In article ,
Chuck Lorentzson wrote:

Would anyone have an idea of what leather costs, I need a piece on
the order of 12"X48" ,,,, about 1/4 " or less,???? And where would be
a good place to purchase.???

Quarter inch thick leather is usually referred to as "saddle skirting",
and is always fairly pricey - I've got one full, and one partial "side"
(Essentially, half a hide each) of Hermann Oak (Veggie-tanned) sitting
here waiting for me to find time to finish turning 'em into a saddle.
Unless you can find a *VERY* kind seller, "by the side" is the only way
you're going to get a four foot long hunk. And you're going to pay
fairly steep for it. Each of my sides cost me close to $150.00 when I
bought them from Tandy. Pricing is almost always by the square foot, and
not many places are willing to mangle a hide (or a side) as badly as a
1'x4' hunk would require without you buying the whole thing first.

What are you trying to use it for? I'm guessing gasket/seal making, or
perhaps custom flat drive belts? If so, you DON'T want veggie-tan - For
one thing, it's too pricey, and for another, veggie-tan is going to suck
up oil like there's no tomorrow, and rapidly turn into mush. You're
probably going to want chrome- or ****-tanned if seals/gaskets are your
planned end product. That'll stand up to oil better, but it'll also be a
bit more pricey. If you're figuring on turning it into drive belts, you
DEFINITELY want chrome-tanned for the sheer strength.

If you're making belts, be aware that leather (whether chrome-, ****-,
or veggie-tanned) thick enough to classify as saddle skirting usually
isn't very flexible, and won't tolerate small-diameter pulleys well
without self-destructing. I personally wouldn't make any attempt to use
it on a pulley less than 6-8 inches in diameter, if that's what you're
trying to do.

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