I bought a scrap of shearling on etsy - and realized that there is a physical store in Santa Cruz. Went yesterday and got a piece of thick leather for a desk mat for a super reasonable price. You can get as big or small scraps of leather you want, and the guy that works here is just so nice and approachable. Definitely worth supporting a store like this. read more

Came in today and the owner Ross is overwhelmed, rude, and unable to help. Someone was behind me, he assumed we were together, okay, simple mistake, he looked like he had been drinking, his face was flushed and bright red. he raised his concerns to me in a rush, hurrying me, I was being pretty positive, saying hi, how are you? he just wanted to know why people were in his shop. I asked if he sold buttons. big mistake. how could I make the grievous error of coming in there for shirt buttons?? he said to me, "LIKE THEY HAVE AT HARTS???" "YOU NEED TO GO THERE!" "YOU NEED TO GO TO HARTS" "YOU KNOW WHERE THAT IS????" he then proceeded to show me conchos and proceed to mansplain I was in a leather store in front of the other, sweaty, neckbearded customer that was just staring at us while he raised his voice at me. I then proceeded to tell him I had another question for him, (I know, this is my next mistake for continuing contact with this overwhelmed, disrespectful, discriminate, old man). I had an armadillo purse in need of patching and if he sold patches. more yelling. more mansplaining about cheap scraps of leather. the kicker was when he yelled, "DOES ANY OF THAT MAKE SENSE???" and the neckbearded customer proceeded to drool out the words "nope" as he was still staring at this man have his retail service tantrum. I politely told him to have a nice day and walked out with my dignity and sanity. I will go to harts fabric. they're very nice there. and they have buttons. Ross, if youre reading this, sober up and liquidate. read more

This place is a gem that needs to be supported. I went in one Saturday while staying in Santa Cruz (I'm from the Bay Area). I had a small leather project that I wanted to purchase for and the lady that was there was knowledgeable, helpful and very friendly. She was interested in my project and even gave me pointers. Next time I am in town I will visit again. read more

Leatherwise - Soccer ball project made from leather from Leatherwise. - Leather Goods Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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A great little gem in Santa Cruz for all your leather crafting creations! Stopped by to check out what options there were for creating a leather belt for an costume and was taken into a wonderland of leather goods. The owner is so kind and nice and helped us with all the questions we had. Found they also have leather staining supplies and I'm excited to bring by my bag to get some notes before choosing a color to dye it. The quality and variety in this space is fantastic and the price is very reasonable. Will be coming back to make a full grain leather belt for my dad at the size he struggles to find it store. Highly recommend! read more

What a place! The owner is genuinely the nicest guy and super helpful too. I needed a large piece of thick leather for the top of a workbench -- I got my leather and couldn't be happier. The store is well stocked with lots of materials at incredibly reasonable prices. You can buy as much or as little of a hide as you need which is nice. There's also a nice selection of off-cuts that are very inexpensive. I went for the first time today and already want to go back. read more

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Super amazing selection and very friendly owner would def make my way back. The leather is fairly priced and hush quality

Ross is a really good guy. I've purchased leather and tools from him. He has a very good selection of materials and finished product. I highly recommend Leatherwise. read more

Wow this place is insane in the best way! If you're looking for high quality leather in any color imaginable, this is the place to come. The place is packed to the ceiling with rolls of leather (calf, goat) and furs (sheep and calf). Lots of tools and books too for you to keep learning. Ross was incredibly helpful, providing lots of information about each piece I asked about. He was quick to give me pricing on all the pieces and all around friendly. He also sells on eBay, so if you don't live in town, it's easy to purchase from the store online. All COVID restrictions were followed. read more

Ross was absolutely lovely, came here with a friend who works with leather from SoCal and Ross was extremely friendly and inviting. I don't work with leather but just coming here made me curious! My friend who does leatherwork loved the variety and quality that Ross' shop here provided. Awesome experience, my friend is very happy with his purchases, highly recommend :-) read more

Bonnie really went above and beyond for fixing my purse when I brought it in. She was accommodating with pricing since I'm a student and really took the time to make it look as nice as possible! While both her and Anne worked on my purse, they were also very knowledgeable and informative on how to handle my purse and it's after care. Very sweet ladies and they are excellent at their jobs, I highly recommend!! read more

Good selection of leather for projects. Ross, the owner, is nice but totally failed on a problem with being charged twice on a transaction. I used my debit card to pay for the transaction Ross told me the transaction was canceled. I then gave him a credit card and ran the transaction again. I went outside And logged in to my bank and saw that the first transaction had gone through. I went back inside and showed Ross the pending charge in my banking app. He told me that he would hold onto the receipt so that we could sort it out. I called him a few days later and left a message that the transaction had gone through my bank account." And that I had been charged twice. Ross left a message telling me I would need to bring proof. I called him again on a Saturday and he told me he was busy in the store and would call back. He Never did. #Fail. I don't live in Santa Cruz so It is not easy for me to just pop in. I expect a return phone call instead of being blown off about a problem with the merchant's financial services. I opened a case with my bank to deal with the issue. It will get resolved but will take up to 90 days instead of the business owner resolving it. Pretty disappointing, especially since the owner seems to be a nice guy. read more

Not sure where else you can get this selection of leather and leather tools. Always helpful and I walk out with way more than planned. Great place to get scraps. read more

I love this place - large selection of leathers and hides. Sweet and helpful staff. If you need something leather or fur related chances are they have it here. Pro tip - pet the chinchilla fur. It's worth it. read more

I go here all the time for various leather and crafting projects. I make knife sheaths and archery accessories. Ross, the owner, is super nice and helpful. He will cut hide depending on how much you need, and sells leather by the square foot, which is awesome. Most leather places I've been to either will sell you half a cow or nothing haha. A great place if you're a crafter in Santa Cruz! Thanks for being there leatherwise! read more

I'm not into leather working but I accompanied my friend here as he is just getting into the hobby. The selection of leathers, tools, instructional books, and other miscellaneous accessories looked impressive. And the owner was very generous with his knowledge. Even the layout and general atmosphere of the store is strangely relaxing---I could have taken a nap right there in a pile of leather. My friend was so excited I thought he was pitching a tent! This place will even make a belt for you. I saw that you could pick out a belt and buckle and they will craft it according to your specifications---nice! read more

Ross is a super nice guy and runs a really honest business. Always helpful and forthcoming with useful information and help, I'm so stoked he's in town -- I don't know what I'd do without this place! read more

This store is amazing! It has anything you could want or need to do with leather working, including vegetable tanned hides, beautiful patterned hides, scraps, fur scraps, thongs, belts, and my god, the tools! Needles, punches, rivets and lots of things I'd never seen before. There's a huge variety of everything, and if you have any questions the owner is more that willing to share his years of experience. Honestly, I think he just might be the most knowledgeable (and so ready to share!) leatherworker I've met. I know this sounds a little too good to be true, but honestly I was so impressed by this small independent business kicking so much ass, I couldn't help but write a review for it. read more

Leatherwise is a great leather store where you can find everything you could want for your leather project. There is a great assortment of leather including colorful and animal print leather that is hard to find plus there is all the studs, buckles and other fixings you need. My favorite though is the scrap bin where I've found many treasures. The owner Ross is super awesome and very helpful. He has given me advice on projects I work on and hes just an all around interesting and nice guy to talk to. The store is very cool looking and is located inside a historic building. read more

THE place for leather in Santa Cruz County! The owner is helpful and knowledgeable and the selection... the SELECTION! It really is stupendous. But, careful! If you are not yet interested in leather... Leatherwise may turn you into a leather addict as it did me! read more

I love this shop so so much! I have received the best customer service here each time I've been in! I had a cut in one of my leather purses and stopped by for advice only. They fixed my bag on the spot, free of charge!! I can't express how grateful I am! I will continue to be a customer as long as they are in business!! I've also made really adorable leather bows for my daughter from their awesome scrap bins! read more

These guys are awesome. I'm not a craft person - went to ask some questions about a leather laptop bag fixed. Ended up getting it fixed on the spot in less than five minutes. Super helpful. read more

Leatherwise is a Santa Cruz treasure. It is an incredible resource for everything your inner creator could possibly want to make the leather creation of your dreams. Ross is a great ally in the creative process, generous with his knowledge and skill, and a perfect combination of resourceful & spacious. read more

Hidden gem for leather goods. I came here looking for leather to make a sharpening strop. The owner was friendly, knowledgable and professional. He gave great advice and quick service. I'll return here again. read more

ross and anne are incredibly sweet and helpful. i am just getting started crafting with leather and they have provided great supplies, advice, and support. they offer a huge variety of leather and fur-one can even buy leather scraps by weight if you want to dabble and experiment. they also offer a wide array of tools, snaps, rivets, eyelets, spikes, steampunk accessories, belts, buckles...so much fun. i'm very happy to be supporting a great local business and to have a great start to a new craft. read more

I Love Leatherwise, Ross is so helpful,friendly and just nice to be around, his knowledge of leather is endless and he loves to share it. I have been a customer for many years and always go to Leatherwise for my Leather here in Santa Cruz, from scraps to hides leather is always a good deal..the price is right , the owners are supper and I always get what I need..I give nothing but raves for this nice shop tucked away at the Sash Mill..also have products related to leather and finished products for your leather gifts.... read more

Wow! If you need leather of all sorts, sizes, shapes and colors, I have never seen such a great variety of options! They also have lots of tools and leather working supplies and are quite willing to help you out with projects and ideas. The owner is very personable and the place has a relaxed atmosphere....which makes it easy to just browse and look at all the interesting stuff they have! read more

I'm a leather artisan, designer and Santa Cruz local and got to say, Leatherwise is my #1 go to hot spot for anything leather you are looking for! You will pay 3x in San Francisco what you would pay here! Check out the amazing selection of high end and unusual colorful "cat" and "reptile" leather. Tons and tons of bling and tools. The owner Ross is a leather master himself, very upbeat, helpful and experienced in leather craft. See you next time I need to make a mask, belt, armor or custom leather piece. read more

Very friendly, and very honest prices. Just found out from owner that they seek out sample pieces--giving use to pieces that are otherwise forgotten by tannerys (once their initial purpose has been served as just a sample piece). I love this leather shop! FIVE STARS! read more

While you can get some good prices on scrap leather here, you won't get good customer service. I was shocked at how rude the owner was to me. He really seemed like he was trying to discourage me from purchasing anything, & mentioned that he does the majority of his business online. Rude, condescending, sells stuff at full price with obvious flaws in it...not going back. read more

Incredibly helpful and encouraging staff who really know their stuff. Selection is great and high quality. I really love this little shop-full of magic read more

Super helpful and friendly, they had an amazing selection of leather and tools. Went in with a vague idea of a belt I wanted to make, they took the time to show me what I needed, explain the process, and demonstrate how to set snaps. One of the best craft stores in Santa Cruz. read more