Hey dylan, you also can do a search on the net for jewelery suppliers almost all of them have sections for engraving tools. You may even have some brick and motar store suppliers in the san diego area. To start you just need a few hand gravers a vice and a good light, start with soft metals like copper or brass and look up as much info as you can online, maybe pick up a book. The guys here are mostly veterans and super knowledgeable so don't be afraid to ask questions. I love leather too and moving up to metal is a natural progression that you will like. People love it when you can carve something in metal for them
Good luck - John