BAD HIDE Report post Posted October 17, 2010 Most of what I've used so far is just tooling and garment leathers, but I've gotten a request to do a bike messenger style bag. It's going to have some carved tooling leather panels, and probably suede on the underside of the strap. I want to use a durable, water resistant 5-7 oz leather for the body and straps, but I'm not sure what to use. I was thinking oil tanned or latigo, but I haven't worked with either, and there might be something better out there that someone knows of and I haven't thought of yet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harnessman Report post Posted January 5, 2011 Most of what I've used so far is just tooling and garment leathers, but I've gotten a request to do a bike messenger style bag. It's going to have some carved tooling leather panels, and probably suede on the underside of the strap. I want to use a durable, water resistant 5-7 oz leather for the body and straps, but I'm not sure what to use. I was thinking oil tanned or latigo, but I haven't worked with either, and there might be something better out there that someone knows of and I haven't thought of yet. Hi Heavy Old World type Harness Leather is about the closest thing you can get to water resistant leather because of the fats and waxes that it is impregnated with. Good Harness Leather, Herman Oak or W&C is darn near water proof, but you can not effectively carve the stuff because those same waxes and oils will refuse to hold a carved pattern, unless you are just happy with a "cut" pattern and no relief work. Skirting or carving leather carves beutifully, or course, but will suck up water like a sponge unless it is treated with a wax, acrilyc or other surface finish to resist water, which will have to be redone. A close second would be English Bridle leather, but it suffers in the carving department because it is also treated with fats and waxes as the harness leather, just not as much. Third choice would be Latigo, which is somewhat impregnated with various oils that give it the typical "Latigo" feel and will help it resist water penetration to some extent, but not as good as the #1 and #2 choices. Oil tanned, which is somewhat of a misnomer as oil allone will not tan anything, is oil impregnated pretty much the same as Latigo just processed differently to make it a closer cell less streatchy leather. Neither oil tann or latigo make very good candidates for carving. Jim Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
