Tips and Advice on this Leather

[TFarage]

Hi all,

This is my first real post on this forum after lurking for a while and before I start I want to thank all of you for the amazing information you have shared. This forum has helped me avoid and overcome some crazy frustrations, which I come across often as someone who is trying to teach themselves leatherworking using the internet.

Like most people, i started making belts, while none of the belts I have made so far are worthy of showing, I notice my skills improving with each belt. I bought an economy double shoulder from tandy last month and have already gone through it with some functional belts as result and a lot of waste(which I do not mind, as mistakes have been my main learning source).

 

While I do not feel I should be picky at this point, the economy double shoulder which looked ok on the front had a very fuzzy back, so I am looking at more leather now in a different range. Also the economy double shoulder came in at 8 to 9 oz. (3.2 to 3.6 mm) and although the thickness of the belts I made is acceptable, I would like to try a thicker leather. I currently have the following in my cart on tandy and about to pull the trigger on it but decided to first get some advice:

https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/classic-double-shoulders

Tandy description:
"The best way to produce a premium belt is to begin with premium leather. The rich color of these veg-tan double shoulders, which is applied during the tanning process, goes completely through the leather. The result is a glazed leather with exquisite beauty that is perfect for making all sorts of personal accessories. Available quantities of these premium double shoulders may be limited at times."

It comes at the thickness I want and I like the fact that I do not have to dye it. My question is, does anybody have any experience with this particular Tandy item. Also, it is glazed, meaning it is finished to a certain extent if I understand correctly. Does this mean it will not accept any other finishes, like carnauba and sno-proof etc...? 

My other option is to go for the unfinished/undyed veg tan (only the non economy comes at the thickness I want) and while I do not mind dyeing and finishing, I was super curious about the pre-dyed stuff. Below is the natural veg tan double shoulder I am considering instead:

https://www.tandyleather.eu/en/product/oak-leaf-double-shoulders

 

Unfortunately my leather source is only Tandy at the moment due to the ease of getting leather and my lack of connections with local tanneries and or leather suppliers, which I am planning to build up eventually, but I see Tandy as a sort of training wheels to my leatherworking bicycle so to speak.

 

I am sorry if I posted this in the wrong section, I wasnt entirely sure where it should go.

 

Thanks again to all of you for the amazing information and the great creations I got to see on this forum.

 

Tarek

 

[cjartist]

Hi Tarek and welcome to the forum.  I'm sure you will hear all about the garbage Tandy Leather sells. I personally have been very pleased with my dealings with them.  I recently decided to try out some Herman Oaks bellies from another source and it was a hot mess.  

Getting a back or bend from Wickett & Craig, or some Herman Oak from another supplier may give you the best leather but I find it extremely hard to justify the price unless you are able to sell them for a decent amount.  I don't do belts but I understand many places will sell just the belt blanks.  That might be worth looking in to.  Most of us just starting out don't have any sources or relationships.  You have to just pick one and go.  Go forth and prosper,

Cheryl

[TFarage]

1 hour ago, cjartist said:

Hi Tarek and welcome to the forum.  I'm sure you will hear all about the garbage Tandy Leather sells. I personally have been very pleased with my dealings with them.  I recently decided to try out some Herman Oaks bellies from another source and it was a hot mess.  

Getting a back or bend from Wickett & Craig, or some Herman Oak from another supplier may give you the best leather but I find it extremely hard to justify the price unless you are able to sell them for a decent amount.  I don't do belts but I understand many places will sell just the belt blanks.  That might be worth looking in to.  Most of us just starting out don't have any sources or relationships.  You have to just pick one and go.  Go forth and prosper,

Cheryl

Hi

Thank you so much for your response.

Belt blanks are indeed handy but I enjoy cutting my own straps(and it is way cheaper than blanks for now), this allows me to get different widths on the fly. While Tandy leather so far has not been top notch, it hasn't been garbage either. Like you I have had super good dealings with Tandy(my "local"store is in Spain).

I think I will just get myself some natural double shoulders again and then worry about glazed stuff at a later stage, from what I have read in the mean time, adding anything to them would require deglazing first.

Living just outside Amsterdam I cannot find any tanneries that do veg tan in the Netherlands, when I do "upgrade" from Tandy, it would be by going to a tannery and selecting leather myself. Until that point and as you said yourself, I can't justify the price for non Tandy leather.

[Tugadude]

Perhaps there are other members here from your area.  I have to believe there are.  Maybe they have sources you are not aware of.  Instead of thicker leather, consider lining your belts.  You could double up the leather you have now if it isn't too thick.  The rough sides would face each other and makes the adhesion a dream, being so textured.  Yes, this means stitching the edges, but that is half the fun!  Good luck.

[TFarage]

21 minutes ago, Tugadude said:

Perhaps there are other members here from your area.  I have to believe there are.  Maybe they have sources you are not aware of.  Instead of thicker leather, consider lining your belts.  You could double up the leather you have now if it isn't too thick.  The rough sides would face each other and makes the adhesion a dream, being so textured.  Yes, this means stitching the edges, but that is half the fun!  Good luck.

Ah yes! That is a great idea, at the risk of wasting more leather than usual, the positive trade off is that I would be getting way more stitching practise in! Will give that a go for sure. Thanks!

[Earl Ash]

I have had wonderful support and great leather from Wickett and Craig. I also learned the hard way that you cannot make good products with poor leather.   

[TFarage]

@Earl Ash

Thanks for the tip. I would love to be able to order from them as well as other tanneries and suppliers in the US but customs costs would probably be through the roof  

I once ordered 5 tshirts form the USA and ended up paying the same amount i paid for my order to customs, it's pretty insance regarding that in the netherlands.

[fredk]

I get my leather from Leprevo in Newcastle, north England.

They might send to you. In theory there should not be any customs charges as we are both in the EU [still]

I just tell Leprevo what I want, what I need it for and leave it to them; they've never let me down in 17 years of buying from them

Send them an enquiry, it can do no harm.

http://www.leprevo.co.uk/

PS; they are far, far way cheaper than Tandy for leather

[TFarage]

@fredk

 

Awesome! Thank you for the info, going to shoot them a mail later on.

 

edit: oh wow, they have an amazing range of buckles for a great price too!

Edited March 28, 2017 by TFarage

[Halitech]

Welcome to the insanity called leather working

The classic double shoulder you are looking at is, as suggested by the category it is listed in, is finished so it will not accept tooling, dye or any other finishes. The other one will.

And like cj, I've had good luck with my leather purchases from tandy but I always go in and pick over the leather to get what I'm looking for instead of having them ship me whatever.

[Brianm77]

15 hours ago, TFarage said:

Ah yes! That is a great idea, at the risk of wasting more leather than usual, the positive trade off is that I would be getting way more stitching practise in! Will give that a go for sure. Thanks!

You could make dog collars,as kind of a practice belt.  If you mess up, not near as much time and material lost.  Not near as much stitching either, but you could make them the same as a belt only smaller. 

[TFarage]

4 hours ago, Brianm77 said:

You could make dog collars,as kind of a practice belt.  If you mess up, not near as much time and material lost.  Not near as much stitching either, but you could make them the same as a belt only smaller. 

Awesome idea! My dog could use a new one  

[Richard M]

You could also try https://www.identityleathercraft.com/ I have always found them helpful, knowledgeable and if you tell them what are looking for they will source a piece that meets you needs.  

 

[TFarage]

17 hours ago, Richard M said:

You could also try https://www.identityleathercraft.com/ I have always found them helpful, knowledgeable and if you tell them what are looking for they will source a piece that meets you needs.  

 

Going to check that out, Thanks!!