lappleather and halftan

[mitch8]

what are theses 2 leathers used for and how do they differ from a veg tan cow hide?
i always see the 2 mentioned together.
is it a European name for another commonly used leather? nothing comes up when i search for it in Google shopping.

mitch

 

[sheathmaker]

Mitch, I don't know anything about "lappleather" but they mention half tanned quite a bit over on the British Blades forum. Once again I have zero actual experience but I am given to understand it is just what the name implies, a partially tanned leather. It seems to be available only in the European markets. I think Martin Swinkels who used to frequent here uses it quite a bit, as do many of the makers over there.

Chuck Burrows may have a little better information than I do.

Paul

 

[leatherman]

Paul nailed it, and yep its that simple. Halftanned leather has a core of rawhide. Its extremely stiff yet retains some of the soft feel of full tanned leather.

 

[Wild Rose]

lapp leather and half tanned are basically the same type of tannage with as Dwayne noted has a core (about 1/3 the thickness) of untanned aka rawhide leather.
IIRc lapp leather is tanned reindeer hide whereas half tanned is cowhide.
You mostly work either one wet due to the rawhide core and it takes some other techniques as well. The finished sheaths are very stiff and virtually puncture proof.
Brisa of Finland sells both https://www.brisa.fi/portal/index.php?option=com_oscommerce&osMod=index&cPath=93_66

 

[mitch8]

thanks guys thats what i was looking for!