Bookbinding leather seems expensive.  Though there are cheaper leathers available, leathers produced by tanneries that specialize in bookbinding materials start with the best hides and use only the highest quality materials and methods in their production.  This ensures a long lasting skin.

If you are taking the all the necessary time to make a leather binding is it really worth saving five or ten dollars on the cost of leather?  Tanneries like Harmatan and Hewit take no short cuts in their production and it shows in their skins.  Theirs is not a mechanized process, and they take their time in tanning.  Cheaper skins, to me, are suspect and I always avoid them. 

One of the nicest parts of our trip to England was a visit to Harmatan Leather in Northamptonshire, about an hour outside of London.  As you can see from the following pictures it was a wonderful visit. 

Marc (the son) and Malcom (the father) Lamb lived for  years in Africa and their affection for that part of the world is evident in all aspects of their business.  Their goat skins come primarily from Nigeria, where I believe they lived.