Type of leather to use?

[mtrain17]

Hi everyone,

I'm still fairly new to leather work and I do it off and on so I need some guidance.

I've currently been making checkbook cases, wallets but I'm not sure which type of leather to use for the inner parts of the wallet or checkbook.  

I've used pigskin but it has the rough flesh side and just doesn't work that well for these types of projects.

Which type of leather has a sort of glazed side / finished side on both sides of leather?  I'm sorry if my question is confusing I still don't know that much terminology.  

 

Thanks,

Michael

[Colt W Knight]

I dont know of any leather that is finished on both sides. Whenever I see a piece that has a finished side on both sides, it has been glued together - flesh side to flesh side. 

[impulse]

Kangaroo leather is my choice for inner parts of wallets. It is thin but extremely strong and the flesh side is very smooth.

Cheers

Lois

[JLSleather]

Goat (or kid) is quite strong even when quite thin. 

Incidentally, you can get cowhide, or calf skin, with a very nice "under side".  If the flesh side of your leather is "fuzzy", you need to get leather somewhere else.

 

[mtrain17]

Thanks everyone, it is appreciated.

[bikermutt07]

On 6/27/2016 at 10:19 AM, JLSleather said:

Goat (or kid) is quite strong even when quite thin. 

Incidentally, you can get cowhide, or calf skin, with a very nice "under side".  If the flesh side of your leather is "fuzzy", you need to get leather somewhere else.

 

Is that words to live by? I hadn't heard that before.

[Boriqua]

I use the goat as well for this .. I really like the texture, it takes dye nicely and even very thin its not Stretchy.

[johnv474]

On July 20, 2016 at 8:31 PM, bikermutt07 said:

Is that words to live by? I hadn't heard that before.

In some cases, buying leather with the flesh side unfinished and unsanded is desirable or tolerable. When it is not, you can find cowhide (veg tan or chrome) that is of a consistent thickness with the flesh side sanded to be quite nice, or finished like some bridle leather is.

[bikermutt07]

Thanks. I'd prefer it to be more finished looking.