Sheathmakers, what is your favorite leather?

nick681

nick681

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Sheathmakers, what is your favorite leather?


I am getting back into leatherwork and I need to buy a side of leather. I intend to make knife sheaths, holders, belts, etc so I will probably go with 8-9 oz.

In the past, my favorite leather was Double tanned saddle skirting from Siegel's Leather, as seen on the sheaths below, but it is no longer available. I recently bought some Herman Oak strips from The Buckle Guy and they are nice but they seem bleached, even when I oil them, they do not darken, much less to a nice brown.

I am looking for leather that oils nicely to a look similar to the sheaths below.

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For the items you mention above, I use Wickett and Craig skirting leather. You can get it already dyed and they will split it to what ever thickness you need. It tools, molds and burnishes very well.
Randy
 
2nd on the Wicket and Craig. Get the 8/10 oz russet skirting. It's what I use for the projects mentioned. Just oiled Wicket and Craig:

QJSRZB1.jpg


Oiled Herman Oak

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The color difference is significant. We have an extensive following on our Instagram account. The number one question I get on leather work is: "How do you get that color." Answer Wicket and Craig russet skirting. I feel it tools better and it certainly cuts better than Herman Oak. Their sides generally give ya a much better yield than HO too.

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I use to buy quite a bit of leather from Siegel's when they were located in Santa Yanez. They had a catalog as thick as a Bible. Bo Derrick on the inside cover getting fitted for a pair of chaps.
 
A while back I broke down and spent some of that stimulus money on some pre dyed Herman Oak from Weaver Leather. Saddle Tan (I think they called it russet) and black. They had a sale on some harness leather, also called russet I think, but this one is much darker and redder. It also resists water a bit. None of them are struck though, only surface dyed like Wickett. Kinda disappointed I must say.
Fast forward a few months and found Frogjelly Leather, I needed dark brown and Herman Oak evidently does not have it. Found a dark (really dark) chocolate brown harness leather and to my delight it was through dyed! Im still searching for my old dark brown color that has a reddish undertone that my Fiebings dye colors it.
 
Hmm? The russet Wicket I have experience with (above) is dyed all the way through. I also have a small piece of Herman Oak in black that I bought by the square foot from Springfield for a specific project. It too is dyed all the way through. Here's a sheath I made out of it. I don't dye edges so ya can see its black all the way through:

qjmbfiD.jpg


I have used quite a bit of harness leather from both companies and they are surfaced dyed. Were ya talking just about the harness leather Dwayne? I've never heard of Frogjelly. Have to look em up thanks.
 
Had to look it up on the weaver site, what I got was called chestnut bridle leather, the black is bridle as well.
Im going to have to bug them when it comes time to get more and see if I can get the through dyed stuff. When I stamped my black the undyed core showed so much I had to dye the entire front. Same thing happens on the chestnut when I stamp and groove the leather, luckily my saddle tan dye is very close.
Thanks for the heads up! I've been awfully disappointed so far, but if I can find the through dyed stuff I will be a happy camper. :)
 
Here's where I got mine but they seem to only have brown and black:

https://www.springfieldleather.com/shop-now/leather/hermann-oak-veg/ho-dyed?page=1

Ya want the drum dyed veg tan. I bought just a couple square ft cause it was for a specific project. If you are buying by the side look here, ya need a splitter though:

https://www.hidehouse.com/Leather/Wickett-Craig-Skirting-Cow-Full-Grain-Aniline-Finish-WS810BR-P.asp

If ya have time the Wicket and Craig tannery will split any side to what ever thickness ya would like free of charge. But it does take some time.
 
I use latigo saddle leather from Tandy. I melt in a couple of coatings of SnowSeal when completing a sheath to waterproof it.
 
leatherman said:
Fast forward a few months and found Frogjelly Leather, I needed dark brown and Herman Oak evidently does not have it. Found a dark (really dark) chocolate brown harness leather and to my delight it was through dyed! Im still searching for my old dark brown color that has a reddish undertone that my Fiebings dye colors it.
Click to expand...
How is the shipping from these guys? Several seller were charging for shipping like they were making a personal delivery on pony express.
 
I dont remember right off the top of my head how much, but I can look it up. I do remember that shipping and ordering was easy and quick.
 
Finally got the chance to sit and look it up. Frogjelly charged us under 12.00 and shipped via UPS. Weaver Leather charged us 20 for three sides and shipped equally as fast through FedEx.
 
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