Leather Supplier and Tannery Comparison

What a good one includes

• Clear breakdowns of minimum order requirements for both initial sampling and ongoing production runs to ensure they match your workshop's budget.
• Detailed classifications of each tannery's specialty, such as vegetable-tanned, chrome-tanned, or combination-tanned hides, alongside available tempers and finishes.
• Expected production turnaround times and shipping origins to help you plan your product launches and inventory cycles accurately.
• Comprehensive pricing structures, including bulk discounts and sample cost structures, to keep your profit margins healthy.
• Verification of environmental standards, such as Leather Working Group (LWG) ratings, to align with your brand's ethical commitments.
• Direct instructions on how each supplier handles sample rings, swatches, or trial hides so you can test the temper and grain in-hand before committing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overlooking minimum order quantities which can force small workshops to buy far more inventory than they can afford to hold.
• Failing to account for shipping costs and import duties on international hides, which can unexpectedly double the actual cost per square foot.
• Ignoring the consistency of dye lots and temper across different seasons, leading to unpredictable product quality for your customers.
• Choosing a supplier solely based on price without verifying their reputation for sending lower-grade hides mixed in with premium orders.

Frequently asked questions