Buying leather hides
  • James Fox
    0
    Hello everyone,

    I have started to work with leather and I am trying to figure out about buying leather. I have bought some hides and expected them to be irregularly shaped but expected the hides to be symmetrical comparing the left and right sides of the hides with the backbone bisecting the center of the hide.

    The hides I receive are definitely far from symmetrical and I suspect that some of the hide is missing. Also when I compare the square footage stamped on the hide compared compared to my measurement shows a hide that is around 10% smaller than marked.

    Is this normal or am I being cheated? ‍♂️

    Thanks in advance for any response.
    James Fox Options
  • James Fox
    0
    All I hear are crickets ‍♂️
    James Fox Options
  • Dan Reinke
    0
    I have purchased hydes from Relicate, Eureka, and Apex.
    All have been excellent quality. Also, a cow is not nessacerilly symetrical.
    I figure about 30% wast when ordering.
    Dan Reinke Options
  • Doug Hayward
    0
    I'm not really sure how the square footage is calculated, I would assume a laser. I have had good luck with Apex, Relicate, Moore & Giles and a few others. The one thing I have learned is pay the money for a quality Hyde. You will get a better product with less flaws to cut around and the workability of it is really noticeable when you start wrapping parts. I have really struggled with low price hydes, and yes there is a difference. Also, a lot of it will end up on the cutting room floor so plan accordingly.
    Doug Hayward Options
  • Kevin Balser
    2
    We use Hide House in Napa, Ca. mostly. Nice hand with some automotive treatments. Have always seemed 10% shy. Add 20% for waste and you total 30%.
    Kevin Balser Options
  • Nadeem Muaddi
    84
    Hey @James Fox. Check out this article we published in 2019: Pro Tip: How to Figure Out How Much Leather You Need

    Basically, hides are highly irregular. No two will ever be the same in size, shape, grain, etc. They're also not symmetrical. That's part of the charm.

    But a general rule of thumb is: 1 yard of 54″ wide fabric = 18 square feet of leather

    So, if a project calls for 5 yards of vinyl, but you want to do the job in leather. Just multiply 5 x 18 to determine that you’ll need 90 square feet of leather.

    Most hides range in size from 40 to 60 square feet, and as @Dan Reinke says, you also need to account for waste.
    Nadeem Muaddi Options
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