Harness Supplier

TACK SHOP DEALS IN ALL THINGS BIOTHANE®

Coated polyester strapping is a popular choice among Amish communities in Millersburg, Ohio — and beyond By Lynn Ascrizzi A line of Petz Product assembled dog leashes, ready for someone's Fido. If you visit Millersburg, Ohio, you’re in Amish Country, plain and simple. The village, centered in rural Holmes County, is part of the region’s wider Amish population — the largest in the world — an area where folks seek
Saddles/Tack

THREE-GENERATIONS OF LEGENDARY ARTISTRY

Harris Leather & Silverworks sets the standard for the show horse community A show horse decked out with a custom Harris saddle enhanced with ornate silverwork. By Lynn Ascrizzi Anyone deeply involved in big-time show horse events, such as The All-American Quarter Horse Congress,is well aware of the stature of Harris Leather & Silverworks and their hand-built, silver-spangled saddles and other artfully craftedleather tack.  “Our saddles and silverwork are what
Supplier

Keystone Leather and RJF Leather: Service That’s a Cut Above

Keystone has the capability to cut soles on demand. By Nick Pernokas It seems like Dave Schall, the president and co-owner of Keystone Leather in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was always destined to fill this role. Now 58, Dave Schall finished college in 1982 and went to work for the E.H. Hall Company, which was a sole cutting company in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. They had 15 full time cutters. In 1990, E.H. Hall,
Accessories

CREATIVE CUSTOMIZATION IS THEIR FORTE

ColsenKeane Leather is celebrating its successful, first decade  By Lynn Ascrizzi A rugged, hefty cowhide handbag finished in ColsenKeane's signature "Crazy Horse" style of leather, rubbed with special-purpose waxes to give the cowhide a distressed, "antique" patina that will change color and texture, over time. Like many a small enterprise in its start-up phase, ColsenKeane Leather, LLC of Charlotte, North Carolina, had a humble beginning. “I began making leather goods
Artisan Supplier

Maker’s Leather Supply: New Ideas for a New Generation

By Nick Pernokas Aaron and Janie Heizer stock a very large quantity of all sorts of leather which can be purchased in small amounts. In a cynical world that has moved past Roy Rogers and John Wayne, a world where a phone has become a wallet, and kids don’t need a belt like their cowboy heroes wear anymore, you’d think that leathercraft would be a dying hobby. Fortunately that’s not
Feature

POP! Goes the West

Andy Warhol Went Thataway New Exhibition Spotlights the Artist’s Love of the Cowboy Way Andy Warhol, Cowboys and Indians: John Wayne, 1986 The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh; Founding Collection, Contribution The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.1998.1.2493.1 By Gene Fowler Andy wore cowboy boots. Who knew? Wait—what? Andy who? If you were alive for very long in the last century, you know this particular Andy only needs one
Accessories Saddles/Tack

Heritage Brand: A Family Brand

The Heritage Brand leather shop in Tumalo, Oregon, where all HB products are manufactured. By Danna Burns-Shaw Did you know that family businesses account for 64% of U.S. gross domestic product? They generate 62% of the country’s employment and account for 78% of all new job creation. Family-owned businesses are the backbone of the American economy! Small businesses employ just over half of U.S. workers. Research also shows that family
Boot/Shoe

STIEFELwerk: Bespoke in Brooklyn with Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé

Anne Marika Verploegh Chasse moved to New York from her native Switzerland 20 years ago and opened her Brooklyn bespoke boot and shoe shop 15 year ago. Her visual arts background makes her footwear creations unique and distinctive. By Gene Fowler    “Everything I do has rhythm,” says Anne Marika Verploegh Chassé of STIEFELwerk, a one-woman bespoke boot and shoe making company based in Brooklyn. “I have always been a maker
Supplier

Making Their Mark

Buckeye Engraving celebrates 40 yearsof manufacturing custom metal stamps, marking dies, branding irons — and more! By Lynn Ascrizzi Ever since the first artists in prehistory pressed red-ocher handprints on a torch-lit cave wall, enterprising humans have sought to make personal and lasting impressions. Fast-forward roughly 40,000 years. Today, in our quick-paced digital age, skilled technicians use complex technology to engrave the identifying signs and symbols that entrepreneurs use to
Saddles/Tack

Frecker’s Saddlery: A Family Affair

Karsten and Kent Frecker shown with a couple floral carved saddles. By Nick Pernokas The tall cowboy eased through the crowd at the tradeshow.  Every once in a while there was a flash of recognition from other shoppers, but then they went on about their business. This was Vegas after all. The National Finals Rodeo sported several large trade shows filled with western merchandise and it was easy to miss