Tjohnson

Thanks for all the responses. I ended up ordering a five 1/2 and one whole hide of the Badalassi Carlo Pueblo from Rocky Mountain leather, all in different colors, but all split to 1.2-1.4mm, since that will do for most of what I plan to make now. I couldn't see the point of getting smaller panels given the price per sq foot difference. I have cheap natural veg tan Tandy leather for prototypes. And yes, as @alzilla says, I will likely invest in a hand cranked splitter in the future since it can written off and will likely pay for itself fairly quickly with simplified inventory. Right now between my coffee business, farm business, and leather goods (mostly a tie-in with the coffee), I've got enough tax write offs.

I am ramping up to produce small leather goods (wallets, card holders, key tags, etc.) with several colors (usually two) in each item, both of leather and thread (usually one color of contrasting thread) for local farmers markets that I've been going to for the past two years. I like to be able to try out different color combos, so having a variety is good. Also, depending on the project I need different thicknesses of leather and thread. Obviously, it is cheapest to buy a 1/2 or full hide, but once I multiply the hides by colors and then weight (probably 3 different weights ranging from 1.2mm to 1.8mm), things start getting super pricey. An alternative is to buy full thickness and then split, but it looks like I'd have to spend at least $1500 on a hand cranked splitter to do the sizes I'd need. That $1500 would buy a lot of leather. Any suggestions on how to best manage this? I can also dye and have quite a few dyes and natural veg-tan, buy that adds a lot of steps and time to a project. I also don't know how to dye and get the type of look that you see with Badalassi Carlo Pueblo leather. Since I will be selling the goods, efficiency and quality of end product are key. Many will be branded to our coffee shop/roastery. I don't mind investing in equipment if it pays for itself over time; however, I also don't expect a very high volume since its just me working on the side.