Where to find leather?

cbwoods67 · Jul 5, 2011

Hi all. I just sent out my first knife for HT (Thanks Stacy), and figured it was a good time to look into leather. I am going to make a simple, no frills pouch style sheath with maybe a belt loop. I'm sure there have been numerous threads on this, but my searches didn't result in much.

So where would be a good place to find a piece of hide for a sheath?
Thanks

DaKruiser · Jul 5, 2011

I pick mine up at Tandy leather, I have one thats just down the road from where I work. Seem to have decent prices.

TheUSMC2017 · Jul 5, 2011

I was wondering about this as well.

Mahoney · Jul 6, 2011

I've mail ordered leather from Leather Unlimited and Brettuns Village with fairly good luck. It's always a bit of a risk buying stuff sight unseen, but Brettuns Village customer service took very good care of me once when there was an issue with a hide I ordered. "Lace bellies" are a fairly inexpensive way to buy a small amount of leather to make a few sheaths from, and Brettuns sometimes sells leather "tannery samples" big enough for a few sheaths, the issue is not being sure what color you might get. Some times the scrap bundles will have pieces big enough for a sheath, sometimes not...

cbwoods67 · Jul 6, 2011

Thanks a lot. I'll check into those. I've been to tandy, but wasn't sure what part of the hide to look for. Now I know what to look for.

Jeremy Barnard · Jul 6, 2011

I've bought from zack white. Single leather shoulder. Works well for me.

cbwoods67 · Jul 11, 2011

6 sq. ft. of single shoulder on its way from Tandy. When I ordered, it said they were shipping from a store about 80 miles from my house. Go figure.

I am thinking of using shoe stain to darken it, then hot waxing to seal in the moisture. Would this be incorrect?

DaKruiser · Jul 11, 2011

If it's veg tanned shoe stain will work well, if it's oil tanned I'm not sure. I use mink oil and sno-seal on my leather sheathes and Holsters. Sno-seal is made from bees wax and works very well for sealing.

Diomedes Industries · Jul 13, 2011

I use Wickett and Craig. Haven't gone back - outstanding quality.

TF

butchesforge · Jul 13, 2011

Springfield leather,great quality----Regards Butch

sasquatch1 · Jul 13, 2011

guys........common you didn't think. where do we find leather? COWS!

seriously anybody know about a good place to get leather in western Massachusetts? or should i have em mail order it or something i'd like to try out making a pocket sheath for my eskabar.