Does anyone have experience (or especially a picture) dealing with Springfield Leather's Hermann Oak CRAFTSMAN pieces?

[TestTube]

As the title says: Does anyone have experience (or especially a picture) dealing with Springfield Leather's Hermann Oak CRAFTSMAN pieces?

If you have a picture, **please** post it in as high definition as you possibly can.

If you don't, please describe to me - using your own words - how severe and how plentiful / spread out the imperfections were when compared to a near-flawless piece.

You get magical "TestTube brownie points) for pictures of a whole Hermann Oak Craftsman Grade SIDE.

But if words are all you're capable of providing, please, by all means.

Thank you. =)

[TonySFLDLTHR]

There is a full side picture on our site. I can see it might need an update. That picture is from 2017-2018. Once we get back to normal work and not work from home...I will make sure it gets updated.

Pictures of closer up.
https://www.springfieldleather.com/Hermann-Oak-Craftsman-Tooling-Side

Full side
https://www.springfieldleather.com/Hermann-oak-side-craftsman-1011

[GatoGordo]

I don't have a picture, but I do have some experience. I usually order Hermann Oak sides from Panhandle leather. The last time I ordered from Panhandle, they called and told me that they really did not have any good sides in stock so I cancelled the order and ordered two Craftsman grade sides from Springfield leather (one 4/5 and one 6/7). The price difference between the two orders was ~$20, Panhandle being the higher price. I was so disappointed with the quality of the sides from Springfield that I will continue to buy from Panhandle in the future.

Edited May 2, 2020 by GatoGordo
wanted to make less negative.

[Rhale]

I buy from Panhandle Leather on a regular basis, they are great and honest people with great products! I am fortunate to live about 80 miles from them so I usually go in and pick up what I need.  They take care of their customers!

[Wykoni]

Have a saddler friend who purchases from panhandle, he loves it.  I do from both, really have to say bad about Springfield.  Have always treated me right.

[MikeF]

I've always been treated right by Springfield...if I could I would probably trade exclusively with them, just to make life easier...but they just don't "have it all" in the shape and form I need.  I have ordered craft pieces (nice clean 12 x 24) and been satisfied with dimensional fidelity and quality.  That said...I would say make sure you manage your expectations...I recently ordered two square feet of english bridle as a test piece for a new product...expecting a nice clean  12 x 24...that did not happen...I got an oddball cut from somewhere on the perimeter of the hide (shoulder or belly...not really sure...just see a lot of unusable wrinkle)...that measured pretty close to 247 sq. inches (versus 288 for a nice 12 x 24) of which about 20 % is effectively unusable because of the wrinkle and a pretty nasty wire cut. So, lesson learned, when you order cuts or pieces, expect some defects and nominal as opposed to actual dimension...I don't think I will order by the square foot again, but my thinking is in the future, call first and see what you are going to get...I've always had good response to phone questions from Springfield. Probably say the same for just about any vendor...I guess until the start making square cows, this is what we get.