Using A Shoulder Vs Using The Belly? 3 Questions.

[DavidL]

For cutting out parts of a wallet (vegtan/bridle) and thinning then down to the same thickness say 3 ounces on a splitter. What would be the difference in feel, stretchiness and strength of the wallet cut from the shoulder vs the belly.

Even if the pieces (belly and shoulder) was split to the same thickness would they both be exactly the same in feel and flexibility? Or the flesh side is stronger and more dense in areas like the shoulder?

Lastly, put through the splitter (non electric) can these pieces come out to the same thickness from the shoulder pieces to the belly? Does upholstery leather or chrome tan leather split more evenly than veg?

[electrathon]

Belly leather can be used but the density and strength of it if the lowest quality leather. The shoulder leather will be more even on the texture throughout the leather.

Veg tan is a lot easier to split due to the firmness compared to the softness/flexibility of chrome tan. But either can be split to a given thickness with a good splitter.

[JLSleather]

Belly is by far the stretchy-est part of the hide. For a wallet, you don't really need strength. Only consideration, maybe, do the splitting before you cut the parts out, so you don't stretch the parts out of shape in the splitter.

[DavidL]

thanks for the input!

How do things like furniture, leather chairs and anything using real leather have an evenness in thickness and feel even though some of the hide is part of the shoulder and belly?

Would you say that upholstery leather has the most evenness in flexibility, feel and thickness?

[Hi Im Joe]

Not sure if you have an upholstery leather supplier but I found these guys who sell "remnants" of 15 to 20 sq feet for good prices. Most upholstery leather is sold as hides between 45-60 sq ft. If you aren't actually using it for upholstery but instead for personal leather goods it's nice to have an option to buy smaller quantities.

As a perk they also give a 10% trade discount to businesses.

http://www.leatherhidestore.com/

[electrathon]

For the most part, almost all of the leather you see has already been split. The reason it is even thickness is because it was split well. If you have a hide that varies in thickness or has a rough looking back on it that if the fault of the leather tannery when they were working with the hide.