Review: The Ugly Bundle from Springfield Leather

Leather is expensive. Buying a side of cowhide leather runs anywhere from around $50 at the cheapest and $300+ for fancy stuff. I recently acquainted myself with pricing on alligator hides and dang, that makes cowhide prices look like buying used cars instead of right off the lot.

One frugal leather option I had heard about in leathercrafting groups is the Ugly Bundle from Springfield Leather Company. It’s 50 square feet of leather for $30, typically (so I heard) in weird prints, weird colors, or weird finishes. I’ve seen some people end up with hot pink leather and love it (ugliness is, after all, in the eye of the beholder). I’ve bought some of their $20 oil tan sides (sight and color unseen) and had been pretty happy with those, so I figured, why not? At the very least, I’d have something entertaining to write about for just $30 (plus shipping, which is around $15 depending on what else you have in your order).

I ordered the bundle last week and was shocked and amazed to receive it in close to seven days. Last time, it took at least two weeks for my order from Springfield to show up. Same beat-up box, though, and at this point I suspect that the post office kicks these around for fun.

The leather made it through just fine, though. No issues there. I could already tell, though, that there wasn’t anything hot pink in there. In fact, it looked kinda boring. I held my breath.

On top of the stack I find the wallet back amount of veg tan, as promised. Also, a complimentary lizard skin. I was hoping for one of those. Other people have commented that they got one and had no idea what it was. I think I’ll name mine Freddy and stick him on the wall.

The next skin is a bit of a mystery to me. It is a nice-sized, super thin blush skin backed with…some kind of cheesecloth? I’m not sure if this is such a thin split that it needed a cloth backing to survive or if this is just something I haven’t seen yet. Either way, I guess I can use it for a lining.

Next up: the best piece of the bunch (for my current projects): a cognac kidskin. The only thing that I can see wrong with it is those obvious cutouts. Otherwise, we’re looking at around $20 of value.

The biggest of the bunch: a huge navy blue piece of suede. Dunno what to do with it yet, but it’s pretty consistent throughout and relatively heavy.

Didn’t really know what to think of the skin under the suede. The finish isn’t great, and it’s not all that pretty with all the creasing. I call this the blah.

Next up, a creamy beige sort of leather that feels and smells like the upholstery leather in my Toyota. Not a fan of the color, so who knows what this will end up as.

After the car leather, we have what I’ve dubbed “couch leather” because it almost exactly matches the look and feel of my leather couch. I actually like it, much like I like my couch. I have admitted this piece to the good value pile of my ugly bundle (at this point, that includes a lizard, a kidskin, and some blue suede).

Then we have the winner of the weirdest leather, which I assume is patent leather in an odd sea green / blue. I’ll bet there’s a pair of Doc Martens made out of this leather. Might get some kind of rain hat out of it, so I consider this piece a win.

The next (and last piece) is not a win.

This bit of leather pretty much sums up the ugly in the Ugly Leather Bundle. It is discolored. It is not fun to touch. It is raggedy. I do not love it. Yet. Hopefully genius will strike eventually and I will put it to good use. For now, though, this leather will be at the back of the stack for the forseeable future.

And that’s it! I hope you found this little look into what an Ugly Bundle from Springfield Leather actually contained for me. Is $30 worth a few weird hides and a lizard? I think so, though I had really hoped for a more random assortment of colors. I mean, just blues and beiges? Maybe next time I’ll get something wild.

For me personally, this purchase was entertaining enough that I’ll probably purchase again for fun, but I would rather not count on getting useable leathers for most of my goods from this. That $30 is better spent on good, specifically selected leather when you have a nice product you want to give as a gift or sell. Of course, Springfield Leather has plenty of the specially selected good stuff, too.

Signing off so I can go put my lizard on the wall.

Questions? Comments? Toss ’em in the comment box below!