Best place to get leather for sheaths

[charlesh1028]

Hello all!! I am interested in making sheaths but can not find a place to get a decent amount of leather for a reasonable price. Where are you getting yours from thanks for all your help.

 

[Robert L Sr]

I get most of mine at Tandy leather. I have yet to find cheap leather anywhere.

 

[Cody Hofsommer]

I just bough a bunch from hide house in Cali. There's Sheridan leather, wicket and Craig, Tandy leather also.

 

[grumpy_grinder]

tandy leather ... watch for the specials , good leather and at a good price

 

[SBuzek]

Wickett & Craig, not the cheapest but some of the best leather around.
http://www.wickett-craig.com/

 

[Cody Hofsommer]

Wickett & Craig, not the cheapest but some of the best leather around.
http://www.wickett-craig.com/

I agree, Hide House and Sheridan leather carry W&C leather too, if you are looking to get other "stuff" too.

 

[Horsewright]

Good leather is expensive and worth it too. Wickett and Craig and Herman Oak are the two industry standards. I use both and they are distinctly different animals if ya pardon the pun. Good leather is worth it becuase you don't want to spend all your time and energy building something substandard becuase of your materials. Especially if you are putting your name on it. This is one place where the old adage "the quality is remebered long after the price is forgotten" is really true. All of the suppliers mentioned above can help you out. Just to make your mouth water a little....... The Wicket and Craig aisle at Hide House:

The wife wondering down the Herman Oak aisle:

Spend some time reading some of the threads over on the Sheaths and Such part of BF. Probably more about leather than you would ever want to know and lots of folks ready willing and able to help ya out.

 

[grumpy_grinder]

I didn't know there was a sheath section on this forum

 

[Horsewright]

Yeah lots of info there. Some very talented leatherworkers and kydex guys too, share info there. And not just sheaths either hence the such part. Lots of different items shown and discussed.

 

[Phillip Patton]

I just bought 6 English Bridle bellies from W&C. It cost less than Tandy's plain, unfinished bellies, and is better quality.

http://www.wickett-craig.com/overstock1.html

 

[Horsewright]

Phillip I love that English bridle from W and C. I buy it by the side and it has been some of the finest leather I have ever seen period. I havn't used it for sheaths but I darn sure make alot of things with it. That first pic I posted bottom right is a stack of W and C chestnut English bridle. Its a relatively new leather for me, I'm on my 4th side but ever one has been Wow when you unroll it.

 

[Phillip Patton]

I got it a couple weeks ago, but haven't had a chance to use it yet. It does look really nice though. I wanted to give it a try after seeing your excellent belt build-a-long in the Sheaths and Such subforum.

Just curious, why don't you use it for sheaths? Does it not form well?

Phillip I love that English bridle from W and C. I buy it by the side and it has been some of the finest leather I have ever seen period. I havn't used it for sheaths but I darn sure make alot of things with it. That first pic I posted bottom right is a stack of W and C chestnut English bridle. Its a relatively new leather for me, I'm on my 4th side but ever one has been Wow when you unroll it.

 

[Horsewright]

Yeah thats been my hangup but I havn't really tried it. I do wet mold almost every sheath. However I talked with Sara Hagel who has been using this leather a very long time. She told me that it tools very well but there was a learning curve as water absorption in the leather due to all the waxes is just different.