Leather Supply Companies - Good and Bad?

[Gulrok]

Hi folks,

To keep a long story short, I’m fortunate enough to be in the process of starting a leather supply and distribution company. We’ve been in our personal business for awhile now and have decided to take the plunge to the next level.

This post isn’t an advertisement by any means and I will be very specific to not name our business or discuss until we have secured paid advertisement here on the board. (Or have full approval by the staff)

We’re looking to solve a frustration that we have with our current suppliers and hopefully offer some more economical options for the other side of the country (east coast). In our opinion, we think we can bridge those gaps.

With that being said, there are a handful of supply companies both good and bad. 
 

My question here is what do some of your suppliers do right, and what do they do wrong? Please don’t name or shame any suppliers. That isn’t the goal of this post.

For me, I think one of the biggest challenges suppliers have is keeping a well kept and manageable website. 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Gulrok

[fredk]

The main problem I encounter (not too often though) is suppliers not keeping their stock records up-to-date and I put in my order only to be told days, or even weeks, later that what I've ordered is out of stock, and was when I ordered it. And even after that the supplier still lists that leather as 'in stock', available to order

On the other hand; one supplier, which I've used for a long time, will send me small samples, about 2 inches square, of leathers, foc, when I've asked for samples

[Klara]

Things done wrong: Erroneous description on the website (there was a language problem involved, shouldn't be an issue for you). 

Done right: Samples sent

I haven't ordered all that much online, because I'm lucky enough to have a shop fairly close by and buying there is much easier. But as a general rule, I need very detailed descriptions and good photos. For irregular shaped pieces of leather I want to know not only the total square centimeters (or inches) but useful length x width (long enough for a belt?) For tools I would want to see the measurements as well,  or a photo of the tool in somebody's hand (I nearly ordered a V gauge that looked good online, but in reality it is so tiny I could hardly hold it). If you want to sell to beginners, it would be helpful if you wrote what tools are for and which rivet to use when. And what to do with various pieces of leather. (Or you could just send people here...)

Not in a leather context: I absolutely hate it when a company sends out a "your order is on its way and can no longer be cancelled" mail 3 seconds after I've sent off the order - and then it takes 3 weeks for the package to arrive within Europe (mostly an Amazon marketplace thing). I love it when I can call a small shop to discuss my needs (and they are then taken care of, like a PayPal address in case the bank transfer doesn't go through for next-day shipping). Btw, PayPal is by far my preferred method of payment. 

I hate it when shipping cost goes UP with order value. Intellectually I realise that I have to pay the shipping somehow, but I'm still more likely to order if shipping is free. Or free above a certain amount. 

Of course, the order should arrive quickly and above all complete. And if I complain that some needles are missing, that I have taken the box apart for recycling and that there is no hole in the cardboard - then I don't want "have you really looked" as a reply.

On communication in general (but that may be a cultural thing, I'm a German living in France): I very much appreciate getting the feeling that I'm communicating with a human being. Big shops especially in English speaking countries sometimes send very long, ultra polite standard mails that have very little to do with what I've actually asked and sometimes add up to "sorry, we can't do anything". I much prefer two sentences to the point, and that preferably solve the problem. 

And on that note I'd better stop...

[Doc Reaper]

I don’t like it when they send you crap that they wouldn’t purchase if they were a regular customer!!!’

Is was a side of 5/6 ounce leather and I was charged for 27 square feet. The side had a hole in it that 2 larger folks could use as a hula hoop, I returned it by hand, the manager I spoke with said he sent it, even said how unblemished it was, when I unrolled it his mouth dropped open. At that point he found a great side and paid for my gas

[Handstitched]

@Gulrok You don't say where you are located ? 

Here in Australia, the biggest problem is....we don't have enough tanneries, and not enough suppliers ...therefore, up goes the cost, because most of it comes from O/S. Freight costs is something no-one can control . 

Here in Oz, our " express post" used to be just that, express, sent out the next day..or so . But now , "express" =    sometime next week ?? 

Suppliers need to be more descriptive in their ads . Describing what each item is used for, tools , materials etc.   especially for the newbies entering the world of leather.  

Some things are simply out of anyone's' control. But they need to keep on top of what they have, and double check the orders. I've already have a few stuff ups this week because someone didn't read the order properly , and I end up with the wrong size, or wrong product . 

But,on the plus side, they do their best to correct their mistakes, with no additional cost.. They haven't asked for me to send the incorrect item back , they let me keep it/them. They are courteous and polite , well, those that I deal with are   

Good luck in your venture .

HS

 

[Mulesaw]

Good things:

Ease of communications, whether you call by phone or send an email.

If a mistake is made e.g. wrong length of zippers sent to the customer, then it should be very easy for the customer to call and get it sorted out. My local supplier did it and I had expected a inquisition like questioning, but instead they said, oh, we are very sorry, we made a mistake, the correct ones should be with you tomorrow. I was dumbfounded and stuttered, well, don't you want the wrong ones back or see any proof etc. - but Nope, I could keep the wrong ones and they believed me without a doubt or without demanding evidence. 

Pictures of the actual stuff on the website and an accurate description.

Calling you if they think you are buying the wrong thing unknowingly. My shop called me when I had ordered some double prong buckles for a 2" belt. They just wanted to let me know that if I wanted to make weight lifting belts, the particular model I had ordered was not strong enough. Just a friendly call and no trying to sell me other stuff, but the exact same sort of advice that you would be glad to get if you were in the physical shop. 

Offering a free printed catalogue to be sent along with your purchase.

 

Bad things:

Missing items from an order, even with ease of fix it is still better to get it all correct in the first place.

 

 

 

[fredk]

Double wrap and pack orders.

#1 company wraps hides inside each other and with heavy duty wrapping paper integral to the roll. This is wrapped in a corrugated card wrap.  Then this is put into a plastic tube bag of heavy industrial plastic, then this is put into another bag of the same. Small items such as buckles have been bagged and put into the centre of the roll. Never any damage to anything upon arrival.

#2 company rolled 3 hides individually, with a piece of lightweight brown wrapping paper around each. These were put into a not very substantial card box and one piece of parcel tape to keep each end of the box closed. A bag of buckles, conchos etc was just placed in one end of the box. One end of the box burst partially open during transit. Fortunately not the end with the bag of fittings. But on a previous occasion it had been and the supplier had to send me the fittings again.

[chuck123wapati]

3 hours ago, Doc Reaper said:

I don’t like it when they send you crap that they wouldn’t purchase if they were a regular customer!!!’

Is was a side of 5/6 ounce leather and I was charged for 27 square feet. The side had a hole in it that 2 larger folks could use as a hula hoop, I returned it by hand, the manager I spoke with said he sent it, even said how unblemished it was, when I unrolled it his mouth dropped open. At that point he found a great side and paid for my gas

[Tequila]

I purchased some veg tanned leather from a supplier that offered splitting.  The splitter must’ve had a problem because it was obvious that some of it had an extra layer of hide on it. To me that’s a sign of quality control, and I’ll be hesitant to buy from them again.  And no I didn’t call and tell them, I couldn’t wait another 10 days to get another piece, on the plus side the leather face was very good (holes, scars, etc.).  So for me quality control is important, if I get charged a premium price I expect a premium product. 

Customer Service:  I’m tired of hearing excuses.  If you have a “Contact Us” section I would hope that you have someone to answer the phone/respond to email. 

Website: Keep it uncomplicated.  I really like vendor’s sites that allow you choices to view leather by weight, tannage, cut, etc.  If I’m looking for 2oz veg I don’t go through pages of chrome, and heavy weight stuff.  I looked at a vendor’s site recently that didn’t list the tannage, so you didn’t know if you were looking at veg or chrome tanned  

Tools:  People are different; not everyone wants expensive high end tools/equipment, but others are willing to pay for a quality product, clearly labeled choices are nice.  If you’re going to sell stamps seeing a picture of what the stamp looks like on leather with a ruler to show the size is nice. 

Hope some or all of this helps.

[doubleh]

I don't do a lot of leather work anymore but recently my interest revived somewhat. I have been using the same supplier for a long, long time and ever one of the products he sells is topnotch. I am close enough to take a day out and go pick what I want but when I do order online I know it will right and good. He is a one man operation and I stopped in last week when I was in his city for another reason and picked up a belt blank and a couple of other small items. He said that unlike past years he has a supply problem and delivery of most thing is 3 or more times as long as it used to be. I expect every retailer in the leather goods business is suffering the same.

[Gulrok]

9 hours ago, fredk said:

The main problem I encounter (not too often though) is suppliers not keeping their stock records up-to-date and I put in my order only to be told days, or even weeks, later that what I've ordered is out of stock, and was when I ordered it. And even after that the supplier still lists that leather as 'in stock', available to order

On the other hand; one supplier, which I've used for a long time, will send me small samples, about 2 inches square, of leathers, foc, when I've asked for samples

Oh yes. Inaccurate stock records. Agreed. We deal with exactly the same issue. 



 

[Gulrok]

7 hours ago, Doc Reaper said:

I don’t like it when they send you crap that they wouldn’t purchase if they were a regular customer!!!’

Is was a side of 5/6 ounce leather and I was charged for 27 square feet. The side had a hole in it that 2 larger folks could use as a hula hoop, I returned it by hand, the manager I spoke with said he sent it, even said how unblemished it was, when I unrolled it his mouth dropped open. At that point he found a great side and paid for my gas

I have personally dealt with awful pieces which would never be able to be used as well. 
 

7 hours ago, Klara said:

I hate it when shipping cost goes UP with order value. Intellectually I realise that I have to pay the shipping somehow, but I'm still more likely to order if shipping is free. Or free above a certain amount. 

For most things over a certain amount you make enough that shipping can be free. Totally agree. Flatrate shipping up to xyz, then free after.

 

 

7 hours ago, Handstitched said:

@Gulrock You don't say where you are located ? 

Here in Australia, the biggest problem is....we don't have enough tanneries, and not enough suppliers ...therefore, up goes the cost, because most of it comes from O/S. Freight costs is something no-one can control . 

Here in Oz, our " express post" used to be just that, express, sent out the next day..or so . But now , "express" =    sometime next week ?? 

Suppliers need to be more descriptive in their ads . Describing what each item is used for, tools , materials etc.   especially for the newbies entering the world of leather.  

Some things are simply out of anyone's' control. But they need to keep on top of what they have, and double check the orders. I've already have a few stuff ups this week because someone didn't read the order properly , and I end up with the wrong size, or wrong product . 

But,on the plus side, they do their best to correct their mistakes, with no additional cost.. They haven't asked for me to send the incorrect item back , they let me keep it/them. They are courteous and polite , well, those that I deal with are   

Good luck in your venture .

HS

 

Located in New Jersey, USA. I agree there's a lot of misinformation on tools, or just images with no description why you need it. 

 

7 hours ago, fredk said:

Double wrap and pack orders.

#1 company wraps hides inside each other and with heavy duty wrapping paper integral to the roll. This is wrapped in a corrugated card wrap.  Then this is put into a plastic tube bag of heavy industrial plastic, then this is put into another bag of the same. Small items such as buckles have been bagged and put into the centre of the roll. Never any damage to anything upon arrival.

#2 company rolled 3 hides individually, with a piece of lightweight brown wrapping paper around each. These were put into a not very substantial card box and one piece of parcel tape to keep each end of the box closed. A bag of buckles, conchos etc was just placed in one end of the box. One end of the box burst partially open during transit. Fortunately not the end with the bag of fittings. But on a previous occasion it had been and the supplier had to send me the fittings again.

Good point. Obviously thicker leathers have the issue of not being able to be tightly wound, but the thinner stuff should absolutely be able to be wound around a tube and secured. 

 

2 hours ago, Tequila said:

I purchased some veg tanned leather from a supplier that offered splitting.  The splitter must’ve had a problem because it was obvious that some of it had an extra layer of hide on it. To me that’s a sign of quality control, and I’ll be hesitant to buy from them again.  And no I didn’t call and tell them, I couldn’t wait another 10 days to get another piece, on the plus side the leather face was very good (holes, scars, etc.).  So for me quality control is important, if I get charged a premium price I expect a premium product. 

Customer Service:  I’m tired of hearing excuses.  If you have a “Contact Us” section I would hope that you have someone to answer the phone/respond to email. 

Website: Keep it uncomplicated.  I really like vendor’s sites that allow you choices to view leather by weight, tannage, cut, etc.  If I’m looking for 2oz veg I don’t go through pages of chrome, and heavy weight stuff.  I looked at a vendor’s site recently that didn’t list the tannage, so you didn’t know if you were looking at veg or chrome tanned  

Tools:  People are different; not everyone wants expensive high end tools/equipment, but others are willing to pay for a quality product, clearly labeled choices are nice.  If you’re going to sell stamps seeing a picture of what the stamp looks like on leather with a ruler to show the size is nice. 

Hope some or all of this helps.

It does help. 

I think website organization and allowing customers to filter their search by tannage/weight/etc. The truth is, that's a really simple thing. Same website tool as when you're buying a car and filtering for the right product.

Customer communication is huge. They're bread and butter and I hate when I can't get on the phone when there's an order. 

A splitter is not in our plan right away. Maybe something in the future. 

[chuck123wapati]

i don't have issue with selling low grade leather if you are honest about it. My biggest issue and i wont give folks a second chance is selling low grade leather for higher grade leather. If you say its b grade for example it better be. This is something that is done frequently i feel by some companies either because they don't want to hassle with sending crap back to their supplier or some times intentionally.

Last thing i want to hear is if you don't like it just send it back. I wont waste any more of my time to send it back so the seller can pawn it off again to some unknowing schmuck. But i will leave the review and not buy again and i have mentioned it on this forum as well as anyone willing to listen.

My true to life example , i ordered leather that was advertised mid grade which should be something along low b or c i under stood there would be bad spots, bug bites and a brand no big deal i knew there would be waste but what i received was d grade or even worse, leather that was mostly waste, the grain side almost totally shredded by some machine during the tanning  process. the damn thing shouldn't have even left the tannery. Herman oak to boot! For your own good don't ruin your reputation or the tanneries rep by passing that crap on.

[Gulrok]

2 hours ago, chuck123wapati said:

i don't have issue with selling low grade leather if you are honest about it. My biggest issue and i wont give folks a second chance is selling low grade leather for higher grade leather. If you say its b grade for example it better be. This is something that is done frequently i feel by some companies either because they don't want to hassle with sending crap back to their supplier or some times intentionally.

Last thing i want to hear is if you don't like it just send it back. I wont waste any more of my time to send it back so the seller can pawn it off again to some unknowing schmuck. But i will leave the review and not buy again and i have mentioned it on this forum as well as anyone willing to listen.

My true to life example , i ordered leather that was advertised mid grade which should be something along low b or c i under stood there would be bad spots, bug bites and a brand no big deal i knew there would be waste but what i received was d grade or even worse, leather that was mostly waste, the grain side almost totally shredded by some machine during the tanning  process. the damn thing shouldn't have even left the tannery. Herman oak to boot! For your own good don't ruin your reputation or the tanneries rep by passing that crap on.

I too believed that some companies are "regrading" leather to make a quick buck. This is a hill I will die on. 

We've gotten leather that is so messed up that was advertised at A grade that I didn't believe it was possible. For instance we once bought a W&C side that had a gouge down the middle, advertised A grade. I have photos of it somewhere and will upload if I find it. 

 

[billybopp]

I'd suggest offering different shipping options at the customer's choice.  Where I live, USPS all too often loses things.  When they don't loose them, the simply leave them on my front steps on a fairly busy street, with no knock and no notification.  Things get stolen that way.  UPS and FedEx tend to do a far better job of actually knocking at the door and sending a notification as the package is delivered if nobody can answer the knock right away.  Your customers know who does a good job at deliveries and who does not, let them choose.  It should also help you to avoid having to replace things that go missing before they are received, saving you over-all.

When shipping liquids, put them in a zip-lock bag or something to avoid them messing up everything else in the box if it the bottle should get broken in transit.  You may have to replace that item, but won't have to replace everything else when that happens.

And... Agree what all I've seen above as well!

- Bill

[Klara]

I agree with billybopp, only where I live the normal postal service is the most reliable. I am not happy if I am forced to use UPS or similar...

[Gulrok]

11 hours ago, billybopp said:

I'd suggest offering different shipping options at the customer's choice.  Where I live, USPS all too often loses things.  When they don't loose them, the simply leave them on my front steps on a fairly busy street, with no knock and no notification.  Things get stolen that way.  UPS and FedEx tend to do a far better job of actually knocking at the door and sending a notification as the package is delivered if nobody can answer the knock right away.  Your customers know who does a good job at deliveries and who does not, let them choose.  It should also help you to avoid having to replace things that go missing before they are received, saving you over-all.

When shipping liquids, put them in a zip-lock bag or something to avoid them messing up everything else in the box if it the bottle should get broken in transit.  You may have to replace that item, but won't have to replace everything else when that happens.

And... Agree what all I've seen above as well!

- Bill

 

2 hours ago, Klara said:

I agree with billybopp, only where I live the normal postal service is the most reliable. I am not happy if I am forced to use UPS or similar...

Definitely multiple shipping options. We find that USPS has lost a handful of packages as well. 

[LoveLock]

There's a online company that has a video on each product page of a guy handling the leather. Nice way to see temper, color under room lights, and thickness that pictures often can't show.

One thing that I like from fabric/apparel suppliers is information on whether an item is reorder-able or not. There's times I've planned work around a particular leather that's suddenly not available anymore and it's product page has disappeared.

[Gulrok]

1 hour ago, LoveLock said:

There's a online company that has a video on each product page of a guy handling the leather. Nice way to see temper, color under room lights, and thickness that pictures often can't show.

One thing that I like from fabric/apparel suppliers is information on whether an item is reorder-able or not. There's times I've planned work around a particular leather that's suddenly not available anymore and it's product page has disappeared.

So that's a good point - is it a short-stock item? Or is it a planned restock able.

Good advice. 

[Tequila]

@Gulrok so when should we plan on seeing your new site up and running?  Are you planning on having an announcement?

[Gulrok]

1 hour ago, Tequila said:

@Gulrok so when should we plan on seeing your new site up and running?  Are you planning on having an announcement?

So at this point - I'm working on the website and trying to get it ready / modular enough to accept new products. 

Things I've done so far

1) I have a tool maker making me custom tools.
2) I have one vendor for hand sewing threads.
3) Website is coming along.

--

Things I have to continue 
1) I want more thread vendors and options.
2) I'm in contact with tanneries w/o contracts/agreements yet.
3) I'm finishing branding - the artist we're working with is driving me a little bit crazy right now. I'm not super happy with the logo.

I'm attaching the logo - thoughts? 

 

EDIT: So the brand name is Union Leather Supply. 

Edited August 12, 2022 by Gulrok

[battlemunky]

I like it @Gulrok. It sounds like you are making a great shop.

Just remember that if you wouldn't use it yourself, or pay top dollar for it, customers shouldn't be expected to either. Don't forget that and you'll be just fine. I think that is where a few of the big names in leather have lost me.

[Klara]

Do you really want to announce to the world that you are a brand new company? I wouldn't include the date for the first 10 years at least...

As for the rest - it's not a shape and colour scheme that immediately appeals to me (I'm not American and the shape reminds me of Opel), but it is distinctive and you can make it stand for high-quality leather supplies.

That said, I am not sure whether any of my suppliers even have a logo... For me a name and Internet address that are easy to remember are much more important! 

 

[JLSleather]

Personally I would SIMPLIFY that logo.  Looks okay, but I think you'll find that LESS detail is better.  On line, simpler images load faster and require less resolution (which makes them, again, load faster).   And in print, you'll find that multiple color printing adds cost quickly.

And - each his own - I do not like "script" fonts, unless it's very brief and recognizable text.  EVERYTHING is legible when its 4" across

 

Simple is good.  Think of some BIG ones everybody recognizes... 

Target - one color, one shape

McDonalds - one color, just a couple "arches"

Nike - just a 'checkmark'

Etc, etc....

 

[Tequila]

I agree the logo is not quite right.  I think I see what the artist was going for a look-a-like Union Railroad logo, but it doesn’t grab me.  I think @JLSleather is on the right track (pardon the pun).  Maybe something like Union on the first line and Leather Supply on the second line.  IMHO