Got my husband the black dublin Fat Herbie for Christmas. Gotta say it's probably my favorite leather. I agree the lines give it some nice character. Very nice looking. He's wearing it well!
@@noahkirby7262 It's wearing very nicely. He likes how it fits in his back pocket. He used to have a regular billfold that was just to big and was getting back problems. He likes the fat Herbie much better.
How does Essex patina compare to Dublin? My Dublin comb holder age nicely but not a lot of people make stuff with Essex. Is there a reason why people use Dublin more than Essex?
Great question. Essex is finished with neatsfoot oil and Dublin is finished with a hard, clear wax. The result is that the essex has a bit of a softer feel and I perceive it to be slight more delicate feeling. The Dublin has a tougher feel and it is more draggy and waxy...I like this wax a lot because all of the scuffs and scratches really get absorbed nicely. Honestly the both patina similarly in my experience although the natural Essex is probably the best for aging. I was making stuff in natural Essex for awhile but I noticed that oxidation makes the color go a little pink and the light color of the natural Essex made it really hard to cut clean pieces. This is more or less always true with light colors.
There is a newish leather that Horween makes called Mystic. It's not shell but its the closest that I have seen. Mystic has a bright shiny luster and a tight break
I'd prefer to not make a Fox without the bill slot. It might look a little strange. There are some options to keep the thickness down. We have some thin/strong/durable horsehide but the colors are limited.
