Leather for handles.

[Eastern fisher]

I have pretty much finished my Ash long bow up.  Turnes out fairly decent considering I an such an amature.  Is there a cetain thickness of leather you use for the handle grip ot is this preferance??  Do you glue this on as well??

[mater]

I use thin leather, it has to stretch a little to fit well. I also use a little spray adhesive so it doesnt slip once sewn on.   Mark

[2treks]

Use what you like for thickness. Remember, the thicker the leather, the bigger the grip will be when finished.
You can glue it on or stitch it on, or you can glue it and stitch it on. Your choice. I like Deer skin or Kid(goat)skin. Both are thin and conform well to a grip, and they feel good in the hand. Deer skin can be thick or thin and Kid skin is thin, but tuff. Good luck
Chuck

[Roy from Pa]

I use what I have on hand. A little thicker or thinner won't matter much. If you would like it to be thinner, scrape the back side with a razor blade, etc.

I also use spray adhesive on my grips. Get a spray can of Auto Trim adhesive. It last's a long time.

Your first grip is gonna be fun:) You can always remove it and try again. I have been there done that too:)

[George Tsoukalas]

This may help you.
 http://georgeandjoni.home.comcast.net/~georgeandjoni/leatherhandle.html

[Pac'em out]

I just did one a couple weeks ago and used Barge cement and stitched it.  I found the leather at Tandy leather in their scrap bucket.  It came out great.  Like the others said, figure out how thick you want the grip and make sure it has some stretch to it.  Good luck!

[Roy Steele]

I do as George dose except I'll wet mine over night to help it sreatch when I sew it on.The thickness dosn't matter.

[wildcat hunter]

I go to Wal-Mart and get Chamois for the handles. Just one will do many bow handles.

[Eastern fisher]

Thanks all

[Osagetree]

I agree with Roy,,, But I use hot water and just squeeze out all the air. Dab it with a paper towel until it aint dripping then sew it on wet. Lots of stretch (Between an 1/8th & a 1/4" gap) in the leather depending on thickness. When it dries it is so tight it wont move. I don't use any glue anymore under the handle and they have not slipped.
You can thin leather down on a 4" belt sander by folding it under a scrap piece of flat wood,,, just watch the finger tips!

[Roy from Pa]

Joe, the belt sander and block of wood are a good idea, thanks.. Do you pre punch your holes for the lace? When the leather dries, does it stretch the holes a bit? Roy

[broketooth]

what i would do is go to a local upholstry shop and ask to buy scrap leather. trust me they have  it. some of the stuff looks distressed. which in my opinion gives it character. but makes great handle leather and its soft. but i did this one with a baseball stitch

[BWD]

I buy small pieces of auto upholstery off the bid site.

[Bill Sagues]

Broketooth - that is a sweet looking handle/bow.

[Osagetree]

Once I have cut the leather to size and test fitted it to the handle, I fold the piece in half and punch holes through both sides using a small finish nail. To insure the piece does not move I use a small strip of wood and two wood clamps to hold it in place while I make the holes. This way the holes line up and the piece doesn't move during the process.
 

The  holes may stretch a bit but it is not bad enough to make any difference
 

[Roy from Pa]

Brooketooth, that is very nice. Joe, I clamp the leather the same way you do, but fold it so both edges are lined up together. And I have a leather punch with 4 equaly spaced tips on it. I just move on down the leather and punch them out.

[Brently]

I glue mine on also using barge glue, a really great place to get leather is at a furniture store.  They have these samples for furniture coverings and the companies are always changing colors every year.  Just check, they might just give you some pieces.

[canshooter]

I was thinking of going to Goodwill to look for an old leather jacket, that way Id have enough to screw a couple up!

[mastin03]

just finished this one up last night with a thrift store purse that I got for $2...goodwill is definately the place to go for things like this.  I have a pair of womens boots that are all leather i picked up for $4 as well