Choosing A Good Hide

[silverrowan]

First off, sorry if this is a repeat question, I can't seem to find a search function for this forum.

I have the opportunity to buy hides in person (sadly, only from Tandy or more expensive places so far), but I don't really know what I'm looking for in determining if a hide is decent or not, obviously visible damage to the skin is bad, as are holes, but what else should I be looking for? There's a rather steep sale on veg-tanned tooling hides and I'd like to get ones of not horrible quality - I'm starting off assuming they aren't the best. What is more or less important in determining a quality hide, etc. I'm hoping to multi-use the hide for tooling, masks and larping gear.

thank you!

(and hey, if anyone knows of good suppliers I could visit in the Toronto/Ontario area, or mail-order in Eastern Canada, I'd love that advice too!)

Edited April 5, 2011 by silverrowan

[azrider]

Welcome to Leatherworker.net. The search function is at the top right of the screen, if you chose advanced you can get more options.

As far as choosing a good hide, its a learning process. One of the things I have learned is that there is typically a reason the hides are on sale. I like to have scars and brands on some of my stuff, so don't mind those hides. I look for a consistent thickness in the hide, especially looking for really rough and uneven parts on the flesh side. That can make part of a hide unusable, even if it looks good. The other thing I like to do is flex the hide, and make sure there are not any hard spots. I learned this when I got a hide that was about 1/3rd partially tanned rawhide. I couldn't even cut it. Other than that, talk to the people in the store. Most of the Tandy employees will help with picking a hide if you are there in person.