Frequently Asked Questions

Our cord comes from all over the world. Most of our final finish, dye application and packaging takes place in the US or India, but our leather hides come from Africa, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Greece, United States and others.

Yes!!! Always has been, and always will be! We take great pride in being the only company that uses only certified lead free dyes in all our leather. Our dyes meet all requirements on the new California laws regarding lead free jewelry, but we go even further ... our leather has ALWAYS met the even stricter German Goods Ordinance.

Our regular dyes use a 3 part process where the cord is coated in dye, heat sealed, re-dyed, heat sealed, then finish coated.

Our Natural dyes are an absorbed dye whereby the cord is dipped in the dye, the cord absorbs the dye, and then the cord is heat sealed. Because the dye is absorbed rather than coated, the cord is softer and more flexible than regular cord (Our regular is very soft, but this is softer). This process allows the natural color of the cord to come through. In some colors, it presents somewhat of a "tie-dye" look. All Natural dye colors present a "flat" color versus a shiny color.

Typically, most people find Greek cord to be softer and more flexible than most Indian cord. This is because over the past several years, many small Indian leather companies opened and began exporting extremely low grade leather cord for very low prices. Some use high lead content dyes, child labor, and extremely poor working conditions in order to keep the price low.

High quality leather cord typically uses higher quality hides that contain higher oil content. Quality of hide, tanning and oil content determine the strength and softness of leather cord.

Our leather comes from top grain, hand selected hides from around the world. During our manufacturing, we add natural leather oils to even further soften the natural fibers.

If it’s cheap, inexpensive leather you want, you should understand where it comes from and how it’s made. Sorry. We don’t sell it.

Because we do not try to hide anything from our customer. Everyone else does!

Leather is a natural product. A hide is capable of producing only "X" amount of cord, which is determined by the size of the hide. This means that as the hide is cut into cording, eventually the hide comes to an end. The cord is then joined, and the spool continues. (We wish we could get dinosaur hides!!!)

Almost every other manufacturer will angle cut the cord, glue it together, then continue the spool. Once the dye is added, the splice is hidden. Sure, it looks like one continuous length of leather, but it’s not. Your cord has a weak spot that eventually WILL break. Just think - that great customer of yours will be calling you back screaming that their expensive creation just fell apart.

Occasionally, our leather spools contain knots. Our flat laces may contain noticeable glue splices. We WANT you to know where the splices are. We want to show you very clearly, with nothing hidden, so you can plan your cutting accordingly. You want the best for your customer. So do we.

There is an industry tolerance of +/- 0.3mm when manufacturing leather cording. This would mean that a 1mm cord can be as large as 1.3mm or as small as 0.7mm. Additionally, due to the natural properties of leather, leather can expand or contract according to the climate, moisture, heat and/or how it is stored. The hides themselves will also affect the size of the cord. Hides can, and do vary, in thickness, even those from the same animal.

At LeatherCordUSA, we strive to manufacture our leather cord to exact specifications with as little variance as possible. However, since we are dealing with a natural product, there may be slight variances in size.

We can manufacture any color, in any size, of each and every cord we make. The sizes and colors on our website show our "stock" items available for immediate shipment. Call us to discuss your custom size or color needs.

Yes, these are all questions that we have been asked.

We do not sell recycled leather and we do not know anyone in the world who does. Since it is impossible to know what Farmer John fed his cows, we cannot certify that our leather is 100% organic. Yes, cows are vegetarians.

While not always possible, we make every effort to provide same day shipping on orders received prior to 1pm Eastern time. Orders received after 1pm Eastern time will ship the next business day. Customers will receive an email with tracking information when the order ships.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed with our Money Back Guarantee.

Returns must be made within 30 days after merchandise is received. Returned items must be with their original packaging and in uncut condition. Shipping and handling charges are not refundable. Custom orders are not returnable. Customers who select free shipping are subject to a 15% restocking fee.

Please email or call us before returning merchandise in order to obtain a return authorization number. Items returned without a return authorization will be refused and no refund will be given.

Please note that leather is a natural product, and every hide is slightly different from another. While we take extreme measures during our manufacturing and quality control process, certain variances such as tone, dye lot, size and texture are normal for leather and within industry standards. We make every effort to meet the specific requests of our customers. However, due to leather’s natural properties, variance from spool to spool is normal.

Refunds may be made by check or credit card reimbursement.

Yes. Please visit our Wholesale page for more information.