leather question

From falls & poppers to plaiting & cracking technique, this section is dedicated in memory of Sergei, IndyGear Staff Member and Whip Guru. Always remember to keep "Celebratin' Life!"

Moderator: BullWhipBorton

Post Reply
User avatar
Indiana Blizzard
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 126
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 5:35 am
Location: Salem Oregon

leather question

Post by Indiana Blizzard »

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 :roll: :?:

moderators if this does not belong here please move it.

thanks.
User avatar
Mulceber
Legendary Adventurer
Legendary Adventurer
Posts: 2963
Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2003 11:08 pm

Post by Mulceber »

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
User avatar
Indiana Blizzard
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 126
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 5:35 am
Location: Salem Oregon

Post by Indiana Blizzard »

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..
User avatar
Ghos7a55assin
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 356
Joined: Tue Apr 13, 2004 1:59 am
Location: Moving back to NY

Post by Ghos7a55assin »

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
Professor of Archaeology
Professor of Archaeology
Posts: 1045
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2002 1:22 pm
Location: York County, PA

Post by Captain D »

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
User avatar
Indiana Blizzard
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 126
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 5:35 am
Location: Salem Oregon

Post by Indiana Blizzard »

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) :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Captain D
Professor of Archaeology
Professor of Archaeology
Posts: 1045
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2002 1:22 pm
Location: York County, PA

Post by Captain D »

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!! :D

Kind Regards,
Captain D
Mola Ram
Vendor
Posts: 1306
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2002 11:08 am
Location: New York, NY
Contact:

Post by Mola Ram »

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 #-o 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
Dig Leader
Dig Leader
Posts: 517
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2003 9:14 am
Location: Why don't ya come on down here and I'll show ya!
Contact:

Post by Shawnkara »

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 :(
User avatar
Rob
Museum Curator
Museum Curator
Posts: 1204
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2004 2:18 am
Location: Sydney
Contact:

Post by Rob »

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.
User avatar
zohar
Archaeologist
Archaeologist
Posts: 311
Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2002 7:17 pm
Location: South Carolina
Contact:

Post by zohar »

roo is used because of its tensile strength. It is still strong, even after cut into long, thin strands.
User avatar
racerx
Laboratory Technician
Laboratory Technician
Posts: 198
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2003 12:42 am
Contact:

Post by racerx »

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
Vendor
Posts: 234
Joined: Thu Jul 24, 2003 12:59 pm
Location: Birthplace of Texas
Contact:

Post by Robert Duke »

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
Vendor
Posts: 1306
Joined: Mon Jul 08, 2002 11:08 am
Location: New York, NY
Contact:

Post by Mola Ram »

I wouldn't recommend having a wested in natural tan
I just personally like the way the color distresses.

Adam
Post Reply