We make a bunch of belts out of this water buffalo leather, sheaths, holsters, spurstraps, straps for rifle scabbards and holsters, linings on breast collars, headstalls too. I mean we use this a lot. Years ago we switched to this glue for all our leatherwork:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-Weldwood-32-fl-oz-Nonflammable-Contact-Cement-25332/100174435
Prior to that we'd been using Barge. This stuff is way better. We get it at Home Depot and buy the gallon size. Ya can thin it with water if ya need too and it doesn't kill brain cells. I believe it out performs Barge and it certainly sticks to oily/waxy leathers better than Barge. We use a wide variety of leathers and I have yet to find one that this does not work on. The only thing I have found it will not stick too is the ribbon on a zipper. These days I use basking tape for that anyways so it doesn't matter. Getting the green can of this is important. there is a red can too but that is different stuff and WILL kill your brain cells. We pour it into squeeze type ketchup bottles from the dollar store for use in the shop.
Most leathers ya should rough up prior to glueing and I've found that its vital with the water buffalo. I use a rat tail file. This little WIP covers that in some detail with pics. All the belts being made are water buffalo by the way:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/beltatathon.1507381/
I have changed my edging procedure for water buffalo though since then. I have found that just plain water seems to work about the best. All edges are sanded first on a 120 belt and then edged with an edger. I'll get the edge pretty darn wet using a sponge. I don't worry about getting a little extra on the project cause the water buffalo just shrugs the water off and it doesn't seem to spot like reg veg tan would. Then I rub the edge using my lathe and rosewood rubbing stick. The stick has paraffin wax on it and I apply more wax to the stick as needed. Use a lot of pressure too. Sometimes I'll come back over using Wyoming Quick Slik from Barry King after the water, but not always. Water seems to get er pretty darn good. On some special projects I've come back over the edge with a wooden tool handle by hand. This will cause a real sheen but don't do it on day to day stuff, power rubbing gets er good.
Straps on this rifle scabbard we just shipped are water buffalo:
Straps and linings on both of these martingales are water buffalo:
Nichole's holster for her new pistol is grey water buffalo as is her belt and pancake sheath:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Qc_-1JnVB/
Spurstraps:
Belt and sheath:
Steve's suspenders:
Straps on a feed bag for a tired horse:
Headstall on same horse getting tired:
Babes and belts and a couple sheaths:
Anyhoo you get the idea. We use a lot of this water buffalo stuff. Yeah the bend is definitely the best part of the side. While I'm not a Weaver fanboy (long story), I do get the water buffalo there. I've bought this from other suppliers and the bends from Weaver are markedly longer. Important if your cutting out belts. This leather is a very economically priced quality leather and you can really make a return on a bend of this stuff. Its very durable too and just seems to get better with age. My own personal belt was the second one I ever made from this leather. Its just getting better, I've worn it daily since I made it several years ago:
The holster too is water buffalo but a different chrome tan chap type leather, used here as an overlay.
This veg tan water buffalo is a great leather. Doesn't tool worth a darn so don't bother and it doesn't edge as good or as easy as some others but a good edge can be accomplished with some work.
