Every piece of deerskin has a story written into it: bug bites, healed scratches, wind-worn edges, and the soft resilience that only wild materials can have. To make shopping simple, we sort our chrome-tanned deerskins into clear quality tiers so you can pick the hide that fits your project instead of gambling on surprises.
All of our deerskins are commercially chrome tanned, with a smooth grain side and a soft, suede-like flesh side, and average 3–4 oz weight unless noted otherwise.
Why Deerskin Is Graded
Unlike farm-raised leather, deerskin comes from wild animals. That means natural marks are part of the material, not defects. Some hides are nearly flawless. Others carry scars, thin spots, or holes. Instead of hiding this reality, we sort every hide by hand so you know exactly what kind of usable area and consistency you’re getting.
That lets you choose the right leather for a flowing dress, a lined pouch, or a bead-heavy craft piece, without paying for more hide than you need.
If you already know what grade of hides you want, you can skip directly to our current selection of deerskin.
Garment Quality (Top Tier)
These are our cleanest, most consistent deerskins. Garment hides have a smooth, even grain with only minor cosmetic marks. If holes are present, they are small and kept to the outer edges where they can be cut away.
Best used for
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Dresses, shirts, and pants
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Full garments and panels
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Projects that require large, uninterrupted sections of leather
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Work where appearance and consistency matter most
If you’re making something people will wear, this is the grade that behaves the most like fine cloth: soft, flexible, and visually uniform.
No. 2 Grade
No. 2 hides are still high-quality leather, but with more personality. You may see a higher number of blemishes, healed scars, or small holes compared to Garment grade. These hides remain very usable, just with more variation.
Best used for
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Purses, pouches, and bags
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Flute bags and accessories
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Medium-sized craft projects
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Pieces where slight visual variation is acceptable
This is a great balance between value and usable area.
No. 3 Grade
No. 3 hides show more obvious wear from the animal’s life. You may find larger marks or holes that come closer to the center of the hide. Even so, there is still plenty of solid leather for well-planned projects.
Best used for
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Mid-sized items
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Bags, sheaths, and craft builds
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Projects that can work around imperfections
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Designs that embrace a natural, rustic look
If you don’t mind working around character marks, No. 3 offers excellent material at a lower cost.
Craft Grade
Craft Grade hides are the most rugged and irregular. These skins may include multiple blemishes, larger holes, thinner spots, and smaller overall usable areas. What they lack in uniformity, they make up for in charm and affordability.
Best used for
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Small bags and pouches
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Patchwork or layered projects
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Beaded items
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Rustic or decorative crafts
These hides are perfect when you want genuine deerskin texture without needing large, flawless panels.
Craft Grade Deerskin Splits (1–2 oz)
We also offer Craft Grade splits, which are thinner sections of deerskin, averaging 1–2 oz weight. These are partial hides and offcuts that have been split thinner for flexibility.
They’re especially popular for:
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Beadwork
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Lining and backing
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Small accessories
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Projects where softness and thinness matter more than size
Their lighter weight makes them easier to sew through and ideal for detailed handwork.
Pick the Hide That Fits the Job
Every project asks something different of the leather. Some need wide, smooth panels. Others thrive on scars and character. Our grading system isn’t about good versus bad; it’s about matching the hide to the craft.
If you’re ready to browse available hides by color and grade, you can view our current selection of deerskin. We generally stock Garment quality leather only by request. If that is what you are looking for, please let us know your requirements here.
If you ever need help choosing, just tell us what you’re making. We speak leather fluently.
