What Weight of Leather Should I Buy?

Leather is usually measured in ounces. Each hide is different and there is always a slight thickness variation throughout the hide. That is why leather is usually shown with a range of thickness, such as, 2-3 oz.

The best weight for making soft-sole shoes is 1.5 to 3 ounces; but you can sew up to 3.5. A good rule of thumb is that 3 ounces is the thickness of a dime, 3.5 ounces in the thickness of a penny. So you shouldn't buy leather thicker than a penny.

When buying leather online you might find measurements other than ounces listed. Here is a partial conversion table from Leather Supply House.

Leather Weights and Thicknesses
Ounces Inches Dial Caliper Metric
1 1/64 .016 .397
1-1/2 .023 .595
2 1/32 .031 .794
2-1/2 .039 .992
3 3/64 .047 1.191
3-1/2 .055 1.389

Which Thread?

Don't forget to check out our page on thread choices for sewing with leather.