Craft Community: Brotherhood or Battlefield? The Truth About Leatherworking Relationships

Sometimes it feels like leatherworkers are either a tight-knit brotherhood — or a group of rivals ready to tear each other apart over a single client. And honestly, it all depends on the angle you're looking from.

The Brotherhood Side: Shared Pain, Shared Understanding

No one understands your pain better than someone who's spent an hour cursing a piece of leather because the edge just won't polish to a mirror finish. Or who carefully stitched a seam perfectly straight, only to realize they forgot to add the pocket. Or who's heard "Why is it so expensive?" one too many times — and just freezes, because explaining it again is exhausting, and hitting people is not an option.

This shared experience creates bonds that go beyond simple professional networking. When you're part of the leathercraft community, you're joining a group that truly gets the challenges, frustrations, and small victories that come with the craft.

The Battlefield Reality: Competition in Craft

On the other hand, competition in craft often feels personal. Someone makes a similar piece — and suddenly it feels like the idea was stolen on purpose. Someone sells cheaper — and now they're "destroying the market." There's this constant suspicion that others know something important but won't share it, just to make things harder for everyone else.

Take something as simple as a crossbody bag pattern. One craftsperson creates a unique design, shares it online, and within weeks, five others are making "their version" of it. Is that inspiration or theft? The line gets blurry fast.

But is it really like that?

The Truth About Craft Communities

In reality, a community is just people. Some will help. Some will stay silent out of spite. Some will copy your design line for line. Others will become reliable partners. Nothing unusual — just life doing what it always does.

I've come to my own conclusion: there's no real competition in craft. If your style is truly yours, if your work has character, no one can replicate it in the same way. And if your style is easily replicated — then that's not a threat, it's a signal. There's work to be done.

Whether you're working with tried and trusted templates or experimenting with modern, creative designs, what matters is how you interpret them, what details you add, and how you make them your own.

The Question That Changes Everything

So the real question isn't whether a community is about support or competition.

The real question is why you joined it in the first place.

• To look for support?
• To share experience?
• To sell?
• Or simply to watch the chaos from a safe distance?

This shift in perspective changes everything. When you understand your own motivation for being part of the leatherworking community, the dynamics become clearer. The "competition" becomes less threatening. The support becomes more meaningful.

Finding Your Place in the Craft Community

Whether you see the leathercraft community as a brotherhood or a battlefield often reflects your own approach to the craft. Those who focus on developing their unique style and sharing knowledge tend to find allies and collaborators. Those who view every similar product as a threat tend to find conflict.

If you're just starting out or looking to turn your craft into a business, understanding these dynamics is crucial. (We've covered this topic in depth in our guide on making money with leathercraft.)

The community you experience is often the community you create around yourself.

Read next: Handmade vs Mass-Produced: Why You Should Never Compete on Price — Learn why trying to undercut competitors on price is a losing strategy for craft businesses.