leather question

Indiana Blizzard · Post by **Indiana Blizzard** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 2:30 am

ok ,so I was thinking if I am correct whips are usually made from kangaroo hide right? and they use kangaroo becouse it is the toughest leather out there right? ok so why doesnt wested make a kangaroo jacket? or if goat is so tough why not a goat skin whip?
did I miss something? hmmmmmm

:

moderators if this does not belong here please move it.

thanks.

Mulceber · Post by **Mulceber** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 2:33 am

Wested doesn't make a Kangaroo jacket because 'Roo has too much of a reddish color to look screen accurate.
I'm guessing they don't make goat whips because although goat is initially tough has nails, it eventually softens up so it's not only very durable, but very malleable, plus I'm not sure goat skin is thick enough to make into the lace used in whips. I'm probably wrong though. :junior: -IJ

Indiana Blizzard · Post by **Indiana Blizzard** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 3:05 am

I was reading the post about a horse hide jacket which also comes out red ...I still have thoughts that it might be a cool jacket..

Ghos7a55assin · Post by **Ghos7a55assin** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 3:52 am

I'm not sure about the roo skin issue. I have a roo skin wallet, and it's the perfect indy-jacket color.

Captain D · Post by **Captain D** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 4:05 am

I could be wrong, but I was checkin' out the "jacket" section on the Indygear main site, and I was curious to ask about something that I saw that may relate here....

I came across pics of _'s US Wings Vintage Roo' jacket. However, his jacket looked rather dark. Perhaps it was the lighting....I dunno. If it was red in color, did he darken it up somehow? If so, how?

Regards,
Captain D

Indiana Blizzard · Post by **Indiana Blizzard** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 4:21 am

I have seen the pic you are refering to and I agree it is quite dark ,if it was darkened than I guess that they could do the same at wested for a ROO JACKETL, I wonder if a person sent peter a roo hide or two if he would make a jacket from it.peter is that possible if you are reading this?
and if you did use a roo hide would it come with natures prefab pockets(pouches)

Captain D · Post by **Captain D** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 1:49 pm

I'm not sure if Peter reads the "Bullwhip" section or not, but this could be a good discussion under the "jacket" section for Peter to read and for others to debate over.....

However, if Peter and the Wested crew ever made a Dark Brown Kangaroo jacket, I would be one of the 1rst to buy one for sure!!

Kind Regards,
Captain D

Mola Ram · Post by **Mola Ram** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 1:57 pm

Blizzard,
It would take about 3 roo hides to make a jacket, i would think. each about 55$ at
the lowest. maybe 40$. so the materials would first cost about 120$ or 200$ somwhere in that price range. One thing to think about is that cowhides are uasualy around 40sq feet for a full hide, roo hides are only 7-8sq feet

There are many colors of roo. The red one you are talking about i would guess to be some sort of drum stuffed tan. I havent seen many roo hides, but i am sure that a natural tan roo hide would make a great indy jacket. It is what most all indy whips are made from. It darkens real nicely. Brandy is also a choice for a darker leather. I never understood why us wings only had that one color though.
Heres an idea of what colors can be made.
heres a pic from bernies website.
http://www.em-brand-whips.com/sigpics1/hidecolours.jpg
If im not mistaken i think he gets all these hides in the colors from
packers tannery in aust. Thats just to give an idea of the color varitey.
Adam

Shawnkara · Post by **Shawnkara** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 11:13 pm

Also I think 'roo is used for whips mainly because of the length of the animal. You can get 8'-10' continuous strands. I don't think you could do that with a goat unless you kept cutting all the way around, like peeling a potato. Sorry if that visual is disturbing

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 11:19 pm

Indiana Blizzard wrote:I was reading the post about a horse hide jacket which also comes out red ...I still have thoughts that it might be a cool jacket..

That would be my jacket... and yes, it is a VERY cool jacket. I'm thinking it might age to look quite screen accurate, actually. Even with the red.

zohar · Post by **zohar** » Sun Sep 05, 2004 11:20 pm

roo is used because of its tensile strength. It is still strong, even after cut into long, thin strands.

racerx · Post by **racerx** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 12:34 pm

Hmm, seems like I remember seeing a roohide jacket somewhere,
perhaps on the USWings website.

One thing about roo, while it has excellent tensile strength,
its not very abrasive resistant and probley wouldn't hold up like cowhide,
but it does make a great looking coat.

ATB

Jim J.

Robert Duke · Post by **Robert Duke** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 2:00 pm

Hey Blizzard,

racerx aka Jim J and zohar and absolutely correct about the kangaro hide having more TENSILE STRENGTH than cowhide. It is NOT abrasion resistant as cowhide. That's why they say don't use your roo whips on concrete, asphalt and the like. Tensile strength is compared most often in ropes and lines for capacities in holding a maximum weight. The reason kangaroo hide has a tensile strength 7 to 10x that of cowhide is because of a grain much like wood, while cowhide has a random grain.

It is a fairly small hide and like goat as shawnkara poinited out, the hide has to to be cut out in a round pattern. It is quite common to cut extremely long strands on a kangaroo hide. For making an 8 foot Indy kangaroo bullwhip you would be cutting approximately 300 feet of lace... easily and still have some left over for small projects.

I wouldn't recommend having a wested in natural tan. That makes no sense. I can imagine having a roo Wested but why. It is very very soft. I have a pair of cowboy boots made of kangaroo and they are so soft that the shafts won't even stand up as all my other boots do. Really they're too soft for me. I like my cowboy boots a bit tougher.

My Wested is a lamb Raiders style and it's buttery soft. I love it.

I think it's silly that a Wested kangaroo jacket would be a red shade. That depends on the color of roo hide that was selected.

To summarize, kangaroo is not tough, durable or abrasion resistant. It has lots of tensile strength. Ounce for ounce that little roo lace will pull tighter than the cowhide. If you'd pull as tight on a small thin cowhide lace, normally it will break.

Keep on crackin a smile,

Mola Ram · Post by **Mola Ram** » Mon Sep 06, 2004 5:34 pm

I wouldn't recommend having a wested in natural tan

I just personally like the way the color distresses.

Adam