Buying leather in Florence

I've purchased items at Massimo Leather on Borgo la Noce (very near Central Market) and have been very happy with the items. My leather coat is about 3-4 years old now and still looks like new. I also have a wallet and I purchased a purse for a friend as a gift for his fiancée. Those have held up well too. Massimo uses good quality Italian leather and everything is sewn locally. Any needed alternations are done fairly quickly. A friend bought a jacket and was able to pick it up later that same day. I think price depends on a number of factors, such as how complicated a jacket is to make or the size of the purse. I'm thinking jackets might be 200 euro up and small purses might start as low as 25-30 euro with larger purses 50 euro up, which for the quality isn't bad at all.

Linda, we also got jackets at Massimo's. Not cheap, but they're still in great shape. It was full of American students when we were there. There are dozens of stalls in the marketplace selling leather stuff, and its fun to look around, but we were warned that most of it was of lower quality and imported.

When I shopped for leather there, I though the prices were no bargain.

Depends on what you are looking for. There is decent (but not high quality) leather sold at the various street markets - there's a fairly big one near St Lorenzo. And just in random stores in touristy areas, I've always found plenty of stuff but I'm not looking for high end. Mostly I thought the prices were just "ok", no great bargains but maybe a bit better than in the states.

We were in Florence 2 weeks ago and my son bought a magnificent leather jacket from the Leather School (which is attached to the back of San Croce Church/Museum). My sister in law has worked in retail for decades (VP of sales in NAmerica) for the parent company that runs multiple companies and she has dealt with the leather school for years. She highly recommended the store, noting it is not cheap, but the quality is exceptional. She still wears a leather coat she bought there 25 years ago and its gorgeous.

Another vote for the leather school behind San Croce Church. I purchased a beautiful cream-colored handbag there 10 years ago this summer, and still love it as much as when I bought it.

My sister had a jacket custom-made for her at AJ Leather Factory in Florence. They took measurements, she picked out a leather and it was sent to her with arrival not too long after she returned home. She gets loads of compliments on it, and it is unique to her (team color leather). Perfect fit.

When I emailed her to find out the name of the shop for you, she said they also have a web site where you can look ahead and find the location.

When we were in Italy, I remember trying on a lovely leather jacket in a leather shop (we asked about a certain fit at out of the outdoor stalls, and someone took us to the real shop), and I regret not purchasing it. It would have been an impulse buy with no real burning desire at that time to own a leather jacket, but my mistake for not recognizing it as a smart purchase, even if impulsive.

A third vote for the leather school! Our items are well crafted and will last years. What's also nice is if you are there during 'working' hours you can watch some of the craftspeople work.

Paid $235 for a dark green 'nubuck' leather jacket from Massimo. Wear it a fair amount and it still looks new. Would have cost $400-500 here, no doubt.

While people have different favorite leather shops, hopefully you'll notice that almost everyone suggests you buy good quality Italian leather. It doesn't cost much more than the overpriced junk one finds in many shops and market stands.

We also liked the shop near Santa Croce church. We did not buy large items such as jackets but the small items we bought were very nice and well priced.

My wife and I bought leather coats from David Leather Factory, Via Ricasoli 55; they have another location in Florence also. I thought the prices and quality were good. Staff was attentive but I didn't think they were pushy.

I bought really nice leather belts and a bag at Pelleteria Fratellini . Prices are reasonable and leather quality is excellent. Very high end designer quality Plus the service is fantastic. Leather goods are 6 yrs old and still look new.

Leather market near the church where Michelangelo is buried.

Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll research them. I really like the idea of the leather-making school.

I just wanted to post and update on results of my leather jacket quest. Thanks to the recommendations here, I bought a jacket from Massimo’s. They were so professional (not smarmy or pushy) and I love what I found. Had to have sleeves shortened and the alteration was done in less than 30 minutes. I also followed another recommendation for Michelangelo Leather. Also, very reasonable and professional. I bought a very nice and unique purse there. Vini vidi vici! 😬