Hair-on hides.

[SUP]

IKEA visit this week-end and they have some very nice hair-on hides. Beautiful finish and soft and supple.  I checked Tandy immediately after and not as good but more pricy. The colors in IKEA are much better too, warm and rich. The finishes will naturally be different as the IKEA ones are ready for use as rugs. But has anyone cut them up to make other items from them?  

[bruce johnson]

15 hours ago, SUP said:

IKEA visit this week-end and they have some very nice hair-on hides. Beautiful finish and soft and supple.  I checked Tandy immediately after and not as good but more pricy. The colors in IKEA are much better too, warm and rich. The finishes will naturally be different as the IKEA ones are ready for use as rugs. But has anyone cut them up to make other items from them?  

I've done a bunch with hair-on. I have used them for bags and pillows some. You just have to know you can walk on these for years and no hair slips. Put it on the back of a bag and a ladies purse will be bare in the 3-4 months from rubbing against them. I don't know why that difference!. I mostly used them for inlays on rope cans and bags, notebooks, restaurant menus and wine lists, and bigger things. I did a few  hundred contract belts with hide inlays too. I like working with hair-on a lot but It can be messy. Pattern cut from the flesh side. Pay attention to the lay of the hair and how it will be oriented on your work. 

[SUP]

Thank you for those ideas  @bruce johnson. I was wondering how I could use them. I have not bought one as yet. But they are so beautiful. I will buy one soon and try out some of those things. I'm glad you told me that the hair gets rubbed off on bags, else I would have made one. Don't want the hassle of hair rubbing off and adding to the hair I find everywhere - dog hair plus cattle hair!

Yes. I will watch out for the way the hair lies. That is part of the beauty, isn't it, the glowing colors and patterns and the way the hair lies.