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Where to buy leather?

David Day

David Day

Slightly Addicted
Messages
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Age
40
I know there's several sources of scrap leather but I'm looking for some more 'robust' stuff to start some proper projects with, A new axe mask, overstrike etc.
Where is a good place to buy from and what sort of thickness should I be looking for??
 
Am no expert David, but I would go for 3mm veg tan tooling leather, it’s ideal to work with and you can pick it up on the bay. For what your wanting to do with it I would look for cutoff’s or 12inch square pieces👍🏻
 
On an episode of “the salvager” he made a Elizabethan headboard using mosaic Squares of leather; for a month or so previously he’d asked a local charity shop to save all the odd shoes and boots and any damaged/unsold handbags that came in. Think he paid them a few quid for something they were going to throw away.

38
 
@David Day , did you ever get around to buying some leather?

i used to do some basic -- read "bush league" -- leatherwork and find myself in need/want of a few sheaths for larger stuff like a bowie knife and a couple adzes. i remember that "holster and saddle" leather was the bees knees for this kind of work so (i think) i'm looking to buy a half hide of the stuff, probably veg tanned 3mm.
any chance you came by such in your quest?

i've found a place in Italy that sells half hides for around £40 which sounds pretty good but i've been out of the game for ages so have no clue what decent pricing is these days.
 
i think i've more or less found an answer to my "how much" question. seems that for mid-grade 2.8-3.2mm veg tanned leather (undyed) the average "good" price is around £5 psf if buying 1/2 hides or rough equivalent (typically 20-30 sf). as mentioned, there are places in Italy selling at much better prices -- £3-4 psf -- but the shipping fees turn out to be pretty horrendous, not to mention the Brexit bite.
 
This is a great company to deal with......they will answer any questions you have and offer help and advice over the phone if you ring them.

www.identityleathercraft.com

Identity Leathercraft | Leather, Craft Tools, Products and Materials

Welcome to Identity Leathercraft. Leather, Leather Craft Tools, Products and Materials for people who make, mend or adapt things out of leather.
www.identityleathercraft.com www.identityleathercraft.com
 
thanks for the link. good range of products, prices seem a bit steep though.
for hides at least i'm finding jwoodleathers.co.uk and leprevo.co.uk looking very promising.
 
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1 shot willie said:
These people are also very good

Leathercraft supplies online. Leather, tools, buckles and fittings,hints & tips, quick delivery. - artisanleather.co.uk

UK Leathercraft website. Buy your leather, leathercraft tools and supplies all in one place with hints, tips and advice for beginners.
www.artisanleather.co.uk
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absolutely! superb range of leatherworking tools and supplies.
not the place for getting a bargain on leather though. it seems they take the pre-cut, top grade route and charge accordingly. for undyed veg tan holster/saddle leather for instance they're asking £9-15 psf, easily the highest prices i've seen so far. even their "seconds" come at a premium.
 
Agreed Teef.....they are not the cheapest.

I suppose it boils down to what a maker wants to invest in his projects as far as materials go.......if its for self use/ a mate.....or for sale to customers where better quality is wanted and can be offered.
 
i suspect most makers do both, stuff for self/friends and stuff for sale. as far as leatherwork goes a good hide has material for both since every hide has varying quality throughout. many many years ago i lived in the leatherwork shop that was part of ... well it was a hippy commune basically, but the guys in the shop did first rate work. when a new hide came in the first thing they'd do is "butcher" it, trimming off all the stuff that was second grade and setting that aside for "friend" projects. the best bits immediately went into the production line for the stuff they sold.

and that i guess is my point regarding the premium price places: they're targeting a specific slice of the market and pricing accordingly. as far as pricing goes often the worst are the places that target the hobby market because they know that many hobbyists have more money than experience and they're happy to take the money from anyone who agrees to pay their prices.
 
well, finally got around to getting some of that project leather i was asking about earlier. with a little judicious rooting around i've found that the "good" price from recommended suppliers is about £4-5 for 7-8oz (2.8-3.2mm) after VAT and shipping if you're buying in quantity (full side, 20-30 sq ft).

once i've received my order and had a bit of a look-see to make sure everything is kosher i'll post back here with particulars in case anyone else is looking for same.
 
teef said:
well, finally got around to getting some of that project leather i was asking about earlier. with a little judicious rooting around i've found that the "good" price from recommended suppliers is about £4-5 for 7-8oz (2.8-3.2mm) after VAT and shipping if you're buying in quantity (full side, 20-30 sq ft).

once i've received my order and had a bit of a look-see to make sure everything is kosher i'll post back here with particulars in case anyone else is looking for same.
Click to expand...
I'd be grateful for that Teef because there are a couple of things that I'd like to have a go at.
 
ok guys, got the goods and i've had a good look over it. so ...

please remember that i'm just commenting on what i got from the place i ended up choosing, not saying anything about these guys being better/cheaper/nicer/more manly than anyone else. my opinions are just my opinions: everyone's got 'em and YMMV.

i ordered from GH Leathers Ltd aka leathermerchants.com. i chose them because they had an excellent price on the leather i wanted and they had a good compliment of accessories that i also wanted to get me jump-started back into the game (though not the best price on these that i'd seen).

ok, first item was a 1/2 hide -- aka "full side" -- of veg tan 7-8oz natural. i opted for the "large" size which they listed as 25-30 sq ft. the price was £100 which, from my research at least, is an excellent price (£4/sq ft) for even decent quality leather. the quality of the hide i received is first rate. seriously, i honestly don't think i've ever seen a large chunk of leather like this with so few blemishes or detracting nicks or whatever. it's a thing of beauty! i couldn't be more pleased and can't wait to get at it for my projects.

second item was a "mystery bag" of offcuts, discards, etc. they said "20 pieces for $40". some of you might think that would be a bad thing but in my experience a good "mixed bag" can be one of the best things to have around if you're into making misc things for whatever you might want to cobble together. think fire pouches, tool rolls, a pair of suede hot pants for the Mrs, whatever. sure, you get some weird looking stuff but hey, that's what dyes are for, and anyway the flesh side is always a perfectly decent suede.

i inherited one of these mixed bags from an uncle when i was a teenager and it took me close to 20 years to go through it all. well, same here now. i've got at least 80 sq ft of perfectly usable -- if not a bit oddly coloured or patterned -- leather of various weights and finishes that will do me until the end of my days. unless of course i end up going into production on something and then all bets are off. this mystery bag was a steal IMO and i could not have hoped for more for my £40.

so, colour me a very satisfied customer. 👍👍
 
for those of you interested in an excellent shopping list of suppliers for leather and leatherworking goods i highly recommend this post by Ch@rlie over at BCUK:

Leather?

Hi today marked the day where both my partner and myself became proud owners of a couple of mirror sighting compasses, to have in our possession a Suunto MC-2 and a Recta DS-50 G, ( a badge engineered Suunto MC-2G), to have decided we would like to make a couple of leather compass cases for...
bushcraftuk.com bushcraftuk.com

no less than 16 UK online shops, by far the most comprehensive list i've seen to date.
 
i should update to say that i've since ordered a couple times from Leprevo.co.uk and everything has been spot on. the hide quality seems great to me -- yes i'm a novice but no big ugly marks on the hides or thinned out sections or suchlike -- and the other gear i've got from them has been exactly what i wanted and expected. prices good all around, staff VERY understanding and helpful, and prompt shipping at a fair and reasonable rate. in short, excellent. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
(bonus tip: check out their Clearance section, good deals on great items and a few really cool odds and ends.)

also ordered from AbbeyEngland.com. they've got a great selection of tools and a bunch of kit that's hard to get elsewhere. not cheap, but not crap either and they usually have economy versions of the stuff that's priced for the professionals.
 
Ark79 said:
what project you starting?
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a bunch of sheaths to start with, i've been negligent in giving some blades a home of their own. billhook needs one, my head knife for leatherwork, replace a kydex sheath for my Rob Evans Kochanski Tribute knife (actually the kydex sheath is perfectly fine i just want something quieter and less ... orange), sheath for a bowie i inherited from my dear old dad, etc.

in truth it's just a good excuse to get back into the leatherwork scene. i was into it a few decades ago, always wanted to get more serious about it. i've got a bit of workspace now so time to have at it.
 
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