Kid Safe Leather Choices

[fredk]

1 hour ago, Aven said:

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?

It was 21 years ago and I knew nothing about leather (I still don't!        ) so I'm trying to remember

I was using the rawhide from chews to edge Viking shields. After soaking and unrolling and allowing the rawhide to dry a bit I sliced off the thicker parts. In slices about 2" wide. These were laced or nailed to the shield edges. Almost all the rawhide was no more that about 1.5mm thick, the thinnest parts which I considered waste was no more than about 1mm thick, a lot of it thinner. I realised that the strips of very thin rawhide could be used, the width could do a baby shoe sole and the vamp made in two or three pieces. I was working the rawhide slightly wet. I think, just by constant working of the rawhide in my hands it became more flexible. Certainly the soles dried relatively stiff but the vamps had more flexibility. It certainly was not as soft as the turn-shoes. But if you check out baby shoes in a shoe shop you'll find them very stiff. They are more for protection and for getting baby used to wearing shoes. As baby grows and needs more flexible shoes then the turn-shoes are worn

[hotleatherworlds]

Veg tanned leather is usually better than chrome tanned leather as it uses a lot more less chemicals. I think there are many leather manufacturers who make safe leather in traditional ways which you can use. It is obvious that these non toxin leather will be more expensive than your regular leather.