Members Lionhammer Posted June 22, 2018 Members Report Posted June 22, 2018 (edited) Any recommendations or guides for beginners buying leather? I don't need large pieces and I'm still not quite sure the best leather to be using for carving. This is the one area where I'm having a hard time being informed... Lots of opinions and not sure where to start. Edited June 22, 2018 by Lionhammer Quote
Members chrisash Posted June 22, 2018 Members Report Posted June 22, 2018 You can buy offcuts of different Veg tan leather is small sizes on Ebay, Amazon, Etsy etc which is a cheap way of starting to practice The leather you require is called Vegetable Tan and a good size would be around 3mm to start with (7-9 once) Quote Mi omputer is ot ood at speeling , it's not me
Members Railrider1920 Posted July 4, 2018 Members Report Posted July 4, 2018 I'm also a beginner so I'm not certain this is mediocre decent or good leather for carving, but hobby lobby has bellies for sale. About $30-35, but you might be able to use the 40% off coupon you can find online. Where in Fla are you? I'm up in the Panhandle. Rob Quote
Members Railrider1920 Posted July 4, 2018 Members Report Posted July 4, 2018 This is partly what it looks like. Quote
Contributing Member fredk Posted July 5, 2018 Contributing Member Report Posted July 5, 2018 You need Veg tanned, at least 3mm thick (just as Chrisash says). It needs to be supple but not soft, and not too hard either. Belly leather is a bit too stretchy for carving. Get along to a Tandy. They have their faults but generally the staff are trained and know what they're about. Buying from a general Hobby shop has its limits; the staff will know nothing about the leather Quote Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
Members Railrider1920 Posted July 5, 2018 Members Report Posted July 5, 2018 27 minutes ago, fredk said: Belly leather is a bit too stretchy for carving Thanks for the info fredk. If it's not that good for carving, what do people usually use it for? Quote
Contributing Member JLSleather Posted July 5, 2018 Contributing Member Report Posted July 5, 2018 If you're tooling, you'll need vegetable tanned leather. The best leathers are from Hermann Oak and WIckett&Craig tanneries. You can get these leathers from retailers, but expect the price to be jacked up. If you're using small pieces, maybe it's worth the mark up for the convenience of the smaller cuts. Start with what you want to make. That will determine the thickness you want. Quote "Observation is 9/10 of the law." IF what you do is something that ANYBODY can do, then don't be surprised when ANYBODY does.
Contributing Member fredk Posted July 5, 2018 Contributing Member Report Posted July 5, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Railrider1920 said: Thanks for the info fredk. If it's not that good for carving, what do people usually use it for? Belly leather is good for caps/hats, ladies hand-purses which need a bit of 'in-built' stretch facility, draw-string money bags, ... Although I make hats like this from 'upholstery' leather, they suit being made from belly leather; Edited July 5, 2018 by fredk Quote Al speling misteaks aer all mi own werk..
Members Clintock Posted July 5, 2018 Members Report Posted July 5, 2018 Been down this road. I shoulda listened to folks when they said start with the good leather for carving and stamping. I'm still new to carving too but can tell ya that an inferior leather is HARDER to carve than the good stuff. I only buy from wickett & craig now. Straight from the tannery. Talk with Cindy. Once you use it you'll notice the difference immediately. And WC will split it down to what oz you need. Down to 2 oz I believe. Quote
Members Railrider1920 Posted July 5, 2018 Members Report Posted July 5, 2018 JLSLeather, fredk and Clintock, thanks for the information about the leather. The carving leather from tandy (6-9 oz), where do they probably get it from? If I'm only going to buy a small piece, I'd probably go to a smaller store I pass by on my way to work for convince and to give them a little support. If I'm going to buy a half a shoulder or a full one, would I get a better deal from tandy or right from one of the tanneries? Thanks again. Quote
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