mikewest Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 https://www.discountleatherhides.com/ I needed some hides for my 1910 Mitchell restoration and found this supplier .After talking with him and finding out details I bought 2 - 55 sf hides with a medium sheen Graphite Black for $55.00 each ! They were $225.00 marked down to get sold. He has 700 of these hides as of today. He accepts full refunds within 7 days. I cant be happier with what I bought! . Check out the link provided. The owner is the guy on the other end of the phone! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auburnseeker Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 To bad the red isn't on sale. I would buy them incase I get to do the Hudson's pickups interior. I know vinyl is probably fine in a Pickup but at that price, why would you use Vinyl when you could do it in Leather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xander Wildeisen Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 I am looking right now for the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 looks like only black on sale at 59. and a great deal.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 This does look like a very good deal, but I feel that one buying leather for automotive use should be informed. He does state that it's "automotive" quality, so that's a plus. If you look at details, the leather hides being offered are stated as "1 mm" in thickness. This equates to a 2.5 ounce leather (2.5 ounce weight per square foot of leather), a VERY thin leather hide. This leather would be 2.5/64" thick. Also, be aware that there are a lot of different methods of processing leather hides. These are probably not top grain, but rather the cuts below the top.....a raw leather hide is thick and is cut into layers, so when you're buying a "hide", you're either buying the top cut (top grain) or one of the lower cuts, processed to have a finished side. My purpose of stating this is not to rain on anyone's parade, just remember the adage that you get what you pay for. The labor cost will be the same, whether it's an inexpensive hide or a more expensive hide, and you want to make sure the materials you use stand up to the intended purpose. The cost of the hides is usually a small percentage of the overall upholstery job. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Moskowitz Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 David, as usual a very informative post. Do you know where we can find some old worn leather or a process to make new leather look old for a 30's single seat race car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share Posted October 16, 2017 I would suggest calling the owner and visit with him. He is very anxious to do business. Im not an upholsterer but I have bought hides for several high end restorations and they satisfied me. You are correct that only the Graphite Black is on sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 27 minutes ago, Steve Moskowitz said: Steve, You might check with a high end furniture store. They may have "traded in" a worn leather sofa or large chair that would have the leather you are looking for. Do you know where we can find some old worn leather or a process to make new leather look old for a 30's single seat race car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 54 minutes ago, trimacar said: This does look like a very good deal, but I feel that one buying leather for automotive use should be informed. He does state that it's "automotive" quality, so that's a plus. If you look at details, the leather hides being offered are stated as "1 mm" in thickness. This equates to a 2.5 ounce leather (2.5 ounce weight per square foot of leather), a VERY thin leather hide. This leather would be 2.5/64" thick. Also, be aware that there are a lot of different methods of processing leather hides. These are probably not top grain, but rather the cuts below the top.....a raw leather hide is thick and is cut into layers, so when you're buying a "hide", you're either buying the top cut (top grain) or one of the lower cuts, processed to have a finished side. My purpose of stating this is not to rain on anyone's parade, just remember the adage that you get what you pay for. The labor cost will be the same, whether it's an inexpensive hide or a more expensive hide, and you want to make sure the materials you use stand up to the intended purpose. The cost of the hides is usually a small percentage of the overall upholstery job. What he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 David, thank you for the information, really appreciate the comments, it gives all of us first hand expert knowledge as to what to expect and look for. I have a close friend that owns a high end restoration shop and he has his own in house upholstery shop. The cost of the material is small when compared to the labor involved to to a proper correct job the first time. As stated, you get what you pay for. I have tremendous respect for all the craftsman in our hobby who take a sincere interest in what they do , be it upholstery, body work, paintwork, parts and metal fabrication etc. and every one that I have had the privilege to meet is genuinely interested in the project they are working on. It is more then just "another job" to them, they take tremendous pride in what they are doing. Mike thank you as well for giving us all a heads up about the leather as well, it will meet the requirements of a number of people I am sure. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 6 hours ago, Steve Moskowitz said: David, as usual a very informative post. Do you know where we can find some old worn leather or a process to make new leather look old for a 30's single seat race car? There are many methods for aging, or distressing, leather. A quick Google search will bring up some DIY sites. Also, many companies sell "distressed" leather.....here's just one of them: http://www.carrollleather.com/distressed-leather Finding someone taking some original leather out of a car is always an option, but usually by the time that happens the old leather is so dry and brittle you wouldn't want to use it. There are also a few experts out there who can weather things to look old, from upholstery to paint....but I can't name names on that one! You've probably seen their work, and may or may not have realized it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikewest Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share Posted October 16, 2017 David, Im surprised you would endorse Carroll Leather when the very hides that you recommended to Restorer32 are advertised as thinner that the hides I bought and more than 5 times as much money. What I have in hand and are top notch quality. Ive learned after almost 60 years of living not to believe every expert opinion. Ive learned my lessons by actions and not words of others. My only reason that I posted about the black graphite hides I bought as they are great quality , great size and a great price. I really wish I didn't say anything about them and just used them. My motive was to bring to light the sellers web site as I was impressed with the what he sold me and the great service I received and the great total refund promise if I wasn't happy. Im not trying to get into a volley of words , just setting the record straight. Have a good afternoon! Your friend , Mike West Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted October 16, 2017 Share Posted October 16, 2017 Seems like McDonald's should be able to offer a heck of a deal on hides. Maybe part of a sustainability or resource optimization program. Just thinkin', you know. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted October 17, 2017 Share Posted October 17, 2017 3 hours ago, mikewest said: David, Im surprised you would endorse Carroll Leather when the very hides that you recommended to Restorer32 are advertised as thinner that the hides I bought and more than 5 times as much money. What I have in hand and are top notch quality. Ive learned after almost 60 years of living not to believe every expert opinion. Ive learned my lessons by actions and not words of others. My only reason that I posted about the black graphite hides I bought as they are great quality , great size and a great price. I really wish I didn't say anything about them and just used them. My motive was to bring to light the sellers web site as I was impressed with the what he sold me and the great service I received and the great total refund promise if I wasn't happy. Im not trying to get into a volley of words , just setting the record straight. Have a good afternoon! Your friend , Mike West I didn't "recommend" Carroll Leather, I was just pointing out to Steve M. that there are distressed leather suppliers out there. Also, my comments were not meant to attack you or the supplier, just pointing out that when you're putting leather into an antique car, there are numerous things to consider. If those hides meet your needs, then fine, and they may well meet the needs of many people, so thank you for sharing the information. I've also seen where people spent a lot of labor to restore an interior, and used inferior leather, or fabric store material, that wasn't suited for the application. I apologize if you think this was a personal "attack", it was not meant that way.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akstraw Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Mike, Thanks a lot for passing this on. I recently bought a walking-foot sewing machine. These hides will be great to practice and learn diamond tufting this winter. If my work turns out good enough to use on the Maxwell, then I will. If it doesn't look so good, then I will not have wasted some real expensive leather. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akstraw Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 Hides arrived today. I am very pleased with them. Thanks again for the lead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick8086 Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 If you hit the contact link.. The have no phone number or address.. Just my two cents.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarrsCars Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 10 hours ago, nick8086 said: If you hit the contact link.. The have no phone number or address.. Just my two cents.. Here it is, found via Google search. BTW a review there states this is an online-focused business, no walk-ins. Discount Leather Hides Address: 3110 Cullman Ave, Charlotte, NC 28206 Phone: (704) 347-1718 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Gregory Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I am not a leather expert at all . But I spoke to a leather salesman about 20 years ago when the damaged leather chair look was all the rage . He said that the best hides came out of Argentina . As they let their cows - bulls roam around for about 5 years in the country side grazing banging into trees and fences to graze . They get that nice damaged look . Then they slaughter and take the hides . The American cows - bulls are Hormone fed and it takes about 2 ? years to get to the size of what the Argentina cow takes 5 years to grow . Just my 2 cents worth . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyankee Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I did the same thing and googled the name and got the address.I live about an hour away so I called and asked if I could purchase a couple hides in person. Patrick,the owner, told me it was an old building with no retail area, but allowed me to pick them up there. It is an old warehouse, and filled with all kinds and colors and sizes of leather. Patrick wasn't there, but his 2 employees were great, and treated me great. I really don't know anything about thickness of leather etc. but it seems real nice to me. I also bought a used walking foot machine, and hope to make some seat covers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 This all sounds very encouraging! A couple of days ago I ordered two hides, I'm very interested to see the quality....I always have jobs that need black leather.....in fact have some top bows for a teens car now that need leather covering... Thanks Mike for posting, sounds like you've helped numerous people! My advice on a walking foot machine, change pulleys so that you can sew slow. Most machines are set up for industrial work where speed is the necessity, not precision. My Pfaff has a very small drive pulley, and I can do a stitch at a time. The newer servo motors can be set up to do the same, but I'm not comfortable with them. I used one once, I'm sure I could get used to it, but what I do now works so don't want to change, that's the old fashioned way I guess! Upholstery and trim work is not difficult, you need to know a few tricks, and you need to have patience, and you need to be able to take apart two hours of work and start over if it's not correct....and you need to be able to visualize the job as finished so that you know how to proceed. Not difficult, but if one is frustrated easily then it might be best to do what one does best to make the money and then pay the trimmer!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 4 hours ago, trimacar said: My advice on a walking foot machine, change pulleys so that you can sew slow. Most machines are set up for industrial work where speed is the necessity, not precision. My Pfaff has a very small drive pulley, and I can do a stitch at a time. The newer servo motors can be set up to do the same, but I'm not comfortable with them. I used one once, I'm sure I could get used to it, but what I do now works so don't want to change, that's the old fashioned way I guess! Clutch motors are really difficult to control for beginners. In addition to considerations of the pulley size, the motors come in 2 different speeds.,1725rpm and 3450rpm. 3450 is a bad idea IMHO. Most machines I have used that had 3450rpm motors couldn't run that fast without breaking the thread and/or tying a knot, even if you were doing something mindless enough that you could keep the material coming. I have never used a servo, but since you can just set the speed it sounds like probably the best idea for someone who just wants to buy a machine and dabble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 If you really get into sewing automotive upholstery, do some research on correct needles and threads to use. A leather needle has a triangular point, to pierce the leather. A fabric needle has a rounded point, to slide between weave of fabric. That's just the basic statement, I have a book in my library that's 240 pages discussing different needles and stitches!! As to thread, don't just use something you buy at the fabric store. For automotive use, the standard is #69, and it should be UV resistant thread. If you wish to do trim work, learn the craft from the basics, otherwise your work might just be sew-sew! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Walling Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 On 10/16/2017 at 8:59 AM, Steve Moskowitz said: David, as usual a very informative post. Do you know where we can find some old worn leather or a process to make new leather look old for a 30's single seat race car? Check craigslist under "FREE'. Look for old leather furniture, just what you want. (excellent price too!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalowed Bill Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 Years ago I got samples of leather, for my Studebaker, from a very prominent US supplier. They looked great, and were on sale too. I checked with my upholsterer and he liked what he saw. We liked what we saw so well that ordered enough to do two cars. We were really impress when we got the hides, even though they were different color then the ones we ordered, but they were going to work nicely regardless of color differences. When we laid out the hides we began to see problems. There were anomalies in every hide, wire cuts etc. The upshot was that even with very careful layout we were lucky to be able to get the one car done. I was just fortunate that I had ordered the extra leather from the same lot when I had the chance. My experience taught me that that I needed to be careful. There are a number of variables in leather selection, not the least of which is the quality of the restoration. What is fine for a driver may not be good enough for a Pebble Beach restoration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 A few years back, I was going to do a '23 Buick for a close friend....and when time came to get leather it was Hershey season, so we decided to visit Hirsch's tent....I needed 5 good hides, and going through the big stack he had there at the time, was finding one decent hide for every three at which I looked...Bill Hirsch came over in the middle of it and asked "Hey, son, what are you doing?"....looking for the good hides, I replied, and he loudly stated "ALL my hides are good, you don't need to pick through them!"....but I did, and I did.... I'm curious to see what hides I get. The first thing I'll look at is how they're shipped, if rolled that's a plus, if folded in a box that's a minus. I'm not overly concerned either way, at that price I can always use the leather for covering top bows or making welting or wire-on. I was doing a car at White Post restorations, working with some expensive hides. I cut one piece, sewed it all together, and when I went to stretch it on the seat, little bubbles started popping out of the leather surface. Fly eggs, hidden by the finish, but came to the surface under pressure. Minor defects in leather, that's called "character". Major defects, they either need to end up in a sewn seam, thus hidden, or cut out completely and work around them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted November 2, 2017 Share Posted November 2, 2017 I did buy two hides from the supplier mentioned by Mike. They are excellent value for the money, very nice surface (a minimal pebbled look) and very clean. I believe they are a good buy, and I'm happy to have them. As I mentioned, a little thin, but I'll use them for projects that require thinner leather. Only a trimmer would be so picky, I guess...for the money, very nice, but they don't have the "hand" that goes into higher quality restorations....so I guess I still sound like ah upholstery snob.... Now, as a side note, thank you, Mike...good source, and I'm considering buying a few more for "stock".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chistech Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 I now restore cars for a hobby but from 1938 to 1990 my family owned a slaughterhouse which I grew up working and later owning until its closure. There were times where times where “green” hides were worth $60 plus. We skinned traditional with hand knives and proper technique is required to produce the best results which in turn brought you the most money for your hides. Using the correct salt, including the size of the kernels so dents and permanent impressions wouldn’t be in the hide along with the proper amount were all necessary, again to get the highest value for your hides. While one would think the thicker bullhides would be worth more it was always the full large dairy cow hides the tanneries wanted because those hides were large and were of a consistent thickness in the majority of the hide. Bull hides are always much thicker in the neck and shoulder area so much more work is required to thehide to make it usable.Because of my family’s commitment to doing quality work, we would often have multiple tanneries calling wanting to purchase our hides. Being in New England and close to one of the original and largest areas of tanneries, Peabody MA, we would often deliver some choice, hand picked hides to some tanneries in the Peabody area. We also sold a lot of hides to hide companies out of PEI and Boston. I believe the only hide company left in Boston today is Boston Hide which is an Italian firm and tans their hides in Italy. While foreign hides are older due to the age of slaughter, many are too scared especially from insects. Even in the US, the bot fly can make quick work of ruining a hide if the animal was in a high infestation area. It’s pretty crazy when you watch a 1/2” diameter worm work it’s way out of a cows hide! They seem to do that at slaughter because their blood supply is cut off I assume. It was nothing to see some animals that came up from the southwest through the auctions to have 15-20 bot worms under their hide. One can only imagine the pain those animals were experiencing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted June 4, 2018 Share Posted June 4, 2018 It's discouraging , I've had it happen to me, spend a lot of time going over a hide, choosing nice areas, begin sewing everything, then stretch the leather over a seat and POP out come the little circles where flies laid their eggs..... some slight defects in leather can be explained away as "character", but not that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sligermachine Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 On 10/16/2017 at 5:36 AM, trimacar said: He does state that it's "automotive" quality, so that's a plus How much would it take to do my seat in my 1925 buick + doors . I don't have a cule never did a car seat out of leather . your help is good as gold to me thanks . --kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 5 hours ago, sligermachine said: How much would it take to do my seat in my 1925 buick + doors . I don't have a cule never did a car seat out of leather . your help is good as gold to me thanks . --kyle Seat and doors might be done with two big hides, I'd have three hides on hand if I were doing it. If you need to have matching leather welting or wire-on made, that will take up a third of a hide right there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sligermachine Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 On 11/2/2017 at 3:55 PM, trimacar said: still sound like ah upholstery snob.... I think you just sound like you know what your doing --kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 On 10/16/2017 at 5:36 AM, trimacar said: If you look at details, the leather hides being offered are stated as "1 mm" in thickness. This equates to a 2.5 ounce leather (2.5 ounce weight per square foot of leather), a VERY thin leather hide. This leather would be 2.5/64" thick. This same vendor now has thicker leather, 4 oz, on sale, much smaller hides, $50 each. I think 4 oz is about 1.75mm thick? Here is his offering: Uncle George's Discount Leather Hides September 22 at 5:58 PM · Uncle George scored BIG this time, and when I score, YOU WIN....!!! I have piles and piles of beautiful 4 oz black cowsides for your crafting!! These hides run 17-23 sqft on avg and are soft and pliable........ideal for a multitude of projects!! Biker leggings, vests, chaps, bags and pouches, purses, etc. You can own one or more for only $50 apiece. USA s/h on 1 side is $15 and 2 can ship for $20. Canada s/h is $55 and $65 respectively. Please comment with your email address and I'll send you a payment request. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryLime Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Will Trimacar reveal the title and author of the needle and stitch book he mentioned ? It sounds very interesting and useful. Thank you.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Sure, let me find it and I'll post pictures....it's not a mainstream book, it's an obscure manufacturer's guide to needles and sewing patterns. One must understand that I have a slight hoarding problem, with hundreds of books, and thousands of automobile archeological finds, so give me a few days. I'll get the snow shovel and start digging. By the way, best method to pick up Fall leaves? Snow shovel. My late father-in-law from north of Pittsburgh told me that once, and he was dead on. No pun intended..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 1 hour ago, trimacar said: By the way, best method to pick up Fall leaves? Snow shovel. Sorry for the hi-jack but my best method is to not pick them up at all. Every few days run the mower over them and make them disappear. Ok. Back to the subject already in progress.....................................Bob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryLime Posted September 24, 2018 Share Posted September 24, 2018 Hoarding problem ? I don't have a hoarding problem . I NEED ALL this stuff. I hate the sight of a snow shovel..........west of Pittsburgh, Pa. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 5 hours ago, mike6024 said: This same vendor now has thicker leather, 4 oz, on sale, much smaller hides, Have you bought any or seen them? Are they blacker black than the last "anthracite" batch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 (edited) No, I'm just going to buy a couple now, not intending to use them for auto upholstery. Use them for seat cushion in the house. I am wondering why they are so small 17-23 sq ft, whereas the graphite ones were 55 sq ft. I am getting 2 for $120 including shipping. ( edit: I did ask him your question regarding how dark these are. If I get an answer will pass it along.) He keeps throwing things up for sale on facebook. Also has red goatskin. $30 each, 3 oz weight, 7-9 sq ft. Edited September 25, 2018 by mike6024 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted September 25, 2018 Share Posted September 25, 2018 (edited) Here's what he said: Uncle George's Discount Leather Hides These are just black cowsides.....not shiney at all That's his answer to my question, if they were darker than the other "Graphite Black." So I don't know what that means, but you can interpret it. Anyway I just getting a couple because they are heavier, 4 oz, and price seems good. He's still selling these, $99, 50 sq ft, think we decided they were 2.5 oz weight, Black Graphite regular $225.00 $99.00 As a way of saying thanks for visiting our new site we purchased over 500 of these luxurious Black Graphite Automotive Upholstery hides and we are making them available to you for only $99 while they last. These hides have an average range, in size, from 46 to 52 sq and they are in the 1.0 mm range in thickness. Edited September 25, 2018 by mike6024 (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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