Where do you get your leather?

Zack White- good quality, more consistent supply, there is some leather that is one time deals though. shipping is high

Maverick- lots of good stuff but inconsistent in their offerings. Kind like a close out dealer. All good quality though.

I have only dabbled with learner work every now and again so I speak with no particular expertise here, Tandy Leather has always been my go-to for leather and related supplies.

My nearest Tandy store is now two hours away in Orlando but they do a lot of mail order business.

You may have a store in reasonable distance. Check their website.

S&D Trading, Lubbock, TX, on 34th Street. Nice guy to business with and quite knowlegable about all matters concerning leather. He ships quickly but I'm close enough to drive over and pick what I want. His tooling leather is Herman's Oak which is pretty much as good as you can get. I have no affiliation with him and in fact I can't even remember his name. He has about anything Tandy does plus better leather.

Wickett and Craig for my saddle skirting and bridle leather. My regular veg tanned tooling/carving leather I either use Herman Oak or will get Thoroughbred direct from the warehouse since their warehouse in Louisville is close to me. I really like the Thoroughbred leather, it is pit tanned and has the feel to older leather. It's USA hides shipped to Mexico to be tanned and then shipped back since that tanning method can't be done here in the states anymore because of environmental regulations.

One more thing, you may notice even buying whole sides when buying good quality leather and other materials that you can hardly make a holster for what you can buy some cheap holster for but...... you will be making something of better quality and not something that a million other people have one just like it. That is why custom holsters and leather cost what it does. You get what you pay for.

Plus places like Galco have a side of leather on a scanner and it places all of their patterns on that hide so there is almost no waste at all. Volume production saves cost. As a leather maker I will place some of my commonly sold patterns when laying out pieces for custom orders in order to get the most from a side of leather.

Victoria Secrets...

Im just getting started myself. I bought an 8.5sqft, 7/8oz vege tanned double shoulder from Weaver Leather Supply that was in the discount section for $40. The only unusable defect was a small scar about .200" by .5" in one corner.

I would recommend more like 8-10 oz unless you plan on lining it. 7/8 oz is actually more authentic weight if you are doing reproduction of old west holsters but a finished weight closer to 9-10 oz makes a good strong holster without unnecessary weight.

NorthBorder said:

Thanks so far. I'll look at all these... except Victoria's Secrets. They have little hook on the ends, or so I've heard.

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Yeah I thought that recommendation smelled a little fishy to me.

Cowhide Cliff said:

I would recommend more like 8-10 oz unless you plan on lining it. 7/8 oz is actually more authentic weight if you are doing reproduction of old west holsters but a finished weight closer to 9-10 oz makes a good strong holster without unnecessary weight.

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Obviously im just starting but the 7-8oz shoulder i got is crazy thick. About as thick as ive ever seen on a holster. Almost seemed .25" thick. I bought a more expensive piece that is pre-distressed and crackled. It was 9-10oz and seems thinner than the shoulder. Also much softer.

BigBlue 94 said:

Obviously im just starting but the 7-8oz shoulder i got is crazy thick. About as thick as ive ever seen on a holster. Almost seemed .25" thick. I bought a more expensive piece that is pre-distressed and crackled. It was 9-10oz and seems thinner than the shoulder. Also much softer.

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One oz equals 1/64 inch. A good thing to remember is 8oz is 1/8 inch so you can judge from there.

What do you mean by distressed and crackled? If it's distressed and crackled as in pebble grain, milled leather, it might be (actually most likely is) chrome tanned leather which you do NOT want to use on holsters or knife sheaths because it can rust your gun or knife.

You can get milled veg tanned leather but it's not common and usually has to be special ordered direct from the tannery. I have some split to 5 oz and milled for use on cartridge/money belts but that is custom order and you have to usually buy 10 sides of leather at a time. That's usually a 2500-3000 dollar special order.

Cowhide Cliff said:

One oz equals 1/64 inch. A good thing to remember is 8oz is 1/8 inch so you can judge from there.

What do you mean by distressed and crackled? If it's distressed and crackled as in pebble grain, milled leather, it might be (actually most likely is) chrome tanned leather which you do NOT want to use on holsters or knife sheaths because it can rust your gun or knife.

You can get milled veg tanned leather but it's not common and usually has to be special ordered direct from the tannery. I have some split to 5 oz and milled for use on cartridge/money belts but that is custom order and you have to usually buy 10 sides of leather at a time. That's usually a 2500-3000 dollar special order.

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Hmm I got it here on eBay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/372887052027

Says "100% environmentally friendly tanning". Though I dont know what that means. I have seen things listed as chrome tanned. Is that done with chromium?

BigBlue 94 said:

Hmm I got it here on eBay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/372887052027

Says "100% environmentally friendly tanning". Though I dont know what that means. I have seen things listed as chrome tanned. Is that done with chromium?

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Lol now picturing a chrome dipped holster... mandalorian style

BigBlue 94 said:

Hmm I got it here on eBay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/372887052027

Says "100% environmentally friendly tanning". Though I dont know what that means. I have seen things listed as chrome tanned. Is that done with chromium?

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There are a lot of different processes. Could be an oil/chrome tanned by the picture but could be some distressed drum dyed veg tan I can't tell without feeling it.

Take a little piece of it and burn it with a lighter. If it has blue green ash it's chrome tanned and not good for holsters.

That same seller has some 8/9 oz veg tan holster tooling leather, that's what you really need. I'd use what you have for some saddle bags, shooting bags and other accessories like that.

Tandy Leather is my go to for leather, tooling, and other supplies. Make sure you use higher grade leather from them as the cheaper stuff CAN
have issues with scars/brands/deformation.

BigBlue 94 said:

Says "100% environmentally friendly tanning". Though I dont know what that means.

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It probably means it's from China where the environment doesn't matter at all and the retailers will tell you anything to make a sale.

Cowhide Cliff said:

There are a lot of different processes. Could be an oil/chrome tanned by the picture but could be some distressed drum dyed veg tan I can't tell without feeling it.

Take a little piece of it and burn it with a lighter. If it has blue green ash it's chrome tanned and not good for holsters.

That same seller has some 8/9 oz veg tan holster tooling leather, that's what you really need. I'd use what you have for some saddle bags, shooting bags and other accessories like that.

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So, the "blemished" vege tanned double shoulder measures exactly .125". The mystery tanned leather is .135". Both smell like a fresh cowboy boot. A nice earthy sweet smell. I burned a small corner of the mystery leather. It didnt really want to catch fire. But after a couple 30 second exposures to a bic lighter, there was a tiny bit of white ash and the rest crunched and powdered like day old campfire charcoal. It was pretty well pure black. I did the exact same with the vege tanned and it resulted in the same charcoal with just a bit of white ash.

I appreciate your knowledge

Herman Oak and Wickett & Craig are some of the top names in veggie tanned. That is what you will be needing for holsters, knife sheaths, most double thickness gun belts, and any carving and stamping work you might want to do.

Use vegetable tanned for anything that is going to touch metal as chrome tanned and other mineral tanned leather will cause corrosion on steel and stainless steel.

You’ll find you can use leather to make all kinds of stuff too. Here is a handful of stuff I just grabbed from around the house in 30 seconds. Gun belts, key chains, wallets, and coasters.

Tandy Leather is as good a place as any to buy leather,,,
You can always find a Tandy store in any large city.

Just don't order through the mail,,,
Hand pick your leather.

For holsters I use either:
11-12 ounce with no liner
8-9 ounce with a 1-2 ounce liner
Two layers of 4-5 ounce.

That can vary with the gun I'm making the holster for.

Cowhide Cliff is correct:

Cowhide Cliff said:

If it's distressed and crackled as in pebble grain, milled leather, it might be (actually most likely is) chrome tanned leather which you do NOT want to use on holsters or knife sheaths because it can rust your gun or knife.

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The Chromium salts residue in chrome tanned leather,,,
Reacts badly to blued steel if it ever gets damp.

Suede leather is always chrome tanned,,,
It was a fad in the 50's-60 to line holsters with brightly colored suede,,,
A lot of pistols were ruined when they stored the guns in these colorful holsters.

Only use vegetable tanned leather for holsters.

Aarond

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aarondhgraham said:

A lot of pistols were ruined when they stored the guns in these colorful holsters.

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I was taught to never store anything in a leather holster, especially in the high humidity we have here. Things start turning green (im assuming from the chromium) in holsters, like knives and such with cheap materials.

The closest Tandy to me is nearly a 2 hr drive, one way.

BigBlue 94 said:

I was taught to never store anything in a leather holster, especially in the high humidity we have here. Things start turning green (im assuming from the chromium) in holsters, like knives and such with cheap materials.

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You were taught correctly,,,
Never store a firearm in a leather holster of any kind.

No matter what the type of leather it is,,,
Leather will always absorb moisture from the atmosphere like a sponge

That green "verdigris" actually forms in vegetable tanned leather as well as chrome tanned leather,,,
That's one reason why you never leave your ammo in your cowboy gunbelts,,,
The other is because the loops tend to stretch and become lax.

I had a chemist tell me that the brass reacts to the oils in vegetable tanned leather,,,
But to tell the truth I have never read the exact cause of the green verdigris,,,
I just know from years of experience that it always does occur over time.

From Dictionary.com:

Verdigris. A green or bluish patina formed on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces exposed to the atmosphere for long periods of time, consisting principally of basic copper sulfate.

Aarond

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Tandy is fine but if you order online, it's a crapshoot. Best to go to a store and go through them. You want to inspect both sides. A good firm, clean flesh side is as important as a clean hair side. Avoid the pithy, spongy belly skin.

Got my last batch of hides from Wickett & Craig and they have been excellent, if not a little dry.

IMHO, the warnings about chrome tanned leather and storing guns in holsters are exaggerated. For example, I just found my old Single Six in the back seat of my truck. It was in a holster I finished early this year and had probably been in there several months. No issues. During hunting season, I keep all my hunting paraphernalia in a plastic storage bin so that it all stays together and ready to go. That usually includes whatever leather rig I'm wearing at the time. My LeMat spent three years in its holster, between carrying it afield and leaving it in that storage bin. No issues.

I also think that chrome tanned leather is not as caustic as it used to be.

I buy at hobby lobby even though it’s not the cheapest. It’s convenient. The 40% off coupons that they regularly send out make it palatable. It helps that hobby lobby is on the way home from work.