Leather

YamadudeXS650C

YamadudeXS650C

Central New York XS650
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I've always had a special affection for leather. PETA probably has me on their Top 10 Hate List.

I love my whiskey, but there is something extraordinarily intoxicating about walking into a leather shop; makes my head spin.

In 1973, I meandered into the Down Under Leather headshop in the Syracuse University campus area (its still there) and was blown away by the leather belts on display. A leathercrafter was sitting on his stool above them all, ready to make you the Belt of Your Dreams. It was irresistible, and although I was having trouble making the rent in my first-year-of-college apartment down the street, I ordered up the belt that I subsequently wore for 30 years (I'm slightly heavier, now). I cherish it:

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My collection of leather jackets, boots, belts and much more has done nothing but bloom since that day.

Last winter, at a flea market I bought on impulse an English leather riding saddle, and various bridlery. I don't own a horse, but I do own quite an obsession for leather goods. The bridles (I imagine someone will identify them more accurately) have a particular stink that I can't get enough of. Has someone bottled that smell, yet ?

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....and I picked up this cool small town police department walkie talkie belt holder which I use to hold my cable ties.
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......and very nice rawhide mallet:

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I imagine that I'm not the only one who can't get enough of leather.
 
One of my sisters had a leather shop in Tulsa OK back in the 80's or 90's. I recall the smell well...I still have a set of chaps made by her...
 
HHHmmmmmmm....I just might have to try that, TM....
 
Nice. I started working with leather last fall. Love working with it would like to have more time but so much going on.

Edit: accidently posted before finishing. All hand hand stitched, dyed and finished by myself. I can brain tan but it's too time consuming. I'm hoping to incorporate a little into my build.
 

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I did a bunch of leather work My last year in High school, wallets, belts and knife sheaths.
it can be very very time consuming.... and beautiful done right.
sense then I've made 3 holsters out of old boots and various Knife sheaths from old boots.... their a good source of leather but unfortunately the leather is rarely thick as it should be....
I did discover one time NOT to use Lard as a Water proofing on leather.... Lard will spoil and rot the leather ! alas the gauntlets I made for my gloves for cold weather riding bit the dust.... vaseline works...lard (like crisco or similar for cooling) is a no-no !
i've been water proofing my Cowboy boots sense I was a Kid with Vaseline.... my leather gloves get the vaseline treatment as well...
a few days after application it will all have soaked into the leather and you can only tell by the slightly darker color.
.....
Bob.......
 
Last winter, at a flea market I bought on impulse an English leather riding saddle, and various bridlery. I don't own a horse, but I do own quite an obsession for leather goods. The bridles (I imagine someone will identify them more accurately)

Wife say reins look like Rommel. Halter and bridal; looks like leather is dry and cracked, easily broken, good for display only. The silver is held on with Chicago screws and could moved to different items.
 
I like beeswax for leather care. Gotta watch for mildew. Jackets go in upstairs closets for winter.
I find my skin oil will rot the collar of my leather jackets over time.
 
gggGary said:
Last winter, at a flea market I bought on impulse an English leather riding saddle, and various bridlery. I don't own a horse, but I do own quite an obsession for leather goods. The bridles (I imagine someone will identify them more accurately)

Wife say reins look like Rommel. Halter and bridal; looks like leather is dry and cracked, easily broken, good for display only. The silver is held on with Chicago screws and could moved to different items.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the info, Gary.
At first glance, I thought, Ich glaub mich knutscht ein Elch!
I've got reins from the Third Reich !
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....but then my searches found some similar vintage (American) Romel leather.
Mine came from an elderly female rider who hadn't ridden in years.
 
gggGary said:
I like beeswax for leather care. Gotta watch for mildew. Jackets go in upstairs closets for winter.
I find my skin oil will rot the collar of my leather jackets over time.
Click to expand...
Ah, yes, the neck rot circumstance. A familiar one.
In 1969, at the age of 15, I bought my first leather jacket, which I wore for a number of decades. I have it on display in the living room next to the Bonneville.
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How about neatsfoot oil for leather? Anyone have any experience or stories you'd like to share? Have used it on saddlebags - black (in color) leather. Am curious about application on tan (natural?) colored leather seat for an "old" motorcycle. Figure there might be a little discoloration but am mostly interested in preservation. Seat is freshly covered...........
 
wesleyonoel said:
How about neatsfoot oil for leather? Anyone have any experience or stories you'd like to share? Have used it on saddlebags - black (in color) leather. Am curious about application on tan (natural?) colored leather seat for an "old" motorcycle. Figure there might be a little discoloration but am mostly interested in preservation. Seat is freshly covered...........
Click to expand...
Many years ago I was using neatsfoot oil, but now I use Lexol, highly recommended for leather products, but test a spot first, of course. And it has a neutral smell.

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wesleyonoel said:
How about neatsfoot oil for leather? Anyone have any experience or stories you'd like to share? Have used it on saddlebags - black (in color) leather. Am curious about application on tan (natural?) colored leather seat for an "old" motorcycle. Figure there might be a little discoloration but am mostly interested in preservation. Seat is freshly covered...........
Click to expand...
Probably not a problem if you wear only dark pants.
 
I've always been wearing blue jeans while riding the bikes, starting with bell bottoms in the 70's.

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However, I dropped by the final day of a week-long garage sale held by one of my neighbors last month. Very little was left to buy at that point, but she had a pair of leather biker pants worn by her husband, who was killed on his Harley the month before. She had to sell the house to pay the bills.

" Please buy them!", she said, he would have wanted someone to wear them". 15 bucks, she offered. They were in nice condition. She offered her bathroom to try them on, and they fit like a glove.

Finally had an opportunity to try them out, today.

Covered from head to toe with black leather, I was ready for a Roustabout.

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A few miles up the road, I was taking a sweeper on the infamous "Thirteen Curves* " quite fast, and momentarily had the thought, "Hmmmm......wearing Dead Man's pants." But this was fleeting, and I enjoyed the remainder of this superb late fall ride.


* http://www.weirdus.com/states/new_york/road_less_traveled/bloody_bride_of_13_curves/index.php
 
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