Quality Leather Working Supplies In Thailand

[WanderlustMike]

I am a relatively new leather worker based in thailand. And while my work is only for personal use and/or gifts and my experience limited, I abhor the quality of materials and supplies that I have found in Thailand. For example, I cannot find an outlet for any Fiebings products or any shops that even remotely compare to Tandy Leather.

Does anybody have any suggestions?

[WanderlustMike]

Further on my challenges in buying high-quality goods:

Today I attempted to order a couple thousand dollars of supplies and tools from Tandy. the shipping costs calculated by their online store were approximately 70% of the price of the goods. Unacceptable. I could fly to Australia, buy the products, pay the excess baggage fees, and fly back with them for less.

So, my search continues for suppliers not only in Thailand, but am willing to go to KL, Singapore, etc to find them if necessary.

Any ideas, folks??

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

[DavidL]

I'm currently in Singapore and there isn't too many tools that I know of that are readily available. Most people from Singapore buy from Japan - flying direct. In KL you may find some tools, but not any vergez blanchard or dixon tools id imagine.

If your willing to fly and check the tools out and spend a few days looking around that would be a good way to find these tools. Japan would be a good place as they have japanese leather stores all in the same area. Id go as far as looking at finding old traditional shops selling vintage leather tools like pricking irons and hand tools that can't be found online. However, if your looking for things like machines you may have to order online, unless you are lucky enough to find

Also if your budget is large don't go with tandy stuff, its pretty much below average and now the prices are also increased. Japanese are medium quality for everything except for some knives that are well made. European tools like vergez are high quality, with well preserved vintage tools from USA, Japan, Korea, Europe being some of the best. Dixon and osborne sell somewhere in between middle quality and high quality. In general avoid craftool, tandy goods and unbranded goods.

Im curious what are you looking for specifically so I could recommend some sites or some places. Also what I would recommend to save some money is start leather working first and build around what you need and add to it. That would be how I would go about it since a ton of things I buy aren't important and I realize I should of spent some of it buying a different tool or not spent it on that item since I have too much or end up not needing it.

Edited July 13, 2014 by DavidL

[WanderlustMike]

David,

Thanks for the reply and your thoughts. Your thoughts on Japan are interesting, I will do some searching to see if I can find some suppliers that seem to meet my needs and then, perhaps, catch a flight.

I also appreciate your thoughts on Tandy and agree in principle with what your say - over-priced, moderate quality, etc. However, the grand benefit they provide is a one-stop shop for 'reasonable' quality...and that is valuable when one could spend days, weeks, or months trying to find what one can buy online in a one-click scenario. Like most things in life, there are trade offs and you've stated some very real ones. Thank you.

Regarding my needs, i've got what I'd call a moderate set of tools and supplies. I can find adhesives, for example, in SE Asia that I am completely happy with;even the leather supply here is decent. I can frantly get along with everything I have, but am happier with quality tools and supplies. Some examples:

ceramic swivel knife blade - impossible to find here.

permalock needles for lacing - yeah, yeah...I know I can do just fine with the dual clamp needles I have here, but once you've used certain tools, everything else feels like a limitation.

bevelers - I can find them here, but only in one size and of low quality that won't hold an edge or is easily sharpened

stamps - I like to browse (online or in person) a large selection of stamps - not necessarily because I am looking for one in particular, but because I often find things I didn't know I wanted or needed.

LIQUIDS - this is a very sore subject for me. none of the stores I've been to in Chiang Mai or Bangkok even know what Neatsfoot is...or tan kite....or any kind of finishing products. I can't even find antique here. The closest thing I can find to work in colors is wood shellac.

As much as I'd prefer not to buy from Tandy, I could go online and buy tools, oils, cleaners, resists, stains, antiques, finishes, etc all in now place...and at a reliable (if not perfect) quality.

This, my friend, is my challenge.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

[DavidL]

I'd strongly suggest you don't buy any of the tandy tools since I can first hand say with confidence they are terrible, the equivalent of a toy hammer to an actual hammer, maybe not that bad, but you get the point. After a month with the tandy tools you will want an upgrade and since you are spending a couple thousand (baht? or dollars?)it would make sense to buy some well priced professional tools.

If I could go back with my original budget and get to choose again I would do it differently. Over 50 percent of the things I bought would be cut out and I would get some quality leather instead to make some projects, so I can see where your coming from wanting to just get the tools first all at the same time.

For one stop shop goods japan or leathercrafttool has passable tools that are better than tandys and also oils, cleaners and antiques that your looking for without the tandy markup and also with shipping thats not too far from where you live.

[cem]

Heres a site that might get you started with some japanese dealers other than goodsjapan if you wanted to make a trip over there www.craftsha.co.jp/

[WanderlustMike]

Cem,

Thanks for the referral. I bounced through the website blindly (as I read no Japanese) and it seems to be a viable resource. Do you know if there is an English version of the website? I couldn't find a link.

Thanks

[WanderlustMike]

DavidL,

Thanks for the referrals to shopgoods and leathercrafttools. Both seem like good options and seem to have most of the things I am looking for. More importantly, there seems to be a market in japan, so that, and a potential shipping situation and/or a flight is very positive. I'll keep looking around, but this is a definite option. Thanks again.

[cem]

Hi Mike, no they don't have an English site I just use the translate through google chrome, the dealer page is the fourth link from the left on the top greenish tool bar.

[WanderlustMike]

Thanks again! All the best.

[WanderlustMike]

for what its worth to other readers, Tandy responded to me with a revised shipping quote. The price is now about 15% of previously quoted price (from the online store). They are now willing to ship to Thailand from Australia for ~ $73USD.

[DavidL]

what tools are you buying? Tandy's been known to overprice items

[WanderlustMike]

DavidL,

I'm buying a few tools like a ceramic knife, permalock needles,adjustable v-gouge, bevelers, a few stamps, etc. Mostly, I am buying oils, stains, edgings, finishes, etc. These are incredibly hard to find here. And while I am acutely aware of the pricing disadvantages item by item through Tandy, the one-stop shopping is most convenient for someone in my part of the world, else I may spend weeks finding my complete list of items through half a dozen suppliers. And while I may be paying more for the equipment, shipping from multiple outlets and the cost of my time far outweigh the potential savings especially in frustration.

but thank you very much for the advisory. I appreciate it.

Michael

[Budbacca]

Hi,

I'm in Bangkok also it is hard to find supplies if you are looking in English. You can check this link www.sorsrimongkol.com he is in China Town but he imports from Japan. Anything you order from overseas may get hit with tax if it is over 1000 - 2000 baht. I haven't bought anything from him yet but I'm waiting for a price quote. Good luck if you find a good source in Thailand can you upload the name or link. Also where are you going to get your leather from?

Regards

Luis

[WanderlustMike]

Excellent, thanks for the guidance Luis.

Michael

[Budbacca]

Here is another guy I found he has a larger selection I think they may be thai or chinese brands. http://www.leathermanfriend.com/