Where to Buy Leather - The Ins, Outs, and Recommendations (2024)

Many types of leather are accessible to leather workers, making the choice of where to purchase leather really important. Understanding the differences in quality and suitability for different projects ensures that each crafted leather item meets its intended purpose with excellence.

Knowing where to buy leather will make any leather working project much easier. The best places are often online. They offer a large variety, fair prices, and fast shipping. Local stores can be excellent, too. You can see the leather in person and purchase the exact piece that you hold in your hand.

It’s easy to find some great leather, even leather sales when you know where to shop. Let’s explore more.

Where to Buy Leather

Virtually every leather working or leather craft project will involve leather. The most common places are online shops. This is mainly because they can be located anywhere worldwide and often offer a much wider selection of materials than you might find at your local shop. This is unless, of course, you live right near the huge leather store. 🙂 In which case, it’s probably more exciting to go in person.

There are also local leather shops that offer basic materials, and you can just stop in whenever they’re open. This can be beneficial as you can physically hold the leather. It helps get a feel for thickness, softness, and flexibility to determine if a particular cut will work for the project you have in mind. Also, you can usually buy the exact piece you are looking at. So, you’ll know if the surface and finish will be consistent since you’re looking right at it.

When shopping online, you might not always get the same physical piece as in the photo. You also can’t hold the material, so you’ll have to have a little more knowledge upfront about leather types and thicknesses. Knowing where to buy leather makes it all easier.

See this helpful overview of the most popular leather types to get an idea of what’s usually available:

Let’s check out some great places where you can buy leather. Options vary based on the types of leather you may be looking for, whether you prefer to shop in-person or online, and the quantity you need. Local craft stores, specialty leather shops, and online retailers all have their own unique selections and benefits. By exploring different sources, you can find the best quality and price for your specific leatherworking needs.

Where to Buy Leather – Recommended Options

For most common projects and leather working needs, here’s a quick reference list of retailers that sell good-quality leather at fair prices.

Where to Buy Leather – Online Stores

Online leather stores often offer the best variety and prices when considering where to buy leather. With a very wide selection, great pieces can often be found for leather working projects.

Where to Buy Leather – Online Marketplaces

Several popular online marketplaces exist where individual sellers, including some businesses, will make leather available for sale. When considering where to buy leather, here are a few of the more common ones, they’ll usually have the most options available.

Where to Buy Leather – Physical and Chain Stores

Some of the shops listed under Online Stores might also have physical stores in their specific locations. In general, there are some chain hobby and craft shops in the U.S. that have physical stores that might be near you. They’re worth consideration if you need something basic and fast and are debating where to buy leather. Selection will likely be more limited than in the Online Stores, though they are certainly options if you need something and are nearby.

Where to Buy Leather – Exotic Leathers

These sellers offer hides and skins from rare animal types. A few include snake, alligator, camel, frog, and zebra.

Where to Buy Leather – Wholesale

These dealers often sell to retailers or in large volumes to individuals, companies, or production facilities. They can be great places to buy large amounts of leather at lower cost when you’re considering where to buy leather in bulk or for large production runs of leather goods.

Common Leather Buying Questions

Here are some insights into common questions folks have when looking to buy leather. Understanding the types, tanning methods, and quality indicators can help you choose the perfect leather for your needs and preferences. A leather buying guide is another helpful resource for navigating the complexities of different grades, finishes, and ethical considerations in the leather industry.

Where to Find Leather Deals

Most leather retailers periodically offer leather deals. Some opportunities include overstock, scraps, and blemished pieces. Sometimes, they will sell smaller pieces by weight (pound). Other times, they might have leathers in specific colors or finishes they want to sell at lower prices.

A good approach is to know what you’re looking for and then keep an eye on their sales sections. Also, if you enjoy the random surprise, maybe periodically check the sale sections and see if anything catches your eye. Potentially, a leather you might have never considered might be cheap enough to give it a try. It can expand the types of materials you work with and can be fun!

What is the best leather?

The best leather is generally an opinion based on preferences and needs. For example, a great leather for evening wear gloves would not make the best leather for a heavy-duty belt. That said, based on its performance qualities and durability, top grain, vegetable tanned leather is often considered the best leather.

Top grain leather retains the strength of the hide’s outer skin, while the thickness adds durability. It develops a visually pleasing patina and improves with use and time.

Where to buy leather for crafts?

Leather for crafts can be purchased at local craft shops or via online leather retailers. The choice will initially depend on the use of the leather. If price is a consideration, basic crafts made for fun might benefit from lower-cost leathers. Finer leather pieces that will be used daily might benefit from higher-quality leather that will last a long time.

Local chain craft stores such as Michaels, Joann, Hobby Lobby, and Tandy Leather usually have small natural leather pieces, as well as faux leather (vinyl). If you’re looking for more natural leather options, online stores such as Springfield Leather and District Leather Supply have a variety of leathers available.

Where to buy leather near me?

The best way to find leather near you is to look it up online. Local shops will often be listed in search results, and you can see their distance and open hours. You can also call ahead to see what they have available and if it will be what you need.

You also might live near tanneries or local leather processors with hides available to purchase. Also, other leather worker friends might live nearby and be open to selling or trading leather.

How Leather is Shipped

Large leather pieces are usually shipped rolled in tubes or boxes, which is efficient and easy. Smaller pieces or scraps are often packed securely in boxes. The key is that the hide’s surface arrives safely after being in transit. Scratched surfaces might make some leathers unusable for their intended purpose, so proper packing is necessary.

Usually, limiting the ability of the leather to shift helps prevent scratching and abrasion of the surfaces. Covering the surfaces with protective material or paper also helps limit the potential for scratching or rubbing to occur. All the time, though, leather packed well ships and arrives securely and in great shape.

Leather Buying Tips

Order Samples

Some shops will let you order samples to see a small piece before buying a larger one. This is important as you can confirm the look, feel, thickness, color, and surface texture before committing to larger amounts. If you’re planning to do a large, expensive, or production-level project, it is recommended that you order samples if possible.

Get a Leather Swatch Ring

It can be a huge help to physically hold and feel the different thicknesses and weights of leather. A really handy thing to have is a leather swatch ring. A swatch ring is a group of small leather swatches (around 3” x 2”) attached by a metal ring. Each is a different thickness, and is marked with the leather thickness and weight.

Generally available at most leather retailers, these are a relatively inexpensive and great way to really get a feel for the different weights. One can feel, bend, and see which leather thickness is best for their next project.

Working with leather can be an incredible experience. Knowing where to buy leather is the first step to creating some really great leatherwork.

Related Questions

Where can I buy leather strips?

Leather strips can often be purchased from retailers that sell leather hides and pieces. These strips are essential for various leatherworking projects, ranging from small crafts to larger pieces like belts and straps. Leather strips are available in various widths, thicknesses, and finishes, catering to different needs in leathercraft projects. A few popular locations include Springfield Leather, Tandy Leather, and Zack White.

What is the cheapest leather?

The cheapest leather is often remnant or scrap vegetable tanned leather, which can sometimes be found for a few dollars. It is also real leather that can be tooled and worked into a finished piece. Whereas, vinyl and faux leathers are significantly cheaper but are synthetic materials lacking the authentic characteristics of real leather.