Newbie Leather For Basic Wallets

[superpacker]

Want to start making basic card cases and billfolds. What is a good leather to get started with while I am still learning. The link below suggest 2-3 oz. veg tan for a sleek simple billfold, but I can only seem to find it in 4-5 oz or 6-7 oz.

http://www.makesupply.com/leathercraft-tutorials/video-tutorial-making-a-simple-two-slot-card-holder/

What I mean by learning leather is good stuff that is affordable. Eventually want to graduate to Horween, but not right out of the gate.

[Nuttish]

2/3 may be a little light for an unlined single slot wallet like that guy's making.

Anyhow, you can get 2/3 vegetable tanned tooling leather sides at Tandy. They're more expensive than nicer pieces from Horween.

Tandy's economy tooling shoulders in 4/5 are actually pretty nice. If you're making small pieces for practice, you'll get fair bang for your buck.

Hermann Oak sells nicer tooling sides in lighter weights. They have minimums if you order directly from the tannery. Check for a distributor to buy by the side.

My recommendation: Wickett & Craig has very nice and very reasonably priced tooling leather and they'll both split to whatever weight you want and (I believe) sell you a single side. That might actually be your most cost effective choice for what you get: around $180 for a side.

Edited January 1, 2014 by Nuttish

[superpacker]

Great suggestions, however, I am looking to buy by the foot, just a few square feet of leather, to practice stitching, make a few card cases, before trying out say chormexcel horse front leather. I thought 4-5 oz. was the thickness used for belts. I am trying to do durable but sleek leather goods, as I wear a suit all day and work with guys who do the same. I also guess I am unsure about what exactly is "tooling leather."

[Nuttish]

Yes, 4/5 for a lined gentleman's belt perhaps.

I've got no idea where you're going to be able to buy anything that's not garbage by the foot. That's not how leather's sold.

Tooling leather is unfinished vegetable tanned leather that will take dye, burnish, tool, crease, etc. etc. It's not retanned, so you can do whatever you want to it. Since vegetable tanned leather comes in a ton of finishes from a ton of tanneries, I recommended something basic that you can finish however you wish and that would serve you well even for "production" pieces. In other words, "veg tan" isn't a single kind of leather - it's a process that can yield shitloads of different kinds of products.

I just skimmed through that video. Don't ever hold a round knife like that unless you want to dye your leather from a gash in your wrist. I winced.

[cem]

Hi superpacker you might want to try Springfield leather they sell pieces of leather by the square foot. This will give you a start as in what to look for http://springfieldleather.com/32557/Piece%2CHermann-Oak%2C3-4oz12%22x12%22/ it is more expensive to buy leather this way longterm but for starting it will do what you need

3-4oz will be fine for what you want to make, that picture actually looks more like 3-4 oz to me. Tooling leather is plain vegetable tanned leather that can be carved or stamped upon ie it has had no oil or finish added to it yet,it's what the majority of members use here.

[r lenna]

If you are looking for some good inexpensive leather for starting out I would try out Springfield at http://springfieldleather.com/17/Leathers/ They have a wide selection with better prices than Tandy.

I like Herman Oak. It carves easier than Wicket and Craig. Wicket and Craig does tool well. I like Panhandle leather for Its

prices on that brand. http://panhandleleather.com/LEATHER_c90.htm Rob

[Snpr9696]

Here is Horween Derby Leather wallet in 5.5OZ lined with thin 3OZ Veg

[Sam Made]

springfield has some imported 2-3oz veg tan you can get by the square foot. ive never tooled with them but they accept dye pretty well.