[BKARTS] Strength of Goatskin: tearing/splitting troubles

["roroberts@xxxxxxxx" <roroberts@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi, All.
I've had a troubling experience with some leather and am hoping for some feedback.
I finished making a case of _____________ goatskin for a limp leather binding and then noticed a small white crack at the outer hinge (unpared in this area so full thickness, and I should probably add that this is a pink skin so not dyed all the way through, hence the white showing up so clearly.) Since it looked like the surface of the skin had split, I tried tearing a scrap. It tore like book cloth: not the sort of pull where there's a strain to stretch the leather and if you're a brute you can rip it (some of you know I'm not very large). I've pulled other skins from the rack and find that my ____________ skins tear pretty easily, especially the outer inches, but that others (my remaining Pearce goatskins, for example) don't. 
I know that a hard tearing pull is not a normal part of a book's experience and that cloth (which tears easily) makes a fine cover, but I'm bothered by the disparity between suppliers and would like some feedback. Any real worries here? 
(I've not mentioned the supplier by name because I haven't asked them directly for feedback and because I don't wish to stir trouble where there may be none.)
Bob

             ***********************************************
           The Guild of Book Workers' Centennial Celebration:
              October 12-14, 2006, New York City, New York.
       <http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/gbw/centennial.shtml>
                                    
             For all your subscription questions, go to the
                      Book_Arts-L FAQ and Archive.
          See <http://www.philobiblon.com> for full information
             ***********************************************