Anybody Buy Roo From Australia

[roo4u]

hey all....

anybody ever buy roo from an australian supplier? specifically i was looking at the website from murphywhips and it looks like the roo would be alot cheaper than what im getting right now, even with shipping. what were your experiences and what should i know before i try it.

thanks

tracy

[Pepelimoco]

hey all....

anybody ever buy roo from an australian supplier? specifically i was looking at the website from murphywhips and it looks like the roo would be alot cheaper than what im getting right now, even with shipping. what were your experiences and what should i know before i try it.

thanks

tracy

[Pepelimoco]

hey all....

anybody ever buy roo from an australian supplier? specifically i was looking at the website from murphywhips and it looks like the roo would be alot cheaper than what im getting right now, even with shipping. what were your experiences and what should i know before i try it.

thanks

tracy

I buy all mine from Weaver in USA and do just fine. I found the price to be competitive. Watch out that you don't buy chrome tanned hide from Australia. It's cheaper but itt doesn't make good lace.

[King's X]

Try PMing 'Spence' member here. He is a member or our guild and only buys from Aust.

[roo4u]

pepelimoco---i used to buy from weaver...i started braiding show leashes about 10 years ago. at that time i bought all my roo from weaver. they sold drum stuffed roo from packer tannery. after a few years they suddently switched to a dry type hide which after using ds hides really felt like garbage. i called them and they didnt even know that the hides were different. i hate the dry hides you cant condition them and make them feel decent, and even after some use they still dont feel nice, they dont get that soft as butter feel. i would never buy chrome tanned. i buy only drum stuffed whip quality hides and if i need colors i dye my one...the only exception i make is i buy a white from hardtke that is called italian white it is a crusted roo hide and unlike other whites ive tried it doesnt discolor and is a bright white. i did figure out you can dye it and when used for purple or blue the colors just jump right out at you.

kings x ---thanks for the info ill pm him and see what he says

[entiendo]

I thought we all got our roo from Australia! Go figure. Where do you get yours?

My hides aren't cheep and they are usually dry. I like the dry hides. I like the color better and I think they do get softer and softer over time, at least that's my experience. I just run saddle soap over them and they really aren't much different than the drum stuffed to braid. I only buy unfinished though. I don't touch the finished hides anymore unless I have to. They have very nice color, so people seem to like them, but the wonderful kangaroo feel isn't there. I have to admit though, the drum stuffed hides are very nice to work with so I can understand why you seek them out.

I went and took a look at my last order. I paid 68.44 for a 58dm hide, not including shipping. Shipping starts around 25 for the first hide and goes down quickly from there.

I don't know how he compares with other suppliers. I looked everywhere when I first started braiding and he was the best price and he has lots of colors. I've always been happy so there has never been a reason to look elsewhere.

Chrome...YUCK...I do think they are OK if you are first learning. The string is stronger than cowhide and easier to work with than rawhide for practicing those buttons.

[roo4u]

entiendo....well ok i guess they do all come from aust. but i currently buy from a leather house, charles hardtke inc. and of course when you buy from them they are adding a significant markup. i paid 11.15/sq ft on the last ones i bought. with the exchange rate i figured that they are selling for about 8/sq ft from murphywhips. i really dont like the dry...i bought some real quality dry hides from davidmorgan a few years ago...but didnt like the feel.. the hides from weaver leather were not of the same quality and they were horrible. i tried everything to soften and nothing worked.

who are you buying from? murphywhips sells only drumstuffed whole hides as they are mostly a whip supply house and thats all they use for whips. drumstuffing reduces stretch and increases flexibility of the leather. it feels like butter as it ages.

[tonyc1]

hey all....

anybody ever buy roo from an australian supplier? specifically i was looking at the website from murphywhips and it looks like the roo would be alot cheaper than what im getting right now, even with shipping. what were your experiences and what should i know before i try it.

thanks

tracy

We're having pot roast 'roo for dinner tonight! Very Tasty.

Couldn't help it, sorry!

Tony.

[cem]

Have you tried Packer Leather directly www.packerleather.com.au and http://www.packerdirect.com.au/Home.aspx I haven't bought any lace for awhile so aren't sure what their prices are like compared to the others.

[rcsaddles]

Hi Tracy,

Try Paul at www.midwestwhips.com He has the best price I have found on rro hides and is very knowledgable about the different tanning processes. I go to him whenever I need any roo. Check out the lace cutter he has also.

[Bevan]

I thought we all got our roo from Australia! Go figure. Where do you get yours?

My hides aren't cheep and they are usually dry. I like the dry hides. I like the color better and I think they do get softer and softer over time, at least that's my experience. I just run saddle soap over them and they really aren't much different than the drum stuffed to braid. I only buy unfinished though. I don't touch the finished hides anymore unless I have to. They have very nice color, so people seem to like them, but the wonderful kangaroo feel isn't there. I have to admit though, the drum stuffed hides are very nice to work with so I can understand why you seek them out.

I went and took a look at my last order. I paid 68.44 for a 58dm hide, not including shipping. Shipping starts around 25 for the first hide and goes down quickly from there.

I don't know how he compares with other suppliers. I looked everywhere when I first started braiding and he was the best price and he has lots of colors. I've always been happy so there has never been a reason to look elsewhere.

Chrome...YUCK...I do think they are OK if you are first learning. The string is stronger than cowhide and easier to work with than rawhide for practicing those buttons.

Gday my friend ,how are things going ???

as you know i am aussie and i am glad you know where roo comes from !!!! lol

We are in a drought at the moment ,, oops but it is raining too !!!! QLD is that wet the roo shooters cant get out to bring them in , so the price of roo leather is going thru the roof at the moment .

so I think the price you got it for is very good,be prepared o pay more in the near future !!!

I am with you mate , drumed or not i still like the feel and it dont take much to make it feel nice , i use a bit of mutton fat and soap ,,,, mmmmm the roo loves it and the whips and bosals look a treat plus i know the leather is nice and moist when i sell them .

Chrome ?????played with it when i had my old FJ Holden (56 Chev)only on the motor

Edited June 2, 2010 by Bevan

[Bevan]

Have you tried Packer Leather directly www.packerleather.com.au and http://www.packerdir...om.au/Home.aspx I haven't bought any lace for awhile so aren't sure what their prices are like compared to the others.

I cut my own lace mate ,,, and i uselly get the leather between the front gate and the back paddock ,,, plenty roo here

but for those that are not so fortunate give packers a call , you cant go wrong , they are the go!!

I have made and sell a lace cutter www.bwrwhips.com email us if ya want any more info

Cheer

Bevo

[entiendo]

Yup Bevan, I just ordered more and they went up 10%. Few more dollars a hide. Jade 52dm veg, 0.9mm - $66.56. Now all it needs is to be converted to square yards and add the shipping. My brain doesn't work that well in the morning though so I'm not gonna do it. Here is the shipping.... $19.85 for the 1st 50dm + .23 cents par additional

Here is his website, Amazing Hides but I would urge you to contact him because he doesn't do much with his website! Who knows, maybe he can get drum stuffed more consistently. I don't know because I don't request it.

[roo4u]

tony

what does roo taste like? i didnt realize until a couple of days ago that people eat roo. duh.

We're having pot roast 'roo for dinner tonight! Very Tasty.

Couldn't help it, sorry!

Tony.

[roo4u]

thanks folks for all your replies. y'all have given me lots of good information. thanks to those who pm'd me as well. wow i cant believe the prices are going up again. when i first bought roo it was about 6 bucks a sq ft.

[tonyc1]

tony

what does roo taste like? i didnt realize until a couple of days ago that people eat roo. duh.

I think it tastes a bit like beef if it is roasted. We have it many ways and it makes good patties and is also good when corned. The flavour can depend on what sort of country it is grazing on as some bush areas can make it quite strong tasting, buttongrass, teatree etc. It is very healthy meat as it contains no cholesterol. We sometimes have one or two in our bottom paddock but plenty about a mile away.

Tony.

[bullwhips]

I used to get roo from Mike Murphy, but personally I prefer roo from Packer. For the price you can't complain about the stuff from Murphy, it's good...just not as good as Packer.

When I'm only getting a skin or two I get them from Paul Nolan http://www.midwestwhips.com, and I get them from Hardtke http://www.charleshardtke.com/ when I need more than a couple of skins. The Packer skins are a bit cheaper at Hardtke than from Paul Nolan, but if it's just a skin or two I make that back in cheaper shipping and faster delivery time by order from Paul Nolan (I'm not too far from Nolan).

I've never been impressed with the AmazingOz people in Australia. I've gotten a few hides from them and in my experience and opinion they don't know what a Grade A hide is. Also I'd ordered drum stuffed and didn't get drum stuffed.

You'll get the best hides from David Morgan http://www.davidmorgan.com , they are a bit more expensive, but they sort theirs by thickness and pretty much only get the best skins from packer. Personally for me being able to visit David Morgan's shop and pick out my roo skins can definately offset the cost when I'm working on a special project. However lately those have few and far between.

Also unless it's changed recently you still have to pay the $60 export permit fee on top of the roo price and shipping to get kangaroo skins legally out of australia, so you need to factor that into pricing when getting directly from Australia. That was the deal breaker for me and what got me to use suppliers in the USA.

[roo4u]

yes i currently buy all my roo from hardtke. looked at the price on midwest whips and it was way higher than what im paying now. i have in the past bought from davidmorgan, when i first started braiding. then i bought from weaver for a long time but the idiots changed to some nasty roo so quit them. yes the 60 dollar fee is a factor i will have to way that in when i decide how much roo i can afford to order. also i can order directly from packer so have to compare the numbers between the two and see which comes up cheaper. the plus side of packer is you can still get red species i believe.

[Bevan]

Well bugga me !!!!

It would be nice to have a regular supplier here ,,,, you would not beleive it but they fill the export orders first

How about you send me some of that roo back over here , i will pay the shipping plus buy ya a six pack !!!! bugga it i will buy the carton and drink it my self !!!!! shit , if we are talking RED i will buy the leather a Johnny Walker as well !!!!!

I have been waiting 6 weeks plus ,,, so if you add up all the scotch and beer , i am well and truely behind the 8ball !!!!

So if you wounder why i always say Cheers !!! its because i have no leather ,,, otherwise i would be plaiting away

So Cheers Folks

PS Now i am down to the scraps i almost got rid of !!

The roos in the back paddock are looking a bit nervous !!!!

Edited June 7, 2010 by Bevan

[Bevan]

I think it tastes a bit like beef if it is roasted. We have it many ways and it makes good patties and is also good when corned. The flavour can depend on what sort of country it is grazing on as some bush areas can make it quite strong tasting, buttongrass, teatree etc. It is very healthy meat as it contains no cholesterol. We sometimes have one or two in our bottom paddock but plenty about a mile away.

Tony.

Gday Neigbhour

I will have to try it that way "corned ", i cook them in red wine a garlic ,,,mmmmmmm the boss comes from Melb and thought i was a loose cannon ,,, but now if its not fish , yabbies , murray crays or our National emblem she thinks i have had a slack attack !!! go figure !!!

[bullwhips]

What I like about getting kangaroo from another whipmaker or braider is that they will pick you out a great skin...however the price is a little higher. For someone starting out I'd highly recommend getting roo from someone that knows what a good skin for your project and will pick you out a good skin to work with, even if it costs you a couple more dollars.

When learning to cut out a skin you don't need to be worried about a heavily scarred skin. You just want something clear that you can learn to cut on, or is strong enough to braid with. However once you have a bit of skill with cutting and plaiting then a less than perfect skin is much more workable.

[entiendo]

Well that just aint right Bevan!! LOL I'm waiting patiently for my new hides too, not sent off yet. The gal waiting for her bridle....not so patiently.

I'm tempted to try one of those suppliers just to see the difference, but Oz has all the colors!

[roo4u]

bullwhips....i guess i was lucky when i started braiding roo. i had to learn to cut the lace at the same time and didnt have any problems with bad leather. now ive been braiding for about 10 years and have used probably hundreds of hides and havent had a problem with poor quality from anybody but weaver and thats just cuz they changed tannage without telling anybody and ended up getting a bunch of very dry roo that was hard to cut and felt pretty nasty and no matter how much conditioner i put on it it didnt feel any better. and it wasnt just dry cuz i got dry from davidmorgan...i cant explain it but yuck.

bevan...i prefer crown royal....and they have red species on their price list...course that doesnt mean i could actually get it. jeez 6 weeks...i can order from hardtke and have it before the end of the week.

entiendo...bummer...i know how rotten people can be when they cant have it instantly...hopefully yours is not one of those folks.

[Bevan]

bullwhips....i guess i was lucky when i started braiding roo. i had to learn to cut the lace at the same time and didnt have any problems with bad leather. now ive been braiding for about 10 years and have used probably hundreds of hides and havent had a problem with poor quality from anybody but weaver and thats just cuz they changed tannage without telling anybody and ended up getting a bunch of very dry roo that was hard to cut and felt pretty nasty and no matter how much conditioner i put on it it didnt feel any better. and it wasnt just dry cuz i got dry from davidmorgan...i cant explain it but yuck.

bevan...i prefer crown royal....and they have red species on their price list...course that doesnt mean i could actually get it. jeez 6 weeks...i can order from hardtke and have it before the end of the week.

entiendo...bummer...i know how rotten people can be when they cant have it instantly...hopefully yours is not one of those folks.

Hey roo4u , since you have all the roo could you send me some please !!

thanks for starting this post mate , look forward to reading it every day, i hope it keeps going untill i get some ,,,

from downunder

Bevan

www.bwrwhips.com

[8thsinner]

Well bugga me !!!!

It would be nice to have a regular supplier here ,,,, you would not beleive it but they fill the export orders first

How about you send me some of that roo back over here , i will pay the shipping plus buy ya a six pack !!!! bugga it i will buy the carton and drink it my self !!!!! shit , if we are talking RED i will buy the leather a Johnny Walker as well !!!!!

I have been waiting 6 weeks plus ,,, so if you add up all the scotch and beer , i am well and truely behind the 8ball !!!!

So if you wounder why i always say Cheers !!! its because i have no leather ,,, otherwise i would be plaiting away

So Cheers Folks

PS Now i am down to the scraps i almost got rid of !!

The roos in the back paddock are looking a bit nervous !!!!

Well if you had gotten rid of them, I coulda popped some back in the post for you at a reasonable rate...lol

I have been tempted to ask a few braiders here to cut laces for me to save costs, if you only need a little at a time for the odd bracelet cuff or something it ends up cheaper then buying a whole hide to cut and leave sitting around for months at a time...But I still want to eventually braid with nothing but roo...