Can you tool suede?

[CaptQuirk]

Well, can you? I've looked around, and found nothing.I did find some mention of burning it, but not tooling and carving it.

[Michael Sheldon]

You cannot tool suede. You can, however burn it (pyrography) though I prefer nubuck to suede.

Only veg-tan leather will reliably take tooling. Some combination-tans will emboss, but I wouldn't attempt to tool them.

Chrome-tanned leathers cannot be tooled or reliably embossed.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Michael Sheldon
mispelling

[CaptQuirk]

Thanks Michael. I wasn't sure if it was me or the suede, but I couldn't get it to stamp. That is how I learned you couldn't tool and mold chrome tanned stuff.

 

The reason I asked about tooling suede, is that I'm using it as a liner on my holsters. There are times when I have a holster that hangs low, leaving a lot of liner showing. I think it looks good, but a little on the plain side. Have you tried burning it yourself? What was the result?

[Michael Sheldon]

I've burned suede. If the surface is tight, I got excellent results, the looser/fuzzier the surface, the less crisp the design. 

[CaptQuirk]

Thanks. I'll look into it.

[electrathon]

Suede is a poor choice for a lining material. It can attract and hold dirt, potentially harming the finish on the gun. 

[CaptQuirk]

Ok... heard bad things about pig, and now suede? What do you use? I suppose I could try straight up veg tanned for lining?

[JLSleather]

You may be confused about what "suede" is.  Not all suede is chrome tanned.  When [what you are calling] vegetable tanned leather is leveled (split) the underside which remains is "sueded", but still vegetable tanned.  More often, referred to as a "split".

If you make holsters from a single layer of tooling leather, then one side (usually the inside) is "sueded".  Lining the holster with a sueded split would make it thicker, heavier, but still "nappy" on the inside.

So, back to the original question.. can you tool "suede".. then yes, you can if it's vegetable tanned.

 

[electrathon]

Pig would be good if it does not have a hard glazed finish like much of it has. Veg tan would be ideal. 

[JLSleather]

In fact, this underside "split" often IS "tooled".. to make fniished splits or embossed leathers.  Course, we're talking TONS of pressure in a press, not a mallet.