Oh, I see it now. I’m calling them!! Thanks for the tip!! You’re a saint.
For anyone reading this, here is the info (copied from their site) on ordering samples:
How to buy leather online accurately in 3 simple steps:
- Request Your Free Leather Sample:
Call our US/Canada toll free number at 1-888-723-0806 and request a specific sample of leather you are interested in. Not sure what you’re looking for? Don’t worry, we’ll gladly provide our professional advice as to suitable leathers required for your leather project. - Confirm Your Leather Sample:
Once your receive your free sample(s) from Buckskin Leather, review and confirm that the sample is the correct colour, type, weight and grade selection. If you have hired a tradesperson or leather crafter to do your project, ensure you consult with them prior to placing your order. - Buy Leather Hides:
Place order by calling the Buckskin Order Desk toll free at 1-888-723-0806 and specify hide requirements, grade selection you require and colour.
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Moose Leather? It is going to be very hard to convince a moose to climb into the GF, but for science I am willing to try! Seriously though, how different is moose (other than price I assume) to cow?
What about more exotic leathers like ostrich and the like?
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The moose hide will be more like buckskin (yellow-gold). It’s got a nice feel to it.
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So for softer leathers does one stretch them on a frame before lasering? Seems like in the video she just lays the leather on the bed, but I can’t imagine you get a straight cut as the soft leather sits on the honeycomb? Anybody here had experience in that?
No stretching! Once you pulled the leather off, your design would be distorted. Just lay it on as flat as possible and use magnets to hold it down.
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Each kind of exotic leather has its own properties, and whether its laserable depends on the tannage and probably inherent properties of the leather. Thicker leathers will probably be harder and nastier to laser than thin ones, as a general rule.
Ostrich has a pebbled pattern and is very thin and tough.
I’ve never seen beaver leather in person, except for tanned tails, which look like this.
Elk is yellow-ish orange and quite thick. It also doesn’t degrade when wet, so it makes the best work gloves.
Crocodile, obviously, looks like this and is also very thin and tough.
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An alternative answer to the stretching question comes from my experience with bookbinding. If you want to put the leather permanently on a planar, flattish surface that it will remain on, you could, technically, glue it to the surface first and then laser it from there. For example, sometimes I want to bind a soft-covered book in leather, but leather tends to shrink when it’s wet-glued, which can distort the boards. I would glue the leather to Tyvek using 3M’s positionable mounting adhesive (a.k.a. PMA–it’s a semi-dry glue that comes in sheets), do cuts and inlays, then glue the Tyvek to the book cover. No distortion!
For lasering, if you wanted to make something like a leather-covered shield or piece of wall art with cuts in it, you could mount the leather, then cut through both with your Forge.
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I’m doing online with 4Hides to start with. I have a nice assortment of samples already and then I’ll zero in on what I would like more of.
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Wow - I stopped into the Tandy Leather store here in Tucson today - impressive! I will definately have to get the membership once my GF arrives.
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It would be fun to visit one of their stores, but I’m not ready to drive the 100 miles to my nearest one. I did, however, order a couple of boxes of the veg tanned scraps and a couple of hides from them online, pretty nice stuff.
I bet it must smell SOOOO awesome in that shop!! Who doesn’t love the smell of leather?!
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It comes in a bottle! I believe that smell comes from the leather preservative Nitrobenzoate…
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Holy crap you’re like my hero! …I had no idea this place existed, its a 10min drive from my house. We had even tried looking into local places for leather in the past as my husband had always wanted to get into it, but hadn’t found anything. I guess I know what I may be doing over my birthday weekend. 
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If you happen to be in Santa Cruz there is a leather supply store at the Sashmill. The owner knows a lot and has a good variety of leather, as well as tools and accessories.
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I know this is an old conversation, but I wanted to throw another leather shop out there for you guys to check out: maverickleathercompany.com. I’ve ordered a side from them, and they seem really knowledgeable and super nice. (I’ve not made anything with it yet, but plan to soon, and hope to at least do some light engraving with the GF when I get mine) Plus, they have some great prices. They are really responsive on Instagram (MaverickLeather) and run specials there quite often. I read all the way through the other thread on here about leather, and I’m not sure what all they have available in veg tanned leathers, but I’m sure they have them. I believe they’re out of Oregon.
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Good advice! Do you know if they ship to Canada? A lot of smaller companies don’t ship outside the US
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I’m not sure if they ship to Canada. Send them a DM on Instagram. They’ve always been really responsive there when I had questions. I bought a whole side of 4oz leather a while back for about $80. It was a great price.
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@morganstanfield- I have a leather question for you (or anyone else with leather expertise). I bought some patent type scraps from a local re-use store and am curious about the laserability of it. It looks like the type used on Dansko and Sanita shoes. 
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/17/06/ae/1706ae4f2da1915e00a5345dbd420862--dansko-shoes-clogs.jpg
I’ve searched for an MSDS to try to find out more about it but no luck.
Your expert leatherworker thoughts? TIA!
Out of Ottawa, can’t speak to pricing or quality, but I found them since I’m considering a few leather projects now(damn forum…). Also near my work, so that satisfies most of my requirements for suppliers.
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