JerseyFirefighter Report post Posted June 3, 2014 Hey folks, I've been lurking for a few weeks and figured now is as good as any to make my introduction and ask a few questions. I'm just getting started and buying the basic tools for stamping and affixing hardware. My intention for leather work as a hobby would be focused around dog collars for my 3 pups, and firehouse goodies such as radio and helmet straps, glove keeps, and maybe a belt or two. I've read through a good amount of resources here and am eager to take a crack at it. Being that most of my projects won't be any wider than 1.5/2", I was wondering what type of leather would work for those projects (7-9oz?) I started poking around on the forums and found what seems like a decent deal on what I'd be using and would love some feedback on places to purchase. The lace backbone scraps was what I was looking at http://www.leatherunltd.com/leather/pieces/pieces.html The fire stuff would be stamped with 3/4" letters and the dog collars would have studs and conchos and most would be black or dyed really close to it. Thanks for your help in advance! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rdb Report post Posted June 3, 2014 Before you spend hundreds on leather, it would be better to buy belt blanks from Zack White, Springfield Leather, Tandy, etc. "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice,practice,practice"... I'm not sure why you want the lace stock, but for belts, suspenders, shields, cases, straps, you will probably need vegetable tanned hides, at various thicknesses...a big investment. Big plans require small steps at first. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted June 3, 2014 Maybe even a bag of veg-tan scraps if you have a local leather supplier that does that. They are great for small projects and you feel less bad about tossing those out when you mess up while practicing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerseyFirefighter Report post Posted June 3, 2014 My ignorance on the topic is shining through. Yes I meant veg tan scraps. I figure if they are a cheaper option and will comprise of the sizes id need and it would probably be more economical. Unfortunately there are no leather outlets by me. Are most scraps of inferior quality or just project leftovers from larger shops? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted June 3, 2014 It looks like the closest Tandy stores are the one in Allentown, PA and the one in Essex, MD. Granted, these are out of state for you, but driving to another state on the East Coast is like driving to another county on the West Coast. I'm not seeing much else in the way of places for leather and I'm not saying that Tandy is your only choice. I was just doing some quick searching for what was close. Don't get scraps from Tandy online as you really need to see what you are getting from them first. There are places that you can get a bag of scraps from online, too. Zack White has some... Springfield does, too... Both are advertisers here on the site. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JerseyFirefighter Report post Posted June 4, 2014 Thank you for the links. I think ZW has what im looking for to start. Im really digging the idea of making collars for my pups. I got three of them but im sure you can guess who prompted the desire to learn Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shtoink Report post Posted June 4, 2014 I have big one (90lb lab mix) and a small one (9lb Pom), too... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
