I'm A Newbie...need Help Identifying Leather Type.

[ValleyEquine]

I'm new at this, so I need some help. I got a steal of a deal on ebay...nearly a whole side of leather, somewhere between 8 an 10 oz, in my best estimation, for <$15, including shipping. The leather came today and it is actually pretty nice. My leather is black, struck nearly all the way through...the very center is slightly grey. Not premium leather, has some surface wrinkles, and currently very dry and stiff, but it could be a heck of a lot worse! I would have asked the seller specifically what kind of leather I was getting, but I came accross it close to the end of the auction, and I figured whatever it was, it was worth $15.

So, since I'm just starting out with leather work, I haven't had much of a chance to feel a lot of different types of leathers.

I have samples from Wicket & Craig (and a few more samples on the way from Zach White and Sheridan leather). It isn't smooth and glossy and oily like Wicket & Craig's Harness or Bridle or Oiled latigo, but it isn't as soft and flexible as any other plain veg tan I have encountered (though W&C thick skirting samples aren't really all that flexible in 3X3 squares). Is this just to be expected, that every grade of veg tan from every tannery is going to feel a little different?

The thing that makes me most hesitant to conclude this is veg tan leather is that it is not nearly as "thirsty" as other veg tan. The leather came shipped in a roll, and it was wanting to stay in that position. Since it is rather thick and stiff, I attempted to spray a light coat of warm water on the flesh side, figuring I would then have an easier time smoothing and flattening it. I did manage to get it weighed down flat with some heavy objects, but the water I sprayed on made minimal difference...it beaded up on the flesh side, and took a long time to absorb.

As I said, it isn't an oily leather. But the flesh side is surprisingly smooth, so it is possibly it was gummed and ironed? Would that account for the difficulty with absorption on the flesh side?

Or, is it possible it is chrome tanned, or something else? How would I tell?

[Art]

Sounds like Latigo to me. Usually Burgandy in color on saddles at least, but black is also common. It does tend to bleed when it gets wet.

Art

I'm new at this, so I need some help. I got a steal of a deal on ebay...nearly a whole side of leather, somewhere between 8 an 10 oz, in my best estimation, for <$15, including shipping. The leather came today and it is actually pretty nice. My leather is black, struck nearly all the way through...the very center is slightly grey. Not premium leather, has some surface wrinkles, and currently very dry and stiff, but it could be a heck of a lot worse! I would have asked the seller specifically what kind of leather I was getting, but I came accross it close to the end of the auction, and I figured whatever it was, it was worth $15.

So, since I'm just starting out with leather work, I haven't had much of a chance to feel a lot of different types of leathers.

I have samples from Wicket & Craig (and a few more samples on the way from Zach White and Sheridan leather). It isn't smooth and glossy and oily like Wicket & Craig's Harness or Bridle or Oiled latigo, but it isn't as soft and flexible as any other plain veg tan I have encountered (though W&C thick skirting samples aren't really all that flexible in 3X3 squares). Is this just to be expected, that every grade of veg tan from every tannery is going to feel a little different?

The thing that makes me most hesitant to conclude this is veg tan leather is that it is not nearly as "thirsty" as other veg tan. The leather came shipped in a roll, and it was wanting to stay in that position. Since it is rather thick and stiff, I attempted to spray a light coat of warm water on the flesh side, figuring I would then have an easier time smoothing and flattening it. I did manage to get it weighed down flat with some heavy objects, but the water I sprayed on made minimal difference...it beaded up on the flesh side, and took a long time to absorb.

As I said, it isn't an oily leather. But the flesh side is surprisingly smooth, so it is possibly it was gummed and ironed? Would that account for the difficulty with absorption on the flesh side?

Or, is it possible it is chrome tanned, or something else? How would I tell?

[ramrod]

sounds like it's chrome tanned because of the gray center - not begin struck all the way through.

[Tina]

Your description sounds just like a leather I use to buy when I lived in the US...Black crome tanned and drummed dried latigo, I got it from HideHouse in CA and it's not cheap :-)

[katsass]

I'm new at this, so I need some help. I got a steal of a deal on ebay...nearly a whole side of leather, somewhere between 8 an 10 oz, in my best estimation, for <$15, including shipping. The leather came today and it is actually pretty nice. My leather is black, struck nearly all the way through...the very center is slightly grey. Not premium leather, has some surface wrinkles, and currently very dry and stiff, but it could be a heck of a lot worse! I would have asked the seller specifically what kind of leather I was getting, but I came accross it close to the end of the auction, and I figured whatever it was, it was worth $15.

So, since I'm just starting out with leather work, I haven't had much of a chance to feel a lot of different types of leathers.

I have samples from Wicket & Craig (and a few more samples on the way from Zach White and Sheridan leather). It isn't smooth and glossy and oily like Wicket & Craig's Harness or Bridle or Oiled latigo, but it isn't as soft and flexible as any other plain veg tan I have encountered (though W&C thick skirting samples aren't really all that flexible in 3X3 squares). Is this just to be expected, that every grade of veg tan from every tannery is going to feel a little different?

The thing that makes me most hesitant to conclude this is veg tan leather is that it is not nearly as "thirsty" as other veg tan. The leather came shipped in a roll, and it was wanting to stay in that position. Since it is rather thick and stiff, I attempted to spray a light coat of warm water on the flesh side, figuring I would then have an easier time smoothing and flattening it. I did manage to get it weighed down flat with some heavy objects, but the water I sprayed on made minimal difference...it beaded up on the flesh side, and took a long time to absorb.

As I said, it isn't an oily leather. But the flesh side is surprisingly smooth, so it is possibly it was gummed and ironed? Would that account for the difficulty with absorption on the flesh side?

Or, is it possible it is chrome tanned, or something else? How would I tell?

I'm with ramrod on this because of the tell-tale grey or grey/blue center line. Common in chrome tanned leather. Mike

[catskin]

OR, it could possibly be some cheap offshore import tanned with some unknown chemical. Also leather tanned with alum ( aluminum sulphate ) will be blue grey inside and stiff as well as resisting water. If it is alum tanned it will have very little stretrch and will be tough ( meaning will not wear out quickly )

Reading on here a person could easily get the idea that veg and chrome are the only ways leather is tanned , NOT SO there are a lot of different things used in tanning. That is why for example latigo from one tannery may differ from that from another tannery. While one may add some alum to the chrome process another might add some veg tan and both still be considered LATIGO.

Leather from some countries is tanned using only URINE.

Edited February 27, 2012 by catskin