how to buy leather?

[how to buy leather?]

Cheers for the info, Sides of leather it is!

[how to buy leather?]

Hi all.

I'm a beginner leathercrafter, and would like to know some hints or ideas from others as to how they buy their leather. Is it cheaper to buy precut stamped stuff ie wallets and stubby holders, or should I look at buying sides of tooling leather and cutting it my self. Also where is the cheapest place to get leather, (in Australia) craft stores, online, O/S or at a tannery. Ive just been to my local saddlery/leather store and was quite suprised as to how much a side of leather was? Any hints from others would be greatly appreciated.

Stu.

[my leather stretched!]

Thankyou for your help. I'll post some photos soon of all my beginners work.

Stuart

[my leather stretched!]

Hi all,

Im just begining, at leatherwork, but when I stamped a basket weave pattern onto a coaster shape, it looks more like a football now as it has stretched. Am I making the leather to wet? Am I stamping to hard, or not in a certain pattern. I followed a how to guide in Al Stohlman's Tech Tips.