I suggest finding a maker in your area, or other talking with friends about who they recommend. An awful lot of online stuff is poor quality and/or expensive. Custom makers like myself put quality materials and invest time into the item to assure quality. Some of us even offer lifetime warranties on workmanship.

As has been said local is a great way to buy. One of the risks of online is dealing with the uncertainty of the person you are ordering from. There are quite a few of us on here that make what I consider high end toys that are not high end priced. But if you have never purchase from someone before there is always that unknown. How will he/she treat your order and make sure you are happy with your purchase. As Sovran said some of us do offer lifetime backing of our toys. Others, like myself, will tell you if you are not happy with it just send it back. If you are unsure ask for references. Engage with the person and make sure your toy is being made to fit your needs and desires. But if you can find someone local at least give that person a look. After all it is more fun to buy something you can see and feel.

Many things effect the feel of leather and there is a big difference between leather and suede, while the width the falls are cut at is a factor so is the weight of the hide and type of suede/leather(cow, calf, lamb, bison, elk, etc.).

If you look through the makers listed in the sticky and see a photo you like perhaps you could ask them for a sample of the material to be mailed to you. I know I have/do send material samples it is very hard to judge the weight/thickness/stiffness/color from a photo sometimes.