Frequently Asked Questions

Yes we are! When our company was founded in 1908, we were located in Butte, MT. Since 1988, our location has been in Billings, MT, where we remain to this day!

We only sell the real deal here at Montana Leather Company. Every article we offer is genuine leather that comes from cow, bison, deer, kangaroo, and a few others.

Chrome tan and veg tan refer to the type of tannage that the hide went through before it became the final leather product that it is. Veg tan leather uses tannins and chemicals that are derived from plant based products, while chrome tan leather uses tannins from chromium salts. Historically, veg tanning was the most common method to tan leather, but nowadays chromium tanning makes up about 90% of all leather goods because it doesn’t take as much time and is less expensive.

While you are welcome to send us samples, and we will do our best to match it, it’s almost impossible to get an exact match on something. We can usually get close, but the color, texture, or thickness will likely be slightly different. As long as you’re ok with us having a little leeway, we can probably find you something that will work!

If you have special needs for a project–such as needing specific dimensions to be met, or needing a certain area of the side to be without blemishes or holes–we can help out if you leave a note in “Order Notes” at checkout. We will read them, and do our best to accommodate you. Otherwise, you can call or email with us with any special requests.

We offer cut pieces for most of our leather, which you can buy right from the product page. We can cut straps for you as well, however there is a cutting fee associated with doing so, which is $30 per side. If you want us to cut a side into straps, or need a custom piece, please just leave a note in “Order Notes” at checkout that you’d like for us to do so, and we can handle the rest!

You absolutely can! Shopping for leather online can be difficult, and we don’t want to make it any harder on you. As long as you return your leather within 30 days, we will happily issue you a full refund. If there are significant marks or damage to your leather outside of what is normal, please let us know by sending us some photos, and we will either email you a return label or find another side for you. Communication is always key!

Most definitely! Try to pick out a few of your favorites (nothing too extensive), and we will cut you some samples that we can send out to you. Just reach out either via phone or email, and we will get you taken care of.

The nature of odd lots means that they come and they go, and that we can’t order them specifically at that inexpensive price again. That’s not to say that we don’t have that same odd lot leather, because we may, but just bear in mind that if you want a leather to be available regularly, try to purchase permanent line leathers instead.

You bet! Running a business can run on the slimmest of margins sometimes, and we are here to help. First, register an online account on the My Account page. Then, download and fill out the wholesale application you can find on that page, and forward it to us by email ([email protected] or [email protected]).

Shipping is dependent on the final cost of your cart, at least online. Generally speaking, the flat rate is calculated at 7% of the total. However, we offer free shipping on orders over $150, so take advantage of that if you can! Just note that we only offer free shipping for online purchases, and that some items are excluded from free shipping, such as whole hides of upholstery and rawhide, or gallons of cement. If you place your order over the phone, we will charge you exact shipping costs, as opposed to a flat rate.

Yes we do! We ship all of the world, which is honestly one of the coolest parts about this business. The website will do its best to try and charge you accurately for shipping internationally, however there are some cases where the shipping costs are very different from what is quoted, and we will reach out to you directly in those instances.

While we will be more than happy to point you in the right direction so that you can make your project, we won’t directly instruct you on how to make something. However, we have templates, kits, and plenty of references if you need more guidelines as you embark on your leather journey!

Hermann Oak is arguably the best veg tan leather available, however it isn’t necessarily the best in every category. As a general rule, Hermann Oak burnishes the absolute best out of any leather, which is the shading like effect that occurs when you tool on it. However, there are other veg tan leathers, such as our MTL veg tan leather, that are cleaner and less expensive. So, depending on your priorities, Hermann Oak may or may not be the best choice for veg tan leather.

We are a family owned business in its fifth generation. And as of 2025, we only have 10 employees! So yes, we are absolutely a small business, and we’re proud of it.

We try to have sales as often as possible! The best way to stay informed is to subscribe to our email list and follow us on Facebook. Generally speaking, we try to have at least one sale every month though.

We know that there are a lot of options for buying leather craft materials and boot/shoe findings, so we take great pride in knowing that we provide the best customer service available. We promptly respond to emails and special requests, and we are happy to assist you over the phone. Our number one rule is to treat everyone with respect, both inside and outside the office.

It happens sometimes that items that are available on the website are not immediately available to ship. When this happens, we create what is called a backorder. Generally, inventory is constantly in and out, and you shouldn’t expect to wait any more than a week or two. In extreme cases, such as with leather that comes internationally, there may be delays as long as a month or more, but we keep a history of your backorder, and let you know when it arrives.

We only ever charge you for merchandise that we send out to you, not for backorders. For example, if you have a $100 purchase, and we only send out $75 of merchandise, we will only charge you $75 for that shipment. Then, when your backorder is ready, we will charge you the remaining $25, but without any extra shipping costs, those are always on us with backorders!

Yes we certainly can! There are limits to this, however. Sometimes there are minimums for orders, and if it is an obscure item that has a large minimum, we may opt to not bring it in for you. It never hurts to ask though, and we are always happy to help. In fact, we may have it in stock anyway, since we have a large inventory that isn’t entirely available on the website!

There can be multiple leathers that will work, depending on your needs. However, one important thing to decide is whether or not you need veg tan or chrome tan leather. Veg tan leather gets used for projects like sheaths, holsters, saddles, belts, and other firm leather goods, while chrome tan leather usually gets used for things like bags, garments, apparel, and other soft leather goods. Outside of that, consult our leather thickness chart for basic information on what typical thickness is needed for a project.

We proudly offer leather that comes from the United States, as well as various countries across the world, including Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Italy and more. Leather is an international industry, and a lot of it can’t come from domestic sources because of strict regulations.

The best place to attend a leather crafting class is at a trade show, such as in Sheridan, WY, or Prescott, AZ. Professionals from across the country congregate there to pass on their knowledge at affordable prices. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to shop for materials from vendors in between classes!

We do sell a few very basic wallets and belts, but our focus is largely on selling high quality leather craft materials so that you can make those things for yourself or your business. If you’d like a recommendation as to where to buy those things, we have plenty of customers we can refer you to who would love to have your business!

We do offer some exotic leathers, including shark, stingray and ostrich. If you have any interest in these leathers, please contact us directly by email or phone so that we can further assist you.

You may have heard that it is unsafe to laser engrave chromium tanned leather, however it is largely safe and ok. These days, trivalent chromium is used in tanning, which is not toxic to humans like hexavalent chromium is. Older chrome tanned leathers may have been tanned using hexavalent chromium, so please exercise caution in that regard. Otherwise, just make sure to have proper ventilation like you would for any other project.

We definitely do. We extend wholesale pricing to the military, emergency responders and teachers, so please feel free to reach out to us directly via email or phone so that we can set you up. Just make sure you have the proper documentation for verification purposes.

California has prop 65 and other legal regulations that keep us from being able to sell some items to customers who live there. Items such as Fiebing’s leather dye, Barge cement, and kangaroo leather are all restricted from being sold to California customers. We do have alternatives however, such as low VOC Angelus leather dye or Renia Aquilim cement. Reach out to us directly if you have any questions!

This is another one of those questions that doesn’t really have a right answer. Barge and Master cement are tried and true options that have been around forever, however they can have toluene and other chemicals that are harmful to your health. Some people say those chemicals are what make them so effective, however. As an alternative, there is water based cement such Renia Aquilim that has none of of those harmful chemicals, but is still strong enough for use on projects such as saddles.