What are the different types of leather available?

Bridle

Firm, rich-colored leather with just enough oils to withstand weather. Great feeling leather can be oiled for darker hues.
Vegetable Tanned.

Great for: Belts, straps, fine pet collars, leashes, gun belts.


Kipskin

Very clean piece of leather that dyes and stamps beautifully. Produced from smaller calf hides.
Vegetable Tanned.

Great for: Belt liners, personal leather goods.


Molding Leather

Perfect leather for tooling, embossing, molding, dyeing & oiling. Uniformly absorbs dyes and oils. Dries to a firm, long-lasting shape. 
Vegetable Tanned.

Great for: Belts, straps, holsters & sheaths.


Shearlings & Sheepskins

Beautiful quality wool sheepskins in a variety of thicknesses. Available in both veg tan and chrome tan in a variety of shades and colors.

Great for: Lining saddles, padding, ect.


Suede

Finished by buffing the flesh side of the hide to produce a “nap”. 
Chrome Tanned.

Great for: Chaps, garments, trim.


Upholstery

Soft, supple leather is very strong and durable. Tanned in whole hides for little waste and for use in automotive and restoration upholstery where larges pieces of leather are desirable. 
Chrome Tanned.

Great for: Upholstery, garments


Chrome Oil Tanned

Beautiful, durable leather has just the right amount of oil for a soft, supple feel.
Chrome-Tanned.

Great for: Chaps, cases & bags

 
                                How much leather do I need?

We always recommend speaking with an upholsterer prior to ordering so that they can give you a more precise idea of how much leather you will need to order for your upholstery project. For those that are more comfortable doing things on their own we have some general recommendations below you may find helpful.

Basic formula for figuring your material needs:

Length” x Width” / 144 x 1.25 = square feet required

Upholstery leather by the yard?

         Many designers and furniture upholsterers are accustomed to purchasing fabric in yards, below is a conversion chart for converting yards of fabric to square feet of leather.

What Type of Leather do I need? 

Belts & Straps: Primarily crafted from vegetable tanned leathers due to their added strength and firmness. Natural vegetable tanned leather can be dyed and oiled to achieve desired finish. Bridle leather will be VERY firm and it’s tanning makes it more water resistant. 

Lightweight Bags: Light handbags, purses, wallets, and other lighter accessories tend to be crafted from thinner leathers such as garment and upholstery leathers as they are designed to stand up to the same types of use and wear. 

Heavyweight Bags: Heavier bags and case goods are typically crafted from medium weight (4oz-6oz) leathers and can be constructed from just about any type of leather in that range.

Pet Collars & Leashes:  Pet Collars and Leashes are typically made from Latigo sides strips and collars can be made from any vegetable tanned leather.  You can also use Bridle leather, which will make stronger leads & Collars.