Sourece For Bark Tanned Or Veg Tanned Natural Baby Calf Skins

[tontotex]

Hi Folks

I am looking for a supplier for the above mentioned calf skins. Bear with me on the description

In the early 70's I was doing juried art showst. Bags, belts etc.

Anyway i was living in memphis and had a friend who also did leatherwork. He had started learning in Denmark

and ended up in Memphis. He is mentioned in the Wilcox and Manning book Leatherwork.

He would bring in these beautiful natural or russet calf skins, about 10 to 12 ft. and about 1.5 - 3oz. Upon completing the piece of work he would

apply Ko Cho Line and it would turn the leather this beautiful rich golden tan and it would be supple like the milled calf i see today( french and Italian He would never give me his source..oh well

So anyway i've just retired and want to get back to what i once loved. But i don't want to use the veg tan i see in the US

I really would like to find a source for the european calf. JFJ Baker in england does a beautiful bridle butt in russet. but no calf

The pick on the zipper pull (darker one ) is the color after aging or rubbing with ko cho line

thanks

[tontotex]

Here is another example

Pic 1 is Bakers russet bridle shoulder natural

Pic 2 is a piece of the same bark tan bridle after treating with ko cho line

Sitting on top of a piece of US veg tan same weight for comparison

[TinkerTailor]

Just stumbled across this:

http://www.siegelleather.com/Detail.aspx?UID=NFEC

[tontotex]

Thanks ,,i will check it out

[Matt T]

Tinker Tailor, your link doesn't work. Siegel has some issues with link sharing because everything is session based for some odd reason. What leather were you pointing out?

[TinkerTailor]

They have a weird website where the catalog pdf links to the website store. Open the PDF catalog, it only has 6 items ir so in it. The calf skin is in there. Click on more info and it will link to the item in the store. It's the weirdest most cumbrrsome site ever. A menu would be great.....I was referring to the calfskin on page sevenish.

Edited March 22, 2015 by TinkerTailor

[Andrew Chee]

What's ko cho Line?

Andrew

[CustomDoug]

I'm looking for some of this leather too. Is the Siegel calf the one that's referred to as "Natural, Fair, English Calf" ? .8 -1.0 mm, what ounce would that be (don't have my cheat sheet in front of me)? It seems kind of thin for a lot of things I'd be making with it, unless it was doubled up. It's be nice it they offered a thickness option.

The leather in the first group of pictures that tontotex posted is Florentine "vachetta" leather.. sourced from Italy no doubt but I have no idea the particular tannery (probably privately owned).

Would this not be the same thing : http://www.waterhouseleather.com/kip_tooling_leather.htm

Then this place may have something very similar to vachetta:

http://www.masure.be/en/

Ko-cho-line is a leather dressing and this type of leather tends to retain water spots, etc:

http://essentiallyequestrian.com/en/for-the-stable/302-ko-cho-line-leather-dressing.html

Tontotex - please let us know if you find some of this leather that's satisfactory, thanks.

Doug C

[CustomDoug]

BTW guys, it's a known factoid that LV is on Wickett & Craigs's client list... perhaps they're getting this type of leather from W&C, they'll split the sides down to 2-3 oz for free... but I've never specifically heard mention of them offering 'calf' - but then some folk's refer to any hide under a certain sq ft as 'calf', and W&C may be the same.

Charles Hardtke, who is a large-ish seller of quality calf skins in the US is supposed to be relocating to Dallas soon.. I intend to stop in and see if he has anything close to vachetta once he gets his place set up. Hopefully soon.

Doug C

[tontotex]

Hi and thanks for the input.

In the first set of pics i put up...the lighter colored strap handles and zipper pulls on the LEFT are " COUNTERFIT " Those pics were from an article showing how to tell a fake louis V

I got a sample set in from Waterhouse (universal leather) earlier this week. Their veg tan is a real pale color, like most US calf or tooling leathers

Here is a youtube link on re lining a LV bag, the repair shop is in England The first leather you see that he makes the lining from is what i think i am looking for.

Later in the Vid it looks like he is using calf with an aniline finish for the top trim.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/319685273525471245/

I must have mis read Siegels website. I thought they had closed except for the book binding part. Funny, I used to buy french bridle butts from them in the 70's

There is a co. in england that offers fair calf.......i have requested samples from them..

thanks for the help