What Type Of Leather

[biker55]

had purchase a bunch of scrapleather from a local craft store. I'm trying to identify it. maybe someone might know thw answer. it isn't too rigid, creases easily, and when I drill holes in it with my drill press the edge of the material kinda separates. thanks

[WinterBear]

Um, can't help without some more information. Can you give some more details? Is it colored? Is the finished side smooth, shiny, glossy, dull, patterned? Is the leather more soft and draping like a heavy fabric, or more rigid like cardboard, or something in between, or none of the above? Is the cut edge blueish in the middle, or is the leather the same color all the way through? What happens when you put a drop of water on the finished side--does it soak in, make a mark, sit on the surface?

Pictures are good too.

[biker55]

wow winterbear, you sound like the csi of leatherwork. anyway the finish side is matt finish, not colored rigidity is somewhere in between. very easy to mold but softens up . on the rough side it's darker. Iill try and download a picture/s. tomorrow. thanks for responding

[WinterBear]

Do I? Not my intention. Just the questions I ask myself when I rummage through my scraps, usually with a great deal of muttering. But those are all questions that can help identify the type of tan and finish the leather has--which can clue us in as to why it is separating on the edge for you.

[Tex Shooter]

Most scrap leather that I see in craft stores is upholstering leather and is chrome tanned. I use a lot of boot leather and it is mostly chrome or oil tanned. -- Tex

[biker55]

hope this posts. sorry for the bad image. took it with my cellphone.

Edited August 21, 2013 by biker55

[WinterBear]

Um, could be a very dry piece of veg tan tooling leather perhaps. Can't be sure. If it is dried out veg tan, usually a little conditioning will perk it up some, and make the edges less likely to split, and if it is veg tan, burnishing the edges might help too. What happens when you dampen a little piece of this stuff on the edge and then rub the edge like mad with a piece of canvas? Does it start to sort of smooth itself?