Thread: Leather scales what would it take?

My question is a very easy one: can leather scales be a reasonable option today? I know that back in the day some scales were made out of leather, and in the back of my mind leather could represent a nice media to work on. I was watching one of Magnus videos and saw where he kept his blades and I was thinking some engraved or tooled leather scales would look the part. Now my question would be what type of leather? Should I buy pre treated leather? How can I make it waterproof? Has anybody tried making scales with the stuff?

I have been in one of these discussions before. At first I was all " NO" . Leather and hard, or leather and water, are not the first combinations that come to my mind. Rawhide is naturally hard but it softens nice with water. Heat and drying will harden leather but like I said this has always been a bad thing in my mind because of what I use leather for. You might try a search and see if that thread comes up. I don't know if the OP ever pulled it off or not. If you could shape and make your design and then stabilize the leather like they do wood for turning, maybe?
Realize I am thinking and typing and have never tried any of this :<0)

Back in the long ago there was a short era of boiled and pressed leather scales. Either they were not popular or not durable enough to stand the test of time as not many of them have survived. Most of the ones I have seen advertised as paper scales I suspect are mislabeled leather. I have one set in fair condition but it is my understanding they have to be oiled regularly.

I am thinking a three pin could work if let's say it was boiled in carnauba wax. I have a set of wooden scales that were boiled in wax and nothing else and they've survived for 2 years. The leather would've need to be like the type used for shoe soles and maybe with a thin stainless liner.

YEP just got back from search box. ( leather scales) Looks like something I don't want to try let alone restore.

I think you should try some. I'd like to see the process and hear about the experiments. They do after all work well for shoes so it stands to reason. I'm sure that Geezer (Richard) knows a little about it. Seems to me he was the one that tipped me off to the fact that my scales are boiled leather.

Oh yeah, just because I wouldn't do it doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a go. I just got enough experiments to try already :<0)

you could always try something like stabilising them like people do with softer wood to make scales.

Could you not wrap the leather around an acrylic centre? Never even made scales, but surely there has to be an adhesive that would do the trick these days, right?

I do not know if anyone has successfully stabilized leather with modern methods. I asked a stabilizing company and they gave no assurance. One friend did try but had bad luck or inadequate equipment. I would like to know how also.
~Richard