PHONE NUMBER (212)302-2332

THIS SITE IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS. WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO ADD PRODUCTS AS SOON AS WE RECEIVE THEM AND HAVE CREATED THIS LINK AS AN ONGOING SECTION FOR GENERAL COMMENTS AND INFORMATION. WE REALIZE THAT SOME OF THE BELOW COMMENTS ARE A LITTLE LESS POLISHED THAN WHAT YOU MAY SEE ON OTHER BUSINESS SITES BUT AS A SMALLER COMPANY, WE CHOOSE TO BE TRUE TO OUR STYLE AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND FOR  VISITING. WE HOPE THAT IT PROVES USEFUL IN SOME WAY.  MY NAME IS DEMITRI AND I AM 1 OF THE OWNERS OF THIS LITTLE SHOP. I SHOULD MENTION THAT MOST OF THE COMMENTS HERE ARE FROM ME AND I WILL TAKE ANY COMMENTS OR CRITICISMS ABOUT THEM TO; demitri@leatherimpact.com.

I AM ABOUT TO REBUILD THIS WEBSITE (AGAIN) HOPEFULLY FINISHING BY YEAR-END. THERE IS SO MUCH TO BE SAID AND DONE - AND THIS SITE IS JUST NOT DOING IT FOR ME ANYMORE. I WILL DO MY BEST TO MAKE IT HAPPEN AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, AMONG OTHER THINGS WE DEAL WITH ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. I AM HOPING TO TAKE A LOT OF THE CONTENT HERE WITH ME - BUT MAKE IT EASIER TO NAVIGATE AND EASIER TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME ON A REGULAR AND MORE CONSTANT/LIVE BASIS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND FOR HAVING AN INTEREST IN WHAT I REPRESENT AND PROVIDE. SPEAK SOON...ANYTIME. DEMITRI 

demitri@leatherimpact.com

 REMEMBER; When you are asking yourself if you should put together that outfit, reupholster that couch, create that one-of-a-kind handbag, have the sexiest motorcycle seat on the street, take whatever item, to another level or create something from scratch that will be the only one out there (it's limitless)...I truly believe in a world of repetition and mass production, there's NOTHING COOLER THAN CUSTOM. 

I may have said this below but it is worth repeating. We DO NOT swatch the 'exotic' hides. With the amount of requests and the high cost of such items, we simply cannot afford to do so. I would be happy to sell you anyone in a basic black at a fair price for reference or provide a digital photo with measurements of a hide. Thank you for your understanding.

I often find myself saying to customers who have not used a particular hide and are openly telling me they 'don't get' what the hide looks like, 'picture it'. For the first time, I am stating it here. I have always been fascinated with all kinds of animals (I used to work at the zoo in the summer, when I was young). I mean it quite literally that someone should 'picture' the animal in their minds, to begin to understand what the hide is going to look like, size and shape-wise, once tanned. If that does not work, go online or to a book and find that particular animal and there's your picture - or take a trip to a farm or zoo. Whatever works for you. There is no magic here. If the snake gets more narrow at the head and tail, so will its hide once tanned. If a gator has 2 completely different sides, with changing scale patterns throughout and a long narrowing tale, so will its hide. Cows and lambs are tanned so that anything below the knee and past the shoulders is removed. A tanned hide will reflect that and will (if separated) almost always be 'halved' straight down the middle (spine). Therefore, the side of this animal is your 'picture' and is symmetrical to the other side. We can go on and on. If there is a hide in particular that you are curious about that is not mentioned, just ask. Chances are, i've seen it tanned and finished. A tanned hide is stretched and manipulated to appear 'flattened', so that it can be used 'like a fabric'. This is because all of these animals have hides that are naturally stretched in certain areas, depending upon the body shape and would be very hard to utilize otherwise. I know, this sounds logical but, how many people really stop to think about this when 'leather' comes to mind? I've been doing this a long time and I can tell you by the comments and questions I get, not many. The goal here is to simplify the concepts and make you understand what you are working with. You are left with a leather 'canvas' of sorts. A lot of these hides will have brand and tag marks that are required by law, regardless of location. There are other natural imperfections to consider that may not be as obvious in photos (stretch marks, tick marks, bite marks, accident scarring of all kinds). Some are covered in the tanning process. Some are not. NO hide is perfect - that's nature - go figure. I know some of you would prefer not to 'picture' the animal, especially if you are using its hide. You need to get past that and grasp the above.  

I wanted to state this very clearly here and now. Although we have always done a good deal of business outside of NY, there has been an increase (thank you all so much) and I guess I took it for granted that customers knew this. We are perfectly comfortable sending swatches all over the country and sometimes, outside of the country. If you are a willing customer, I am a willing distributor and seller, regardless of where you are. I wish I could have a store like this, in a number of other places in the country and people have commented the same (thank you again), but for now, we don't. I can also send digital images with items of interest, free of charge and that same day in most cases. I am making these comments because I still frequently get asked if we can sell to a customer that cannot visit our store, or is not from the immediate area and I hope you don't shy away. You can still buy as little as 1 hide or 1 yard of trim, if I have it stock. The only other thing to keep in mind is, all items are automatically shipped 'regular ground', which can take a little time, UNLESS SPECIFIED AND PAID FOR, to be shipped in another way.(which we do often, but it has to be requested and paid for - not a problem - we have a UPS and FedEx account, or you can choose to use yours).

This comment was inspired by a deal for a small production that we just lost recently, to a 'less costly' alternative. (NOTE; at NO point did the potential buyer actually have a sample of either option in-hand, to hold and judge. The decision was made 'blindly', motivated by cost alone). Remember one thing my good people, as you have become conditioned to focusing solely online, looking for that 'magic lowest discounted dollar figure' for your every purchase. This is NOT a FINITE good. There is a reason why I pay more to get my goods from certain tanners and certain countries who DO IT BETTER. This is an animal hide, being 'crafted' into something, hopefully great. This is not a television or a computer. This is custom - made, like a good cigar or bottle of wine, and always will be. I know, I would be excited too if I bought that 'luxury watch' for a fraction of the cost, but then again, it just might have that price tag for a reason. 

With regard to the online swatch charge...here's the deal; I never wanted to take 4 dollars from a potential customer, as a way of introducing our company and product. We are a small, private company, which honestly can't afford to give away free leather and suede, to all who ask. I simply want to see who is serious and committed to trusting us and our materials. I am confident the fee is a small investment, when the end-result is a superior choice for all your leather and suede needs. I don't mean for this to come across as pretentious or ungrateful...I'm just being honest. I am not here to waste your time and money and I hope the feeling is mutual. I hope you all get where I'm coming from. I WILL MAKE A POINT TO DISCOUNT IT BACK, IF A PURCHASE IS MADE. Thank you for your time. 

There are no secrets here. We are not a 'discount' outlet for leather. At the same time, I know that we are selling the best possible materials we can obtain at the best possible prices we can afford to sell them for. It's a real basic business concept that I hope our customers respect and agree with. I felt I had to make this post due to an increase in online and in-store comments regarding 'high prices'. 

*I am posting this as of May 2010. Some customers have mentioned that the 'auto-fill' form is not working properly. I will check email and respond to both addresses - 'demitri@leatherimpact.com' and 'leatherfacts@msn.com'. This is due to not filling in the 'text box' ABOVE the 'send' and 'reset' buttons. Please reenter the text exactly as it appears in the blank box, to the right of the white box. This is for security purposes. Thank you for your understanding. 

*A QUICK NOTE - I wanted to say 'thank you,' to all of you out there...somewhere, who have taken the time to go online and make fair, positive, remarks about our little side-street operation. We have been in this business a long time, thanks to our loyal customers and I know that I preach daily, an attitude of respect, professionalism and gratitude for all of you who choose to (especially in these hard times) spend your hard-earned dollars with us. As I have said elsewhere in this site, I know I take none of you for granted and strive to sell you only the best materials I can.

*Price lists do not make sense in this business. The nature of these goods and their complex cost structure creates fluctuation, especially with the 'exotics'. A price list would be inaccurate and misleading, ending in confusion and poor relations with our customers. Simply specify an item and ask 'how much', with a requested amount. Keep in mind that the quantity ordered usually will effect price although some items cannot be reduced in price unless purchased in very large quantities. We still feel that they are valuable and desireable items and want to present them here for our customers. Thank you for trusting in our straightforward pricing system. 

*Please do not ask for synthetic or 'faux' materials. We have a strong belief in the quote "a Jack of all trades, a Master of none." While these materials have their place, we do not want to be the company which provides them and operates in a manner that disregards the quote above. We try to stick to what we know...'Master' may be a strong term, but we strive to know what we are selling and think we know our products pretty well. Try us.  

 *I can't believe I'm bothering with this but...there is a 'review site' based out of San Francisco that has been on a personal vendetta to smear my company. A few years ago, a person supposedly came into our store and  left feeling unappreciated. While I do not mean to make light of this, I do not believe our operation deserves to be defined by one old, poor review. What bothers me is not that contradicting review but the other numerous positive reviews that have been posted since. Where are they? The site pulled them. I have no idea why. Customers took their time out to post nice comments about our shop. Thank you. I would  encourage all those who read this to never use that site. I would not use a site that manipulates its information and misleads its users. Since then, other negative reviews have been posted and of course, left up, as others with even a hint of praise, are promptly removed. Do they have a problem with a company that sells animal hides? Maybe they should tell the whole world to become vegitarian. Then , we can stop honoring the entire animal by using the other parts. Who knows, but I can say that I am slightly annoyed, to be honest.   

*Please do not ask what the 'cheapest' option would be...on any item. Apart from sounding ridiculous, it makes us feel 'cheap' and no one likes that feeling. We understand that a 'good deal' is an eternal desire for all of us, for any product or service...and believe that our prices are 'fair' and we will do our best to have you leave the transaction feeling the same way. Thank you.