Best place to buy leather?

[William Sublette]

(no title) <-----RL Cox website

RL Cox Fur in ABQ NM,

these are good mom and pop /non corporate folks that have an incredible selection of leather and tanned furs.



Also


The Colorado Trappers, and predator hunters association has a big sale every year about the middle of February.

There are often large quantities of tanned furs and leathers there. Also more cool stuff than you can imagine.
Taxidermy mounts
Antler
Tanned furs from about every furbearer
Bear claws,
Porky Hair
Quills
Etc
Etc
Etc
Raw Furs


https://coloradotrapper.com/fur-action/

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

The Adult Sporting Goods Shop?

 

[BillRob]

I've had good luck with Outfitters Supply.

 

[oldwood]

Leather Unlimited , Belgium Wisconsin. They have what ya need.

 

[DixieTexian]

I buy most of my stuff from Springfield Leather. If you keep an eye out for their steals and deals, you can find some pretty good stuff at some pretty good prices.

 

[David Veale]

I tan most of my own, but one guy I know of who does great leather work buys much of his from Herman Oak in St Louis. Apparently a very good tannery, and perhaps one of the only ones still operating in the US.

http://www.hermannoakleather.com/

 

[Ohio Rusty]

Notchy Bob is right about veg tanned milled leather being more soft and supple. I recently made a shooting pouch out of 3 oz. cowhide. It turned out nice, but it is pretty stiff. I went to Tandy and they had 3 nice large pieces of milled leather. One of those came home with me for my next bag project. Tandy isn't cheap, but they do have everything you need for leather projects.
Ohio Rusty ><>

 

[GriscomRun]

You could likely find places that sell cheaper ,,,, but ,,, Moscow Hide and Fur has everything from tanned hides, skins, horn, antler, to teeth even.
Plenty of things to make powder measures from. Reliable and ships promptly. I still have deer and elk skins waiting to be put to good use.

 

[Brokennock]

How do you folks feel about buying from a vendor who seems to have good product but dispenses poor information on their website.
At least one of the vendors mentioned in one of these replies has a section of "information" about leather itself and leather working. The 1st thing I clicked on out of curiosity had some absolute b.s. being put forth. Unfortunately some new folks, the ones most likely to read those sections and take them to heart, are going to take what is said there as truth.

Do you buy anyway, or buy from someone else on "principle."

 

[RMH]

I live near a Tandy. Not the best stuff, but nearby and I can see what I am buying.

 

[BillinOregon]

I bought some 8-ounce veg tan cowhide from Frogjelly in Arlington, TX -- who I had not heard of before -- and have been pleased with what I got for the price paid. Makes up into a nice holster, that sort of thing.

 

[Mad L]

Mostly I’m looking for the cheapest leather possible to make buckskin style shirts and or pants. Even sueded soft cow leather or glove tanned.

Watch for sales at Tribalspirt and you can get some "cheap" prices on buckskin and moose.
HOWEVER: if for a shirt and pants, "cheap" is going to let you down! Unless it is just your first project and you just don't want to spend/loose a lot.
Commercial tan buckskin don't hold up well; need smoked brain tan - and you Won't find that 'cheap' unless you make your own.

https://tribalspiritmusic.com/moose-leather/

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I get most of my stuff at Kentucky Leather and Hides
They sometimes have bundles of scrap leather that are the pieces from the hides left over from commercial leather companies, and these often have lots of large pieces just right for knife sheaths, or musket cartridge boxes, frizzen stalls, holsters....

LD

 

[Boatncamp]

I have purchased from Distant Drums and Seymourssi through ebay with good results. Distant Drums previously was located in Upstate NY but fled to Florida. They are good people. Distant Drums runs a lot of craft grade hides on their ebay marketplace for reasonable prices. They will combine shipping if buying more than one piece. I have bought from Kentucky Leather and Hides when they sold on ebay, see that they now have their own website for ordering.

 

[Mad L]

I have purchased from Distant Drums and Seymourssi through ebay with good results. Distant Drums previously was located in Upstate NY but fled to Florida. They are good people. Distant Drums runs a lot of craft grade hides on their ebay marketplace for reasonable prices. They will combine shipping if buying more than one piece. I have bought from Kentucky Leather and Hides when they sold on ebay, see that they now have their own website for ordering.

Nice prices!
BUT; when I take a closer look and read their descriptions, all is not at it seems.
Their "Braintan" is just split hide, "commercial tan" made to 'look like real braintan.
That makes me wonder about their advertised "Bark tan" hides. Their price is almost 'too good to be true', and it don't look like genuine bark tan buckskin I have seen.
But otherwise great prices.