Valve leather suppliers

[rcr27]

Hi, anyone in the UK knows any good leather supplier or website where I can find the right leather for concertina valves? I bought a sheep hide from ebay to cut and replace the valves myself, but they curl up too easily. I trimmed them to the same size and chose the same thickness as the original ones, but they tend to curl rapidly just with gravity. I’m guessing it’s a matter of stiffness and flexibility? It’s the first time I’m cutting them myself, if anyone has found the right leather I’d appreciate a bit of help. Thanks.

[paaudio]

https://www.cacornish.co.uk/musical-instruments/

 

does the whole range of concertina leather bits..... Gerry

Edited March 5, 2020 by paaudio
spelling

[rcr27]

26 minutes ago, paaudio said:

https://www.cacornish.co.uk/musical-instruments/

 

does the whole range of concertina leather bits..... Gerry

Thanks a lot! I’ll have a look

[Don Taylor]

How do you cut valve leathers?

 

 Do you have to make a set of dies or can scissors and knives do the job?

[Sprunghub]

On advice from a successful Uk artisan, I used Columbia Organ's Leathers.  I bought the H, XH & Valve in their 12" x 6" approx panels.  The XH & Valve were most useful......you could utilise the H for pad facing.  It is excellent, they are very good to deal with.  There is enough leather in their panel's to do several instruments.  A concern that the 'panels'  might be lower quality "off-cuts" was not evidenced.  It just appears to be a sensible volume for non-pro's and smaller instruments. 

 

It was for a Jeffries who were obviously innovators because they used straight lines!  to that end I used a Rotary cutter and ruler as opposed to worrying about long oval's with reducing width.

 

 

[rcr27]

1 hour ago, Don Taylor said:

How do you cut valve leathers?

 

 Do you have to make a set of dies or can scissors and knives do the job?

I used small sharp scissors. I removed the original valves (one at a time), and outlined it’s shape with a pen on the leather hide (hairy side), and then gently cut it. My other concertinas which are already restored (not by me) have slightly wider valves, but I preferred to keep the same width and length as the original valves. 

[rcr27]

1 hour ago, Sprunghub said:

On advice from a successful Uk artisan, I used Columbia Organ's Leathers.  I bought the H, XH & Valve in their 12" x 6" approx panels.  The XH & Valve were most useful......you could utilise the H for pad facing.  It is excellent, they are very good to deal with.  There is enough leather in their panel's to do several instruments.  A concern that the 'panels'  might be lower quality "off-cuts" was not evidenced.  It just appears to be a sensible volume for non-pro's and smaller instruments. 

 

It was for a Jeffries who were obviously innovators because they used straight lines!  to that end I used a Rotary cutter and ruler as opposed to worrying about long oval's with reducing width.

 

 

That looks great, I need to make pads too. As long as the leather is good quality and doesn’t curl, it will do. Have you ordered from them? I see that they are located in the US, I wonder how long the delivery takes.

[Mike Acott]

If the leather used is curling under gravity , the concertina s being kept in the wrong plane . When at rest the valves should be in the vertical position.

Regards.

Mike

[rcr27]

19 minutes ago, Mike Acott said:

If the leather used is curling under gravity , the concertina s being kept in the wrong plane . When at rest the valves should be in the vertical position.

Regards.

Mike

Yes I’m aware, but when I’m replacing the valves on the chamber side, the valves on the opposite will start to curl, so it has to be a problem of valve material in this case. My concertina is a Wheatstone English that comes in its original leather hard case.

[Sprunghub]

1 hour ago, rcr27 said:

 Have you ordered from them? I see that they are located in the US, I wonder how long the delivery takes.

I have.....but......there is a bit of a 'tale' to that,  I have a pal who lives pt time / works in the States and who I thought it would be good to get to bring them home with him to save me the postage which (a) it did and (b) he did.....except he was there "weeks" after he got it, because it was the run up to Xmas.  I should have just paid for letter post. 

 

As for quality, I would say, it is pretty "exemplary".   

 

Their ordering process is 'quaint' ( which suits me ) in a world of instant, high tech "on-line" shops, Darlene takes your order via an email and then sends an invoice back for you to pay once they have put it up.  You do still need to ascertain the 'direction' of the grain/stretch in the leather, as you would anyway.  It may be the along the 'longer' or shorter length.  You can not take it for granted that it is longways.

 

 

 

[rcr27]

2 minutes ago, Sprunghub said:

I have.....but......there is a bit of a 'tale' to that,  I have a pal who lives pt time / works in the States and who I thought it would be good to get to bring them home with him to save me the postage which (a) it did and (b) he did.....except he was there "weeks" after he got it, because it was the run up to Xmas.  I should have just paid for letter post. 

 

As for quality, I would say, it is pretty "exemplary".   

 

Their ordering process is 'quaint' ( which suits me ) in a world of instant, high tech "on-line" shops, Darlene takes your order via an email and then sends an invoice back for you to pay once they have put it up.  You do still need to ascertain the 'direction' of the grain/stretch in the leather, as you would anyway.  It may be the along the 'longer' or shorter length.  You can not take it for granted that it is longways.

 

 

 

Oh I see, that kinda lets me down a bit. I would have bought all my valves from concertina-spares.com but unfortunately it takes too long as Mark Adey is I’ll I think. I ordered some spares in January and still haven’t received it, hence I’m forced to look elsewhere and make my own materials. I have 4 concertinas which need new pads & valves and want to get them done asap, but I don’t want to risk and use cheap material either. Thanks anyway.

[d.elliott]

I have been doing work with C A Cornish, testing and trialling different leathers as as one type moves out of availability. balancing stiffness, cut direction and thicknesses. Talk to Lynda Cornish she is most knowledgeable, say Hello from me. 

 

Dave

[rcr27]

17 minutes ago, d.elliott said:

I have been doing work with C A Cornish, testing and trialling different leathers as as one type moves out of availability. balancing stiffness, cut direction and thicknesses. Talk to Lynda Cornish she is most knowledgeable, say Hello from me. 

 

Dave

Thanks I will, I’d imagine they have pad material too. 

[d.elliott]

I buy pads from C.A. Cornish complete, but they will send the pad sandwich, so you cam punch out or cut your own, as well as the component materials. you have to ask for the 'dots' separately. 

[RogerT]

Has anyone (in the U.K.) tried the leather from Russells?

The question is..which leather is suitable for valves?

https://www.russels.com/products/category/product/?ID=494

https://www.russels.com/files/resources/specialist-leathers.pdf

[Theo]

Pittards in Yeovil are also worth a look.  I have used their hair sheep leather for valves.  The skins I had were fine for smaller sizes, but not thick enough for anything over about 20mm.

It's easy to buy from them on line, and you can also visit the factory shop in Yeovil and select your own.  I'm currently using their sheep leather for making pads.

 

https://www.pittards.com/shop/shop-leather/skins

[RogerT]

Hi Theo,

ah yes, I have some of their sheep leather. What card do you use when making the pads?

[Theo]

I use 600g art paper. Technically it may be paper,  but to a non-expert it looks and feels like card.  It’s very tough and does not delaminate which some card material does.  Mounting card is particularly bad in that respect,  and is also a bit too thick.