Pig is by far the best leather for that. Those examples represent the work of the very best in the business. I am OK at it but not in the same league as those guys. I buy my hides as an entire skin but only the softer parts (not the backs but more towards the belly) are really usable for pads. The rest I use for other things like recovering bicycle saddles/seats that don't have the relatively sharp bends (look at the toe esp. on a buttstock or pad). If you don't have a very pliable leather especially at that point, you get a big wad of leather with wrinkles and it looks terrible. Gil
