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Thicker leather is used all the time in the belt and saddle industry, as well as other specialty uses. It doesn't have to be horse butt. There are multiple sources of thicker leather, including Tandy. Sometimes you have to buy the whole hide, but it is available. The stiffness of leather has a lot to do with how it's treated and/or tanned. Not sure what you're willing to spend, but it can't hurt to look.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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Greg I might have some I can share. It's old but might be good for your uses. PM me with what you need and I'll see what I can do if Axehandle can't help you.
Jim
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11-08-2016, 07:56 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-08-2016, 07:57 PM by Axehandle.)
Im still alive. Hurricanes are crazy for people in the land development industry. Ive been knocking down trees left and right. A little chainsaw milling. Fun times.
I have plenty of material.
PM replied to Greg.
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When something has to be done, no one knows how to do it. When they "pay" you to do it, they become "experts".
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I'll definitely be getting some more from Axehandle, but I am also interested in some ultra thick leather belting Scoony.
Sending you a PM.
Axehandle, PM sent also.
" The founding fathers weren't trying to protect citizens' rights to have an interesting hobby." I Learn Each Day 1/18/13
www.RUSTHUNTER.com
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I just moved my stash off the hood of my 78, onto some shelving.
Steve
Mo.
I miss the days of using my dinghy with a girlfriend too. Zack Butler-4/18/24
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020
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Wel, bring it up here, Steve and I'll buy you dinner, and send you home with some beautiful, rare, exotic woods.
Or cash. I have cash, too.
" The founding fathers weren't trying to protect citizens' rights to have an interesting hobby." I Learn Each Day 1/18/13
www.RUSTHUNTER.com
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Awesome. I'll plan a road trip
Steve
Mo.
I miss the days of using my dinghy with a girlfriend too. Zack Butler-4/18/24
The Revos apparently are designed to clamp railroad ties and pull together horrifically prepared joints
WaterlooMark 02/9/2020
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A very good local source for thick leather is any shoe repair shop. Ask for sole leather and you will get a piece shaped like a big foot! Tandy is not a good source for leather as they want make you buy a half hide and you would have to go into the strop business to afford it. The leather to make two campaign stools cost me almost $150. at Tandy. I had a lot left over for strops and such, but Tandy is very high priced for leather.
Washers for chisel are usually two or three laminations of leather, glued together. You laminated a small square and then drill the hole in the leather the size of the round tenon on the end of your chisel handle. Glue that onto the handle and finish turning it on the lathe. The last thing is to part off the excess tenon and then sand the entire handle on the lathe.
For strops the horse butt from TFWW is tough to beat. I disagree about the comment that it is too expensive. Premium tools are too expensive too. I find that MDF strops gouge too easily, but they are certainly cheap.
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11-09-2016, 10:07 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-09-2016, 10:08 AM by Rob Young.)
(11-08-2016, 11:42 PM)Mike Brady Wrote: A very good local source for thick leather is any shoe repair shop. Ask for sole leather and you will get a piece shaped like a big foot! Tandy is not a good source for leather as they want make you buy a half hide and you would have to go into the strop business to afford it. The leather to make two campaign stools cost me almost $150. at Tandy. I had a lot left over for strops and such, but Tandy is very high priced for leather.
Washers for chisel are usually two or three laminations of leather, glued together. You laminated a small square and then drill the hole in the leather the size of the round tenon on the end of your chisel handle. Glue that onto the handle and finish turning it on the lathe. The last thing is to part off the excess tenon and then sand the entire handle on the lathe.
For strops the horse butt from TFWW is tough to beat. I disagree about the comment that it is too expensive. Premium tools are too expensive too. I find that MDF strops gouge too easily, but they are certainly cheap.
TFWW leather strop $22.95 for 45 square inches of 9oz leather -- $0.51/oz before shipping, estimate $0.60 to $0.65/oz after shipping (allowing about $7+) -- no volume discounts
www.zackwhite.com 9oz leather $26.50 for 2 square feet of 9oz leather -- $0.055/oz before shipping, estimate $0.07 to $0.10/oz after shipping (allowing about $10+ due to larger size) -- volume discounts available.
(9oz leather is about 1/8" or thicker, the TFWW strop is advertised with a 1/8" thickness so assuming it to be around 9oz too)
Last MDF strop I made lasted over 2 years before I tossed it. Not because it was gouged but because I accidentally spilled coffee on the bench and of course it wicked up into the base of the MDF and softened it. To be fair, probably wouldn't have affected leather. I like strong coffee, but there are limits.
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things. -- G. Carlin
