Tandy's Leather

[craftsman827]

Tandy has some leather on sale.

I normally carve HO leather.

I need some " not so expensive" 8/9 oz. leather for some plain, not carved, cases & belts.

Has anyone used Tandy's , "European single single bends"  or Tandy's "Oak leaf double shoulders" ?

I know it's not as good as HO, I need something, not so pricey . These leathers are on sale for a great price, $100.00 a piece.

Any input appreciated.

[NVLeatherWorx]

The European Single Bends are not too bad at all and the Oak-Leaf veg-tan (sides and/or shoulders) are okay as well.  Biggest issue that you may run across is during the dye/stain process which may give you some uneven take-up on the initial application; I typically end up giving these leathers at least 2 applications of my dyes/stains/Antiques to get an even look.  I too use HO for everything unless I need a quick pick leather that is not as critical based on the details of the project/order at hand.  I source my HO from The Hide House in Napa, CA and get it for about $7.95/sft; the Oak-Leaf and European Bends are typically much more than that (even at the business/wholesale rate that I get with Tandy) unless you can get them on a special buy.  All of my supplies are purchased at wholesale (even from Fiebing's); helps to keep business expenses/costs down so I can actually try and make a little profit from the endeavor.

 

[Studio-N]

NVL is right on the money with this. I would add that you need to carefully check the weight on the 8/9 single bends. They always seem a little light to me.