English not being my first language, I am wondering what would sound better to you as the first words of the title for a listing selling leather by the inch : 1 inch of leather cord or By the inch leather cord
I think you are on the right track with listing leather cord at beginning of title too. More important for me though would be to state the size of the leather next and then the length you sell.
I would go with "leather cord by the inch." "1 inch" makes me think you're selling only that length. Also, it's good to put the item name (or the most relevant keyword) first to boost your SEO.