Sold a gun to fund buying quality holster leather. Now where, what to buy??

[Tallbald]

As I've talked about here, my wife and I are on a fixed, limited income. Didn't ask for or expect it, but here we are. Our income is the reason I have so far been buying my veg tanned hides from an importer 30 miles near. They buy them from Mexico I was told and resell them to makers of heavy duty tool bags and stuff like that.  Generally, a 20-22 square foot veg tanned hide, from everywhere on the cow, costs $100-$120 dollars. Yes, I've had to cut around range damaged sections or work to integrate them into my holsters. But the last time I bought a hide, I thought I picked a good one with a smooth flesh side and few surface problems. I was wrong. Folks here helped me identify the trouble, and evidently I had bought a hide that had belly skin. When I soaked it in vinegaroon or got it wet to tool, the outer layer sort of separated from the rest of the hide leaving big wrinkles that wouldn't even edge trim withoutmore  bad wrinkles.
  I'm expecting to be a budding leather crafter the rest of my life, so I don't need the problem that comes with hides like the last one I bought. In order to fund the price of better leather, I sold a stainless 10 inch Ruger Super Blackhawk I seldom got to use. It hurt to sell, but I have to rob Peter to pay Paul.
The nearest Tandy leather store is in Nashville, TN about 75 miles and a 4 hour round trip, with high sales taxes. I'm better off buying through the mail. Now here's where I need some help please.

* I have been using hides that are right at 3/16 inch thick but don't know what ounce leather that makes it. What ounce should I specify?

* I can use seconds, with a bit of visible range damage, but most importantly I don't want the stuff that wrinkles like I've described. Is it possible to specify this with mail order sellers?

*Am I better off to buy half shoulders or full? I know there are different grades, but the quality on my work really doesn't

* Who are some of the mail order/online hide retailers that I should look to please? I do have a Kentucky sales tax number and in the past, have been given a modest break at checkout time because of it. Are there suppliers who might do this too with leather?

* Is a particular kind of veg tanning best or are they all pretty much equal? Are all imported hides hit-or-miss in the quality department?

Buying a mail order hide will be a first for me. It seems that when I  buy anything from west of the Mississippi River (I live in Kentucky) the costs of shipping soar. Hides are heavy and I'm guessing the same thing applies.

Thanks as always for advice. Don

[Camano Ridge]

Tall Bald, there will be some varing opinion and they will be based on our individual experiences. So here is mine. First off 3/16 is about 12oz. I will attach a size chart that will help you in the future.

Tannerys have there own formulation for there veg tan and most of the time all you get to know is that it is veg tanned.

Online there is Springfield leather, I have bought from them and never had a complaint. There shipping from Missouri to Washington for a double shoulder was $16.00. I buy Herman Oak grade B and it makes good holsters as far as i am concerned. There is Zack White (I have not bought from them) I understand there leather is ok. Cliff Fendely buys his leather from Thorughbred leather in Louiville KY and says it is good leather.

As to buying single or double shoulder it is what you want to spend. A double shoulder will cost more then a single however your square footage charge is usually less then for a single.

[dwight55]

You might also try Weaver Leather, in Berlin, Ohio.

I have hand picked there, . . . also did mail order with them, . . . good and fair prices, . . . and have never gotten a bad piece of leather from them.

Springfield is also in my opinion, good people to deal with.  Haven't done a lot of business with them, . . . but they have been very fair, . . . even when it was not to their advantage.

May God bless,
Dwight

[Red Cent]

I buy from Zack White. About 30-40 minutes from the house. I buy 8-9 ounce and 5-6 ounce. I line a lot of my SASS holsters so I use a layer of both. I buy double shoulders. And I buy the drum dyed shoulders.
They have craftsmen grade with very smooth flesh side or another grade with rough flesh side. I get to pick through the hides. One will find a hole sometimes and one might find a small damaged section. I suppose you can request unblemished.
Walk in retail customers like me pay around $6.00 a square foot. No idea of shipping.
I cannot fault the establishment. Good service. I have heard they charge a restocking fee.

[outrider]

I use Wickett & Craig....great leather and you can buy one side at a time and have it cut to the thickness you need
.

[Cliff Fendley]

I have never bought from them but RJF leather is a supplier of Thoroughbred leather and I believe will sell small quantities. I believe Chuck Borrows is using them.

Thoroughbred is US hides that are tanned at the Tennera tannery to their specifications where they are not under the constraints of the US EPA. The leather is then shipped back to Louisville Ky. It is a smooth, firm, and consistent leather that doesn't have the dry cardboard feel that the US tanned leather has gotten in recent years.

I havent been there in a while because of my neck problems but I generally make a trip to Louisville and buy several at a time.

I usually buy the backs so not much belly to worry about. I can pretty much use every inch of the hides for something.

[outrider]

Cliff...good information....are you planning on going to Blade this year?

[Cliff Fendley]

Outrider, I'm not going to Blade, with my neck problems I haven't been able to grind knives for quite some time and when I'm able I will be filling orders. I didn't even do the Guild show in Louisville this past fall and not sure I will be able to this year either. It's been a slow recovery.

[ChuckBurrows]

Yes I have been using RJF Leather now for several years now and it is wonderful stuff - the natural tan double shoulders, sides, and backs, are in fact tanned in Portugal using the old pit tanned method which makes the leather more like the stuff from the late 1800's and the leather I remember from the 1970's and early 80's.
Roger is great to deal with and yes you can buy one piece or several....

[Tallbald]

All good and helpful responses and I appreciate the time that went into answering. I see that Springfield leather offers wholesale prices to those with a sales tax number or business license. Although I am not a business i n the regular sense, I have always been above board and paid sales tax on anything I made when I was more able to do wood turning. At times I have integrated leather components into my wood working too. Does Thoroughbred Leather up the road in Louisville offer a break to those in business? Don

[Cliff Fendley]

A break for being a business? I don't think you can even buy from them unless you are a business.

Myself and a few local makers buy from them direct but the Louisville location is the warehouse, there is no retail store there. I call the warehouse manager or owner to let them know I'm coming. Be prepared to buy several sides, as I said it is the wholesale warehouse and distribution center.

The leather comes in and is shipped back out to places like Galco, El Paso saddlery, etc, etc. I see big pallets already sorted and ready to ship to all the different businesses. Most are probably not aware that Thoroughbred is now supplying most of the major holster and leather goods makers in this country. A lot of leather goes through those doors.

There is specialty leathers, for example last time I was there there was leather that is used for making military boots, fire resistant and was in two colors for the army and air force. Would make a great shop welding apron.

I love the pieces that are made for Galco, they are the cleanest pieces of leather I have ever seen, every bit of them is usable because Galco has a quarter of a million dollar machine that lays out patterns and laser cuts them out with almost zero waste.

I have to really limit my visits because I leave there with a truckload.