Bridle, Harness, and Latigo leathers are all vegetable tanned, which uses vegetable matters in the tanning process (though other chemicals are used as well). They have varying levels of waxes, tallows, oils, and greases added to give them all slightly different tempers. We’ll get into a little more detail for each type.
Bridle
This leather is tanned in Mexico using U.S. steer hides. It’s the most comparable to the “English Bridle Leather” from England, though the two shouldn’t be confused. We stock this leather in 9/10 oz. (great for belting/strapping) and 3/4 oz. (great for wallets). It’s a little more firm in temper, but will soften and get an amazing patina over time. It’s best known for being strong (with minimal stretch), waxy finished, and weather-resistant.
Harness
This leather is tanned in the United States. We stock this leather in 9/11 oz. and 3/4 oz. It’s got an almost buttery soft feel, due to the hot stuffing of waxes, oils, and tallows, which means that wallets and belts will patina and soften even faster than the bridle leather. It’s best known for being supple enough, but strong enough, for equestrian gear. It’s also finished using a process called jack-glazing, which gives it a gorgeous shine.
Latigo
This leather is tanned in Mexico using U.S. steer hides. We stock this in 8/9 oz. It’s different from the others because it’s a chrome veg retanned leather. The benefits of this type of tanning are that it offers strength as well as flexibility. Traditionally this leather was used in making horse girths, which is the reason for it being so flexible. It needed to go through the cinch buckle a few times, whereas regular bridle leather would be too stiff for that. For that reason, it makes for a comfortable belt from day one.
The above colours of bridle are all available in 9/10 oz., harness in 9/11 oz., and latigo in 8/9 oz. For thickness reference chart, click here. All of these thicknesses are suitable for belting.
We also stock all of these colours in 3/4 oz. wallet weight (with the exception of the latigo, which only comes in 8/9 oz. and heavier).
Bridle Leather Cowhide Cut Pieces
We often have smaller cut pieces of Bridle Leather, in odd sizes, from approx. 8 x 10" up to 12 x 25" (all sizes vary), all 9/10 oz. Feel free to email us for pricing and availability! Colours depend on availability at the time.
Bridle, Harness, and Latigo Leather Cowhide Cut Strips
We sell bridle, harness, and latigo leather cut strips from 1/2" up to 2". Most range from 70-90" in length. They're all cut while you wait, unless you have a large order. We'll need some notice for that.
1/4" - $4.99
1/2" - $9.99
5/8" - $12.99
3/4" - $15.99
1" - $20.99
1 1/8" - $22.99
1 1/4" - $25.99
1 1/2" - $29.99
1 3/4" - $35.99
2" - $41.99
2 1/2" - $51.99
3" - $61.99
Bridle, Harness, and Latigo Leather Cowhide Sides
We stock sides of bridle (9/10 and 3/4 oz.), harness (9/10 and 3/4 oz.), and latigo (8/9 oz.) in the colours shown above.
They retail for $19.95-22.95/square foot, with a 15% charge for any cutting (e.g. anything smaller than the entire side). That being side, if you're looking for an entire side, it's best to touch base first to make sure we have a whole one in stock. Ordering takes, on average, 2-4 weeks.
Sides range from 21-27 square feet, on average.