Wholesale Leather ?

[Tom Biesinger]

im starting a leather business, and currently just get my leather from tandy... that is not the best way i know... i was wondering if anyone had some great suggestions for suppliers... i make belts.. so thick stuff

[Troy I]

Wickett & Craig in PA.

[NVLeatherWorx]

The Wickett & Craig leather of late has had less than satisfactory reviews from some of the finest craftsmen in the industry so you may want to evaluate other sources. I, and many others, use Hermann Oak from St. Louis, MO and have been for several years. You can purchase large amounts from them direct or you can get your leather from other sources. The Hide House in Napa, CA is a large distributor to the designer market and they carry Hermann Oak as well as some other veg-tan leathers and their prices are very good. You can also get leather, at a wholesale rate, from Springfield Leather in Springfield, MO. The direction to take should be based on how much you will be purchasing at a time and your location could also play a factor in this. There are plenty of options to consider, just run a Google search for wholesale leather suppliers and see what you can find. Do some research into each one you consider and even give them a call or drop them an email with any questions that you may have. Make sure that your supplier is one who can keep you supplied with some good leather and a good price. And, yes, Tandy is not the best route to go as their leather quality has suffered dramatically and is not looking as if it will be improving anytime soon.

Good luck with your search and your business. I operate a business as well and am always monitoring the supply chain sources.

[Thor]

It might help to point you in the right direction if you would tell where you're from Tom

[chiefjason]

American Leather Direct has some pretty thick hides available in Natural veg and bridle. Thoroughbred Leather has started getting some thicker bridle leather in. Thicker meaning 13 oz and up. I've dealt with both and been pleased with the service.

[Colt W Knight]

I buy my leather from Hidehouse.com in Napa, CA. They have whole sale pricing, and the staff is friendly and helpful. The website leaves much to be desired, but they put out a great catalog that is much easier to navigate and find what you want. I've tried a variety of leather companies, and Hidehouse.com has been the only ones who have delivered consistent quality. I use to shop at Tandy, but the leather quality went down so much that I couldn't find a single suitable hide sorting through a hundred.

If you need a lot of leather, you can order direct from the tannery. Herman oak will sell you 10 hides at a time for the same weight, or 20 if you need multiple weights. That's a big investment. If you are buying 1 or 2 at a time, you will probably struggle to buy very high quality leather because most stores sell to hobby crafters.

[TinkerTailor]

Look at the cost of shipping hides, and the cost of shipping back crap and your time to do so, then seriously consider traveling to a supplier to pick the leather yourself. In the long run, depending on distance, it may be cheaper both in dollars and time if you want top quality. If you are the one picking it, places that may not be trustable mail order may have good deals. Tandy is not likely to be one of these. We'll see what happens with the recent ousting of the CEO...

[nrk]

If you need a lot of leather, you can order direct from the tannery. Herman oak will sell you 10 hides at a time for the same weight, or 20 if you need multiple weights. That's a big investment. If you are buying 1 or 2 at a time, you will probably struggle to buy very high quality leather because most stores sell to hobby crafters.

they have different terms for the different leather types. you mentioned terms for the tooling leather. for example ordering English bridle leather have different conditions if not mistaken.