Any ways on how to make fake leather look real?

[Le-Loup]

Hi, everyone. I'm new to this site, but me and my cousin have been camping Ranger-esque for a couple of years.
But, seeing as we were really young, we didn't really do it authentically.

I'm restarting my Ranger gear, though still keeping some older things (a tunic I made with my grandmother, I'll post an image later; a recurve bow I bought a while ago, works really well).
But, as I'm from Australia, leather is really hard to come by, and when you do, it's not cheap.
And thus, I have to resort to fake leather.

Are there any tips on how to make fake leather look really good?

Thanks for any suggestions

Sincerely, Valjuen

Good day Valjuen, Elleth asked me to contact you, as I too live in Australia.
Frankly mate, from my point of view, fake leather does not cut it. May I suggest you check out the second hand leather supplies available from op-shops, St Vincent de Paul & the Salvation Army shops. Keep an open mind when searching these shops, what you are looking for is clothing items that you can cut up & make into other items. Look for leather jackets, leather skirts, leather coats, leather boots. Most of my leather equipment I made from this second hand leather. You may also want to consider heavy cotton or lined bed sheets, tablecloths, pure wool blankets. All good for making clothing such as shirts or even breeches. You will also need a good wool blanket for trekking.
If you don't have a good knapsack as yet look out for those Chinese made all cotton school knapsacks. You can cut off the modern bits & easily convert it to your needs. I used one of these to make one of my sons a knapsack. Or you could make a snapsack from leather or heavy cotton or linen.

My belt pouch & fire-bag made fron second hand leather.

A scrip made from an old drover's coat.

The knapsack I converted. I added bone buttons to the flap closure & new straps made from second hand leather.

Leggings made from a second hand jacket.

Moccasins made from second hand leather.

Try & think out of the box. My period is actually 18th century, but Tolken based his world on old English, which means anything from mid 18th century & earlier should fit your persona. Don't get stereotyped in your thinking, not everyone wore calf length boots! If you are a Ranger, then you are a woodsman, think like one. Dress & equip yourself accordingly. If you are really going to practice the skills & trek in the woods, then you need to be comfortable doing it.
Contact me if I can be of any help.
Regards, Keith.
New England NSW.

[Farodel]

Thought I'd throw in my 2 coppers worth.

My Ithilien jerkin is faux leather. It's a vinyl made for outdoor upholstery which has a good deal more "leather" detail than the stuff used for Halloween costumes. It is still costume quality though, and I often wish I'd been able to go the extra mile and use leather. But it suited my needs at the time, which were that it is 1) cheap, 2) looks like leather, and 3) is light enough to justify wearing so many layers in the warg days of summer. I will move to real leather and wool for a practical winter kit, however.

[Farodel]

And, as always, Keith's kit is incredible. Ever-inspiring.

[Le-Loup]

And, as always, Keith's kit is incredible. Ever-inspiring.

Farodel, you made my day. Thank you, appreciated
Regards, Keith.

[Valjuen]

Thank you so much, Keith and Farodel

[Kortoso]

I'm noticing how some leatherworkers experiment with their designs by first building things with fake leather, which behaves more-or-less like real leather, at least compared to paper bags or duct tape or whatever. This is really useful when you are making your first (or third) pair of shoes. A single silly mistake can "magically" transform the project into a pile of scrap.

[Kortoso]

Try & think out of the box. My period is actually 18th century, but Tolken based his world on old English, which means anything from mid 18th century & earlier should fit your persona. Don't get stereotyped in your thinking, not everyone wore calf length boots! If you are a Ranger, then you are a woodsman, think like one. Dress & equip yourself accordingly. If you are really going to practice the skills & trek in the woods, then you need to be comfortable doing it.
Contact me if I can be of any help.
Regards, Keith.
New England NSW.

Glorious kit, mate!

[Le-Loup]

Glorious kit, mate!

Thank you
Regards, Keith.