Vegtan leather and Pyrography

[firecrest]

I aquired a whole box of full hides of Kid leather at the weekend from a carboot sale for 5 quid.

Im pleased as punch about that! Anyway, I had wanted to make them into bags and decorate them with my pyrography pen (a tool thats like a soldering iron so you can create a pattern in wood or leather) Unfortunately Wikipedia says burning normal leather releases arsenic and other harmful toxins when burnt with pyrography tools unless they are vegetable tanned. Thats a shame that, is there anyway of knowing they are veg tanned or not? Or are most leathers not veg tan?

If anyone has any veg tan leather, Ill would be happy to do a swap of one of the skins, it really is beautiful soft swuade.

 

[Jurjen Knoester]

Hey Firecrest, you can find out if its vedge tanned if its stiffens up after it has been wet. So just make it wet and fold it, then see if the fold stiffens as it dries.

 

[rancid badger]

I aquired a whole box of full hides of Kid leather at the weekend from a carboot sale for 5 quid.

Im pleased as punch about that! Anyway, I had wanted to make them into bags and decorate them with my pyrography pen (a tool thats like a soldering iron so you can create a pattern in wood or leather) Unfortunately Wikipedia says burning normal leather releases arsenic and other harmful toxins when burnt with pyrography tools unless they are vegetable tanned. Thats a shame that, is there anyway of knowing they are veg tanned or not? Or are most leathers not veg tan?

If anyone has any veg tan leather, Ill would be happy to do a swap of one of the skins, it really is beautiful soft swuade.

how much veg tan are you looking for?
R.B.

 

[firecrest]

Hey Firecrest, you can find out if its vedge tanned if its stiffens up after it has been wet. So just make it wet and fold it, then see if the fold stiffens as it dries.

Brilliant! Ill try that now.

 

[firecrest]

how much veg tan are you looking for?
R.B.

about a goat skin worth (roughly 2 - 3 sq ft) But Ill just check if this is veg tan first.

 

[firecrest]

looks like it isnt veg tanned, its going back to its original shape.

 

[John Fenna]

I would imagine that the amounts of toxic gunk released by pyrography on a bit of leather would be minimal. I would go for it, though in a well ventilated area and a little at a time so you get plenty of fresh air circulating - do not inhale the smoke!and

 

[Spark]

One trick I have seen in the Pyrography books when burning on leather is to have a fan on, pointing away from your work. This draws the smoke away from you and doesn't cool the tip.
My mum always used to come into the kitchen when I was doing pyrography and say "someones got a fire going again tonight!".