We're to buy thin real leather

[Hidden Jitsu]

I need a company that sells very thin leather off cuts
As I can only find 1mm thickness and I want less than half that thickness
Sort of what they make wallets out off.

I prefer uk but I don't mind as I'm desperate

 

[robbiethepainter]

https://www.edenworkshops.com/Undyed_Sheepskin_Skiver_For_Bookbinders.html

 

[RavenEye]

$10 aint bad for that much size. Might get myself, however bud since it's undyed you'll need to get dyes.

Click here for dyes and finishes. They're cheap.
https://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/leather-dye/leather-dye.aspx

 

[lieutenant dan]

I've bought very thin leather offcuts from a bookbinders in London before. If you have any bookbinders near you, it's worth asking them if they sell offcuts.

 

[Hidden Jitsu]

Thanks for all the info everyone.
But doesn't leather need tanning and not dye?
Don't they boil the leather and it is supposed to smell really bad

 

[lieutenant dan]

...But doesn't leather need tanning and not dye?
Don't they boil the leather and it is supposed to smell really bad

Tanning is the process of treating skins of animals to produce leather. Once the skin is turned into leather, then it is sometimes dyed.
The tanning process is indeed smelly, but unless you're planning on starting your project with a dead cow/goat/deer, you shouldn't need to do any tanning.
If you are after very thin leather i.e. less than 1mm, then the sort that bookbinders use may well suit your needs. I use it for things like covering scabbards. I've bought offcuts in all sorts of colours e.g. brown, black, green, blue, red, purple. You can even paint it with acrylic, if you want to change the colour.
Thin vegtan leather is great for making stuff too, like straps, belts, shoes, cap peaks.
Tony Barton on the OSW forum is an expert at making 1/6 bits in real leather - you could try PMing him on there for advice on where to source thin leather, if you struggle to find it.

 

[Hidden Jitsu]

Tanning is the process of treating skins of animals to produce leather. Once the skin is turned into leather, then it is sometimes dyed.
The tanning process is indeed smelly, but unless you're planning on starting your project with a dead cow/goat/deer, you shouldn't need to do any tanning.
If you are after very thin leather i.e. less than 1mm, then the sort that bookbinders use may well suit your needs. I use it for things like covering scabbards. I've bought offcuts in all sorts of colours e.g. brown, black, green, blue, red, purple. You can even paint it with acrylic, if you want to change the colour.
Thin vegtan leather is great for making stuff too, like straps, belts, shoes, cap peaks.
Tony Barton on the OSW forum is an expert at making 1/6 bits in real leather - you could try PMing him on there for advice on where to source thin leather, if you struggle to find it.

Thanks for the advice buddy , book binding leather is the way to go.
yes i think 0.5mm or less would be ideal for me and mainly black or dark brown.

Thanks again

 

[1sixthtoyz]

Rio Rondo is where i bought all my leather goods

https://www.riorondo.com/leather/

 

[Groovy34]

when shopping for leather look at the oz level what your looking for is anything smaller than 2oz. Wedding leather, chimoise, leather used for lining all of these are ultra thin leather. some suede is that thin.

when it comes to 2oz cowhide only the belly is usefull that's dead center the rest is pretty much crap because the belly stretches and is 1.5 oz because it is actually the thinnest part of the cowhide. but the majority is 2oz which is why it is sold as 2oz. when the belly is cut away for book binding usually only 8-10sq feet is removed from a 18-20sq ft hide. that is a lot of useless leather

I have worked with leather before so if you buy a hide it's not like buying fabric it goes by sq foot and if it is 10bucks per square ft and its sold as 10 sq feet that is 100bucks basically enough leather to make a trench coat and a vest and some gauntlets 1/6 scale.

 

[Groovy34]

some leather will require some parring which is scraping the opposite side of the skin where it was once attached to the animal.

a boot knife is excellent for this it also adds to elasticity of the leather and thins it out to make it easy for using. you will have to do this for some book binding as well.

a friend uses a thin metal scraper used for pottery so whatever works for you. but it is better for clothes if you do this prep work most leather sellers don't tell people because they assume you know.

 

[Groovy34]

here is my suggestion
https://www.hollanders.com/index.php/cow-leather-brown.html

the best brown leather on the market it's 1oz and after some scrapping its a beaut to use. Fine Italian leather what more can you ask for. plus they sell a large range of colors from sunflower which is a really pretty yellow.

there is this website: look through the many companies if you have time and patience
https://www.theleatherconnection.com/id33.htm