Tooling Harness Leather

[Dogfisher]

Can I tool Harness Leather? I love the look and feel of Wickett & Craig's Harness Leather in Buck Brown. If not, how can I get that look and feel with bare tooling leather? For instance, I would like to make a saddle bag from W&C harness but I want to tool a design on the flap. I am very new to leather but I have tooled a few Veg Tan belts and made a few aprons and bags from Chrome Tan. I've been buying Veg Tan and Chrome Tan from SLC and just sort of making due with whatever they send me. I haven't tried any W&C harness leather but it looks amazing. SLC's harness doesn't look as nice as W&C.

[Rahere]

Tooling chromed and hybrids such as latigo's impossible, because they won't take up water in casing.

[chrisash]

Sew on the tooling part

[Handstitched]

Why not use a medium/heavy veg tan leather , tool it,   dye it , and wax/oil it yourself?  You might be surprised at the results .  Just a thought ?   

HS

[Dogfisher]

That's sounds great! How?

[Stewey]

Much harness leather is usually veggie-tanned...
Just not the latigo or chrome stuff.

[Arturomex]

5 hours ago, Stewey said:

Much harness leather is usually veggie-tanned...
Just not the latigo or chrome stuff.

Yes, harness leather is veg tanned but it's stuffed. The oils and waxes prevent the leather from absorbing water.

Regards,

Arturo

[tsunkasapa]

When I worked at Boy Scout camp I had boxes of scrap from the local saddle shops, harness leather included. While I have not

tried to "carve" it, it did take wonderfully clean, clear imprints from the 3D stamps. I believe the waxes and oils made this possible.

I think it would be worth trying on a scrap to do everything but without the water. 

[Sheilajeanne]

My first ever effort at leather carving was on a rounder that had fallen off a saddle. I carved a 4-leaf clover into it, and it looked really nice, considering the home-made tools I had, made out of nail heads and scraps of metal!