Horse Hide - Where To Buy ?

[ABC3]

I've got a couple of suppliers for Horse Hide but I need better quality. Can anyone direct me to a Dist. that has good quality Horse.

Thanks for your help.

[NoahL]

I've got a couple of suppliers for Horse Hide but I need better quality. Can anyone direct me to a Dist. that has good quality Horse.

Thanks for your help.

Have you tried Siegle of California? I haven't tried them myself but what I've seen from them from other makers is excellent

[ABC3]

NoahL;

No I have not tried them. I was really wanting someone closer. The freight would kill me to Atlanta.

But thanks for your suggestion.

[horsewreck]

I've got a couple of suppliers for Horse Hide but I need better quality. Can anyone direct me to a Dist. that has good quality Horse.

Thanks for your help.

By horse hide I assume you mean horse butts which is often used for holsters. I would suggest you try Siegel of Calif. if you have not already done so. Go NRA....

[Timd]

Zack White in N.C.- Horse Butt

[Denster]

Depends on what you are making. Kevin at Springfield Leather has the best prices on butts but they are hard jacked, great for belts and sheaths but tough to mold if you are doing holsters. Siegels is a bit more expensive but you can specify hard or soft jacked. If you are making holsters get the soft jacked. Not much harder to mold that cowhide.

[Mark Garrity]

ABC3,

Almost all of the horse-butts avialable, no matter where you buy them from, come out of Horween Tannery in Chicago. What this means is quality isn't going to be any different no matter where you buy unfortunately. Trust me, I have tried them all, including direct from Horween. There is alot of waste and scrap. Just the nature of the beast, so to speak. Years ago the quality was much better; much larger pieces that were more consistent with less scrap. I don't know what happened. And BTW, hard-rolled is fine for holsters. (All of Kramer's holsters are hard-rolled). It will last the holster-user longer than it lasted the horse.

Edited June 11, 2010 by Mark Garrity

[Denster]

ABC3,

Almost all of the horse-butts avialable, no matter where you buy them from, come out of Horween Tannery in Chicago. What this means is quality isn't going to be any different no matter where you buy unfortunately. Trust me, I have tried them all, including direct from Horween. There is alot of waste and scrap. Just the nature of the beast, so to speak. Years ago the quality was much better; much larger pieces that were more consistent with less scrap. I don't know what happened. And BTW, hard-rolled is fine for holsters. (All of Kramer's holsters are hard-rolled). It will last the holster-user longer than it lasted the horse.

Mark is correct it all comes from Horween and the size and quality has dropped in recent years. The point I was trying to make on hard rolled vs soft rolled is that the soft rolled is easier to work with when it comes to molding and finishing. Either will make a fine holster and if I have an option at the same price I'll take soft rolled. YMMV

[horsewreck]

As has been stated the only tannery in the US veg. tanning horse butt is Horween. Horse butt is a by product in the production of the high end shoe leather Shell Cordovon which is used to make mens dress shoes mostly. The raw hides are imported mostly from draught horse sized critters, and only the rear "cheeks" are veg. tanned and suitable for gun leather as the rest of the hide is chrome tanned. While as it has been stated the soft roll is a little easier to work with I have made a many a holster from hard roll even in the heavier weight leather. I suspect the drop in quality and size of the butts is due to the lack of older larger horses in the international market. If you do a lot of heavy external boning of your holsters you might be happier with the soft rolled lighter weight stuff but for super duty working holsters I sure like the hard roll with some weight to it, but a lot of my stuff is worn daily by ranchers ,cowboys, and folks that are real tough on their equipment. Hope this is of some value to you guys...... Jeff

[ABC3]

You guys are great and the information most helpful. I contacted them yesterday but no reply as of yet. I do more gun belts than holsters, so I think I get the hard rolled.

Have a great week end.