Is The Leather I Am Using, Right?

[Natalie O]

It absorbs it and changes color right away unless it has a lot of water on top. In that case it takes a little while to spread. What concerns me and i havent had it with my previous leather is that when i look at the edge of the leather, it looks like the top 'coat' of the leather is from another material. Basically it looks like two different materials glued together.The top just looks lighter in color and glossy. I am not saying they are. It just looks like that. My previous leather looked even on the sides.

[REDTAILHAWK]

BY THE WAY YOU ARE DESCRIBING THE WATER ABSORBING, IT SOUNDS LIKE TOOLING LEATHER, BUT BY YOUR DESCRIPTION OF THE TOP COAT OF LAYERS, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS SOME SORT OF UPHOLSTERY LEATHER. YOU ARE RIGHT, IT SHOULDN'T LOOK LIKE IT IS MADE UP OF DIFFERENT LAYERS. THE ONLY THING THAT SHOULD BE DIFFERENT IS HAVING THE GRAIN SIDE AND FLESH SIDE TEXTURES ON THE TOP AND BOTTOM.

[immiketoo]

It's veg tan, and its got layers because that the way the tanning process is on some leather. The layers you see are the full grain top, the collagen layer in the middle and likely some level of rawhide still in the center of the leather. Leather comes in all grades and the poorer grades have lots of rawhide. This will affect tooling and cutting but not as much as you hitting on a wooden surface. You are probably getting "bounce" when tooling and I'm sure your poor impressions are caused by this. You should try tooling on your floor or a concrete sidewalk, basement floor or garage floor as a test. I will bet you that you will see a huge difference is a solid surface. Try it now and let us know.

Edited December 15, 2012 by immiketoo

[Sylvia]

ok that may solve the noise issue but i still don't get why my tools dont imprint on the leather, even though i ve tried getting my leather cased with a sponge, spray bottle, wet cloth....everything

Natalie: When you cut your leather does it have a uniform look on the cut edge or does it have a greyish line in the center. The greyish line is indicative of chrome tanned and though you can emboss it... you'll never get a good stamped impression. If your leather's cut edge is uniform in color... it is probably veg tanned.

As for casing... go to your bathroom sink... fill it about half way with warm to tepid water and a dash of baby shampoo or mild dish liquid. (just a couple drops) mix that up (I agitate with my hand like I would if I put bubble bath in the bath tub) allow the bubbles to settle until the bubbles are gone. Now the fun part. Grab your piece and give it a 4-6 second dunk. Pull it out of the water and listen do you hear the water soaking in and do you see little bubbles bursting on the surface? If so... you know this piece is taking in water. Wrap the piece in plastic bag and allow to sit FACE DOWN for at least 1 hour then flip it face up allow it to sit another half hour. Take it out and allow the piece to return to it's natural color. Now attempt your cutting and stamping.

I suspect your supplier went for color rather than tanning process and you have chrome tanned. But I hope that's not the case. As far as your work surface. You definitely want a hunk of stone of some kind. Marble, Granite... something sturdy at least 2 inches thick should do it. A lot of us in the states have visited stone counter top places or cemetery headstone places for their cast offs. (misspelled head stones) or sink cut outs. They are mostly free.... but it is nice to bring them a treat as a way of saying thanks!

Also make sure your tooling hammer is heavier. The more weight means a cleaner impression my two favorite mauls are 11oz and 16oz and I think I want a 20oz one too, eventually. I used to beat my leather until I was silly because I was using that crazy little wooden mallet that comes in some of Tandy's kits. Throw that away if that is what you have and get a real maul/mallet

[Sylvia]

Ok... so you can see... here' is the white-ish grey chrome tanned I have. Freshly cut the grey line is clear.

Sorry Fellas....her leather looks chrome tanned to me.

Natalie: your suppliers may not know it as Veg Tanned. Ask for Carving Leather or a brand name like Sherman Oak leather. See if your suppliers are better able to help you.

Edited December 15, 2012 by Sylvia

[immiketoo]

Syl, I gotta disagree based on the pics, and the fact that she said the color changes drastically when wet. Chrome tanned just looks at you. I have tooled chrome latino and while it wasnt easy, it can be done. Anyway, hopefully we can help Natalie with her problem.

[Natalie O]

Hello,

well to start, it doesn't have that grey line at all. I cut several edges and the color is just brown with the top layer a bit lighter.

I did soak better and tried stamping on my floor and it was a lot better! Thanks! Unfortunately my neighbors where having a fight downstairs and may now think i was telling them off .

As for the supplier, i did explain him what i wanted it for and told him that veg tan means that the leather wasn't processed with chemicals. He seemed to understand.

I will try to find a harder surface. So if i do find a piece of marble i just put it over my working table?

[Sylvia]

Yes. on the table or on the floor... even on your lap if you want and can handle the weight. I tooled for months on a little patio table... talk about noisy... then put a granite slab up there and that quieted it down a lot.

[Sylvia]

Syl, I gotta disagree based on the pics, and the fact that she said the color changes drastically when wet. Chrome tanned just looks at you. I have tooled chrome latino and while it wasnt easy, it can be done. Anyway, hopefully we can help Natalie with her problem.

Chrome latino? ha ha ha ha!! I think you meant, Chrome Latigo. I've tooled Chrome tanned, too, before I learned it "couldn't be done." lol It looked ok at first but it eventually just looked embossed. My Grey chrome tanned changes color with water... it gets darker. Mine doesn't feel as though it has a burnished or finished surface. It almost feels like suede... but not quite. But it sounds as if Natalie is pretty certain she got Veg Tanned.

[REDTAILHAWK]

[so if i do find a piece of marble i just put it over my working table?]

IF IT IS A NICE TABLE AND YOU WANT TO KEEP IT NICE, I WOULD PUT A RUBBER MAT INBETWEEN THE MARBLE AND THE TABLE. BUT NOTHING GOES ON TOP OF THE MARBLE EXCEPT THE LEATHER YOU ARE WORKING ON.