split grain cowhides

[olgreenhead]

I got some cowhide split do you think they would work for possible bags?

 

[Brian Rice]

How thick is it?

 

[olgreenhead]

It is 3 to 4 once .

 

[flaming canvas]

It is 3 to 4 once .

Probably a little light. I like a 6 to 7 ounce for the front and back.

 

[Brian Rice]

Since flaming canvas says it is too light, you could send it to me to properly dispose of. :crackup:

 

[vradin]

It is 3 to 4 once .

Probably a little light. I like a 6 to 7 ounce for the front and back.

:agree: although I tend to go a little heavier and get 7/8 and work it down where needed for lacing or stitching. Personal preference type thing- I like the feel and workability of a heavier leather, and the bag holding its shape without the help of stiffeners or frames.

Not that you have to let the 3/4 oz stuff go to waste. It can make some nice ball bags, moc uppers, draw-string pouches, outer for a rifle case, a vest or other clothing, welder's apron.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for a soft-side bag and the ease of sewing a split. Plus, it also depends on use, personal taste, and budget. I've got a couple of decent size splits that will become soft-side bags as I need to make a few for next summer and have a very tight (non-existant) budget.

vic

 

[brushbuster]

i'm useing 3/4 oz leather in my pos. bags .they kind of sag a little when full but nothing rattles in my bag while in the woods,because the bag shapes itself to the contents

 

[olgreenhead]

Well i only paid 23.00 for a piece that was 32in by 50in was that good?

 

[silverfox]

Sounds like a deal to me.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[brushbuster]

great price ,got more?

 

[BLAHMAN]

i'm useing 3/4 oz leather in my pos. bags .they kind of sag a little when full but nothing rattles in my bag while in the woods,because the bag shapes itself to the contents

I got he same problem Brush, people often refer to me as "Mr. Saggy-Bags", especially when I'm full. Plus I don't rattle, till I fall asleep, but I never hear myself anyway. :shake: Oops! Made a mistake...thought you was referin' to somethin' else....Oh well, another cup of coffe and I'll get it straight.

 

[Wanders]

::
Can someone tell me how the leather is weighed (?) to determine how many ounces it is?
If you are ever in the Baraboo, Wisconsin area, check out Turtle Island Beads. They have a great selection of beads, leather (cow, deer, elk, buff), and all other rendezvous accroutrament supplies. I bought a beautiful piece of leather ther last fall- it's heavy, and about 5 feet long. It looks like it was the trimmed off edge of a full hide and varies in width. I've made a belt and I'm finishing up a possibles bag from it. There's enough left to make a belt pouch so it was well worth the $24.00 I paid for it.
Sorry, I'm not trying to do a commercial here! eace:
Wanders :thumbsup:

 

[vradin]

Can someone tell me how the leather is weighed (?) to determine how many ounces it is?

Leather is measured by ounces- a piece that is trimmed to 12" square will have a weight range, that's why you almost never see just a 5oz hide, it's 4/5 or 5/6.

It is also partly based on tanning method, as tooling tends to be more dense than garment. You can approximate weight based on an average thickness. Tooling leather at 1/8 to 3/16 will be about 7/8oz. Most garment grade skins fall in the 2/3 or 3/4 weight, and measure out to be about 1/8 or slightly under.

I may have the thicknesses off by a bit- but basically it's the weight of a square foot sheet.

vic

 

[olgreenhead]

Brus=h buster type leather carft on ebay and u will see it i used little of mine u can trade me for it if you need it .

 

[Stumpkiller]

About every 1/64" inch in thickness works out to an ounce weight in the leather. Close enough, anyway. I can't think in ounces per foot, but I can do fractions of inches.

1/8" = 8/64 = (about) 8 oz.
3/32"= 6/64 = (about) 6 oz.

Here's another neat thickness gauge.

A dime = 3 oz
A penny = 3.5 oz
A quarter = 4 oz
A nickel = 4.25 oz

 

[brushbuster]

About every 1/64" inch in thickness works out to an ounce weight in the leather. Close enough, anyway. I can't think in ounces per foot, but I can do fractions of inches.

1/8" = 8/64 = (about) 8 oz.
3/32"= 6/64 = (about) 6 oz.

Here's another neat thickness gauge.

A dime = 3 oz
A penny = 3.5 oz
A quarter = 4 oz
A nickel = 4.25 oz

thats a pretty good idea stumpy, :applause:wish i had thought of that

 

Line it-
Depending on the period either a tight woven linen or cotten (pillow ticking for instance)was used in the originals. Either make a separate bag of the cloth and sew it along the edges to the leather or glue it using any of the good aerosol glues, etc.

Original bags that are still extant are almost all of about 3-5 oz and yes the industry standard is an ounce of leather equals 1/64" no matter the type of leather. Since splitting and gauging leather is not an exact science that is why leather is sold in 2/3 oz, 3/4 oz, etc.

 

[Wanders]

:master:
Another mystery solved. Thanks all for the information.
:hmm:
Next question: Is there a way to burnish the edges of freshly cut leather so it looks smooth & NOT NEW?

I'm learning as I go and I'm beginning to love this forum. It's good to interact with people who are doing what you're doing. Even at a rendezvous it's not always easy to find other craftspeople- most reenactors seem to be wiling to purchase everything (not that there's anything wrong with that :.
Bill
:thumbsup:

 

[vradin]

Next question: Is there a way to burnish the edges of freshly cut leather so it looks smooth & NOT NEW?

Yup. There's a specialty tool for everything, it's called an edge burnisher and you can get the plastic one for about $3 from Tandy. It almost works, but needs a fairly large amount of effort and time to get that glassy smooth look and feel. The better model looks like a disk, about 2" diameter, 1/2" thick, with a 1/4" channel around the circumfrence. If you know someone with a lathe and some dense oily wood like rosewood or lignum vitae, they're easy enough to make. Just make sure whoever turns one watches grain direction so it doesn't explode off the lathe, and the channel must be polished and free of any fuzziness.

To use it, you wet the edge and run the burnisher along the edge until the magic is done. If you're in a hurry or need to do this as a production, the round burnisher can be mounted in a mandrel on a motor (I use my lathe), set at a fairly slow spin, and just move the edge across the burnisher. A little water to keep the leather moist, and finish with netsfoot oil or other favorite leather treatment.

Probably more than you wanted or needed to know, but I'm feling a little long-winded this morning :yakyak:

vic

 

[vradin]

OOPS.... couple more things.... For heavy edges- 3 or so layers like on a sheath- you can use an old, crappy, clogged, grinding wheel in a regular grinder to burnish. Moisten leather with oil then with a light touch burnish on the wheel. LIGHTER TOUCH. a lot can come off quickly and you'll chew right through the stitching in no time (yup, done it more than once). If you have a cloth wheel that fits your grinder, you can do a finish polish with it by charging the cloth wheel with hard wax and gently run the leather edge along the cloth.

WARNING... WARNING... WARNING...
This is dangerous! Wear a heavy apron, face shield, and resporatory protection. Old grinding wheels can shatter and ruin your entire morning, and the dust off the wheel and leather is nasty, foul smelling, and lung clotting.

vic