Kid Safe Leather Choices

[chuck123wapati]

1 minute ago, Aven said:

 

Every shoe manufacture knows the leather they are use and how was manufactured and what was in it. 

Good luck to you and i am impressed by your willingness to look out for others in such a way.

one would assume that but i highly doubt it. 1. most have them made by a third party. 2. they just don't care its not an issue people don't eat shoes so they don't need to be organic.

Now you need to think about the conditioners polishes and other nasty things your going to smear on them lol.

 

[Aven]

1 hour ago, chuck123wapati said:

Now you need to think about the conditioners polishes and other nasty things your going to smear on them lol.

 

Actually no I don't.  I wasn't planning on spit shining the little darling's shoes.  The parent(s) can decide if they want to put anything other than a damp cloth on them.

[chuck123wapati]

9 minutes ago, Aven said:

Actually no I don't.  I wasn't planning on spit shining the little darling's shoes.  The parent(s) can decide if they want to put anything other than a damp cloth on them.

ok 

organic milk is processed just the same as non organic milk. 

organic beef is processed exactly the same as non organic beef.

hides from these organic cows are processed exactly the same as non organic hides are, with the same chemicals. get it?  so that being said then veg tan is about as close as your going to get. to "organic" leather.

if you buy and pay more for organic leather than regular you are buying a pig in a poke.

 

 

 

[fredk]

When my #1 favorite dottir was a toddler and we as a family did medieval shows I made her slipper shoes from upholstery grade chrome tan leather. They were in the turn-shoes style of making. She had a new pair just about every 6 months, from age about 1 to 6. I think I still have all her sole patterns somewhere; I'm just too lazy to have a good clear-out

Now, whilst she never sat and chewed them she liked them and even when she was of school age she used to change into them after school. She said they were the most comfortable shoes she had

A few years ago I made some small valet trays in veg tan. Dyed and sealed. At that time  I was having a problem with sealing the dyed finish, so I really worked on these. After sealing they were soaked in warm water, in cold water, they got a good saturated wash with alcohol and then with acetone. No dye came off at all. A month after the trays were given out one of the recipients told me, as a funny story, that her 3 y/o grandson had sucked on her tray and came away with a red mouth. I never thought of testing with a toddler's saliva!

[fredk]

Ps. Make them out of rawhide

Get some big dog chews*, soak them, open them up, flatten them then make the shoes

I've made items out of rawhide this way as rawhide is not available here

*if its safe for a dog to eat it'll be safe for a toddler (maybe)

[chuck123wapati]

13 minutes ago, fredk said:

Ps. Make them out of rawhide

Get some big dog chews*, soak them, open them up, flatten them then make the shoes

I've made items out of rawhide this way as rawhide is not available here

*if its safe for a dog to eat it'll be safe for a toddler (maybe)

I used to feed my dogs rawhide chews they aren't unsafe to eat unless they plug them up, some are bleached with nasty stuff however. my male would unravel them and swallow them lol they don't digest so came out looking the same!!  we switched to carrots believe it or not our three bullies love carrots. organic or not lol.

i do have some truly organic hide, we tanned it our selves! brain tanned wild elk and deer. sustainably sourced and ethically harvested. need any more buzz words lol.

[Aven]

Thanks Fred.  I'll include upholstery leather in the list of choices.

Did you use the rawhide for the soles, the uppers or both? 

[fredk]

The turn-shoes were all chrome tan upholstery leather, vamp & sole

The rawhide shoes were different ones; both uppers and soles. Made for babies who were yet to walk or do much walking. I don't know if I still have the patterns for them

They kinda looked like these, with the sole laced to the vamp, a strap over the top to pull tight and a small buckle. After construction the shoes were given several coats of Resolene to seal them. #1 favourite dottir started with these then went on to the turn-shoes

All these were made at the start of my leathercrafting years.

With either of these shoes, they don't very much shaping as children's feet are still forming. The shoes just need to be very flexible

[jcuk]

These maybe worth contacting and asking about their tanning process, just read threw their story it may help you  i have never had leather from them but know of people who have and  they love it. The thing i will say it won't be cheap, i am pretty sure i have seen a supplier your side of the pond. Also  maybe contact some tanneries your side of the pond they might have some kind of product suitable for your need.

https://www.jfjbaker.co.uk/products-1

On 12/28/2022 at 2:00 PM, Aven said:

Thank you Klara for your input and the link.  My German is rusty, but I will give it a watch.

As for the arsenic, my mind lept to Arsenic and Old Lace for the poison.  I should have said cyanide.  It's present in apple seeds.

The part of the country where they are based is cider country more over scrumpy cider home made stuff where they don't remove the apple seeds there have been cases of people who have lost their sight and there have deaths i believe but that was because of years and years of drinking it and not it moderation i would say. 

 

Hope this helps

JCUK

[Aven]

Fred, all my experience with rawhide is trying to use dog chews.  I have soaked them, unrolled them and let them dry again.  It was still very hard and stiff.  Most were too thick to use.  How did you soften it so it could be worn?

 

14 minutes ago, jcuk said:

These maybe worth contacting and asking about their tanning process, just read threw their story it may help you  i have never had leather from them but know of people who have and  they love it. The thing i will say it won't be cheap, i am pretty sure i have seen a supplier your side of the pond. Also  maybe contact some tanneries your side of the pond they might have some kind of product suitable for your need.

I think I will be doing just that.  Thanks