Best dead stock leather for leathercraft

Start with the Live Oak single shoulder in 10 oz veg-tan. It's the closest thing here to a proper dead-stock working hide: a real US veg-tan shoulder with a firm, toolable temper, big enough for belts, straps and cases, and honest crafter's grade so you're not paying for showroom perfection.

Who the others suit:

• Hermann Oak 4–5 oz side — the classic name for tooling and carving; pick it if you want a lighter, more forgiving weight for wallets and small goods.
• Natural veg-tan baby calfskin sides — for linings, small bags and anything needing a soft, thin, aniline finish.
• Veg-tan scraps bag — cheap practice stock and small parts before you cut into a full hide.
• Black dyed shoulder — if you'd rather skip dyeing and want a dark, structured piece.

One caveat: none of these are labelled "dead stock" by the sellers, so treat them as current-production veg-tan rather than true vintage stock — ask the seller for the tannery run date if that matters to you.