Thickness Curiosity?

[Twisted 66]

I'm just curious..is there a general guide or rule of thumb to what thickness you would use for certain types of projects? or is it just what you feel works best? belt? saddle bags?, wallets? belt buckles? ipad cover? book covers? appreciate any insight..thanks in advance.

[johnv474]

Many of the books will give guidance, but there are no rules. Obviously, the thicker, the stronger... but also the heavier and stiffer. Most leather is sold as a range, because it may not be perfectly uniform. 1 oz is equal to 1/64", so 8 oz. would be 1/8" thick, to give an idea.

A guideline for your items might be:

belt, 6-16 oz.

saddle bags, 6-8 oz.

wallets, 2-6 oz.

belt buckles covered in leather, 2-5 oz.

iPad cover, 3-6 oz.

book covers, 2-8 oz.

These are my opinion of what I would consider thin to thick for that type of item. I tend to prefer thicker items, however, so others may disagree.

[Twisted 66]

Huge thanks for your input.

[Bob Blea]

Hi Twisted,

The thickness of the leather isn't the only consideration though. The leather will have different stiffness and stretchiness depending on what part of the cow it comes from. Areas like the back are very firm and won't stretch much, so they are typically where you will make belts and straps from. Areas like the neck or the belly are more flexible because that part of the animal flexed more during it's life, so they are more stretchy and wouldn't make good belts, but they would work well for a bag or notebook cover. So you will want to take into account what your item will be used for to determine what part of the hide is appropriate.

Hope this helps,

Bob

[Twisted 66]

Thanks for the input..much appreciated.