Wow, what a market to avoid! Wonder what the second guy thinks bags were made from before there even was such a thing as “faux”?
You need to google I guess to find a leather supplier near you–Tandy is big chain, but mainly their leathers are for hand sewing & tooling. But I also recommend One Way 52 on Etsy (think he’s on other marketplaces, too). He’s in TN, was able to stop by his place once while on a business trip & he shipped the leathers I picked out to me. He sells small cuts, too, so you don’t have to get whole hides, like most websites, so way to find out what weights/types you like best. For a bucket bag, best is 3-4 oz range, and soft temper–basically what’s considered garment or I also like nice upholstry grade leathers, too. www.theleatherguy is also good (has own site, as well as on eBay).
And those are best for line artwork for etching. Firmer temper and/or thicker when get into bolder etchings is best in my experience, but have fun testing!!
