Strange grey spots on new veg tan?

[Yukonrookie]

Thanks for all the responses guys and sorry for being lates responding at times. I’m dealing with health issues and when I’m in the hospital I slack off on emails and messages. I just got back today though and actually sitting at my leather work bench crafting away on a sheath. My 3rd sheath so far. Also I got a hide of Wickett and Craig Skirting and using it for the first time. I like it a lot. Actually prefer it over the A grade HO tooling. I really like how the russet burnishes when tooling. I wish it was a little stiffer. I read that when ordering directly from W&C they offer pressing to desired temper. Anyone know anything about that?

Thanks again folks

[fredk]

If its iron contamination, the only way I can see that sort of spread is if some one used an angle grinder near the leather allowing the 'sparks' to land on it. The 'sparks' ain't sparks but very tiny pieces of hot metal

[Yukonrookie]

1 minute ago, fredk said:

If its iron contamination, the only way I can see that sort of spread is if some one used an angle grinder near the leather allowing the 'sparks' to land on it. The 'sparks' ain't sparks but very tiny pieces of hot metal

Yeah, could be some kind of metal work near the tanning or processing area of some sort? Very strange. Could it even be something completely different? Not metal but other type of oxidation of some sort? Couldn’t be mold cause the leather was new and I got to work on the day of arrival, or could it?. I didn’t even fully case it, but rather used the sponge method, the first piece I worked on wasn’t large and I was eager to try out the leather and new tools. Granted the 10oz leather was “thirsty” and I did wet it with the sponge more than I normally would have. Anyway, as soon as the leather got its colour back some the first spots started to show. Later on I sponged it a bit more and even more spots were showing. Very strange. I really wish I got a definitive diagnosis but that might not be the case. Mostly out of curiosity. Of course, should I ever get spots like this again in a completely different piece of leather, I’d know the fault lies in my end. Can’t see how that could be though.

On 11/14/2024 at 2:25 PM, leatherman64 said:

As an FYI normally if you use Bee Natural Pro Carve in your water you case with, it will eliminate that reaction before it happens.  It will not remove it once there, but if you are keeping that hide then it’s worth a try to salvage the leather.  

Do you know if Eco flow easy carve has similar properties in it that give the same effect? Bee natural Pro carve is a bit harder to get in my region.

[fredk]

5 hours ago, Yukonrookie said:

. . . I wish it was a little stiffer. I read that when ordering directly from W&C they offer pressing to desired temper. Anyone know anything about that?

a. I don't know anything about W&C

b. you can stiffen up modest size pieces of leather yourself. By soaking in warm water then drying fairly quickly between two heavy boards*. Cover the boards in absorbent clean white paper. Your only limit is the size of the boards

* or light thin boards with weights placed on them

[Yukonrookie]

18 hours ago, fredk said:

b. you can stiffen up modest size pieces of leather yourself. By soaking in warm water then drying fairly quickly between two heavy boards*. Cover the boards in absorbent clean white paper. Your only limit is the size of the boards

* or light thin boards with weights placed on them

Thanks. That’s a good, quick and easy idea. Have you ever stiffened with an oven? Or the “flash boil” method? Like for holsters, for example.

[fredk]

I've tried both

The boiling water method tightened up this knife scabbard hanger and made it very firm 

I never liked using an oven. I found the results too unpredictable

 

[Yukonrookie]

Gotcha. Will it change form much, or mostly just shrink a bit? 

[fredk]

I found it would shrink quite a bit in any direction. It was totally unpredictable

[Yukonrookie]

Good to know. I just ordered some leather hardener/firmer. For most of my projects I like the temper of the leathers I work with currently. That’s a side of W&C a couple heavy weight Double Butts of Italian veg tan and some shoulders of Italian. Of those the double butts have a firmer temper than the 8/10oz W&C skirting, which surprised me a bit. I had just finished a side of HO 8/10 oz tooling and decided to try out some W&C. Simply because I’m relatively new to the craft and want to get an understanding of the different makes and types of veg tan. Anyway, the HO had a slightly firmer temper over the same weight W&C and for the odd project that was good. Than again the W&C has a thing or two that I like a tad more than the HO so it evens itself out. Both are obviously top notch so I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m bashing one or the other, with my limited knowledge lol.

If you don’t mind me asking what leathers do you mostly work with?