Knots Are Your Friend

Did you know knots in your spool are a good thing? Splicing strands of leather cord together with glue creates a weak spot in the cord. The result will be a weak spot in your creation. Imagine a slight tug causing that beautiful choker you spent hours creating to suddenly fall apart? Imagine explaining to the customer, who purchased your choker, why it broke.

Your customers want quality…and so do you

Not only can spliced leather cord break unexpectedly, it also has the tendency to split and/or peel at the joint as you work with the cord. As you can see in our test photo, we started a simple braid with a competitor’s spliced cord (black cord in the image) and when we reached about a third of the length we wanted, a splice appeared and the leather began to split. Had the leather been knotted rather than spliced we would have been able to plan ahead to ensure we had enough length of quality cord to complete the project as you can see on the braided bracelet in the photo.

Nope…Jurassic Park has not started selling hides

We wish hides were big enough to allow the manufacture of a 100 or more continuous meters of cord with no joins. Unfortunately, hides only come so big and cannot accommodate super long lengths of cord. Joining strands together is necessary in order to give you a full spool.

We never try to fool you…but the other guys do!

Other cheaper companies will glue cords together (sometimes pieces as short as 1 foot long) and let the splices remain hidden under the coloring. What appears to be one continuous strand of strong, quality cord is actually many pieces spliced together. Leather Cord USA will never hide joins in cord. We strive to keep knots at a minimum in our spools, but we want you to know where the join is, if there is one. You will always know where one length ends and the next begins by our knot (or obvious tape in our large sizes). This gives you the ability to plan accordingly to ensure that the cord you use is strong and sturdy throughout, regardless of the type of project for which it's used.

It Takes an Artisan to Color Leather

Did you know the color for our round leather cords has to be blended with the utmost of detail to achieve the perfect shade? It takes a master with the perfect eye and know-how. Our color masters have over 100 years combined experience to blend the perfect shade.

All skin tones are different….even cows!

Red, brown, white, black, all skin, just like all hides, are a bit different. Our leather cord is derived from a variety of different types of hides, such as calf, cow and even water buffalo for the largest sizes. Each hide absorbs color differently and a mixture of color on a calf hide may look very different on a buffalo hide. It takes a master to make the perfect blend for each and every hide.

Just like cans of paint, tones can be different

Professional painters ALWAYS blend 2 cans of the same color because each can have a very slightly different tone. Because of the differences in hides and hide tones, there will sometimes be a tiny pantone shift in shade from one lot to the next. However, our team makes every effort to be spot on with color each and every time but, as you can see, there are a lot of varying factors to be considered.

Each spool takes 10-14 days to get the perfect color

It truly takes an artisan to ensure each color is the same, consistent shade from our half millimeter size all the way up to our 6 millimeter size. Our goal is consistent color with each lot and from lot to lot.

Our Hides Make the Grade

Did you know that leather hides are graded on a scale from A to G with top quality hides receiving a grade of A. While lower graded hides can be used to make nice looking leather cord, strength and durability are compromised, resulting in an unstable cord that isn’t of a consistent quality. Others use D to G grade and that’s why it’s cheaper. We give our customers a premium quality cord from end to end, so we only use Grade A hides for our leather cording.

Yep, even cows get bruises

Still, even top rated hides can have imperfections. That’s why we carefully inspect each hide to identify any weak spots or blemishes that may impact the quality of our cord and/or your final product. Inferior areas are cut out of the hide before being used in the manufacture of leather cording. Premium quality is our goal and we take the extra time and effort to ensure our goal and your expectations are met.

 

 

 

Leather Cord USA™…..Inspected, certified, committed.

Did you know Leather Cord USA™ manufacturing is inspected and certified by 2 of the largest leading US based leather goods manufacturers? Annually, we go thru a rigorous and detailed inspection to ensure every step in our process meets the most stringent international environmental requirements. From water purification to Fair Trade, we stand behind every inch of leather we sell.

The power of the Sun

Nothing feels better than the sun on a cold winter day. We have always found that leather, being a skin, loves the sun too. As we color our leather cord, we use the sun to naturally warm and dry the colors in a slow process that allows the hide to expand, take in the color, and set in a complete cure. It’s also the most environmentally friendly way to make your leather cord beautiful with the least impact on the environment.

Give a hoot….don’t pollute

Maybe you remember that phrase from 70’s television. Well we do, and we have always made sure the environment and it’s care is first priority. Sadly, we can’t say the same for others in the business.

Mother Nature’s Impact on Leather Cord

Did you know that the weather (or environment) can have an impact on your cord? Leather is a natural product and expands and contracts as a result of the environment that surrounds it. Cold temperatures with low humidity will cause the cord to constrict or shrink slightly in size. Conversely, warm temperatures with high humidity will cause the cord to swell or increase slightly.

Honey….come fix the door again!!!

Many of us have that wooden door or door casing that sticks in the summer, but allows the door to close easily in the winter. That's due to the changes in temperature and/or humidity from season to season. Leather is affected in the same way and should always be stored in a moderate environment to maintain consistency in size.

Oh cool….a trick!!

And here’s a hint for beaders. If your cord is just a tad too big for your beads, put the cord in the refrigerator for an hour or two. The cord will constrict and your bead should slide right on.