Leather Types Available at The Wandering Bull Trading Post

It is useful for many projects. Specifically belts, guitar or banjo straps, breastplate spacers, moccasin soles, and shoulder straps.

Leather is a durable and flexible material created by tanning animal skins. Tanning animal skins into leather is a process which alters the protein structure of the animal’s skin. Moreover tanners can use several different methods to perform the tanning process. At The Wandering Bull Native American Trading Post you will find several different leather types to choose from.

Braintanned

Brain tanning a hide is a traditional method of tanning an animal hide. Notably, brain tanning hides is a very labor-intensive process. Additionally, this method involves using an emulsified solution of animal brain and water to help soften the hide effectively. Later the hides are smoked lightly to cure them. Braintanned leather is extremely soft and is the best material to use for beadwork , quillwork and more. Overall Braintanned leather is strong, soft, durable, and warm. This soft leather allows your skin to breath and stretches with the movement of your body. This makes it the best leather for making clothing.

Top Grain Leather

Most of the leather types used today are commercially tanned which preserves hides and skins through a chemical process. Following commercial tanning, the hides will have smooth side and a suede side.

Top Grain Leather refers to the outer side of a hide that contains the epidermis or skin layer. Tanners leave Top Grain hides untouched by sanding, buffing, or snuffing, preserving any natural surface imperfections. They only remove the hair from the epidermis. The grain remains in its natural state which allows the best fiber strength, resulting in greater durability. The natural Full-Grain surface wears better than other leather.

Top Grain Deerskin Leather Deer hides at The Wandering Bull Native American Trading Post are available in two grades. #1 Deerskin has very few imperfections and works well for making clothing. #2 Deerskin may have a few holes or imperfections and works rather well for moccasins and other craft projects.

At The Wandering Bull Native American Trading Post you will find Top Grain Leather in Deer Hides, Elk Hides and Buffalo Hides. These hides are available in several several shades and are sold by the hide.

Leather Splits

Leather Splits are sueded, or “fuzzy”, on both sides and come in smaller sizes (square footage). Splits are made by using a machine on Top Grain Leather. This machine separates the suede side from the smooth full-grain side. This ‘split’ can be further divided if it is thick enough. Consequently, splits cost less because tanners can create multiple pieces of suede from a single hide. They can only make one piece of Top Grain Leather from each hide. The Top Grain Leather is smooth and is used to make clothing, shoes, furniture, etc. The Wandering Bull Native American Trading Post sells Leather Splits from Deer, Elk and Buffalo. Sizes range from 1 sq ft to 8 sq ft. Generally leather splits are perfect for covering fans, making pouches, cutting leather lace, and many other craft projects.

Rawhide

Rawhide is a hide or animal skin that has not been tanned.

The Plains people use Buffalo Rawhide to craft parfleches, sturdy containers for storing food and clothing. Additionally it is commonly used to make drums of all sizes. Rawhide is also used to make moccasin soles, roach spreaders and to line the insides of knife sheaths. At The Wandering Bull Native American Trading Post, you can buy rawhide. Presently we offer cow and deer hides which you can purchase by the square foot or by the whole hide.

Strap Leather

Strap leather types (Belt Leather) is made from heavy cowhide. Overall this material is great for many projects. You can use it for belts, guitar or banjo straps, breastplate spacers, moccasin soles, and shoulder straps. At The Wandering Bull Native American Trading Post, Strap Leather is available in four colors. Generally each color varies in weight & thickness.