Types of Leather

[Jamie]

Got a question for you all, as I'm sure you have lots more knowledge and wisdom on this than I do- I've done a few holsters and knife sheaths over the years, nothing fancy, but I'm just getting ready to start doing some carving with a set of tools I'm buying from a friend, at any rate, my question revolves around leather types.  I know that there are different methods of tanning, and I seem to recall that one style is incompatible with steel in general - causing rust problems if used in a holster or knife sheath.  Here's the issue, my daughter works at a furniture store, and brings me home samples that have gone out of production.  I've got dozens (and dozens) of pieces of furniture grade leather, obviously pretty thin, in dozens of colors and textures in lots of sizes, mostly big enough for lining a pancake holster and that sort of thing.  Is this leather OK to use for that purpose?  There is typically no information on the leather about the tanning process.  Any thoughts?  I don't know if I'm rich in fine leather, or looking at a pile of complete scrap.
Jamie

[Gun Butcher]

    Jamie , you want to stay away from chrome tanned leather. Usually it is rather stiff and not very workable for the type of things we do here.  The furniture grade leather that you have should work fine for linings and such.  I have one holster that was lined with upolstery leather and I have never had a problem with it.

[Ace Lungger]

Jamie,
The way I understand the lining of holsters, is if you use anything other than veg or oak tanned leather, you do not want to leave your pistols in them! because you won't know how that leather was tanned and a lot of chemails will damage the finish on the firearm! I am NO Expert my any means! there will be some good pards jump in here and tell you what to do! Most of us here don't line our holsters!
I am sorry that i wasn't much help!
Later ACE

[ChuckBurrows]

The furniture grade leather that you have should work fine for linings

The vast majority of furniture grade leather IS chrome tanned - and chrome tanning is used for all kinds of SOFT leather including: Buckskin, chap leather, upholstery leather, etc. most oil tanned leather is also chrome tanned first and then later "oil" tanned.
The "problem" with chrome tanned is the possibilty of residual chromium and other salts used in the tanning process - some folks do get away with using CT for lining by sealing it with Resolene or one of the other tough acrylic finishes, but IMO why take the chance?

Suggestion - since it generally is good quality leather, save it for inlays on sheaths, holster, etc. where you're backing it with veg/bark tan - pad up under the inlay and it can look good - here's a sheath I did with some fairly plain CT buffalo (bison) hide as the inlay:



It was inlayed front and back - all of the reddish leather is all buffalo

[Jamie]

Holy Smokes!  That is GORGEOUS!!    I suspected that my luck was too good to be true, but on the other hand, maybe I can actually do something like that with it.  Dang, my head would swell to big for a watch-cap let alone a Stetson!
Jamie

[Ace Lungger]

CB, You OlD Hippie,
That is a mighty fine lookin sheath! I like the blend and the way designed the inlay's are awesome!!
Later
ACE

[Gun Butcher]

 Chuck , thanks for correcting me .I don't want to give someone bad info. Guess I just got lucky with my lining or it was something different.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

That looks really beautiful, Chuck. The padding behind the inlay really does make it nice. It looks like it brings the middle part up to the level of the surrounding leather. That's a nice effect. I also like the thin bead lines around it, too. Very good.

[Whiskey Creek Adams]

I wish the mods would ban Chuck from posting pictures here.  It makes me feel so inferior and causes considerable damages to my self-esteem! 

[RollingThunder]

Ohhhhhhh Chuck! You done gived me a great idea-r!

Hehehehe.

[Dr. Bob]

Whiskey Creek,

Bear up man!  He makes most of us feel that way.   Gives ya something to strive for!

[ChuckBurrows]

For the "padding" I use a couple of options:
1) To just lift it back to the same level as the surface I use the piece of leather cut out for the inlay as the backing - skive the edged thin and overlay it with the inlay piece.
2) Softer, plumper leather such as elk hide - use one to two thicknesses as the backing.

As always experiment with scrap.......

Here's a cowboy piece and while I used snakeskin for the inlays, leather would work fine and it might give you some ideas - it's a version of the Texas jock strap style.....

It makes me feel so inferior and causes considerable damages to my self-esteem

Please DON'T ever feel inferior! I realize your comments were meant in a good way/as a jest, but this is something I have though long and hard about....
12 or so years ago I felt my work was getting nowhere and I seriously thought about giving up leatherwork (and knifebuilding) all together. I would compare my work to others and go through all of those "feelings", I would stress over if my customer's were pleased, and all the rest of the negative emotions that bring on burn out reared their ugly head. But it was (and still is) my full-time job so I had to take that into consideration and therefore couldn't just quit.
Anyway I started doing other things that I hadn't done in a while such as beadwork and quit comparing my work with that of my contemporaries (many whose work I admire immensely), but rather I began to look closely again at the originals that are so much of my inspiration and noted that seldom were the items I liked best "perfect" in the details (by best I mean those pieces that "emotionally" impact me - they give me that kick in the gut kind of feeling). Along with that I also remembered that old US ARMY advert - "Be all YOU can be", so......
Slowly I began to come out of my funk and enjoy my work for what it was and not for what it (maybe?) should be. I am still my own best/worst critic, but I began to be more objective and like looking at good art, I stepped back and looked at the whole rather than just the parts. Also like my neighbors the Dine (the Navajo to most of the world) I came to realize that total "perfection" is only something our Maker can achieve.
And then someone made a comment about my work that is my favorite of all time:
"You have captured that elusive Zen concept of perfection within imperfection."
Being a life long devotee of Zen (not Buddhism, but Zen, which while they are entwined they are not the same thing - one is a religion, the other is a way of seeing the "world"), it really struck home and it reminded me of an old Zen Haiku which has always put a smile on my face:
"Before enlightenment I fetch water and I carry wood,
After enlightenment I fetch water and I carry wood....."

For ME - line and form and flow became more important than the details, and while the details are still important, it's the sum of the parts and not the parts that give me pleasure in my work now. No I am not not always satisfied due to those little mistakes that we as the craftsman all see so clearly, but I am pleased with my overall work these days and that's decreased my stress levels immensely (I get enough stress from other things like dealing with politicians! LOL!).
I can now ENJOY my work for what it is at this point in time - that lessening of stress has also improved my overall work as well......
Besides life is just too bloody short to stress over the "little" things..........

Anyway I didn't mean to get preachy - just to say be all YOU can be and hopefully my work will INSPIRE others as others work has inspired me all these years...........also don't forget to stop and smell the roses along the way - wild or otherwise!

[Slowhand Bob]

Not preachy Chuck, inspirational would be a much better term.  I think that, to one degree or another, we all go through these feelings.  It is a big boost when we find that our heroes must face the same demons.  At times I look at my work and think it is just so one dimensional, but then, I will see something you have done and know in my heart that I was right, my work is one dimensional!!!!  Keep up the great work, I enjoy your work as much as a trip to any art show.   

[Jamie]

Amen - you hit the nail on the head Chuck.  So often when someone sees something beautiful someone else has done, their response is - "Oh, I could never do that!"  And the problem is really that they will never try.  Most everyone on this site is a doer, not just an observer, and when we see something spectacular (and that's the word for the knife scabbord and that insane snake skin holster( ) we recognize it for what it is -masterwork.  It should, and does inspire, and the beauty of this site - sharing work visually, and tips on doing it physically - is that we can see it, talk about it, and enjoy the fellowship of a kindred enjoyment.  I may never do that kind of work, but boy oh boy can I appreciate it and celebrate the creative spirit.  That's part of what God put in us at creation - creativity.  Thanks for sharing the work, and the philosophy!  Good stuff all the way around.
Jamie