newbie intro and elkhide question

[andyb]

hello all!

some friends of mine from the Needlebar sewing machine forums sent me over here when i asked some leatherworking questions. i recently registered and have spent the last week or so reading tons of posts. the information so far has been very helpful.

i am thinking i'd like to sew a leather jacket. i am not exactly sure of the style, but something along the lines of a motorcycle jacket. if i could find what i wanted somewhere i'd probably buy it, but being cheap and creative generally means that if i am capable of making something, i usually do. i have sewn several jackets in the past, but they were heavy wool or canvas (the wool was for another hobby of mine, Civil War reenacting). i have also done some leather holster and boot repair as well as making a handful of pocket watch cases, but a lot of that was handsewing. i own several sewing machines including an old Singer industrial 153W102. the 153W handles 3-4oz leather without any problems, and i am thinking that would be a good weight for a jacket.

i did some searching here but didn't find much on elkhide. how does elk compare to cowhide in terms of workability? is elkhide comparable to cowhide as far as thickness goes? what i mean is, if you have 3oz elkhide and 3oz cowhide, are they similar in terms of actual thickness and softness? if i was thinking of using 3.5oz cowhide for a project, should i use thicker (or thinnner) elkhide, for example? are there any big advantages (or disadvantages) of working with elkhide?

and on another note, when i was searching past posts for sewing various patterns, i found several posts on corsetts. my wife happened to catch a view of some of them and, well you can guess where this is going. something tells me my second leather garment project will also involve some silk and a LOT of curved pieces. it appears there are a few corsett-sewers here, so i'm sure i'll be asking their advice at some point as well.

thanks for any advice on the elk (or anything else for that matter).

andy b.

[Beaverslayer]

Hi Andy and welcome to the forum.

Elk compared to cow hide, well for starters, you are going to find that Elk tends to be a heavier hide. In most cases it is going to start about 4.5 oz and go up from there. Where with cow, you can get it all the way down to 1 oz. Elk is much softer than cow, and you will find that it is more stretchable than cow. Where cow tends to only stretch easily in one direction, elk will stretch in all directions very easily.

If you go to your Tandy store and look at both at the same time, you will notice these differences. I've made a few vests from elk and also deer, and they were much heavier garments than the ones I make from cow, you can really feel the garment on your shoulders.

As far as the corset goes, good luck, I've been meaning to try one some day as well.

Ken

[andyb]

Ken,

thanks for the reply! i did stop at the local Tandy store and looked at the elkhide. the lady helping me said it would be equivalent to about 6oz, but she said because the elk is so soft, a normal thickness gauge gives erratic readings. i did notice exactly as you said, that elkhide is very soft and stretchy. that really brings me to my question, but since i am unfamiliar with leatherworking terminology, i am not sure how to ask it. would elkhide be too stretchy to make a jacket or do you need to go to a thicker leather to have the same "feel"? this is where i am not sure of the correct word. i was told elkhide is stronger than cowhide, but it certainly feels softer. for something like a Rondezvous overshirt, i think elkhide would be perfect, but should a leather flight/motorcycle jacket be a stiffer/thicker leather? i own several leather bomber/flight/motorcycle jackets, and they certainly aren't "stretchy". i don't think i have ever seen an elkhide motorcycle jacket, is that why? i'm looking for the most durable (yet reasonably priced) leather to use for my jacket project. maybe elkhide is not what i want? maybe elephant with stingray elbow and shoulder pads (JUST KIDDING).

andy b.

[Beaverslayer]

If your looking to make a motor bike style jacket, go with a 4/5 oz cowhide, you can get a good chap hide from Tandy and this should work quite well for durability and strength. Elk is more suited for the cowboy look, it is stronger than cow, as it will not tear as easily, but it will get damaged easier by scuffing and such. Also, it is way more expensive than cow.

Ken

[andyb]

that is pretty much the type of advice i was looking for. plus, Tandy has plain black cowhide in stock all the time, they only sell white and tan elkhide so i'd have to order it sight-unseen off the net.

andy b.

[Spencer G]

It sounds as though you are decided on the use of cow rather than elk, but I have a tip if you ever do use elk. I made a pair of chinks with the it, and discovered that when sewing elk to elk (or I suppose anything equally soft) it feeds slower, at least through my machine. This means that even though you haven't changed the stitch length adjustment, the stitches are much closer together. Fortunately I noticed before I really messed things up.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Spencer G

[Luke Hatley]

ONE OF THE MANY ELK SKIN SHIRTS THAT I HAVE MADE,

FLESH SIDE OUT AND ALL SEAMS ARE WELTED, THIS WAS SEWED ON MY SEW-MO

(ADLER) MACHINE.COUMPOUND FEED. NO PROBLEMS.

THIS ELK WAS PURCHASED AT TANDY, NICE SKIN.... BUT NOT CHEAP.

Edited December 7, 2008 by Luke Hatley

[andyb]

ONE OF THE MANY ELK SKIN SHIRTS THAT I HAVE MADE,

FLESH SIDE OUT AND ALL SEAMS ARE WELTED, THIS WAS SEWED ON MY SEW-MO

(ADLER) MACHINE.COUMPOUND FEED. NO PROBLEMS.

THIS ELK WAS PURCHASED AT TANDY, NICE SKIN.... BUT NOT CHEAP.

Luke,

beautiful shirt! that is EXACTLY the type of thing i think elk would be perfect for. that's why i was unsure if it would make a good jacket in the style i'm thinking. someday i'll probably try something made from elkhide. the stuff at Tandy is so soft i'd use it as a blanket (my wife would think i'm nuts though).

and Spencer, thanks for the sewing tip!!

andy b.

[ChuckBurrows]

another suggestions from someone who has used a lot of elk and deer over the years: pre-stretch it before cutting - wet it, wring it out real well, and then either make a frame out of two by sizes and lace it on on what I do its naile it up to the side of my shed and let it set out for 72 hours weather permitting..

Two of the best sources I know of for deer and elk are: www.hideandfur.com of Colorado Leather goods - 719-633-8722 , they both offer elk and deer in many other colors bisdes the typical orange/yellow and at real good prices

Here's pics of an 1870' style "scout" coat I built some while back out of elk.......

A coat like this in elk (typically 5-6 oz) is heavy, deer (typically 2-3 oz) would have been a better choice in my opinion. The color is not a stock color - I started with a light tan then smoked and aged it to get this color. FWIW - it's hand sewn too - I don't own a machine......

Another alternative is the German Tan leather from Crazy Crow, a bit more expensive, but a great substitute for real brain tan........

Here's some britches made from it...

Edited December 7, 2008 by ChuckBurrows