Where do you buy your leather?

[rickk]

Try Zack White Leather

Here is a link right to their leather selector page :
http://www.eleatherworks.com/home.php?cat=260

[panhead pete]

Howdy All.

Does anyone know what happened to Tioga Oak from the Eberle Tanning Co. in PA?  The last time I called the phone was disconnected and that was THE best leather I have ever worked with.  Their 10/12 oz. cut like 8-9 oz!! 

Panhead Pete 

[outrider]

Panhead:

According to the PA. Dept. of State (corporation search) the status for Eberle Tanning Co., is listed as "withdrawn".  So they evidently have shut down operations.

[Buck Stinson]

Hermann Oak Leather, St Louis.   They have been in business since 1881 and supplied many of the old time saddle shops with the highest quality skirting leather.  When I started my business in 1978, I tried leather from every tannery in the U.S.   Hermann Oak leather is easy to work with, it's the best for tooling and the quality of my finished product is a testimony to the quality of their leather.    I buy ten backs at a time every month, which averages out to about 190 square feet in every order.  Tandy used to handle Hermann Oak Leather but I'm not sure if they do anymore.

Adios,
Buck

[cowboywc]

Howdy
To buy from H/O you have to buy 10 at a time of the same weight. That makes it hard on crafters.
For those that can't buy that much, Stonehedge leather in San Diego sells H/O.
For those with a resale no. Goligers Leather in Ventura Ca, carries it.
WC

[Slowhand Bob]

Tandy no longer catalogs HO leather but lists a Live Oak Brand as their American tannage top line product.  For the most part I now prefer to use double shoulders and bends rather than sides and have found this to be offered by very few in the HO line.  Lately more and more of my leather purchases are coming from Weaver leather in lots of ten.  They allow mix-matching of leather to get the reduced price.  This is most often leather out of Mexico BUT I have found it to be about equivalent to the Tandy Live Oak brand.  With most bundles of leather, from everyone I have tried from, there seems to be a fair amount of quality spread between the best piece and the worst in their highest grade.  Weaver quality, in the pieces I use, tends to be fairly consistent within a bundle and it is usually about a pretty good mid-grade(stay with Sandesso for best quality in the Mexican stuff).  They also offer HO but it is only in full sides, this can also be mix-match for discount pricing.

I fill in my needs with hand picked products from Tandy.  Weavers selection of weights does leave a few holes in my regular shopping list.

[Sawdust Jim]

Hi all,
I'm another one sold on Hermann Oak leather. It works wonderfully and carves like butter. I buy it here in Portland from Oregon Leather Co. MacPhersons in Seattle carries it, as well as Montana Leather in Billings.

Jim

[anvilring]

Indeed : Hermann Oak is heads and "shoulders"  above the rest. Here  in Texas, there are two suppliers that handle it: I buy mine from Panhandle Leather. A 7/8oz. side is $145.00 and ten bucks to ship it. No sales tax for you people outside Texas.

http://www.panhandleleather.com/



Hermann Oak's website:

http://www.hermannoakleather.com/

"we use only Prime Grade Heavy U.S. Native Steer Hides in our St. Louis tannery."

(reason enough right there!)

"Our tanning process has changed little since Louis Charles Hermann originally formulated it in 1881. We still use the finest natural tree bark in our tanning liquors for wonderful richness and texture. The leather is tanned until it is firm, strong, and tight-fibred. Our technicians then hand-work each side for a smooth, consistent, even-colored piece of leather."

[Antipaladin]

I took a Saddlery/Bridlery class at the Cumbria school of Saddlery in England and you would be amazed at the quality of the leather available over there. My absolute favorite is JE Sedgwick. The only place that carries it in the US is Siegels and it's comparatively pricey. The stirrup butts are 5mm and tough as iron. I made a belt out of some last year and it still looks brand new. If you want good flexibility and strength, the 4mm bridle backs can't be beat. I just bought some 2mm bridle back for a money belt...should only take 8 weeks to get it. 

The wax content is so high you don't need anything else to burnish the edges. The London Tan color is my fave, along with Australian Nut.

[Ace Lungger]

Howdy Pards,
As the old saying goes, you get what you pay for! I guess since I live in the middle of no where, where the wages are low, people won't spend the money on good hand crafted Holsters and Belts. they go to the local gun shows and there will be some one there, selling the mexican made holsters and belts. they don't know that there buying urune tanned leather that is run thew a machine to get those floral Patterns, all they see is $69.95!!
For people like me, that just do it for a hobby, can't buy to many sides at $240.00 at Tandy! I have been lucky to find places that i can buy scrap that I can make slim jims, and once in awhile get a couple peices big enough to make a skirt holster! i set up at a gun show a month or so ago, i just had some reloading stuff to sell, but I took my personal leather goods, just so I could fill my table. Acrossed the isle from me was a guy man & his wife and father in law. The first day he and his wife came over several times and looked at my leather goods, and the young man, ask me if I could make him and his father in law a couple Real heavy rifle scabbors for the scoped high Power rifles, and he wanted real heavy sheep wool lined to protect there guns, i said that I could do that, and he wanted to know how much? I  told him I would have to figure that out at home that night and give him a price the next day! When I got home, I had just got a flyer from tandy and they had one of there better grades of leather on sale.
So I took that with me, and the next day he came over and ask if i had came up with a price, I opened up the flyer and showed him what the leather would cost, not counting the sheep wool lining.And he said he would have to talked it over with his father in law, and that was the end of that!!
If a person is getting orders, then he can pay the price for good leaher, but around here, people want Top Notch stuff for Mexican price!
So I am glad that Marshall Will is going to sticky this, maybe someone will post where there is some bargin leather!

You all have a good day!
ACE

[Marshal Will Wingam]

We have some more information that I'm copying from another thread. Thanks for the input, Stitch.

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Title: Re: How come leather is so high?
Post by: Stitch on March 19, 2009, 06:07:10 PM
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Take heed though ... There is a HUGE diference between USA OAK tanned leather
and "Other Countries" Veg tanned leather ....
Myself I use only Wickett & Craig Oak skirting ..Always have, Always will
The quality is worth the price.


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Title: Re: How come leather is so high?
Post by: Ace Lungger on March 19, 2009, 07:40:26 PM
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Stitch,
If I ever get good enough to put things on the market and sell them, I will try the good stuff. But my lifes sisutation won't allow me to pay for the Best.
thank you so much for the Reply!
ACE


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Title: Re: How come leather is so high?
Post by: Stitch on March 19, 2009, 08:12:58 PM
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Ace,
We all start out small, Never sell yourself short, Never limit yourself
Reach for the sky, it's there to be grasped ... don't say "If I get to the point"
Think "WHEN I get to the point"
One thing I've learned in 20+ years in this trade is that some stuff I absolutly hate..
My customers absolutly love.
A full side of good Oak tanned skirting in any weight you want can be gotten from Wickett & Craig
for around $135. or so ... It's a good investment.


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Title: Re: How come leather is so high?
Post by: Ace Lungger on March 20, 2009, 07:21:46 AM
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I went yo the Wickett & Craig web site, they state on small orders to go to The Tannery Warehouse,
does this place have a web site? I looked but I did not find it!
If anyone has this info, I would like to have it!
Thanks ACE


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Title: Re: How come leather is so high?
Post by: Stitch on March 20, 2009, 07:47:14 AM
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PM Sent with contact info
1-800-826-6379
Ask for Glenn at Ext.222

[ChuckBurrows]

1-800-826-6379
Ask for Glenn at Ext.222 at W & C

yep and until the end of the month they have their tooling/holster sides (avg 24-27 sq ft) for a flat $90.00 and their tooling/holster double shoulders (avg 12-14 sq ft) for a flat $50.00 bucks - both are plus shipping which runs about $10-15.00 depending on weight and distance..............

[Forty Rod]

I just "discovered" The Hide House, 870 W. Cienega Ave #7, San Dimas, CA 91773, (866) 527-5467.

It's better that anyplace I've found around here.  LOTS of stuff; Hides, hair on hides, tools, hardware, conchos, chemicals, every thing you can imagine.  Lots of biker and kitchen crafts stuff, too.  Full tanned buffalo hides, full buff robes with the hair on, things I never heard of.



Their catalog is like a Christmas wish book.

Between them and Crazy Crow I may never lack for anything again.

Ask For Rich Phelps and tell him I sent you.  He says if they don't have it they can try to get it for you.

[Kid Terico]

I only use Wickett and Cragg. Glen is great to deal with. KT

[cowboywc]

Howdy  Forty
I only sell leather from Hide House in my store.
WC

[MontanaSlick]

I have had a lot of luck with Tandy, never a bad piece, like Klondike, I like to hand pick my goods.

I have some leather in stock, gotta get a project going.

MS

[East_TN_Patriot]

I have used Wickett & Craig almost exclusively for almost 10 years. Their quality is fantastic, their customer service is just as good, and their prices are very competitive especially considering they will sell single sides unlike other companies.  I have not gotten a single complaint from a customer on the quality of the leather.  I use their middle grade and it is more than suitable for small leather goods like holsters. 

[St8LineLeatherSmith]

I am suprised that no one has mentioned www.springfieldleather.com (maybe somebody did and I just missed it)
Springfield has Herman oak and always has a excellent special purchase section. their prices most always beat TLF prices and
Springfield honors TLF gold club memberships just go to their website and call the number to give the operator your gold club membership info.
the only time TLF beats SLC on pricing is when tandy is running a sale.

[Cliff Fendley]

I am suprised that no one has mentioned www.springfieldleather.com (maybe somebody did and I just missed it)
Springfield has Herman oak and always has a excellent special purchase section. their prices most always beat TLF prices and
Springfield honors TLF gold club memberships just go to their website and call the number to give the operator your gold club membership info.
the only time TLF beats SLC on pricing is when tandy is running a sale.

This thread is nearly ten years old.

Things change and I can tell you some of the posts on here don't reflect what supplier that person currently uses.

I couldn't have been happy with my supplier ten years ago but have moved on as their quality suffered.

[St8LineLeatherSmith]

Ya it was in need of an update
iif any of you fellas live near and around Chattanooga, TN  the best place to buy top quality leather around this area is American Saddlery  they have select sides and shoulders and the best harness leather i have found anywhere. they do sell to the public BTW.
call and ask for a tour of their shop they have some amazing craftsmen and women working there.