Welcome to the leather and equipment article index

They are staining a piece of leather.  Picture dated as 1860's

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THE REENACTOR’S GUIDE TO LEATHER CARE IN THE 19^TH CENTURY    This is an in-depth look at how leather was cared for during the 1850's and 1860's.

HEMLOCK LEATHER: THE FEDERAL ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT’S “OTHER”  WAR.   This article was originally published in the Company of Military Historians Journal, Spring 2005 issue.

CONFEDERATE LEATHER: BLACK OR BROWN? HOW & WHERE?      By David Jarnagin & Ken R Knopp  This is just parts of the article that is going to be published in an upcoming issue of North/South Trader

SECRETS OF THE 19 CENTURY LEATHER TANNERY   By David Jarnagin & Ken R Knopp   This is just parts of the article that is going to be published in an upcoming issue of Company of Military Historian Journal

THE STRANGE HISTORY OF BUFF LEATHER ITS ORIGINS AND MILITARY APPLICATIONS   By David Jarnagin & Ken R Knopp  This the last article on leather tanning and explains the most mis-understood leather used by the military

History of leather tanning for the first half of the 1800's   Information was taken from a book called Eighty Years' Progress of The United States: A Family Record of American Industry, Energy, and Enterprise  Published By L. Stebbins, Hartford, Conn,: 1867

Western Cavalry equipped as infantry??    By Ken Knopp  This was originally posted on web forum but I have put it here so it does not get lost in crashes.

19th century Leather Definitions   A page on dye, finishing and leather types from the 1860's

Links To Leather Tanneries

Hermann Oak Leather Company--- One of the few real pit tanneries left in the US.  There leather is very close to what original leather looked and felt like.  American hides tanned in an American company that has been around since the 1880's.

Links to More information on leather aging

Leather Preservation  Please follow this link for more information on the care and feed of leather.

Leather Preservation for leather tanned before 1890

More Interesting Links 

Confederate Saddles This is Ken Knopp's pages with great pictures and information

Leatherworking in the Middle Ages   This page was created by Marc Carlson, and is out of my period but great information.

Footware in the Middle Ages  This another page by Marc Carlson.

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