The Harness Makers Illustrated Manual From 1875

[Trox]

By searching around on the biblo web for leather related literature, I found this old book about Harness making from 1875; "The Harness maker illustrated manual, by Wm. N. Fitz Gerald New York N.Y. 1875"

This book has no copy rights because of its age. By googling the name i found a free online copy too.

http://www.cd3wd.com/cd3wd_40/JF/417/06-246.pdf

The book has 340 pages of very interesting reading. It covers the leather trade and history better than any other book I have read. I always suspected the leather business to be "better" before, as all the leather tools are. This proves it. The book describes in great detail the process of selecting the best hides, which tanning process and all the different craftsmen who did the work. Along with the making of the different products (and much more). Some of the knowledge are "only" history today because of the modern ways. However, it is impressing reading how the harness makers took part in selection and treatment of the leather, most of it is a lost art today.

I have not read it all yet, far from it. I am looking to buy a hardcover version of it, I have seen them as low as 34 $. It would cost me more in printer ink to copy it from the web (thats also not legal, you can copy the original book but not the online copy). Especially interesting are all these lost secrets of the trade you can read about here. Its not only a wonderful historical document, it makes you a better craftsman too. This book might be known to many of our US members, to me its great (old) news.

Thanks

Tor

[Wishful]

Thank you, very interesting

[Trox]

Thank you, very interesting

yes, I think so too. Look at all the receipt for dying/staining the leather black, it must be twenty different ways. Allot is certainly lost from this great trade of ours. I hope we get something back from this.

[Northmount]

Thanks Tor. Looks to be very informative. I seem to have a habit of collecting old books, both hard copy and electronic. I have to be careful or I run out of space!

Tom

[MakerUnknown]

It's interesting that on page 48 that the author says the use of a splitting machine should be avoided and that it injures the leather if you do....I may be reading out of context, I'm just leafing through it at this point.

Great find.

[Jax]

Tor thank you so much for this link I have been wanting a copy of this book for years

[Trox]

It's interesting that on page 48 that the author says the use of a splitting machine should be avoided and that it injures the leather if you do....I may be reading out of context, I'm just leafing through it at this point.

Great find.

I noticed that too. He said it would be better to have all weight classes of leather to avoid it. The splitting is a loss of material too. The strongest part of the leather might be the grain side. However, the leather is subjected to all kinds of stress, tensile and compressive strength to name some. The Flesh side might be more durable to other kinds of stress like friction,(heat), crack resistance to mention some. The best quality (strongest leather) is not corrected/splitted in the tannery , It has its full grain and does not look as good as the corrected ones, but are much stronger. Its harder to make and are much more expensive, few people uses this leather today. He is right ; having leather in all thicknesses would be more economical and make better products for sure.

Tor

[electrathon]

It's interesting that on page 48 that the author says the use of a splitting machine should be avoided and that it injures the leather if you do....I may be reading out of context, I'm just leafing through it at this point.

Great find.

Not sure about then, but now virtually all leather has been split.

[Trox]

Not sure about then, but now virtually all leather has been split.

Hi, I am able to get something from my supplier in Oslo who is made the old way. I believe it comes from a tannery in Italy, it is expensive and do not look very good on the surface. But after wetting it looks good. The sizes I have (in mm.) 1 to 1,2 mm and 2,3 to 2,5 mm. Because its very strong I use this leather on the light weight tasks. Its not often my supplier has this leather, because nobody asks for it anymore. I buy it when I can get hold of it.This leather takes colors,oils, casing and tooling better than anything else I have seen. You got to work on it, its not meant to be Left as it is. When I read about all they did to their leather in the old days, it kind of makes sense to me.

Tor