Harness Leather

[Chris B]

Well I am thinking of starting to build harnesses. And before I take the plunge and buy a sewing machine Im doing some research first. I have read Making Harness By Lewis G. Martin and Daniel S. Preston, and in the pics it looks like they are using the already dyed leather. Is there any bad points to using pre-dyed leather? Or would I be better off getting the natural stuff and dying it on my own? Also with the harness leather, would it accept a makers stamp? And besides Weaver, where would be a good place to buy leather? Since I dont have a tax id number.

Thanks,

Chris

[VanHornSaddlery]

Hello,

I haven't built any harness but have cut a lot of harness leather reins using, Weavers, Wickett & Craig, and Hermann oak predyed leather and have made aquite a few headstallls and tack and have never had any problem with the predyed leather, I still usually light oil and skidmore everything when I am done just to soften and do a little extra conditioning, but thats just me. Good luck.

Jake

VanHorn Saddlery

Ogallala, NE

vanhornsaddler.com

P.s. have used a makers stamp on harness leather with differing amount of luck. The metal maker stamp that I have seems to work the best on harness and bridle leather. Wickett and Craig is who I use alot, have started using thouroughbred leather and like it, herman oak is a ten side minimum, thouroughbred is a five side minimum far as I know.

Edited July 12, 2011 by VanHornSaddlery

[Nutty Saddler]

I only use pre-dyed leather ( unless someone wants pink ....... ) colour is consistent over the whole hide and they are also pre-greased as part of the finishing process - all I have to do is stain and polish the cut edges

Depends on what sort of harness you are talking about - being an English saddler I think of horse harness before all else , I get most of my hides from Claytons of chesterfield and have had no poblems over the last 19 years . Makers marks are more permenant if the stamp is heated first .

I also hand stitch everything - as a horse owner / rider I want all of my work to be the best I can make - I know hand stitch is stronger and will not do anything else , I understand the use of machines as a time saving is important and many people just don't have the time to hand sew - ( I am currently making a full size pairs harness completly by hand -utterly mad , I know )

[TOM123]

wickett & craig told me that harness leather is harder to dye do to the wax and oil in the hide, the hide i got from them is very good.

give them a call and talk with them, they are very helpfull over the phone, good peple to work with.

[pmreed]

Can anyone recommend a supplier of makers stamps for bridle leather? Most of the stamps I have found are for use on veg tan leather only.

Thank you.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

I always buy my leather the color I need it. The only exception would be a saddle restoration where I'm trying to match the color perfectly with say a new horn cover or something. Then I MIGHT dye it. Sometimes I use dyed skirting as it comes from the supplier or tannery. Harness leather is a pain in the rear to dye evenly. If I'm building black harness, I buy black leather, then all I have to dye is the edges. Same with any other color. There are more color options now with harness leather than ever before. I stock between 30-40 sides of various weights and colors of harness leather at any given time. If I don't, I never have what I need, when I need it. I use my makers stamp all the time on harness leather. I buy direct from the tannery for larger orders, or from Weavers for odd sides or fill-ins.

[carver]

Harness has so much oil and wax the dye doesnt penetrate very well. , then it wants to rub back off on everything it touchs at least that was my expeirence. I have lined headstall with harness and then sewed veg tanned to it and dyed the veg tanned and that works well . it would take a lot of dye to do a whole harness . I stamp all my stuff made with harnes and it takes and hold the Stamp pretty well. A customer brought me a harness leather headstall that I made 5 or 6 years ago to make them a duplicate.and the stamp still showed legibly..

[Treed]

Harness leather will take a stamp and I have tooled a lot of it. I use it for lot of rodeo gear, bronc halters, flanks and other Items. Here is a couple bronc halters that are drying after oiling