I am by no means a leather expert, but having a hubby for a Leather Artist. I have learned some things I would of never learned. Things that someone with a leather fetish should already know, but maybe don't. Granted you may not have a fetish for leather, your just looking to become a proud owner of a unique work of leather. Either way the information I'm sharing with you will help you identify real unique works of leather.

Hayseed StrapWorks does not use any form of mass producing methods.

My Hayseed is what I call a Leather Artist.

Some key things to look for to know if mass producing methods are being used.

Top grain, top grain leather is a cheap split that has been sanded and a leather like finish has been applied.

Chrome or Chrome Tanned is a method that they tan the hides in chromium salts, hides tanned this way can be produced in a few days but the salts make the leather soft and will deteriorate quickly, especially if the leather gets wet(sweat). Also the salts will leach out over time into your skin or clothes.

We use:

Vegetable/Bark Tanned leather this method can take up to a year to tan one hide. The hide lasts years if not decades or centuries before it deteriorates. Archaeologists have found vegetable tanned leather in Israel that is over 6,000 years old.

So why buy something that won't even last your life time when you can buy something that can be passed down for generations?

The image above shows two different stitches, this image was scanned from The Art of Hand Sewing Leather by Al Stohlman

Lock Stitch is something we see everyday, if you are wearing any store bought, mass produced clothing then it was very likely sewn with a lock stitch.

The Hand Stitch in the above image is what leather artists call Saddle Stitch.

Hand sewn, Hand Stitch does not always mean that the item is Saddle Stitched.

If an item is Saddled Stitched the leather artists will tell you it is somewhere in the item's description.

Craftsmen Mark is something that has been used since the time man started making things with their hands. It can normally be found on the inside or backside of the leather.

What I have learned about Leather Crafting, is that they should be called Leather Artists instead of Crafter. I'm not talking about the ones out there that are mass producing items. I'm talking about the men and women who are bent over a work bench making beautiful works of art.

No two items a Leather Artists creates are the same, it's just not humanly possible for them. Since they do everything by hand. Each piece created is a unique piece of leather work.

I don't think my hubby is the only Leather Artists that doesn't get a little hot under the collar at a customer and their comments about the price of an item and being told that they know or saw a place where they can get it cheaper.

We know you will always be able to find leather items cheaper else where, cause there are people out there that want to make a quick buck from an uninformed person.

Another thing I learned about Leather Artists is that they tend to create one type of item more then others, belts, purses, wallets, guitar straps, etc. Like any field of work, leather artists, specialize.

My hubby specializes in Guitar Straps, and if you live around Ada, Oklahoma you can stop by Dave's Music Store, 220 East Main Street to have a look at his work.

Sorry but at this time we aren't accepting custom orders.

Thank you for stopping by and reading. 990

Thanks for leaving your comments, or questions.

Next entry will be tips to help you care for the works of leather art you own, so they will last you for generations.

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