Where do you buy your leather?

[Marshal Will Wingam]

The down side is I really like to put my hands on the hides and make my choice.

I'm with you. I like to feel the leather for consistency, especially on the flesh side. I don't have any suppliers close by, so I have to rely on them to send me good hides. At that, I still end up with some hides that leave a lot of scrap.

[Lucky Deuce]

  Here in Vegas, we have a Tandy Leather store here, also there is a guy who has a permanent set up at one of the local Swap Meets and is there every weekend.  There is also a LeatherCraft store, or should I say, a guy who sells/repairs commercial sewing machines also sells some of the LeatherCraft items...his selection is small but when I can't get it at the Tandy store I go there...

[Klondike]

Will,
I know what you mean about scrap. Some of the "good leather" has so much loose material on the underside that if I start with 9-10 oz, and skive or sand all the crap away I'm lucky to have 3-4 oz. I'm considering just using double shoulders, they seem to be cleaner and more consistent, but much higher. Trouble with shoulders is when you have a fellow that needs a 60" + belt, you have to have a side, Oh well what's a little more leather inventory? I go into the leather shops and see a hide I just have to have (you know one of those Brindle hair on's or some real good color in a split), no clue what I'm going to use it for yet, but it just calls my name, kinda like a new gun.

[Marshal Will Wingam]

I go into the leather shops and see a hide I just have to have (you know one of those Brindle hair on's or some real good color in a split), no clue what I'm going to use it for yet, but it just calls my name, kinda like a new gun.

LOL, you're not the only one, there.

[Kid Cavalier]

New source for good leather.

http://www.thoroughbredleather.com/home.html

Good quality and looks good.

Very comperable to Wickett and Craig, but a little cheaper.

Ask for inspected hides to avoid a lot of fat wrinkles, scars etc...

Thought I'd pass it on.

Kid

[ColonelFlashman]

My brother or I have made the majority of my Rigs as No One makes them for my Remington, M,H&Co., Webley, Le Mat, Tranter, etc. Pistoles.

I've some originals that I use upon occasion, I've also some Rigs from River Junction, a custome Rig for my Remington from Bachman of Bozeman, Montana

[Blackey Cole]

I either pick it up at Tandy( tandy Store or the Leather Factory) when I am in Abq or El Paso or if I am noth going out of town and need some for a project I will either call the ABQ store or use Hidecrafters depending on who has the best price on it.

[Klondike]

I went to the leather store today. Handled and plowed through about 40-45 chap and trim hides and woundup with 12. Some were beautiful till you opened them up all the way, lots of blems, both natural and manmade. If I had bought them sight unseen, I would have a 40% waste factor.
Hey Will, there was two that just kept calling me by name. One was a real nice hair on black and white, the other is a beautiful Euro Upholstery, Black, grained. It has that feel and a bananna smell, absolutely beautiful leather, almost too nice to cut into.  you know the kind I'm talking about. LOL

[Marshal Will Wingam]

Hey Will, there was two that just kept calling me by name. One was a real nice hair on black and white, the other is a beautiful Euro Upholstery, Black, grained. It has that feel and a bananna smell, absolutely beautiful leather, almost too nice to cut into.  you know the kind I'm talking about. LOL

Yeah, I picked up a few of those in the past. Got one that begged to be felt so I made a chair. Came out great.

[Remus]

  ;)Good thing I saw this question...it reminded me of a bunch o' danged hide I been storin' up. I bought at auction, about ten years ago, twelve tanned deer hides. At a rummage sale, six already processed buffalo hides that came from a shoe factory, (high gloss black) and a 'Taxidermied'  Mountain Lion hide from about forty-fifty year ago! Think I'll run 'em over to Iowa, there's a young Native American couple, husband and wife, that custom make Indian clothing and accessories, scabbards, knife sheaths, etc; may as well git it all used up before it ain't no good!