Short answer: about $150 to $350 to start
Most beginners can start for about $150 to $350 in USD. That covers basic tools and enough leather for a first few projects. A cheap all-in-one starter kit costs about $25 to $60, but it often includes dull chisels and poor thread. A set of quality basics costs about $100 to $250. Prices vary by region, brand and year, so treat these as rough figures.
Tool costs
Cutting and surfaces
- Utility knife and blades: about $10 to $25.
- Round knife, if you want one: about $40 to $150 or more. It isn’t needed to start.
- Self-healing mat or HDPE board: a few dollars to start.
- Poly board for punching: about $15 to $40. A granite slab from a countertop shop is often free to $30.
Punching and stitching
- Stitching chisels or pricking irons: budget sets run $15 to $40, mid-range sets about $40 to $120, and premium brands cost considerably more.
- Harness needles and waxed polyester thread: thread costs about $10 to $20 per spool, which lasts many small projects.
Glue, dye and finish
- Contact cement: about $10 to $20 per can or tube.
- Leather dye: about $8 to $15 per 4 oz bottle.
A sewing machine is not needed to start. Most leather sewing machines cost well over $1,000.
Leather costs
Veg-tan leather runs roughly $6 to $12 per square foot for standard US tannages. Premium and Italian leather runs $12 to $25 or more per square foot. A shoulder, about 8 to 12 square feet, typically costs roughly $60 to $150. You don’t need a whole shoulder to start. Scrap and remnant packs often cost $10 to $30 per pound, though prices vary a lot.
Cost of a first project
A card holder uses well under a square foot of leather, so its leather cost is only a few dollars. Belts and bags cost more, because they need more leather and more hardware. The total depends on the project, the leather you choose and whether you use scraps. For project ideas and their sizes, see good leather projects for beginners.
Ways to keep costs down
- Buy a basic set of quality tools rather than a large kit full of filler.
- Use scraps and remnants for practice, and buy them by weight if that’s cheaper where you live.
- Start with a shoulder, a panel or offcuts, rather than a whole side. How to choose leather for a project explains which part of the hide suits which job.
- Use an offcut of granite or a poly board as your punching surface. Granite offcuts are often free.
- Test dye on a small offcut before you dye the real piece.
What costs more later
Items that often come later include premium pricking irons, a skiving knife, a round knife, a stitching pony and, for some makers, a leather sewing machine. None of these is needed at the start. Premium tools don’t fix technique, and mid-range tools are fine for years.
For what each tool does, see essential leatherworking tools. For the time it takes to learn, see how long it takes to learn leatherworking. For a broader introduction, see leathercraft for beginners.