Bridle Belt Blanks - WC or HO?

[superpacker]

The buckle guy has a good deal on bridle leather belt blanks. Want to try to make my first Belt, and these seem like a good option. 

Anyone had any experience with either of these blanks? Both are from well-known tanneries, but I'm surprised at the cost difference between the too (WC noticably cheaper) would have guessed them to be about the same.

Two side notes, they also offer waxed bridle from Clayton's so it's from England. Not sure if this is even better. Also don't know if it's ill advised to start with bridle for my first Belt. 

[JLSleather]

I've never bought HO bridle, since I've always been happy with W/C.  But at W/C, I get "standard" grade. This bucklething calls it "Grade 1", which W/C doesn't use, so not sure just what it is he's selling.  I would inquire first.

 

[superpacker]

Good point! JLS, Is it hard to burnish?

[JLSleather]

Nothing to it. Looks great.  Only thing is, you can't color it, so get the color you want from teh start!  

[Ed in Tx]

Also can't tool it either. I have used W&C bridle before to make firefighter radio straps and it worked great. In fact it is somewhat water resistant which made it perfect for the radio straps.

[JLSleather]

Oh, yeah - there's that   Guess I assumed we all knew ya kaint tool it, like carving leather.  You can get it to take a shape, but not like tooling leather.

[superpacker]

Thanks! While I'm sure you can't color the flesh side. What about the edges? Does it look good to dye those, or to just let them darken from the burnish process?

[JLSleather]

I've done both - either way is fine.

[MADMAX22]

Supertracker how much stuff you planning to make? 

Check the price for those straps for the thickness of belt you wanna make. If you select 1.5" (standard/average belt width) the price jumps considerably. 

Right nowMaverickleather has WC bridle sides with a few colors on sale for $175 ($7sqft)  which is about as cheap as you can find them, even from the tannery they are slightly more for the special grade. Thats about $10 a belt strip at 1.5" if you cut the entire length. If you section off the shoulder then you can make some other stuff as well. Thats figuring 18 belt strips cut from the side. Ofcourse this may vary.