Springfield Leather Co — Attraction in Springfield

Came in yesterday for the first time with a friend who had been here years ago. We were both very impressed by the dedication the staff took to ensuring our curiousities were sated and that we had found everything we could have been looking for.

The entire staff either is quite excellent at masking workplace emotion, or they genuinely enjoy working with each other. The chemiestry between the workers was playful, creative, abd supportive and J.G. gave us a tour of the entire facility giving us excellent insight on the way a leather company operates. These guys feel like a big company, and their website (and store) can feel intimidating, but in a "kid in a candy shop" vibe for many types of crafters. The prices are simply hard to fathom at times, it feels almost like the website and brick & mortar store are seperate entities as you may find some treasures that simply do not get listed online. $10 full buffalo hide (because it has a slightly unpleasant smell) $5 veg tan lambskins (with absolutely stunning fat or skin patterns (Dont be afraid of skin with some personality). You jyst have to go and see for yourself!

If you work with leather, or enjoy minerals, this is a must stop!! 4.75/5 losing a .25 pt for my critique below.

All that positive light aside, my one major complaint would be that the store itself is not entirely wheelchair accessible, which made traversing some aisles of the store nearly impossuble if not dangerous to the contents of the store. Be vary careful if you need wheelchair access, it is possible, but with a small margin of error.

Again, a massive thank you to the workers who all took time for us yesterday to make us feel valued and appreciated in the store, to entertain our curiousities, and to even teach us a few new things about the leather world! I would gladly detour another trip out this way to make this stop again.

Again, massive shout out to J.G. for giving us a personal hands-on tour of the shop, its history, and even how they make their youtube videos! I mean. They hold no bars on the tour and rrally get you in there, and the workers who are unphased by strangers roaming into the innerworkings of their store. Genuinely everyone...

I have used SLC many times, however the past 2 orders have gone wrong. They kinda fixed the first one.. but the latest.. I ordered 16sf knowing I needed close to 14.5 sf of usable leather. They shipped and billed for only 15.. which makes it impossible for it to work.. The color and condition of the hide look nothing like the picture. I emailed them about a return along with a picture, and after 6 days of no response I decided to call. Ashley was very kind and agreed it looked nothing like the picture, however she would need to talk to her supervisor since I was wanting something close to the website picture. Later got a call back saying I have to pay postage on the return since most of what they have looks the same as what I received. If what you are shipping out isn't the size or the look of the picture and information on the website, then that needs to be changed.. They consistently remove my review I leave on their site so here I am. The first is what I received, the second the picture on website. What I go was just so plain compared to the rustic look I was after.. Seems like false...

The best customer service I've ever had was today when Nick solved a problem with an item purchased elsewhere. A handmade leather/canvas purse I had purchased for my wife was a big hit and she loved it, however functionally the purse was less than desirable. The least amount of weight would cause the entire thing to dump upside down when picked up by either the handle or straps. Nick quickly understood the issue (art meet physics) and offered multiple solutions, all of which were solid. I was expecting nothing more than a yes/no answer before I walked in the door, it could be fixed or not and I'd go from there. I walked out the door from my lunch break, returned ~4 hrs later and Nick had everything ready. Hand stitching, beautiful material choices and a seamless change that blended right in with the original. While I would have happily paid more, the price was unbeatable to boot. And of course, it could now be used as an actual purse! Well done, Nick! You are a good person, excellent craftsman and a significant asset to...