Kinds of Leather

Harness leather -  which has a dull light tan color, and a waxy, almost oily feel. Harness leather is tanned using natural vegetable (tree bark for one) products,
then “stuffed” with waxes, oils, and tallows, making it very firm and dense and highly resistant to moisture.  These qualities make it ideal for rigging pack equipment.  It makes wonderful Western style reins, headstalls, breast collars, off-billets, and other items which are subject to continued exposure , and sweat. The edges of reins & other straps cut from harness leather will never get rough with use. Thickness is usually 12 to 15 oz. 

Skirting leather -   is also veg-tanned, but without the oils and tallows of harness leather. The fibers are much looser, hence  can be “tooled, and carved”.  When dry it’s somewhat stiff, but wet can be molded, stretched, and shaped which makes it possible to form the seat, and swells over a saddle tree. A side of skirting leather will vary greatly  in thickness and firmness from one part to another, so the saddler uses the area along the spine for stirrup leathers, and the soft belly for the swells, etc. Weight is 8 to 12 oz..

Strap leather - is like skirting, but is much firmer.

Latigo leather - can be chrome, or veg  tanned or “RE-TANNED” Usual color is “burgundy” or sometimes black..  It’s more flexible and “stretchy” when cut into straps than harness, or skirting,  so is often preferred for reins,  headstalls, tie latigos and other “riggings”, including saddle strings.  The quality of latigo varies greatly from one tanner to another. Some sides will have a hard “raw” center, which makes the finished strap rough on the hands.  We try to use the softer, more supple skins when we can get them.. Weight is from 5 to 10 oz.  INDIAN TAN is like latigo, but dryer, with less stretch and is used for saddle strings, and as linings for tack such as bridles. Weight is 5 to 7 oz.

By-the-way, expressing the thickness of leather in ounces is archaic. One oz. is 1/64 in. or 0.016, or .41 mm.  So a 10 oz. piece of leather is 5/32" or 3.96mm, and a 16 oz. piece is 1/4 inch.  Confusing isn’t it?

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