leather thickness for possibles bag

[Mean Gene]

Funny you should mention gluing the pieces together before sewing, that's just what I've been dooing.

:haha: :metoo:

 

[Mean Gene]

Thanks Gus for beating to the question of how leather weight is determined, I've been pondering that question for some time but never got around to asking.

The leather I chose is goat hide and they say it's 2 oz but I'd sware it's as thin as 1oz.

 

[Mean Gene]

Thanks for that suggestion Bill I have some rawhide but just didn't think of using it for that, I would rather keep it natural materials.

 

[Artificer]

Thanks Gus for beating to the question of how leather weight is determined, I've been pondering that question for some time but never got around to asking.

Gene,


I learned about the Ounce weight of leather originally came from weighing a square foot of leather that was soaked with water on my first trip to Colonial Williamsburg in 1975. This method went much further back than the 18th century, but I don’t remember how far back it was first used. It was basically explained that they did not have accurate Vernier Calipers to check thickness and had to come up with some kind of way to check thickness by a common unit of weight. Leather hides then was sold by both the type and quality of the leather and by the weight in pounds.

You know, I never really thought to check it before, so I looked up an ounce of water is just a tiny bit heavier than a dry ounce. So back in that period, it would have been considered equal. Next I measured a cup of water that is 8 oz. into an extremely light container and so light that it would not greatly affect the feel of the weight of the water. Now I admit I did not cut a square foot piece of 8-9 oz. Veg Tan leather, but I took a scrap piece about that size and soaked it in water. I won’t say it felt exactly the same weight as the water, but it was very close. So by very rough investigation, it seems this was a workable way to measure the thickness of leather back in the day.

Gus