Have you considered using some alternative methods of " dying" leather via oxidation techniques on natural veg tan leather..#1 5sec-30sec in household bleach makes for a old world patina tan color,length of time changes the color of choice..use conditioner afterwards..#2 1min to 10min in 8oz / half pint of water to 4 or 5 spoons of baking soda powder for a light brown all the way to dark rich brown color depending on length of time exposed..#3 3% peroxide used in first aid kits.. The leather craft shop in japan that you recommend is wonderful LeatherCrafttools.com.. and to return the favor I'd like to mention a very cheap leather supply shop in Italy Buyleatheronline.com.. they have some great deals..some are 1/4 the price of leather then my local shops..the remnants section and sale section is outstanding for great quality leather..Best wishes my friend..
@MysteriousOklahoma It’s actually “potrero” with two “r’s” and I’ve never figured out exactly what it means. The one thing I do know is that it’s *VERY* widely used in making boots, especially waterproof boots. I think it must have something to do with how it’s tanned, probably in the finishing stages.
I've been a subscriber to your channel for years now, and I must say that your videos keep getting better and better. This past year especially so. I clicked the "Bell" icon now to be sure I don't miss any new videos you put out. Thank you so much for all the effort you put into your videos. You are an excellent teacher. I'm a hobbyist who's only made products for my own use. I bought a belly a few years ago (still have a lot left) and I use it for small projects, like a cell phone holster to wear on my belt. The lack of durability for that doesn't matter--how long does anyone keep a cell phone? In a few years, I'll replace the phone anyway and the new phone will almost certainly be different in size, so it will need a new holster too. When I first started I bought a few pounds of horse hide scraps/remnants to practice stitching with. Very cheap leather. I made a few tip protectors for my woodworking chisels from them. The scraps were too small for much of anything else, except to glue a couple of pieces together and run some stitch lines down them for practicing.
Very nice tutorial. A nice follow-up to this video could be one detailing leather types. Such as veg tan, chrome tan, bridle, elked, cordovan etc. There are so many options and misunderstandings of what these are, pros and cons that it would be a very interesting video
Thank you for sharing your leather knowledge! As someone just starting to make leather items, I appreciate your ability to explain these things! I wouldn’t have even known what questions to ask-I didn’t know what I didn’t know so kudos to you for educating us newbies!
Very informative! I'm not even in the leather industry, just like to use leather notebooks, lol~ Got push noticed for this video and watched the whole thing. Learned a lot! Thank you for sharing~
Great info! I started with really cheap leather and it was frustrating. After a few years I use nicer quality leather and it is a world of difference. You really don't mention the quality of the tannery but it makes a huge difference!
I pick out Oak Leaf double shoulders at 9-10 oz thick or 4 mm. I use them for belt straps from 45 inches to 65 inches or almost two meters wide. I always pick out my double shoulders or sides. I have ordered supposedly high quality Hermann Oak and Wickett and Craig where parts of the cut I bought were unusable so I drive 50 miles to Tandy Leather and go through the stack. Bellies are good for making small parts that do not need strength, but it's good enough to make knife sheaths if thick or key fobs. Makes nice cuffs or bracelets.
All the while I thought you were to say something negative about leather because of the title. It is all about learning to buy or use leather parts very informative.
Bellys are good for small items like key fobs or bracelets. Never use belly for anything that needs strength. I use bellies for small bags or simple wallets. I use Hermann Oak bellys and skiving isn't an issue, but I use a splitter.
Very good information, thank you! I have shoulder, bend and belly leather and never realized why the leather seems so different. I assume the same durability issues are relevant with rawhide also but I have never noticed rawhide other than shoulders. Can rawhide be found from all three sections?
I grew up on a farm and most dont realise just how big cattle can be. When there is a bull that weighs 1.5 tons and you are trying to convince the bastard to move and he doesent want to it can be concerning. The can stand almost 2m tall from ground to shoulder level. You learn quick to respect the beef or you will be eating dirt.
I finally found a channel that teach and explained very detail and clear thank you so much for the video bro.. I'll look forward to see more videos👍👍☺️
Hi, great content as usual, I recall seeing a video you did based on Montana edger size 1, could you please advise how to sharpen it, as it is very small. Thank you
Really good stuff. I wondered, is faux leather a video you plan to make? I don't no much about it. But would like to try it. Can't find it in hard like veg tan
*leathertoolz* The aroma from the leather seating in Rolls Royce saloons is far and away the best I've ever experienced. The smell of leather in my 2010 Mercedes-Benz, couldn't even come close to the Rolls...
thanks for sharing your knowledge. Very informative! Do you perhaps know where can I find a leather skiving/splitting service in german? Some of my leather are a little too thick for my project. :(
wow awesome video too could you make one about how to store your hide too i usually have our own cowhide tanned here yea usually had 8 pre-year i get this year landed up with more had to roll them up to store them using a very larger plastic pipe for them for the exotic hides like moose or beaver or buffalo have a private person does that help him with more frames for him to do the hides too he plays guitar he need a case yea made him one too first time i made one too and using the new machine to make the veneer for that to happen made a jig for the case bend the around the jig to to
Great video, thanks. You said your belt is “too thick” - how thick is it, and what is your opinion for a good thickness for belts? I have made a few belts with 3.5mm shoulder which I like for thickness but now I know why they have not held their shape too well with a curve at the back after a few months of wearing. I have been thinking about what leather to buy next and was planning on 2mm and 4mm double bends so I can make 4mm belts - 2+2mm double-layer and 4mm single-layer. My question: forgetting about cost, will a belt made with bends outer and lining hold its shape much better than one made with bends outer and shoulder inner or not really? Just wondering if I want to make a 3mm or 3.5mm belt sometime with 2mm bends outer and 1mm or 1.5mm shoulder lining. Does the outer give the belt its strength and structure, or will a bends lining help to make it durable also? Thanks.
I sorry to tell you, but neither will hold better. I make lined belts to 9-10 oz or 4 mm. Think of 4 oz as 1.5 mm. If the person wearing the belt does not wear it straight, but lets it form to his body the leather is going to form to his body type. I do not allow my own belts to set under my belly, but keep it straight, but after 2 years it is warped to my body, just not very pronounced. There isn't any getting around it, but once formed to your body it is more comfortable. If a customer is complaining tell him to lose weight! Don't forget he is using an oiled leather, but beware of the color coming off. He is also thin waisted so his belt didn't warp. My son's belts including a lined crocodile belt do not warp because he isn't fat or chubby. Chubby people must not wear their belts under their hanging stomach, wear it straight across.
That was an awesome video which clarify most of my doubts about which part of the leather to use for certain products. It will be very useful if u kindly make some video video about other kinds of leather like horse,goat, crocodile leather etc also.Thanks thanks a lot
Buying leather for me has been hit and miss. It's really hard to tell what your getting when buying on line. Even when I buy them in person, I have to experiment with them to see what the long term effects are in terms of how they react to certain dyes, glues and finishes.
This info is for cow hide, it's very different for equine leather (horse) because of the cuts used and the makeup of the flesh under the grain. Very hard wearing (and in the case of shell cordovan very expensive) But yeah there's a lot of other types of leather with different properties and such a video would be interesting
Great information! Could traveller’s notebook covers be made with belly without worry? or do you recommend a different cut because of the stress of the elastic cords that retain the notebook inserts?
It's called silverside because when you skin and animal the membrane between the skin and flesh has a silvery appearance not because the japanese consider it luxurious
I just fell into the rabbit hole myself ..maybe 2 weeks ago I went into a.tandy store near my home that just opened and...well....I've absorbed more info than i could have ever have imagined....just picked up some shoulders, stamps,thread and needles lol...
Are you based out of Japan? Where do you buy your hides? I live in Kanagawa but I have been shipping my hides from the states. I’m looking for a good supplier here locally.
Been getting into hunting, so naturally I've also been learning how to tan hides and such. Gonna start out small with coyotes (no kill limits and in season year round), then work my way up to deer and elk (elk are way bigger than I thought!), and maybe at some point hunt bear and moose. I'd love to work with leather, but like you mentioned, it's expensive to buy, so if I can source it from my hunts and do my own tanning, I bet I could make some really cool stuff! Besides, how friggin' cool would it be to have a backpack and/or belt made from a bear you killed yourself? I could also learn to make leather trunks/chests. I bet those would sell for a lot! Thank you for this video; I learned a lot of useful stuff!
