, suitable for these kinds of projects too? I realize Latigos can be heavy/thick leathers, but can't this be skiver or thinned down for straps and things? - Also planning to use Latigo for my tool strops, any comments there? Thinking Latigos tend NOT to be too stretchy? Last, what about oil tanned leathers? Is this similar to chrome tanned leather? Typically stretchy, like Chromexcel? Thanks, as always for your advice!

Thanks?

Thanks leatherworker, it's nice to hear I wasn't too far out in the stratosphere, wondering how to use this leather. After talking with a few others about it too, I guess I'll hold off on scrapping this nice leather, just need to be a little patient and choose my projects more carefully. I don't have much of this stuff, only a few square ft, but I will take another shot at making a watch strap or two and see how it goes. Thanks for your comments!

So I've been getting some leather stock together, along with tools, knowledge, materials, etc., preparing myself to embark on a big leatherworking odyssey. (Sound exciting?) Because I don't really know what I'm doing yet, I mananged to search out and acquire several pieces of Horween Chromexcel, for no other good reason beyond the fact it's...Horween Chromexcel. I figured that would be the ultimate leather for anything. But now I'm not so sure. Compared to some pieces of regular old Tandy veg tanned leather that I also possess, I'm wondering whether the Hoween chrome is really the best thing to be using for the beginner projects I have in mind. I'm thinking watch straps, little cases for things, notebook covers, wallets, etc... The Horween chrome leather is quite stretchy and has a soft "hand", which defnitely feels nice to the touch, but is difficult to stitch evenly, and very difficult to tool in any way, or especially to edge burnish. Also, I just read somewhere - maybe here? - that you shouldn't use chrome tanned leather for sheaths, holsters, or anything else meant to house metal objects. Strike two for me. I planned on making leather cases for all my little metal instruments and tools. One of my practice projects was a case for a little 6" machinists rule, which is stainless steel, and now I'm concerened about wrecking the finish on the ruler from the chrome salts leaching out of the leather or something. I'm thinking of taking all my Horween chrome leather and using it for strops, stitching pony liners and other unitily tasks now, which seems like a downright shame for such fine leather. Alas. Does anyone have any comments or opinions on the best uses for this leather type? I'm starting to think I should have just stocked up on plain ol' veg tan and just use that for everything. What about you, do you use Horween Chromexcel? What do you think the best uses for this stretchy leather are? Would this even be good to use for a stropping block surface if it came down to that? I've heard you should use really "hard" surface leather for strops, but I don't know how important that is. Please help!