BudS Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Good day all, I make mainly knife sheaths and holsters with some belts occasionally and limited bags. I am having a bit of a frustrating time finding leather that I like particularly for my sheaths. I use an 8 to 9 oz leather and have for the past few years been using European bends from Tandy. The leather is easy to work with, the flesh side finishes out nice and smooth and tight but the grain side seems too porous when using certain dyes resulting in a rough finish. I recently bought a side of Herman Oak tooling veg tanned leather. The grain is nice and tight but the flesh side is rough as a corn cob. One of my primary customers likes integrated belt loops so the flesh side is exposed. What I found is that the flesh side is very fibrous and after burnishing the edges and dying, the loop edges looked as if they had not been burnished. On one sheath, the edge around the mouth of the sheath actually had splits in the leather. My finished product was not up to my standards. Any recommendations as to a source of leather? Are others experiencing the same thing? Any tips for finishing the Herman Oak leather? Thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stetson912 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 I tried responding earlier so I hope it doesn't double up. You can order direct from wickett and Craig or Hermann oak. That would be best for the best leather you can get. I know Hermann oak sends the best when you order direct but they have a minimum purchase amount of 10 hides I believe whereas WC will let you buy just one hide or maybe even a piece of one. But if you and or maybe some friends can swing it it is ultimately cheaper and better quality A grade leather. I recently got some veg tan from Roger at RJF leather co. I was pleased with it. It came split so the flesh side was not at all fuzzy. I believe he also offers a finished pasted and slicked back if you want to spend a little extra. For some reason his site isn't working for me right now so I can't actually confirm the pasted finish. He has a banner ad on this forum as well. He also offers drum dyed backs and English and European bridle leathers. It seems to tool nicely and is easy to work in my opinion. I believe he gets it from thoroughbred leather tannery. Maverick leather co offers both HO and WC leathers but are most likely b grades which can still be very nice. They offer a bunch of other cool stuff as well. As for finishing the flesh side of leather, I use feibings tan kote. Just put it on a cloth and rub it into the flesh side and go over it with a slicker, works great but takes a little effort. You may want to try on a bit of scrap first. It also adds a bit of water resistance as it kind of seals the leather. I hope this helps you out. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted June 28, 2017 IF someone sent you "hermann Oak" (in quotes because you're taking their word for it at that point) that is "fuzzy" -- scratch them off your list of suppliers. Period. I use H.O. all the time, and it is not 'fuzzy'. "B" grade is likely fine for what you're making, as you can cut out the "bits". W/C is also quite good, and I use that regularly as well. Very nice front and back. I do not "finish" the back side with anything.. never been a need to. You can - if you like - buy the leather already "pasted" on the back, though I personally do not. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted June 28, 2017 I agree with JLS, I use Herman Oak and the awesomeness of the back of the leather is one of the reasons. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CaptQuirk Report post Posted June 28, 2017 2 hours ago, Stetson912 said: I recently got some veg tan from Roger at RJF leather co. I was pleased with it. It came split so the flesh side was not at all fuzzy. I believe he also offers a finished pasted and slicked back if you want to spend a little extra. For some reason his site isn't working for me right now so I can't actually confirm the pasted finish. He has a banner ad on this forum as well. He also offers drum dyed backs and English and European bridle leathers. It seems to tool nicely and is easy to work in my opinion. I believe he gets it from thoroughbred leather tannery. I just spoke with Roger at RJF yesterday. His site has been down, due to some confusion with his Domain Provider. It should be up soon. His number is (607) 742-8969. He is located in upstate NY. But be aware, he does PayPal or Check only, he isn't set up to take credit card orders directly. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stetson912 Report post Posted June 28, 2017 Thanks for the update @CaptQuirk. I have to add that I have no issues with Rogers leather and the backside is just fine. I wouldn't "finish" it because it doesn't need it. I'm sure the same goes for WC and HO leathers, b grade included. I have seen Tandy items that definitely needed it but that was before I knew better. I seldom use tan Cote for that purpose anymore. If you do for some reason need it perfectly smooth, you should consider lining it with thin leather like goat or calf. Just a thought Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
