Need Leather Piping Supplier

[mulefool]

Does anyone know of a supplier for leather piping like the welt in boot tops? I use it for piping on chaps and chinks and thought it also might make a nice welt for bucking rolls.

[Art]

Most folks make their own so they can match the adjoining leather. If you are talking about the cording you use to make the welt, that is usually cotton or polyester and you can get it at most any upholstery jobber or trimmer jobber. If you don't have access (plenty of internet providers) you can probably get what you need at a local trim shop, it will be more expensive per foot but you should only have to buy what you need and not a whole roll. You will likely make good use of a cording foot of the proper size on your sewing machine, it allows you to sew right next to the cord when making the welt. This is not a welt foot which is a little different and used for putting the welt into the seam. Don't try to use 6oz leather to make the welt with 1/8 cord, 2oz or so is much easier, remember the smaller the cord the thinner the leather. The inverse isn't true, you can still use thin leather on big cords, taking into account the wear factor. Contrasting material can be used on the welts with good effect although the original use of the corded welt was to hide the stitching especially where the material is transitioning planes (going around corners or from top to sides) and probably didn't want to call attention to itself with contrasting color. On seat cushions, contrasting welts are traditional, but it is all just a matter of style.

Art

Does anyone know of a supplier for leather piping like the welt in boot tops? I use it for piping on chaps and chinks and thought it also might make a nice welt for bucking rolls.

[mulefool]

Most folks make their own so they can match the adjoining leather. If you are talking about the cording you use to make the welt, that is usually cotton or polyester and you can get it at most any upholstery jobber or trimmer jobber. If you don't have access (plenty of internet providers) you can probably get what you need at a local trim shop, it will be more expensive per foot but you should only have to buy what you need and not a whole roll. You will likely make good use of a cording foot of the proper size on your sewing machine, it allows you to sew right next to the cord when making the welt. This is not a welt foot which is a little different and used for putting the welt into the seam. Don't try to use 6oz leather to make the welt with 1/8 cord, 2oz or so is much easier, remember the smaller the cord the thinner the leather. The inverse isn't true, you can still use thin leather on big cords, taking into account the wear factor. Contrasting material can be used on the welts with good effect although the original use of the corded welt was to hide the stitching especially where the material is transitioning planes (going around corners or from top to sides) and probably didn't want to call attention to itself with contrasting color. On seat cushions, contrasting welts are traditional, but it is all just a matter of style.

Art

[mulefool]

Oops, guess I didn't reply right. Thanks for your response, Art. I checked out the Rochford one,but that wasn't really what I was looking for. I have made my own sometimes, but one time I had access to some of the welting used for boots and it was perfect. My supplier quit carrying it. I did find some later today from a bootmaker supply place. They only have 3 colors, I was hoping somebody had a big selection, but maybe there's not that much demand for different colors. Thanks again for your help.

[bruce johnson]

A source I have seen advertised but never dealt with is Paisano Boot and Shoe Findings in El Paso. Website is www.paisanoleather.com. There may be other boot and shoe finding outfits that sell welting as well. Like Art, I make my own from scraps. I love my bell knife skiver. Thought it would be a frivolous luxury, it is used at least daily.

Bruce Johnson

[mulefool]

Thanks, Bruce. Actually that's exactly who I found. I don't have a skiver like that and when I've made my own I did spend alot of time skiving by hand. I'm not sure what a "bell" skiver is though. But maybe I should get one.

[bruce johnson]

A bell knife skiver is a bench mounted motorized skiver. Basically a feedwheel feeds the leather against a rotating bell shaped blade, and that cuts off the skive. Ferdco and Artisan both sell them, and have them on their websites. Kind of the old standard that these are a knockoff of are the Fortuna skivers.

There are different presser feet for different shaped skives. The depth and width of the skive can be adjusted by a fence guide to control how far in the skive goes. Also the presser feet are different lengths and can be adjusted to have varying pitch too. There is a top adjustment for depth on the presser foot. These adjustments are all thumbscrew type adjustments and pretty easily changed. With the widest foot and setting it level I can split a 2" strip of latigo or mulehide from just leveling to paper thin. By changing the pitch on the presser foot, I can do a tapered skive up to about 2". Raising/lowering the presser foot or changing the guide fence width makes shorter or longer skives too.

I can use a piece of 8-9 for a checkbook, channel the center so it folds easily, and skive the edges so they are not so thick and clunky looking. The thicker center leather makes it safer to undershot and propetal with less risk of cutting through.

These skivers sell at prices on-line for the knockoff models from about $900-1300. They usually come with a stone feedwheel and two or three basic feet. Additional feet are available, as well as the steel milled feedwheel for vegtan. Not for everyone, but I wouldn't be without one now. I have a heavy sewing machine, and flatbed sewing machine that can do up to 1/2", a shop press for a clicker, Chase pattern splitter, handcrank sole skiver, handcrank heavy splitter, and a rein-rounder. I have everything mechanical I foresee needing. All of the work these machines do can be done by hand, these just do it more consistantly for me.

Bruce Johnson

[mulefool]

Hmmm, sounds handy. I might do some thinking on how one might be used in my shop and see if it makes sense to get one. Thanks

[Johanna]

Okay, everybody who wants to go play in Bruce's shop, raise your hands!

Johanna

[Regis]

Now that my Artisan arrived, I'm only short and have to add "a heavy sewing machine and flatbed sewing machine that can do up to 1/2", a shop press for a clicker, Chase pattern splitter, handcrank sole skiver, handcrank heavy splitter, and a rein-rounder."

Regis