zikzak23 Report post Posted June 12, 2016 (edited) Anyone know where the good place to go for hides/tools/hardware/etc is in or around Brooklyn, NY? I see I can catch a 2hr+ commute to to Nyack to find a Tandy. Google shows a few arts and craft places I'm about to go explore, but I'm skeptical. Anyone got any pointers? Thanks! Edited June 12, 2016 by zikzak23 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mike516 Report post Posted June 12, 2016 (edited) Mail order from Springfield Leather is good and over I think it's $75 it's free shipping. Edited June 12, 2016 by Mike516 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zikzak23 Report post Posted June 12, 2016 Right on. Thanks for the tip! I wish I could find a place to go in and touch stuff. It's been so long, and I'm just trying to get back into it. Feel like I wanna go walk around a brick and mortar to revive my memory of what I want/need in terms of leather, tools, etc. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Boriqua Report post Posted June 12, 2016 (edited) Now it was about a thousand years ago but I used to go to the leather shops in the garment district. These and a bunch of others like them were made from stuff I found there I found this page and it speaks the truth about help and in a way I hope it hasnt changed much. http://www.shopthegarmentdistrict.com/2011/09/shopping-for-leather-and-suede-in.html They were basically small dirty store fronts with wooden creaky floors and a musty smell and they had rolls and rolls of leather. Of course dont expect help or advice. The owners were often surly and at best inattentive. B&H photo used to be the same way and from what I understand hasnt changed much but they had everything camera and good pricing. You can get help but dont expect a lot of it. I think they buy close outs and you just have to fish through the bins and old wooden racks and make your own decisions. However there were indeed bargains to be found there and things that you dont normally find or wouldnt have thought of but upon seeing might spark a project idea. It is ABSOLUTELY worth going to some of these shops and just fishing through the shelves. They were often closed on the weekends and many are owned or run by orthodox Jews so dont expect saturday hours but if you can get there during the week .. make a day of it and drop in from doorway to doorway. I have found some really cool things in those shops and the whole vibe, if you are a new NYER or never visited the garment district during the week is awesome. If you enjoy haggling you can further sweeten the pot but dont expect an easy roll over. I miss NYC sometimes and this is one of the things I miss. Now supplies ... unless something has changed there is no good place to buy supplies and such in the area. I ordered all my tools and such from tandy through catalogs but buying threads and leather at the local shops. Alex Edited June 12, 2016 by Boriqua Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Famah Report post Posted June 21, 2016 There are tons of leather suppliers in the garment district. Obnoxiously, they tend to only be open 9-5 weekdays, but there are warehouses full of stuff to browse. Some even have scrap bins, too, which is nice for practice. I like to go to Global Leather, but I've heard good things about Leather, Suede, Skins and Impact Leather as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites