Leather Types and Quality
Leather Weight Chart: Ounces to Inches and Millimeters, With Uses
Leather weight is thickness: 1 oz = 1/64 in (0.41 mm). Full chart from 1 to 16 oz with inches, mm and irons, plus which weight suits belts, bags and gear.
Leather "weight" is a thickness measure: 1 oz equals 1/64 in (0.41 mm), so 4 oz is 1/16 in (1.60 mm) and 8 oz is 1/8 in (3.18 mm). Light weights of 1-3 oz suit linings and garments, 8-10 oz suits belts and holsters, and 14-16 oz suits harness, saddle skirting and soles. Hides vary across their surface, so weights are usually sold as a range such as 4-5 oz.
This chart is part of our guide to leather types, grades and quality.
Leather weight chart
Sources: thickness and irons from Hermann Oak's chart; uses combine Hermann Oak's list with Leffler's project guide, which works in ranges.
| Ounces | Inches | Inches (decimal) | Millimeters | Irons | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz | 1/64 | 0.016 | 0.41 | 0.75 | Linings, garments, shoes, purses |
| 2 oz | 1/32 | 0.031 | 0.78 | 1.50 | Linings, embossing |
| 3 oz | 3/64 | 0.047 | 1.19 | 2.25 | Linings, light bags and wallets |
| 4 oz | 1/16 | 0.063 | 1.60 | 3.00 | Purses, boots, aprons, chaps, knife sheaths |
| 5 oz | 5/64 | 0.078 | 1.98 | 3.75 | Wallets, bags, chaps |
| 6 oz | 3/32 | 0.094 | 2.39 | 4.50 | Phone cases, book covers, light moccasins |
| 7 oz | 7/64 | 0.109 | 2.78 | 5.25 | Heavy cases, moccasins, light holsters |
| 8 oz | 1/8 | 0.125 | 3.18 | 6.00 | Belts, saddlebags, bridles, dog collars, holsters |
| 9 oz | 9/64 | 0.141 | 3.58 | 6.75 | Standard belts, sheaths, straps |
| 10 oz | 5/32 | 0.156 | 3.96 | 7.50 | Heavy belts, gun belts, stirrup straps, halters |
| 11 oz | 11/64 | 0.172 | 4.37 | 8.25 | Bridle backs, heavy straps |
| 12 oz | 3/16 | 0.188 | 4.78 | 9.00 | Latigo, rein backs, sole bends |
| 13 oz | 13/64 | 0.203 | 5.17 | 9.75 | Latigo, saddle skirting |
| 14 oz | 7/32 | 0.219 | 5.57 | 10.50 | Harness, saddle skirting, soles and heels |
| 15 oz | 15/64 | 0.234 | 5.95 | 11.25 | Harness backs, heavy sole bends |
| 16 oz | 1/4 | 0.250 | 6.36 | 12.00 | Work harness, saddle skirting, soles and heels |
How to read a leather weight
- Ounces mean thickness. One ounce is 1/64 in; the more ounces, the heavier the leather.
- Expect a range. Hides rarely measure exactly the same all over. Split hides are more even but still not perfect. That is why sellers list 4-5 oz rather than 4 oz.
- Count the finished stack. Linings and overlays add to the total, so choose the weight for the finished piece.
- Irons are a second unit. Some charts add irons; 1 oz equals 0.75 iron on Hermann Oak's chart.
- Metric sellers. Ounces are the US convention; Leffler, an Australian supplier, works in millimeters and rounds 1 oz to 0.4 mm.
Which weight for which job
| Weight range | Thickness | Common jobs |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 oz | 1/64-3/64 in (0.4-1.2 mm) | Linings, garments, embossing |
| 4-5 oz | 1/16-5/64 in (1.6-2.0 mm) | Wallets, bags, chaps |
| 6-7 oz | 3/32-7/64 in (2.4-2.8 mm) | Cases, book covers, moccasins |
| 8-10 oz | 1/8-5/32 in (3.2-4.0 mm) | Belts, holsters, sheaths, straps, bridles |
| 12-14 oz | 3/16-7/32 in (4.8-5.6 mm) | Latigo, harness, saddle skirting, soles |
| 16-17 oz | 1/4 in and up (6.4-7.4 mm) | Heavy sole bends, harness |
Why the same weight can feel different
Weight says how thick a piece is, not how firm or strong. Three things change the feel:
- Tannage. Chrome-tanned leather is more supple than vegetable-tanned, and pit-tanned veg leather is very firm and dense. See vegetable-tanned leather: how it is made and used.
- Where on the hide. One leatherworker says fibers are tight along the spine and loose and stretchy toward the belly.
- Which layer. The grain layer has the densest fibers; split leather comes from the looser corium. Weight and layer are separate specs, so a listing should give both; see leather grades explained.
The animal matters too. Split to 20% of its thickness, kangaroo keeps 30-60% of its tensile strength while calf keeps 1-4%, according to studies Wikipedia attributes to CSIRO.
Thickness and price
Tanneries price each thickness of the same leather separately, because a thicker article uses more of the raw hide. Compare prices at the same weight, and see how much leather costs for figures.
Weights in riding gear and gloves
Garment leather sits at the light end of the chart. A made-to-measure race suit from Leather Collection uses 1.2-1.3 mm cowhide as standard, about 3 oz on the chart. Its kangaroo option is thinner and lighter for its strength. The store's men's dress and driving gloves are 0.8-0.9 mm lambskin and cowhide, about 2 oz.
One caution from a tannery: leather can weaken inside without showing it, so it should never be the main load-bearing part of safety or fall-arrest gear, whatever its weight.
FAQ
How thick is 4 to 5 oz leather?
About 1/16-5/64 in (1.6-2.0 mm).
How thick is 6-7 oz leather?
About 3/32-7/64 in (2.4-2.8 mm).
How thick is full grain leather?
Full grain is a layer, not a thickness. It is sold in many weights; for example, Horween's vegetable-tanned Dublin is listed at 5-6 oz.
What's the thickest leather you can buy?
Standard charts run to about 16-17 oz, roughly 1/4 in (6.4-7.4 mm), used for heavy sole bends and harness.
LeatherGuru Editorial Team
LeatherGuru articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.