ScottEnglish Report post Posted December 3, 2021 (edited) Hello. Does any one have experience of working with vegetable-tanned buffalo leather? How supple is it compared to vegetable-tanned cowhide? How does it compare to chrome-tanned buffalo leather? If it's possible, I'm considering making footwear using thick, vegetable-tanned buffalo leather as I can't obtain chrome-tanned buffalo leather at present. Thanks. Scott Edited December 3, 2021 by ScottEnglish Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sheilajeanne Report post Posted December 3, 2021 Following, and wondering if VT buffalo is any good for tooling... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
fredk Report post Posted December 3, 2021 I still have some veg tanned water buffalo hide which I bought from Le Prevo several (ie a lot) of years ago. I find it works just same as cow hide. What mine has, is a very pronounced hide pattern to it, rather than the featureless plain of a cow hide. I bought is specifically for that feature. I've never had chrome tanned water buffalo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tsunkasapa Report post Posted December 3, 2021 52 minutes ago, fredk said: I still have some veg tanned water buffalo hide which I bought from Le Prevo several (ie a lot) of years ago. I find it works just same as cow hide. What mine has, is a very pronounced hide pattern to it, rather than the featureless plain of a cow hide. I bought is specifically for that feature. Same here. And if it is sold as 'Buffalo' that is what you will be getting. BISON is generally labeled as such. The only thing I can think of, that would be even close to what you are describing would be the Highlander leather that Tandy sold years ago. Chrome tan about as thick as saddle skirting. But they haven't offered it in about 8 years. If you were over here I would suggest brain tanned bison or moose. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScottEnglish Report post Posted December 3, 2021 Thanks fredk for sharing your experience. My search for thick leather suitable for footwear uppers continues. tsunkasapa: Thanks for your reply too. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FGBR Report post Posted December 3, 2021 Since you're in the UK, what about giving A&A Crack & Sons a call? They supply leather for a lot of shoemakers. I'm sure they would have some suggestions for thick leather suitable for uppers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Matt S Report post Posted December 3, 2021 Hi Scott, I don't recall ever buying buffalo leather, but have heard that it indeed has the characteristic grain pattern that JCUK mentions. In fact this is sometimes emulated on cowhides by plating. I also have a memory of it being generally quite a suppler handle/looser grain compared with a typical cow hide of similar thickness and tannage but I'm not sure where to go to confirm or deny it. As I said before I'm no shoemaker but believe that uppers are almost universally chrome tanned, due to the reduced impact had on it by water (whether from the environment or the feet). I have a pair of boots (French rangers, a copy of the US WW2 para boot) that appears to have veg-tanned uppers. Great fit, but no matter how much dubbin I stuff them with they get very stiff after each use. Don't know if it's just cos the leather's very dry or because they're rough-out or what, but I really suspect it's because they're veg tanned. Obviously there are certain types of footwear that have veg tanned uppers (western/cowboy boots and anything in traditional Russian calf or shell cordovan spring to mind). Almost all uppers must have been veg-tanned prior to the invention of chrome tanning, but I suspect that shoes had a shorter maintenance/repair/life cycle than we expect today, and huge efforts were made at making them impermeable (such as jacking) or avoiding getting them wet (such as the use of pattens and later galoshes). After your PM I looked on Abbey's website but could only find a few buffalo leathers listed, all chrome tanned. Do you have a link to the one you're considering? Incidentally I can't remember where but once heard that importing bison (American buffalo) leather to the UK was rather difficult, so all "buffalo" leather over here is indeed water buffalo. I suppose they're big beasts and you gotta do something with the outside layer when their ploughing days are done and the inside bits have been cooked! I agree with FGBR, it might be worth your time speaking with AA Crack or J Woods or another dealer that sells to the shoe trade. Abbey is mostly oriented to the equestrian trades and more general leather crafts. Their product range and institutional knowledge may not be the most useful to you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ScottEnglish Report post Posted December 4, 2021 (edited) FGBR: Thanks for suggesting giving A & A Crack a call. I'd looked on their website before and didn't see anything suitable, but maybe they can source what I need instead. Matt S: Regarding the vegetable-tanned buffalo leather for sale at Abbey England, it isn't shown on their website. I learnt of it through contacting them with a question about their chrome-tanned buffalo leather which I believe at present is currently out-of-stock. I'll contact A & A Crack and J Woods enquiring if they can obtain the leather I need. Thanks for suggesting them. Scott Edited December 4, 2021 by ScottEnglish Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
