blacktail,
I can give you a little more information on the moose hide, I actually used to work in a chrome tannery here in Utah and ran most of the sales operations on the retail side. Moose, if chrome tanned (unless it was tanned with the hair on it will likely be chrome tanned) will always be split but split does not mean split in half it means that they will run it through the splitting machine to make it the same thickness throughout the hide. My experience with the production and custom tanned moose that we used to tan was that when it came out of the tannery completed it was at a standard thickness of 7-9 oz which is about 4 times as thick as deer and about twice the thickness of elk, it is similar in thickness to a good belt leather but much more soft and flexible. the first issue with moose leather is the knife cuts on the flesh side. it seems the bigger the animal the deeper the knife cuts, you might be lucky and get a good one but if not use the knife cut portions for the body of lined bags and you'll never know the difference, use the rest for mocs. the other problem in working with moose is just getting through the thickness, I really like my homade awl with a triangular tip which I honed to a very sharp edge on all three blades. to make one you just grind a equilateral triangle in a round piece of spring steel and then hone it on a stone and then torch it to dull red with a propane torch and dunk it and then do a fine hone to finish. this makes a great awl and hobby shops carry the high carbon steel wire. then just grind a rough point on the opposite end and chuck it in your drill and drill it deeply into your favorite piece of handle wood. you can buy a hole punch but they don't work very well on the thicker leathers so save your money unless you are going to work lighter leather than go ahead and get one. definitely use an awl on the moose and then it does not matter what kind of needle you get you can get a cheap pack of needles and use any one with an eye big enough for your thread. for lining I just cut my lining out and use it as my pattern to cut my leather. I cheat and glue it at the edges so that you don't have to keep positioning it as you sew, sew inside out and turn your bag right side out and make your straps out of the same material but it will stretch (even the thickest chromed leather will) about 10 percent depending on how it is cut. if you cut on across the hide it will stretch more than if you cut from the length of the hide (does that make sense) cut head to butt not the other way for straps, and even then still plan for stretch by putting a buckle in the strap to make it adjustable and then you just have to punch a few holes and cut off some length when it mysteriously grows Though if you are like me and your wife is a good cook you might mysteriously grow along with your strap!!
hope that helps let me know if you need any more info Oh one more thing and then by book is finished keep your fingers out of the way of that awl any thing that go through two layers of moose like these do can impale your finger in a hurry, if your like me and accident prone just go ahead and make sure your up on your tetanus shots and get some good bandades and you'll be set.
enjoy
Jason
