# Leather Weight Chart

Source: https://leatherworknest.com/blog/leather-weight-thickness-chart
Published: 2026-09-12
Publisher: Leatherwork Nest

Leather thickness is sold in ounces, an old tannery unit where one ounce equals roughly 1/64 of an inch (about 0.4mm), and a single cut of veg-tan hide is usually stamped with a range like 8-9oz rather than one exact number. This chart converts every common weight to millimeters and inches and matches each range to the projects it actually suits, so a supplier's oz listing translates directly into what you can build with it.

## Where the ounce unit comes from

The ounce weight system dates to when tanneries measured a hide's thickness by weighing a fixed square footage of it, so one ounce originally meant one ounce of leather per square foot, which works out to a thickness of about 1/64 inch or roughly 0.4mm per ounce. Hides are a natural material with real thickness variation across a single skin, which is why suppliers list a range (5-6oz, 8-9oz) rather than a single exact figure, and why a project calling for '7oz' should really be read as 'somewhere in the 6.5 to 7.5oz neighborhood.'

[Wikipedia: leather](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather)

## Full conversion chart: 1oz to 15oz

1-2oz (0.4-0.8mm): tissue-thin, used for lining leather inside wallets and bags, or as a backing layer glued to a thicker face leather rather than used on its own.

2-3oz (0.8-1.2mm): light garment and glove-weight leather, also common for leather lining and light bookbinding covers.

3-4oz (1.2-1.6mm): light small-goods leather, used for card wallet exteriors when doubled, and for leather that will be folded frequently without stiffness.

4-5oz (1.6-2mm): a popular small-goods weight for single-layer wallet panels, notebook covers, and small pouches where some body is wanted without bulk.

5-6oz (2-2.4mm): the classic wallet and small leather goods weight, thick enough to hold shape and take an edge finish cleanly while still folding without cracking at a scored line.

6-7oz (2.4-2.8mm): a versatile mid-weight used for slightly heavier wallets, small bags, and as a doubled layer in belt or strap construction.

7-8oz (2.8-3.2mm): a common single-layer belt and strap weight for lighter belts, plus structural bag panels and camera straps.

8-9oz (3.2-3.6mm): the standard single-layer belt weight for most adult belts, and a common holster and sheath backing weight.

9-10oz (3.6-4mm): heavy belts, structural bag bottoms and gussets, and single-layer holsters for smaller firearms.

10-12oz (4-4.8mm): heavy-duty belts, most single-layer holsters and knife sheaths, and tool pouches that need to hold their shape unsupported.

12-14oz (4.8-5.6mm): very heavy structural leather used for saddle skirting, heavy work belts, and holsters for larger firearms wanting maximum retention rigidity.

14-15oz and up (5.6mm+): saddle and harness-grade leather, rarely used outside equestrian tack and specialty heavy structural work, and generally split down before use in most other crafts.

## Matching weight to project by category

Wallets and card holders: 4-6oz for exterior panels that need to fold cleanly, with 2-3oz commonly used for interior card pockets and lining. Doubling a lighter weight often looks and wears better than using one thick, stiff piece for a wallet meant to flex daily.

Belts: 8-9oz for most single-layer adult belts, stepping up to 9-10oz for heavy-duty or larger builds. Many belt makers skive the buckle fold thinner regardless of the base weight so the doubled leather at the fold does not bulge.

Bags and totes: 6-8oz for structural exterior panels, sometimes paired with a lighter 2-4oz lining leather and 9-10oz or heavier leather for load-bearing straps and gussets that see the most stress.

Holsters and sheaths: 8-10oz for most handgun holsters, with double-layer construction common at 8-9oz per layer for retention and rigidity; large knife and hatchet sheaths often move up to 10-12oz for a single stiff layer.

Straps and camera straps: 7-9oz single layer, or a lighter 4-5oz face leather backed with a matching or lighter lining layer for comfort against skin.

## Splitting and layering to hit an exact target

A leather splitter shaves a thick hide down to a precise thinner weight, letting a crafter buy heavier stock and split it to whatever thinner weight a specific project needs, which is far more economical than stocking every weight separately. Home crafters without a splitter can approximate the same result by skiving, thinning a specific area like a fold or overlap with a hand skiving tool, which reduces bulk exactly where doubled leather would otherwise stack up too thick.

Combining two thinner weights by gluing them together, a technique often called laminating, produces a combined thickness close to the sum of the two layers and lets a maker build a custom weight from stock they already have on hand, such as pairing two 4oz pieces to approximate an 8oz result while adding some structural rigidity from the glue bond itself.