Meh. I am not a leather worker, but rather a crafter looking for help with an idea I had about a bracelet I wanted to make. I went to the shop and it was definitely not busy. There was a guy behind the counter looking like he was watching videos on the computer. I told him what I wanted to do and he vaguely pointed to two parts of the store that I could look in but offered no additional help when I was clear that this was all new to me. There was another gal who was eating lunch in a back room and I asked her if she minded that I ask a quick question or two. She was more than willing to stop her lunch for a couple of minutes and help me out. When the guy up front saw that I was talking with the woman he called to me from the front of the store that she was at lunch and then came back but didn't offer to step in and answer my questions so she could go back to lunch. Clearly the guy was interested in only collecting his paycheck while the gal, and while interrupting her lunch wasn't at the top of her list, was certainly willing to help a customer who clearly needed help. read more

We came here for a class on making leather belts. The class started off with some delays trying to get the right thickness of leather that wouldn't break the cutting blades. Once we got going, it was great! Noah walked us through each step and was very patient with each of us, making sure we all felt comfortable with the process. It's great how you can personalize each belt with imprints, colors, and buckles. It was very reasonably priced for the class time. Thank you! read more

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Located in a strip mall this is the place for all things leather! They offer leather kits, classes and materials including an excellent selection of notions for belt and bags. The staff are very friendly and knowledgable and the prices are as good as the internet! I love that I can see and feel the quality too- they offer all sorts of skins in many sizes too. Parking is plentiful and they are open nearly every day. So happy a Tandy is nearby! read more

This place has earned my business. They have a great selection of supplies and the employees are friendly and knowledgeable. Thank you Jerry for your help today! read more

I've been going to this shop for many years, going back to their old location. It's great to have a local brick & mortar shop, where you can see the leather in person. I got into leatherwork more seriously around a year ago when I began putting together a Game Of Thrones costume, and the staff here was always helpful, steering me to the stuff I needed (and just as important, steering me away from stuff I didn't need). My only quibble is that each Tandy shop used to have a big scrap-leather bin. Over the years I got most of the leather I needed there. I suppose because of COVID they got rid of the bin and now they only sell scrap leather in big mystery bags where you don't really know what you're getting. (Yes the bags are clear but you can't see everything, can't know how big the various scraps are, and can't feel how stiff or pliable each piece is.) Here's a photo of my Game Of Thrones belts. Tandy's Celtic stamp set contains several stamps that were used by the Game Of Thrones costumers, allowing me to make an exact replica of the character's belts. read more

Tandy Leather Company - Leather Goods Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great customer service! New to the craft and I know sometimes when you go to specialty shops they can be kinda snobby, but was greeted by friendly staff the moment I walked in. Nice older gentlemen (Steve) even went out of his way to show me a few tips and tricks after helping me get the items/told I needed for a project. Basically gave me a mini one on one stamping/tooling class that I used to start making items later that day. read more

Tandy Leather Company - Showroom floor - Leather Goods Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Great customer service! The Tandy near me in Escondido closed I'm so glad there are still some in California this store has a knowledgeable staff that love to help read more

Great store with a lot of supply. More importantly, the customer service was awesome and Nick spent a lot of extra time to help me with my leather project. thanks guys thanks read more

Tandy Leather Company - Leather Goods Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Went in to grab a couple of belt straps and had to have snaps put in the belt straps. Problem is I had no idea how to do snaps etc. so lucky for me Steve was there to help! He did an awesome job guiding me through the process and teaching me how to make my belts! Thanks Steve I could never have done it without you!! Super happy with my belts and he showed me a few new items and we discussed some new techniques for dying leather and some idea for my left over leather!! Great stop and glad our paths crossed! read more

We drove 45 minutes through traffic from Long Beach to get to this store. My 32 year old son and I had decided we were going to try this hobby. We were excited to be getting into this hobby together. We were intending to buy two medium sized starter kits, two stitching ponies, two quarts blocks, two rubber under boards for the quartz, at least one lettering set, incidentals and practice leather ... in all I walked into that store with $400 cash, and my credit card if it wasn't enough. My son had to pee ... and he asked for the bathroom. He was promptly told he couldn't use it, it was not for customers!!! Let me get this straight, I'm good enough that you're willing to take the $400 to $500 I'm about to spend in here store, and what I'll spend in the future on classes, supplies, leather and additional tools ... but my son is not good enough to use your f'ing toilet!?!?!? So we left to find him a toilet, and we did not go back. I will never grace the doors of that store ever again, and I will intentionally go out of my way to buy my tools, leather, and extras from sources OTHER than Tandy Leather. There are just too many options available in the southern California area and online to be treated like I'm trash stuck to you shoe! If this was a mom and pop liquor store where I was buying a $2 coke ... I could tolerate the policy. This is not. Its a factory outlet store! So before you buy from these people ... I highly suggest you simply go to Google and search for "Online Leather Craft Supply". You will be stunned at the number of available sources. And as for the online ... they will deliver right to your door FOR FREE ... you don't have to drive 45 minutes through traffic. I did, and so far we've spent close to $600!!! :) read more

Times are weird. There was a line to get into the store, since only four people are allowed in at once. This is good. We're in the middle of a pandemic, and people aren't taking safety measures seriously. Tandy is. I love that all of the staff were wearing masks and practicing social distancing. Everyone at this store is extremely helpful, even offering to help shop for us while we waited in line. Some prices in here are crazy. Others are great. As someone starting out in leatherworking, the staff helped directed me to find what I needed. Turns out that half of the time, the prices here beat online at Amazon or otherwise. The other half, sometimes was significantly higher. If the price was within 10-20% of online, I bought it here. It's beyond time to support local businesses. Special shout out to Steve, who patiently walked a beginner like me around, and even told me what tools I didn't need. We need more folks like you in the retail hobby business. If you're looking for leathercraft goods, this is the place. read more

Joey Lynn rocks and this store is a true gem! Everything you'll ever need for leather treatments for shoes, boots, purses, leather anything!

first off = tandy has created the most difficult on-line purchasing web page and process known to mankind. i had needed some leather lace to complete and custom order and placed what is at any other store a very expensivev order for this lace. after they shipped me the wrong item/product i had to locate tandy's customer service which is hidden on their web page. no phone number just an email address where you have to plead for someone at tandy to respond/reply in order to get what i/you had actually ordered while my custom sale "hand made" products on-line orders have to wait until they fix, resolve thier miss they have place my sales department in. i will never again order from tandy. their customer service is difficult at best andthey purchase process is very - very substandard. read more

This was the 4th Tandy leather shop ive been to in California. Worse customer service Ive had. Ill stick to San Bernardino and Baldwin Park. Wont waste a nickel here. read more

Amazing customer service and staff. I'm a novice to leather work and went in to get supplies for my first project and the staff was very welcoming and kind. Parsa was an absolute pleasure to work with, He not only helped me with everything I needed but went into depth about each and every product. Will be coming back to this location for all my leather needs. read more

Buyer Beware. I was encouraged by the staff to take several hides home to check for the best color for a upholestry project. I was told I could return them in 60 days as long as they were not cut. When I took them back upon examining them they said one had been cut and they wouldn't return it. I returned all 5 hides just the way I bought them. It was clear when they pointed it out that it had been cut, but that was the way it was when I bought it. So not only was I not able to return it but I was forced to pay $169 for only a partial hid. They say they examine every hid before they leave the store but obviously this one went unnoticed. Sadly enough when I got them home I wondered why one hid was so much smaller than the rest but still didn't realize it had been cut. My advice is if you are taking anything out of the store on trial take photos in the store of the hid with the employee holding it so if there is a question later you have proof. Even if I had examined it myself I wouldn't of realized it was cut. I would of just thought that was the way it was. read more

I visited Tandy Leather today as I needed to recondition a Leather chair I own. It is was In very poor condition and no one else would help me. The fine folks at Tandy sold me what I needed as well as showed me how to use it, cost was reasonable and the finished product was great!! I'll try and give you a few before and after photos. Tandy was 5 Stars. read more

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Wow...my friend and I both got interested in doing some leather projects recently. We just went to Tandy in Costa Mesa and had a wonderful time. Devin helped us and never made us feel like we were asking too many questions, taking too long, or being any trouble at all. He delivered one useful tip/idea after another and never tried to steer us to expensive tools we didn't need (at least yet). He clearly loved working with leather himself and had some samples of his own work to show. That gave us comfort that he knew what he was talking about. We both left delighted with what we purchased and happy for the time we spent there. We'll definitely be back! Thanks Devin! read more

I like it there. Staff was all nice and friendly knowledgable .. I will be back to buy more! Thanks y'all Anita read more

Came in here today because I made a sheath for my leatherman. I bought all my supplies from the inter webs and realized that there are some things about it that need work. So I came to get some better leather and supplies. Showed Steven my handy work and worked with me to give me some options to fix issues. Came in prepared to buy a lot of supplies but he said I was on the right track and hooked me up with easy inexpensive fixes. Tbh I had read some reviews and was a little wary because I don't know anything about working with leather and didn't wanna get shamed out of the store based on the reviews I read, but both Steven and Nick were super helpful very attentive. Gave me a whole bunch of advice and knowledge that I'm not sure what the heck those other reviews were about. I'll definitely be back to buy the good stuff from them. Made a customer for life read more

Matthew does such of great job , definitely this is the place w the right people. Congratulations to the management

Stephen at this Tandy store is terrific & There was no question he could not answer! I was able to pick up all of the new tools I needed for my next project. read more

Great guys, great attitude. Very helpful with my leather needs and went beyond the call to help me with other needs not in there wheel house. Definitely would refer them to anyone who has leather needs or questions. Murph read more

A delight! Read on... As a profession I evaluate company's customer service. For that reason I rarely write reviews positive or negative on yelp. I have to write a review for Tandy leather in Costa Mesa. I am working on my very first leather project. All I've done is take an old set of leather working tools and watched some online videos. Never once did I feel intimidated or talked down to. They had to start with the basics for me. Going as far as to take the time to get out the needle and thread and make sure I was threading correctly. We covered glueing, stitching, beveling, conditioning and then they even let me practice some stamping. I told them I was on a crafting budget and they pointed me to the most necessary items. By the end I only bought a few inexpensive items. I was never pushed into buying more than I needed. The pricing is higher than what you can get online. To that there is no doubt. But the quality is superior to anything else I have in my tool box. Then at checkout I was informed that Veterans such as myself got a discount. It was a hefty discount. Pleasant, knowledgeable staff, convenient location, ample parking, wide variety of quality merchandise and an overall customer service experience you rarely find. read more

Well came in here today to check out this place for the first time because im thinking of learning how to work with leather. Im an Art student so I just want to learn new things especially for this pattern and design class im taking. Some of the things im doing currently is working with Celtic knots and Islamic influences in the knot design. Im working on a family pattern that was I going to put on a gauntlet. Got inside the store and cruised around to take a look at things. Lots of leather and help me hand outs everywhere and the guy at the register was with a customer. I figured Id approach him once he was done talking to the group. Another fella comes to the floor has this hot shot attitude look for some reason. "You need some help" yea sure I started to show him the pattern I was working on hey says " oh this easy, easy stuff, really easy design" oh cool thanks for the input buddy boy. "So whats your question?" I wanted to know if maybe I can learn this stuff and do it myself or maybe pay someone to do it for me "how long you got?" you mean time frame? like 7 to 8 weeks " oh yeah you're going to pay somebody to do this for you, for me this is easy stuff I can do easily and done quick" ooh it is ? "ive been doing this since "Ive been doing this since I was twelve, what does that tell ya?" but nobody asked you guy. " I can sell you tools all day but that wont make a difference" So this place sucks, because this guy basically works here end point. So your job is to embarrass customers and act like a tough guy? well thanks guy I'll take my business somewhere else specifically online. Here you go for prices tooling here will cost you like $300 for a basic kit and leather $50 to start. WELL don't need you guys then i can easily get a quality tooling kit for at least 80% off and free shipping and leather just the same. Tutorials and training? don't need to pay you guys for any of it I can follow all the free tutorials online for free, thanks buddy boy. read more

I love this place! I've been coming here for years. I make all kind of medieval leather goods like belts, pouches and armor. They have all the basics a leather crafter needs. The prices are good and it's totally worth buying wholesale club membership for the extra discount. The best part about this place are the people. The are extremely knowledgeable about how to do things. They can answer all of your questions and set you off in the right direction. Also, they offer free classes which is awesome! read more

This place is great and the customer service is pretty good. Although the employees do not seem to have much corporate training in the items they sell. I was trying to do a simple staining technique that I had forgotten how to do. It turns out the old stain is no longer sold in CA because of the VOCs. They were referring me to the wrong book for the wrong stain. This is a stain highlighted in the cover of all Tandys Catalogs. I guess I'll be having friends in other states mail me stain or pick it up when I go out of state... dumb CA. Tandy really should offer there employees training and the proper information so they know what they are talking about. Also, they really need to work on there pricing and store hours. Regarding pricing: I bought a 1' x 1' of there rubber "poundo board" for $2 dollars a few years ago. They currently sell it for crazy exorbitant price of $25. I found it else where in solid sheets. Solid sheet work better for me to cover an entire table. I bought 40 square feet at $2.5 dollars a square foot. Example #2 Overstitch wheel/stitching spacer/embossing set which Tandy sells for $29.90. I found the same Tandy Brand one else where for $9.00. Obviously if the other place can make a profit at $9 then charging $29 is just raping the customer. Regarding the hours: Closing at 6pm is simply ridiculous. Leather craft is a hobby. A hobby store should not have business/bankers hours, they should have after business hours. For normal people who work 9-5 its almost impossible to get here after work. I've struggled to leave work at 5 and race through traffic only to arrive to a locked door at Tandy at 5:55 or 5:59. The employees just stare at you blankly when you pull on the door that's locked prior to 6. They shouldn't be so eager to close at such an early time. Regarding closing time... my credit union has better customer service sliding me in at closing time. I know I'm complaining but the employees do a great job with the little corporate support they are given. They are very friendly and it's because of this that they got so many stars. If i had the complaints I have and the employees weren't as friendly they would get a 1 or 2 star rating. It was hard to get much leather work done the last time this place went out of business. I'm still giving them 4 stars but think a lot of changes can be made to improve it. read more

When went in there one day to buy some leather , the employee at the cash register was very rude , I figured there was no use in complaining to the company , nothing would be done , so I just walked out . read more

Product- 5 Customer service -5 Location -3 Prices -4 I went to school for fashion design and am very comfortable being around hardware and fabric stores but I never had a chance to try working with or shopping for leather supplies . As I walked in And walked through all their sections it was clear that the store was extremely well stocked with everything you could possibly think of when it comes to leather work. Anything I could think of or any tools I had researched they carried. They also carries multiple price points for different products. I like that option! The customer service I received during my first visit was amazing. All I had was an idea in my head as well as a sample picture of the project I wanted to work on. I overheard the older gentleman talking to another customer about his project. When he was some I asked for help. He came over and I let him know I was new to leather work. He was super genuine and nice. He asked me if I was doing a one time project or if I was interested in pursuing a hobby with leather. I wanted to look for a new hobby so I was honest. He told me to try the middle tier price point of supplies and they would last me a longer time but it would be a bigger initial investment. He walked me through how dye leather and how to cut and finish and set in grommets. He even tried to save me some extra money by narrowing down the the things I only needed and told me I should leave some items for the future. I had to travel from north Los Angeles to Orange County to try and find this location. Just for that for me it's a three star. But so many old friends and professors recommended the web site. I liked that the staff was open to saving me money and in turn made me a loyal customer. They tried to make sure I had the basic tools to get my project off the ground and suggested I bring in my project if I run into difficulties. I strongly recommend this business! read more

This place is AMAZING! I have only been leather-working for a couple months now, but these guys were integral to my enjoyment of the craft. The staff REALLY knows their stuff, they are so helpful and sweet and encourage me to bring in my projects for them to see/offer guidance. When I first went, Jason explained about getting started and he usually is the one who now helps me in the store. He's given me product demos, explained processes from his own experiences, and can give me firsthand reviews on which products work best for what I want to achieve. If he doesn't know the answer, he points me to another staff member or resource that will help me. Everyone on staff is a leather worker, they truly know their stuff. It's so refreshing to go somewhere and ask about a product and have several people give their opinion on how it works. I feel like every purchase I make there is well informed and I'm pleased with it. They have a good return policy as well, in case I ever do make a bad choice in purchasing. It's hard not to want to spend all my money there. I love working with leather and this place is awesome. read more

Not real happy with the customer service here. Went in on Tuesday for 3 rivets and was told their truck didn't come and to come back. I told the guy I needed 3 rivets to fix a purse. Seemed simple enough and if not then there is YOUTUBE for instructions these days. I came back 3 days later and they had something that would work but I had to buy a 100 pack! Had he told me the FIRST time they only came in packs of 100 and I had to buy a special tool then I'd have spent the 3 days looking for a purse repair place. I bought the stupid tool and the 100 rivets and decided I'd still look for someone to fix the purse and not be stuck with 97 extra rivets! and since it's a weekend now (thanks again for the loss of 3 days!) I probably won't be able to find anyone open until next week. *****UPDATE******** I wanted to use the purse on Monday, so instead of having been able to drop it off and then pick it up fixed, I ended up fixing my purse on my own - I'm not a leather repair person NOR am I am riveter (is that even a word?) but I'd have paid someone to fix it for me had I been able to spend 3-days looking for purse repair. I'm not real happy with this place or the lack of customer service given but my purse is fixed and I have about 95 rivets left - seems the handy tool sux and there is special training to be a rivet person. My kid already told me I couldn't rivet the dogs collars, her stuff or pierce their ears so short of riveting my furniture and making it look like whore-house furnishings, I'm not sure what the hell I'm going to do with this bag of rivets! read more

Went there to get some leather tooling supplies, the employees were very knowledgable and helped me a great deal without trying to sell me the whole store. The prices were reasonable and it was a pleasant experience shopping there. read more

First time here and albeit a small shop, they have (almost) everything you need as far as tools. They have a decent selection of leather hides and scraps as well. I thought the prices for hides were a little high compared to other wholesalers I've visited. Assume because they have their name on every tool they sell, you should expect to pay full-on retail prices. Still a great spot for studs, punches, cutting tools, thread, adhesives, and stamps. Nick, the guy that helped me and answered literally hundreds of my questions, was super knowledgeable and beyond helpful. Everyone in there welcomed me when I walked it and offered help right away. An older gentleman checked me out and was also just as helpful and sweet. There was another employee who seemed to be the "cool guy" that others have referenced in their reviews of this place, but I didn't interact much with him (just figured he was the target of several other reviews I've read). Overall would recommend for somewhere to buy supplies or, at the very least, learn a few things and familiarize yourself with the various leather working tools and accessories. read more

Had a great experience today. Steven helped us a great deal with our beginner questions, and let us know about all of the sales the store has often. He was so knowledgeable, I wish we had more time than just our lunch hour to spend there! We will be returning soon with more questions, perhaps for one of their FREE weekend classes! read more

Very professional! It is great to be able to find the materials I need to work on my cars and repair leather when needed. They were very helpful and showed me what products I needed to finish- the seats now look as good as new. Thanks for the dyes and advice!!! read more

just came into the store and two of the three employees treated me and my group like we were idiots. I don't think it's good business practice to use a condescending approach with your customers. but what do I know? definitely confirms that we will go elsewhere for our leather working needs. don't come here or shop here unless you enjoy being treated like a child. read more

Stopped by to look for thread, I didn't find what I was looking for, but I can say that Mr. Steven was GREAT help!

This is a real cool place. Lots of stuff to the that hobbyist in debt...... kidding. The staff (allll of them) were super helpful for me as I am new to leatherwork and have very little idea what i am doing. I took one star off because I feel like the pricing is a bit on the higher end although I do appreciate the military discount I received. read more

Great selection, everything you need...and can't afford. This place is way beyond gouging, this price system they have setup is just asinine. Give people good prices and they will not only buy product but continue to return. As it is, you need one of 3 different price "levels" depending on who you are and the normal everyday folk can't afford the "regular" prices. So go here, see what you want and order it on the Internet from someone else for ALOT cheaper. read more

I needed to buy some needles and thread for a specific project. Originally I was doing research online and thinking of buying on Amazon, but there was so much information out there that I didn't know which one was the right one. A friend recommended this place to me so I decided to stop by since it was on the way. Steven has a life's career worth of knowledge and helped me with exactly everything I needed. What's more is that he gave me honest opinions on the products and did not try to up-sell me even once. In fact, he dissuaded me from spending more than I needed. This just shows that he's genuine and not just looking to make an extra buck. I could very well have spent more money on Amazon, which would defeat of purpose of trying to save while buying online, but the knowledge alone from an old-timer of the trade is priceless. Cheers to you Steven. read more