What type of leather to use???

[kZook]

So I have dabled a bit with some small leather projects. I have done them all with a half shoulder of veg tan so that’s all I have experience working with. I recently had a friend ask if I would make him a radio harness as he is a firefighter. I would love to try this and expand my knowledge. But I am questioning if veg tan is the best option for something like this or if I should give bridal leather a try or Latigo?  I don’t think he is wanting any tooling or embossing but if so can the bridal or latigo be stamped or tooled? And what about edge from finishing/burnishing is it done differently than veg?

 

[koreric75]

14 minutes ago, kZook said:

So I have dabled a bit with some small leather projects. I have done them all with a half shoulder of veg tan so that’s all I have experience working with. I recently had a friend ask if I would make him a radio harness as he is a firefighter. I would love to try this and expand my knowledge. But I am questioning if veg tan is the best option for something like this or if I should give bridal leather a try or Latigo?  I don’t think he is wanting any tooling or embossing but if so can the bridal or latigo be stamped or tooled? And what about edge from finishing/burnishing is it done differently than veg?

 

You should be fine with veg, with the bridle it can be a little trickier with burnishing the edges but not impossible... I've stamped bridle and Latigo, I haven't tried a swivel knife in it tho, I have some scraps around here some where will have to try it out on the morning

[kZook]

On 9/2/2018 at 10:05 PM, koreric75 said:

You should be fine with veg, with the bridle it can be a little trickier with burnishing the edges but not impossible... I've stamped bridle and Latigo, I haven't tried a swivel knife in it tho, I have some scraps around here some where will have to try it out on the morning

Thanks for the input. I might just stick with what I know and go with the Veg. Was just thinking that the extra waxes and oils in the bridal might make the strap last longer under the conditions a firefighter sees and maybe require less upkeep. 

[Dave Richardson]

Latigo and Bridle are perfect for outside use, the waxes and oils make them water resistant. Also the drum dyed eliminates the staining process. Latigo is my  choice for holsters, handbags and motorcycle gear, and I stamp and tool both latigo and bridle.