What Do You Do With Your Scrap Leather?

[RonniF]

Book covers, dog collars, key rings, bracelets, etc. Or, you can sell it on eBay. Just a thought......

[MakerUnknown]

I make business cards out of small scraps. I burn my mark into them along with the pertinent info on how to reach me.

[SilverBear]

As a new leather worker I just finished a pair of moccasins for my youngest so made from two pieces of a bag of scraps. I suspect that you have already covered the cost of the leather so to sell the scrap you need to cover your time to package, post and ship the scrap. Please think of it as getting paid to dump it on others. Even a small pieces would be good for laminar armor. Also scout groups would likely be willing to trade sorting work for some of the leather. If you decide to sell please let me know right now two square feet seems like a lot.

[Tex Shooter]

I make and sell these slingshot holsters from my rough belly scrap. -- Tex

[George B]

What I don't use for prototypes I give to the local scoutmaster. Last time he had enough for the scout troops in three counties.

[jfdavis58]

Scrap? Leather? ??? What doesn't go into smaller projects or small pieces for larger projects goes into testing and practice. Testing: edge sharpness, dye color, tool impressions, etc; practice: trimming, skiving, swivel knife, etc (including demonstrations to friend and customers). By the time I get finished with my 'scrap' it's garbage. There is seldom more than a small ziplock bag of un-harmed leftovers anywhere in my shop. In fact I bought several dozen pounds of scrap just to 'try things' or try things again.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

I generate up to a couple hundred pounds a year. There's only so many rosettes and harness wear leathers you can use! I have bagged it up and taken it to a local monthly horse sale. Sometimes it pays the fuel and supper, less so now than it used to. I've clicked out key fobs and stamp them with my makers stamp; a business card of sorts. I burn a lot in my wood stove in the winter. Leather burns super hot if you have a half way decent fire started. I have advertised scrap on Craigslist, but mostly I get people that are more trouble than it's worth and people who are looking to get something for nothing and use the "Disabled" excuse or "church youth group" excuse. Nothing against those that are truly disabled or leaders of REAL church groups

[JoeSnuffie]

Lots of us use smaller pieces of leather. I've had great success in buying scraps that are 2sqft and larger and turning them into wallets, small bags, etc. Donate as much as you can and sell the rest. There are plenty of people like me interested in scraps of different sizes.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Two-foot square pieces does not qualify as scrap in my shop. The only thing larger than a rosette- or wear-leather sized piece that gets discarded or sold or given away as scrap would be something too flanky for me to use, or maybe something with damaged grain, and lots and lots of stuff out of the splitters and skiver. I separate my scrap into boxes, label them and stack them by my clicker. They are sorted by size, color and type of leather. Still have more than I'll ever use, but I just can't bear to give away good solid scrap if I'm able to click a rosette or a latigo catcher out of it. And I always need a little scrap for sewing machine set-up and testing knives and other tools on. That doesn't have to be top quality stuff, just not baggy and flanky.

[quirtevans]

Since I got my Tippmann, most of my scrap goes into keeping my machine adjusted properly.......

Which as some know... can take some time!...