Finding the best leather suppliers is harder than it looks. Prices vary wildly, quality is inconsistent, and most review sites are just affiliate lists with no real experience behind them. This guide is different — it’s built by a leathercrafter, for leathercrafters. Every supplier listed here has been researched, scored, and ranked across five categories: price and quality, customer service, shipping, returns, and selection.
Rating methodology informed by publicly available reviews and community discussions on Etsy, Reddit r/Leatherworking, and Facebook leathercraft groups.
How We Rank the Best Leather Suppliers
Rankings on this page reflect two things: Kevin’s personal picks — based on years of buying leather and building projects — and aggregated social scores pulled from Google, Yelp, Reddit, Facebook, and leatherworking forums. Kevin’s named picks hold their positions. The rest are ordered by community sentiment.
This is not a paid ranking list. However, sponsored placements are available and will always be clearly labeled with a “Sponsored” chip. If you are a supplier and want to discuss a featured spot, contact us here.
Scores and rankings are updated periodically. Last reviewed: March 2026.
Editor’s Pick
If you only have time to check one supplier, start here.
The single largest retailer of Horween factory seconds in the world. Maverick gives hobbyists and small-batch makers access to world-class leather — Chromexcel, Dublin, Essex, Hermann Oak, Wickett & Craig — at a fraction of retail price. The staff is exceptional, the seconds are 90–95% usable, and the BOGO deals are genuinely hard to beat. This is the first stop for most serious makers in the US.
Best National Leather Suppliers
Kevin’s top picks hold positions #1–#3. Remaining suppliers are ranked by community score.
The go-to for Horween factory seconds. Unmatched selection of Chromexcel, Dublin, Essex, and Hermann Oak at discount prices. Family-run, excellent service, and frequent BOGO deals make this the default first stop for most US makers.
One of the best sources for garment and upholstery leathers in the US. The Hide House carries a wide, browseable selection of chrome tan, garment, and specialty hides. Strong choice when you need soft leathers, variety, or something outside the standard veg tan catalog.
A Chicago-based Horween specialist with a curated selection and exceptional customer service. Founded by John Culliton in 2011, The Tannery Row is the kind of shop where you get real answers from people who know leather. Google-rated 4.7 stars across 42 reviews.
Run by craftsman Bill Wuyek, DLS specializes in high-end imported leathers from Conceria Walpier and Badalassi Carlo in hobbyist-friendly quantities. The weekly live sales on Instagram and YouTube are a serious draw for premium leather at a discount.
A community pillar with one of the best customer service reputations in the industry. Springfield carries leather, tools, hardware, and machinery, and backs it all with a 90-day return policy. Slow shipping is the main trade-off, but they will always make it right.
The most accessible leather supplier in the US, with physical stores across the country. Tandy is the undisputed best place to start your leathercraft journey. Most experienced makers eventually move on for their main leather, but Tandy remains the go-to for dyes, finishes, and emergency hardware.
Rocky Mountain’s free domestic shipping and free leather splitting service are genuinely valuable, especially for project-based buying. Recent community feedback flags slow processing times and inconsistent customer service, so plan ahead and do not use them for rush orders.
Also Worth Checking
- Makers Leather Supply — reliable, consistent restock experience for production builds.
- Weaver Leather Supply — builder-first catalog, excellent for hardware-heavy and strap work.
- Brettuns Village — treasure-hunt buying, great value on odd lots and surplus hides.
- American Leather Direct — broad variety with frequent specials.
- OA Leather Supply — dependable rotation supplier for consistent reorders.
- Acadia Leather — solid chrome tan source, good for comparison shopping.
- Frog Jelly Leather — great for hunting specific chrome tan colors and finishes.
Best International Leather Suppliers
Kevin’s top international pick holds position #1. Remaining suppliers ranked by community score.
The top international leather supplier pick for UK and European hides. A&A Crack and Sons is a major UK-based leather merchant with a broad catalog that covers veg tan, chrome tan, and specialty leathers. A strong option when you want access to European tanneries or need leather that is harder to source in the US.
A UK-based supplier with a solid selection of chrome tan, garment, and specialty leathers. A good alternative to A&A Crack when you want to compare UK sources or need a specific finish or color that is easier to find through a European supplier.
Best Pattern & Template Suppliers
Kevin’s top picks hold positions #1–#3. Remaining suppliers ranked by community score.
The most prolific leather pattern designer in the community. Tony See’s catalog spans bags, wallets, hats, shoes, masks, backpacks, and cosplay — with a creative, dieselpunk-influenced angle that sets it apart from every other pattern shop. 35,000+ Etsy reviews at 4.9 stars says everything.
The best choice when you want structured learning alongside your patterns. Prince Armory Academy combines high-quality leather patterns with a course-style teaching approach, making it ideal for makers who want to build skills, not just follow instructions. Strong for armor, costume, and fantasy leatherwork.
Popular with makers who like a clean, modern aesthetic. Creative Awl Studio’s patterns are well-drafted and well-documented, with a focus on bags and accessories that look contemporary rather than traditional. A strong pick when you want something that does not look like it came out of a Western saddle shop.
A father-and-son pattern shop out of Bucharest with over 400 patterns and a perfect 5.0 star rating on Etsy. Their catalog is one of the deepest available, covering bags, backpacks, wallets, steampunk, plague masks, Greek sandals, and laser-ready DXF files. Free patterns and a $3 section make it easy to try before you commit.
Best Hardware & Findings Suppliers
The go-to dedicated hardware supplier for leathercrafters. Buckle Guy carries an extensive selection of buckles, D-rings, O-rings, rivets, snaps, clasps, and findings in a range of finishes. When you need hardware and only hardware, this is the most focused and well-organized source available.
Also Carry Hardware
- Weaver Leather Supply — deep hardware catalog, especially for straps, tack, and production builds.
- Springfield Leather — broad hardware selection, convenient when ordering leather at the same time.
- Tandy Leather — good for emergency hardware and small quantities, especially with a local store nearby.
Best for Closeouts, Scrap & Deals
The original treasure-hunt leather stop. If you are okay with browsing and adapting your build to what is available, you can score serious value here. Brettuns Village specializes in surplus, odd lots, and discounted hides that do not fit neatly into a standard catalog.
Also Check for Deals
- Springfield Leather — Clearance — frequent maker-friendly deals, great for stocking up.
- Tandy Leather — Sales — easy to grab discounted pieces quickly, especially if you are already buying tools there.
- Weaver Leather — Sale — check after locking your specs for potential savings on hardware and leather.
- Rocky Mountain — Deal Zone — final sale, but can offer good value on leather and supplies.
Best for Veg Tan Leather
- Maverick Leather — Horween and Hermann Oak veg tan seconds at unbeatable prices.
- The Tannery Row — curated Horween veg tan with expert guidance.
- District Leather Supply — premium Italian veg tan (Walpier, Badalassi Carlo ) in hobbyist quantities.
- Springfield Leather — reliable Hermann Oak source with excellent customer support.
- Makers Leather Supply — consistent veg tan for production builds and repeat orders.
- American Leather Direct — broad variety with frequent specials on veg tan hides.
- OA Leather Supply — dependable rotation supplier for consistent veg tan reorders.
Best for Chrome Tan, Garment & Upholstery Leather
- The Hide House — Kevin’s top pick for garment and upholstery leathers. Wide, browseable selection.
- Rocky Mountain Leather — solid chrome tan source with free shipping and splitting.
- Acadia Leather — good chrome tan stop for comparison shopping on selection and price.
- Frog Jelly Leather — great for hunting specific chrome tan colors and finishes.
- A&A Crack and Sons — top international pick for UK and European chrome tan and specialty hides.
- Leather 4 Craft — UK-based alternative for chrome tan and garment leathers.
Best for Leather Machines
Not every supplier treats machines as a real category. These three do — and they are the cleanest starting point whether you are buying your first stitching machine or adding a splitter to a production setup.
The strongest machine-focused inventory of any general leather supplier. Weaver treats machines as a real category, not an afterthought. If your priority is browsing by machine type — stitching vs. skiving vs. splitting vs. edge finishing — this is the most direct path. Best for makers ready to level up production on belts, bags, straps, and repeatable builds.
The most accessible starting point for machine research. Tandy’s storefront is familiar, beginner-friendly, and a practical place to figure out what machine category you actually need before committing. Use Tandy to narrow your type, then price-check elsewhere if needed. Physical stores are a genuine advantage when you want to see a machine before buying.
A dependable “check this next” supplier — especially when you want another inventory angle after Weaver and Tandy. Springfield’s machine selection is solid and their customer service will help you figure out fit and thickness range if you are unsure. A good stop when your first choice is out of stock or you want a second opinion before buying.
How to Pick the Right Machine Fast
- Decide the job first: stitching, skiving, splitting, sanding/buffing, edge finishing, or clicking/cutting — these are different machines.
- Check your material range: thin chrome garment vs. thick veg tan vs. stacked builds all need different specs.
- Know your space: some machines are shop-level, not apartment-level. Check noise and footprint before buying.
- Then shop: start with Weaver, compare at Tandy and Springfield.
Are You a Supplier? Get Listed or Featured Here
This page is built to be the shortcut I wish existed when I started buying leather. If you sell leather, patterns, hardware, or supplies and want to be added, corrected, or featured, reach out.
- Free listing updates: store link, leather types, and “best for” notes.
- Sponsored placements: top-of-section sponsor spots are available and will always be clearly labeled.