Anyone Tried Oak Tooling From Leather Unlimited

[reddevil76]

Reason I am asking is because I have ordered Top Grade sides from an advertiser here before and ended up only 20% was usable. There was several huge scars (like a slash) and numerous tick bites on the side.

I then realised "Top" doesn't necessarily mean top in the universal sense of the word. In the above example, the "top" I ordered was obviously the best that some ghetto tannery could churn out. I shudder to think what their low grade looks like.

Anyway, the price of Leather Unlimited's top is somewhat close to what I paid previously for that piece of junk, so I am wondering if I am going to experience the same thing.. Just being realistic after being burnt so many times.

[WinterBear]

Probably the best thing to do is to find people on this site that live in your country or in the same general region, and find out where they order and what kind of quality they get for the price they pay. To get more feedback, you can also compare what the people in the tannery's home country think of what they get, compared to someone who ordered the same grade to be shipped and imported into their country--just to see if what they call Grade A in their home country is what they are calling a Grade A that they ship elsewhere.

[reddevil76]

Thank you. I have done the same recently. Lazybum on this forum is in Singapore as well, and we exchanged samples (me Hermann Oak, him W&C) This led me to ordering 3 standard grade sides from W&C.

I will be using this for my ready-to-buy line. However, I still need to shop for cheap alternatives for those customers on a budget, who don't mind me using more economical leathers.

[Jbarv Bulls]

You might try double shoulders to save some money if you dont need entire sides. Or wickett has their overstock hides, I cant tell any difference between the standards and the overstocks lately.

[reddevil76]

Coincidentally, i just received my 2 sides of bridle and 1 side of natural tooling, all standard grade, from W&C yesterday. They look pretty ok, but does have a few more blemishes than the Royal Meadow of Tandy which I ordered before.

I try to shun shoulders due to the wrinkles there. In fact, if I could, I wouldn't even buy sides, but single bends. I don't mind ordering a 100 or so sq ft per order, but it seems most people are selling sides only, so I had to take that.

[WinterBear]

Have you tried talking to Springfield Leather? I'm not sure how their price/quality compares for their grades when held against other sellers, but they will cut leather for people. If someone wants a bend, they are usually more than happy to sell just a bend. In fact, if I remember correctly, they do sell Hermann Oak bends in various weights as a regular catalog item. I think they also carry Craftsman and B grade in the HO.

Now, I've not ordered any tooling leather from them, but I have been pretty happy overall with what I've bought from them.

[cem]

I just ordered a couple of 9 -10oz bends from Springfield, I got two really nice pieces of leather. I don't know if they are A grade or not but they are much higher quality than the supposed Hermann Oak mongrel side I got here. I also don't need sides, from now on I definately will be going with Springfield even though it works out a bit higher with postage I'm not getting as much wastage. I have no use for shoulders with what I do so in the end it's probably fairly even.

Clair

[reddevil76]

Have you tried talking to Springfield Leather? I'm not sure how their price/quality compares for their grades when held against other sellers, but they will cut leather for people. If someone wants a bend, they are usually more than happy to sell just a bend. In fact, if I remember correctly, they do sell Hermann Oak bends in various weights as a regular catalog item. I think they also carry Craftsman and B grade in the HO.

Now, I've not ordered any tooling leather from them, but I have been pretty happy overall with what I've bought from them.

I did ask before buying. In fact, I asked several, and most replies goes along the same line ".. what we have currently are very nice indeed and pretty.. we will hand pick the leather for you, etc"

After I receive the leather, I usually don't bother. Because of my distance, even if the company accepts returns, it's not worth paying $60 returning a $100 side.

I just ordered a couple of 9 -10oz bends from Springfield, I got two really nice pieces of leather. I don't know if they are A grade or not but they are much higher quality than the supposed Hermann Oak mongrel side I got here. I also don't need sides, from now on I definately will be going with Springfield even though it works out a bit higher with postage I'm not getting as much wastage. I have no use for shoulders with what I do so in the end it's probably fairly even.

Clair

Hi Clair, were these the Hermann Oak belt bends they are listing on their site?

[cem]

Hi Clair, were these the Hermann Oak belt bends they are listing on their site?

Yep these ones http://springfieldleather.com/category/17/235/Tooling-Leathers/ . I ordered through email though not the store this time as I had to ask a couple of questions as well.

Cheers,

Clair

[reddevil76]

Yep these ones http://springfieldle...oling-Leathers/ . I ordered through email though not the store this time as I had to ask a couple of questions as well.

Cheers,

Clair

Thank you..