Why The Difference?

[Wade D]

So I have two different pieces of leather. I really like how the back of the one type is, nice and smooth, and could likely use it without a lining, if I could find it in a heavier weight. Thing is, I'm afraid I'll get leather the way the second one looks, all weird.

Why is there the difference between the two? Is it just the brand? Is it a different process? Or is it just a different quality of leather?

The type I'm more fond of is that on the top.

[25b]

My wickett & craig bridle looks like the top one. Very smooth.

You could order bridle or harness sides. They seem to have better finished flesh sides, in my experience. I also buy tooling leather from them, but usually have them split it, so it's smooth too.

I think cheap, lower quality leather usually has really fuzzy flesh sides like the bottom one in your pic. Tandy tooling leather looks like that. That's why I generally don't buy leather from tandy. For belts, shoulder straps, etc, it works ok if you run it through a splitter. Or you could line it with other leather.

[Chief31794]

Wade,

Neither are really nice, get some Hermann Oak ©, the back is very tight and smooth. These look like they may have come from Tandy. Springfield Leather Company sells Hermann Oak by the sq ft in as little as 2 sq ft sections. It looks like these may be for a belt, if you want leather for a belt, you can buy Hermann Oak (HO) Straps (1-1/2", 1-1/4" or whatever width you want), if you are going to make several you can purchase a HO Single Belt Bend from SLC. If it's for a belt I would get 9/10 oz belt bend, if you want to buy the strap already cut it will be a 8/10 oz thickness. Hope this helps, the picture below shows how a HO backside looks, I don't have a picture of just the backside, but I think this shows it pretty well.

Chief

Edited August 6, 2015 by Chief31794

[Wade D]

Wow... yeah, that's pretty clean! Tight and smooth, indeed! Yes, they both came from Tandy. I can't remember the name of the bottom one, but the top is an Oak Leaf brand (is that Tandy specific?).

I'm looking because I plan on making holsters, and being that I'm just beginning, lining the holster has proven to be quite a bit of trouble, and the holster pouch never fits through the loops when I try to put it in (I'm referring to an integral loop vice riveted loop). Design flaw, material flaw, talent flaw, combination of all three, likely.

Thank you for the info!

[Wade D]

Sorry, 25b, when I clicked the link in my email, Chief's post was the only one I saw.

I guess if I'm going to be doing these to look nice, instead of just for practicing, then it looks like I'm going to have to end up buying better quality leather.

[25b]

Yeah, the tandy stuff is ok for practice or low budget items. For nice belts, straps, cases, things like that, Wickett & Craig or Hermann Oak will probably be your best bet.

I just ordered some Sedgwick bridle shoulder from Abbey England. Should be very nice from what I've read about it.

[Wade D]

I was just checking out the SLC and they have 1ftX2ft pieces of 9/10 oz HO leather for only $30..! I've heard plenty of good things about it. Maybe I'll end up buying a piece and giving it a shot!

[Thor]

Wade,

Neither are really nice, get some Hermann Oak ©, the back is very tight and smooth. These look like they may have come from Tandy. Springfield Leather Company sells Hermann Oak by the sq ft in as little as 2 sq ft sections. It looks like these may be for a belt, if you want leather for a belt, you can buy Hermann Oak (HO) Straps (1-1/2", 1-1/4" or whatever width you want), if you are going to make several you can purchase a HO Single Belt Bend from SLC. If it's for a belt I would get 9/10 oz belt bend, if you want to buy the strap already cut it will be a 8/10 oz thickness. Hope this helps, the picture below shows how a HO backside looks, I don't have a picture of just the backside, but I think this shows it pretty well.

Chief

Don't want to say that any of this is wrong. Personally I don't buy of Tandy. There's nothing I couldn't get in a better quality for the same or better price at a different place. That being said, better tanneries, make better leather, but the two pictures are showing leather from two different areas of a hide. While the top one is off of the side or the back (rather the side where it goes over to the belly), the bottom one is of the belly and it's kinda normal to get such fuzzy leather from this area. You just might have been gouged there. Belt leather should come out of the back area. If that's the case then the texture looks like the one on chief's picture. The neck area also serves for good belt leather, but stretches more than leather from the back.

[bruce johnson]

It looks to me like the top piece was split and the bottom piece is full thickness.

[JLSleather]

Those prices are $12-15 per foot! I guess I'm the only one thinks that insane.

Seriously, if you determined to use H.O. leather, the tannery sells it for UNDER $8 / ft. ANd that's the A-grade.

If you want GREAT leather, and don't want to buy 20 sides at a time, and dont' want to pay a FORTUNE, then I'd suggest you call Matt or Kylie at Wickett & Craig. GREAT leather, in natural tooling or drum dyed, Backs (I generally don't buy the belly portion) are under $10/ft, and NICE.

http://www.wickett-craig.com/preview.html

I don't do tandy at all. For a while, I might order there, but only if I was picking it in person. But last time I was in one, I went through a BUNCH of hides in several stacks just to find one that I could stand. No more.

I've ordered quite a few at Springfield, but not any more. I did get some decent leather, but it was always hit or miss - one hide is fine, the next one is junk.... that type of thing. They have always been willing to replace or refund a bad piece,but I simply can't be bothered to play "mail tag". If in the future I need one piece, I may call them. But they should know by now that if the piece isn't the one I asked for, they're getting it back. I mean, how hard is that.. no, sir, we do'nt currently have a piece of 7/8 oz HO tooling leather that's clean and firm. No harm no foul.

Did I already mention W/C?