Will I get better leather if I order....

[SouthernCross]

Will I get better leather if I order from someone else other than Tandy?  There is a local Tandy store near me and I'm just not impressed with their hide selection.  Every time I'm in the store it just feels to me like it's a "staging area" (warehouse) for mail-order junk for amateurs.  It's just "cheesy-feeling" all around.

If I order from Springfield, Weaver Leather Craft, etc. am I more likely to get better stuff?

[Bolt Vanderhuge]

YES! Order Hermann Oak hides. 

[Beret]

Yes yes yes yes.

I was sourcing from Zack White for some time, and just switched over to Hide House. Very pleased with their service, quality, and pricing. 

[JLSleather]

Hermann Oak tannery (St Louis) is the only place that has never sent me a bad piece of leather.  And I've tried quite a few places.

Oh.. I will add that I have found some decent leather at Tandy stores.  More the exception than the rule (and you need to go pick it out yourself, generally) but it has happened.

Edited February 23, 2017 by JLSleather

[immiketoo]

With the exception of the Tandy Euro bends, and the HO they sell, I find that almost everywhere has batter leather.  I only buy HO and some of the italian leather now.  You can't beat quality.

 

[nrk]

wickett-craig

[NVLeatherWorx]

I think this has been pretty much unanimous that there is life after Tandy and that life is good.

[bikermutt07]

2 hours ago, immiketoo said:

With the exception of the Tandy Euro bends, and the HO they sell, I find that almost everywhere has batter leather.  I only buy HO and some of the italian leather now.  You can't beat quality.

 

I don't think they even carry HO anymore.

[Sceaden]

I do like this stuff from Tandy but it's not cheap. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/roma-single-shoulders

[Troy I]

Wickett & Craig for good leather

[Hillbilly tim]

uh, yup!!!!

[NVLeatherWorx]

19 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

I don't think they even carry HO anymore.

I think they carry it in the European supply chain but when they did have it here it was way more expensive than any other source for it was; in fact, the Elite/Business price was still above what you would be charged as a regular customer elsewhere and I have wholesale pricing with everyone.  The math on that one just didn't jive too well.

[NVLeatherWorx]

19 hours ago, Sceaden said:

I do like this stuff from Tandy but it's not cheap. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/roma-single-shoulders

Expensive it is but quality it isn't.  Tandy hasn't been dealing in quality leather for a very, very long time and when they did (just a bit over a year ago they were trying to provide HO to the market) their pricing was so far off from what was available from literally every other supplier out there that they had to drop that program within a mere handful of months.  There isn't really a single leather that they supply that can't be purchased from another source, in a much better quality, and at a much better price.  They may not be called the same thing but that is just what marketing does, draws you in with a catchy name or powerful description but the reality is that the product has several different names.

[bikermutt07]

2 hours ago, NVLeatherWorx said:

Expensive it is but quality it isn't.  Tandy hasn't been dealing in quality leather for a very, very long time and when they did (just a bit over a year ago they were trying to provide HO to the market) their pricing was so far off from what was available from literally every other supplier out there that they had to drop that program within a mere handful of months.  There isn't really a single leather that they supply that can't be purchased from another source, in a much better quality, and at a much better price.  They may not be called the same thing but that is just what marketing does, draws you in with a catchy name or powerful description but the reality is that the product has several different names.

Granite suppliers do the same thing.

[Sceaden]

As a new leatherworker I am not an expert on quality but it is nicer stuff than the #1 Hermann Oak precut that I got from Springfield and when purchased on sale it isn't a terrible price. Tools and dyes beautifully and has nice soft smooth finish to it. 

I did hunt around for a different supplier but I really don't know what to call it. It's from Italy but that's as much as I can figure. 

[NVLeatherWorx]

4 hours ago, Sceaden said:

As a new leatherworker I am not an expert on quality but it is nicer stuff than the #1 Hermann Oak precut that I got from Springfield and when purchased on sale it isn't a terrible price. Tools and dyes beautifully and has nice soft smooth finish to it. 

I did hunt around for a different supplier but I really don't know what to call it. It's from Italy but that's as much as I can figure. 

Actually, it isn't made in Italy, it is just called Roma for naming purposes to identify that is tanned following the ancient slow-tanning methods is all but it isn't that either.  It is a fattier cowhide that has been tanned in South America using a non-Oak based formula that is common for that region. I will admit that the grain structure is much cleaner than the rest of what Tandy sells but it isn't what it is perceived to be.  Springfield rarely uses HO #1 for pre-cut pieces but they do use it for their top line belt straps; the pre-cuts are from ether their Craftsman HO line or their B-grade HO product line (which is 400% better than anything Tandy offers).

I typically source my leathers from The Hide House as they carry the H.O. line (and it is the best I have ever received from anyone yet and matches the A-grade from the tannery) as well as some very fine (and very affordable) imported premium veg-tan that they pull from England and France where they really do slow tan the hides in open pits over a period of several months (and this the true Old World method of vegetable tanning).  They also carry some leathers that are sourced from around the globe as they are the primary supplier to the designer leather goods industry.

[bikermutt07]

I ordered some stuff from Maverick the other day and I was really pleased. They are kind of old school in their ordering, but even for my small order, they were really friendly. 

Just sharing for newer folks.....

They will open an order for you and tag your items in the computer. They will give you a couple of days before they close and fill the order if you need it. This allows you to change items or add something different. They were really kind and helpful. I only bought about 80.00 worth of closeouts and seconds, but I was treated like a regular customer ordering a pallet of hides.

It was a nice first experience. 

[Sceaden]

Not to argue but the label on the hide says made in Italy so I dunno...

Thanks for the tip, I'll check out the Hide House. :-)

[NVLeatherWorx]

Anyone can label anything with what they want but Tandy hasn't imported much from Europe, especially quality, for a very, very long time; they import from Mexico and South America and that is pretty much it.  I have seen some Ostrich skins that have been identified as being from Australia yet the birds were actually farm raised and processed in Argentina and never saw Australia, so there it is.  If you look at what Tandy tries to push they make it sound like all of their leather is drawn from the United States yet they don't use anything that is tanned within the U.S.; some of the hides may be from U.S. cattle but the bulk of them are actually pulled from the sources in Mexico and other South American regions where they are raised.  Another example is the Python skins that you can find from the various sources, they are actually farm raised outside of the actual jungle yet everyone believes that they are authentic Amazon Jungle Python as advertised; they haven't even seen the Amazon Jungle.  Truth in advertising is myth.  If you want to obtain authentic foreign leathers and materials then you have to go to the source for them to ensure proper quality and product.  Italian leather of any good quality is much more expensive than most here would ever pay (I know, I have some from Italy) and I know what Tandy sells and how they source as I have been in this trade for over 40 years and have had several conversations with staff, both store and exec levels, over those years as they have changed from what they once were to where they are now.  It is all about marketing and getting every dollar they can from the buyer, nothing more.  Ever wonder how they can run such deep discounts on some of their products when they go on sale?  It is because they have such low costs in their materials because of where and how they obtain them that they are still making money on them at a very good margin.  None of the quality suppliers and/or tanneries can do that because they are actually using the finest raw materials to create the finest finished products for use in the industry and their margins are no where near what you might think, and that is why you don't see high quality go on sale like you do at a Tandy store.

You can also request a mailed version of their catalog from the Hide House if you don't want to download the PDF version and, if you doing this as a business operation, they offer wholesale pricing to those who have a registered business operation.  I have yet to have an issue with anything I have received from them so far and I use a tone of veg-tan per year (actually, more like 785 pounds but who is counting).

[ravenhawk4969]

I bought 7/8 oz leather side from loadsofleather on ebay very nice leather very good price cheaper than springfield leather and satisfaction guaranteed.hope this helps.

[Chief31794]

I used a lot of leather from Tandy, back in the 70's, since then I avoid them like the plague. I use some of there products but not leather.  Just my $.02 worth. I've used HO pretty much since then.

 

Chief

[SouthernCross]

 

I bought 7/8 oz leather side from loadsofleather on ebay very nice leather very good price cheaper than springfield leather and satisfaction guaranteed.hope this helps.

Thanks - I'll look into them.

[AZNightwolf]

Just got my first hide from the Hide House. Very Happy with it.

[SouthernCross]

Just curious AZNight, how much did that piece cost including shipping?

[AZNightwolf]

$140 out the door. $125 plus $15 shipping. It has the one hole in the picture and a small brand off in the corner. Should keep me busy for a bit