Find the right leather weight for any project. Understand ounce weights, millimetre equivalents, and which thicknesses suit which applications.
Ounce to mm Conversion
⚖️ The ounce system: In North America, leather thickness is measured in ounces per square foot. 1 oz = approximately 0.4mm (0.016"). So 4 oz leather = ~1.6mm. This is a weight-per-area measure that translates reliably to thickness in vegetable-tanned cow leather. Other leather types may vary.
🌿 Vegetable vs chrome tanned: Vegetable-tanned (veg-tan) leather is stiffer and more structured — ideal for belts, holsters, carved goods. Chrome-tanned leather is softer and more pliable at the same thickness — better for bags, garments, upholstery. Same oz weight behaves very differently between the two.
✂️ Splitting and skiving: Leather can be split (reduced in thickness across the whole piece) or skived (thinned at edges only). For laminated handles or folded edges, skive to ~0.5mm before folding. A consistent 2–3oz leather can be split from heavier stock by a leather supplier.