CaptQuirk Report post Posted July 21, 2017 Not long after I started doing leatherwork, I learned bellies aren't really good for much. But, as I'm shopping through suppliers for leather, I keep seeing fancy bellies for sale. You have H.O., W&C, and different types of tanned bellies. Is there any difference between these, and run of the mill bellies... aside from the name and bigger price? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Sioux Saddlery Report post Posted July 21, 2017 Better leather is better leather, no matter what part of the hide it comes from. Bellies can be used for some things; linings for doubled and stitched items, swell covers for saddles, plugs for saddle skirts, and many, many other things. No doubt, due to the nature of the work in some facets of leatherworking, the bellies can be waste. It just depends on what an individual, or company, is making. I rarely ever buy backs. At times, I do end up with a lot of extra bellies, but eventually a project or production run comes up in which I can utilize them. For awhile, I had a lot of latigo bellies around. Since most of my latigo gets cut up into straps no more than 6 or 7 ft long, there is a lot of waste to a side, if I'm not making lined items to utilize the bellies as liners. Then, last year, in a little over a year's time, I made between 60 and 70 breastcollars. Not only did I use up all my latigo bellies, I had to start thinking about something else to line the breastcollars with, because I was not using enough latigo to provide the bellies for my liners. I started using russet harness bellies for liners, as I had generated quite a few of those, and they made excellent liners. If a person does enough of a variety of work, you can find a use for most parts of the hide. If a person is making only belts, or only holsters, then yes, bellies would be waste. Also, if a person was wanting to try a certain type of leather, but didn't want to buy a whole side, a belly would be an inexpensive way to see what that particular leather is like. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikermutt07 Report post Posted July 21, 2017 I use them for wallets. I probably wouldn't be afraid to utilize them for knife sheaths. Any items that aren't being stressed I think would be fine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JLSleather Report post Posted July 21, 2017 I buy backs, for ALL the reasons Big Sioux mentions -- I agree with all of what she said. Since I don't much use them, then why pay for them? TOO many times, people have been surprised to find I don't order the belly (almost never) and can't believe i just cut it off when I have one. But tell 'em I'll order the side instead of the back (so I get the bellies) and they can have the belly at cost -- and suddenly it's quiet Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Big Sioux Saddlery Report post Posted July 21, 2017 On 7/21/2017 at 1:13 PM, JLSleather said: But tell 'em I'll order the side instead of the back (so I get the bellies) and they can have the belly at cost -- and suddenly it's quiet Yeah, why is it that they expect our scrap to be free to them??! Now I tell them that if I can click a saddle button out of it, it isn't scrap. And what IS scrap, goes in the wood stove in the winter, trash in the summer. A couple weeks ago, I had two pallets full of cattle lick tubs, which were full of old junk harness parts, worn out stirrup leathers, "scrap", and other garbage. Several people couldn't believe I was throwing away what appeared to them to be "lots of good leather". One guy actually took a tub full of worn out stirrup leathers. I offered him more, and he would have taken it, but his truck box was full by that time. Less to haul to the dump! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ContactCement Report post Posted July 21, 2017 The leather belly quality varies. The marks or imperfections tell a story about the animals life. Depending where they were raised indoors vs outdoors there may be marks from bug bites, animal attacks, rocks or sticks or stretch marks and scars from everyday life. The occasional 1" -2" cuts may be from careless butchering or poor attitude of its a belly sell it to the poverty pickers who cares. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bikermutt07 Report post Posted July 22, 2017 On 7/21/2017 at 1:13 PM, JLSleather said: I buy backs, for ALL the reasons Big Sioux mentions -- I agree with all of what she said. Since I don't much use them, then why pay for them? TOO many times, people have been surprised to find I don't order the belly (almost never) and can't believe i just cut it off when I have one. But tell 'em I'll order the side instead of the back (so I get the bellies) and they can have the belly at cost -- and suddenly it's quiet I have been privey to dem bellies. It was a great deal for me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites