What is the Deal with This Piece of Leather?

[logem]

I only make and sell about 12 knives and sheaths a year due to other job/family responsibilities.

A few years ago I decided that it was best for me to invest in a large premium piece of leather to supply my sheath making needs for a while. I purchased a full double bend veg tanned 7-8 ounce piece of leather . . . sight unseen from a supplier that was generally recommended through this site at the time. I've been working with this leather and am very disappointed by the flesh side. The skin side has very little or no marks, has good grain, and tools well, so I am happy with that. Yet the flesh side is so course (rough and stringy) that it is absolutely difficult to skive, burnish edges, scribe, etc. I actually worry that the flesh side will scratch my knife handle and guard finishes. It is that course.

The photos below show the contrast between two pieces of 7-8 oz. veg tanned leather. The dark tinted piece is the leather in question. The light colored piece is a piece of a very nice double shoulder from my local Tandy Leather that I ran out of before I bought this questionable piece. I'm almost to the point at which I am willing to trash the remaining 7.5 square feet and purchase some more leather locally.

Why is this double bend so different from what I've seen and purchased in the past? It is darker in color although sold as russet. The flesh side is unlike any leather that I have ever worked with. Have you all seen such wide range of quality in Veg tan?

Thanks in advance,

Mike

 

[sheathmaker]

Mike unless I misread your post, the darker shade and tooled piece appears to be the best of the two. When you buy any bend or side you will notice differences in the fiber tightness on the flesh side (back side). Your semi finished piece appears to have come from closer to the belly area based on the fiber tightness. It would not be of concern for me as I line everything I make so the grain side of the leather would appear both inside the sheath and out. You can mitigate that look quite a bit if, prior to stitching you will dress the inside with something like TanKote or BagKote. This will both seal and smooth out the flesh side.

Once again the left piece in your photo, the lighter color of the two appears to be the lesser quality of the two with regard to the cleanliness of the flesh side. I just buy full skirting sides and the lightest weight they come in is 8/10oz. so I have them split at the tannery to 7/8oz. and most of what you are objecting to goes away with the split and leaves a nice clean level flesh side, but there can still be and probably will be differences in the fiber tightness or firmness based on the position relative to the belly area etc. Generally the very best leather is about a foot on either side along the center line of the back of the animal.

The lighter colored piece almost looks like it is import leather based on color. Does it oil nicely? If the oil returns to the very light color then it is almost certainly import leather which while adequate for some things is never my choice for my shop.

Now with regard to answering your last question. Now days it is not unusual to get consecutive orders from almost any where with differences all the way from not much to HolyCow! what happened!!! I get around this mostly by having developed a business relationship with one person at the tannery. He knows what I like and what I will accept and he makes sure all my orders come pretty close to those parameters. If you are only buying a bend here and there and not frequently it would be good for you to order by phone and just have a conversation about what you want and will accept.

I wish I could be of more help but now days it kind of "it is what it is."

Edit to add: All the above assumes ordering and shipping. If you can buy locally trust your eyes and your finger tips!

Paul

 

[logem]

Paul,

First, thank you for the very detailed and informative reply. It serves me with a lot to think about.

Yes, I guess my concerns boil down to "fiber tightness" on the flesh side. I can not discern a difference in fiber tightness from any portion of this entire double bend. It all seems loose to me. The tooled sample in the photos is from the middle of the bend.

I just oiled the light colored piece with Neetsfoot and at is holding the tint well. I think this was an unusually nice piece. The Knapp on the flesh side is not as loose as suggested by the macro-image that I posted.

Mike L.




Anyway,



I just applied a coat of Fiebing's 100% Neatsfoot Oil to the light colored leather and will report the result

 

[Horsewright]

Mike just a little tip there for working with that right piece. You mentioned difficulty with edging and burnishing the inside. With leather like that I will dampen the edge prior with a sponge. Then it will work just like the grain side. Ya want to be careful though and just dampen the edge.You get water spots on the outside from the sponge being too wet and you will throw off the space time contiinummum. Edging that dry (and I keep my edgers hair splitting) would be like edging gravel. Dampen it first and its like edging premium leather, which it is. I have to agree with Paul if you handed me those two pieces of leather and said which one do you want to use, I'd pick the right one.

 

[logem]

After letting the neatsfoot soak and dry in the light colored piece overnight, sure enough, it is almost impossible to tell that it was oiled. Apparently, it is a lesser quality import leather as suggested by Paul.

Dave, I've already edged the back side of this leather while lightly dampened and it does help significantly. I guess my biggest complaint i working with it is how difficult it is to skive easily due to the large/tough grain. Of course it would help if I had a decent skiver. Are you selling your skiver knife design yet? I'd happily purchase one.

Thank you,

 

[Horsewright]

Michael alot of times I'll do skivving on some leather while its cased too. Cuts like butter. DRAWBACK: is the other side is very susceptible to scratches, abrasions, indentations, dirt grime and dust you didn't even know was there. So be forewarned cause some of that space time continumum can't be fixed and the portal won't close. Yes sir, pm, email or call.