Accessories Artisan

Where There’s a Mum, There’s a Way 

Breakin' the Rules Like Proper Brits:  The Cambridge Satchel Story  by Gene Fowler  British mum Julie Deane found herself in a pickle one day back in 2008. Her eight-year-old daughter was being bullied at school and Deane decided to move both the girl and her six-year-old son to a private school. But she and her then-husband were £23,400 short of the £24,000 annual tuition for both children. (The British pound,
Accessories Artisan

Mean Jean Leather 

By Nick Pernokas  Thirty-six-year-old Lyndsi McGee grew up in central California. In her twenties, she moved to Los Angeles. Perhaps it was the ghost of L.A.’s pop culture, that is so prevalent there, which fueled her love for 1960s retro fashion.  “I was an avid vintage shopper,” says Lyndsi. “I always loved the classic Sixties saddlebags.”  Lyndsi purchased a lot of the old handbags from thrift shops. By the time
Artisan Boot/Shoe

BUSINESS IS BOOMING AT BRONCY DONKEY LEATHER 

Moccasin-style footwear collections spark leap of success and faith   By Lynn Ascrizzi  It’s easy to recall a business that has the charmingly quirky name, Broncy Donkey Leather Company. It trips off the tongue and delights the ears, and we might even find ourselves repeating it a number of times, just for fun.   But the company co-founded in 2019, by two Texas women, has earnestly grown into a significant success in
Accessories Artisan

Weinaug Leather – Classic Western with an Alien Twang

By B. Crawford If you bring a knife to a gunfight, at least make sure it has a nice sheath. Tooling a bull on a dead cow is ironic. These words of leatherworking wisdom come straight from Kingsbury, Texas, workshop of 25-year-old Trevor Weinaug, the founder of Weinaug Handcrafted Leather. Trevor is 100% Pure-D Texan, the direct descendant of a German immigrant who made his way to the hill's northwest
Accessories Artisan

Revisiting Western Skies Handmade        

Emergence of the Circle by Gene Fowler  Throughout the American West and Southwest, the vast cathedral of space that looms and soars above the landscape inspires and humbles all who behold it. In praise of this great natural temple, the name Western Skies has been applied to everything from motels to golf resorts, insurance agencies to RV dealerships. Event venues. Jewelers. Realtors. Veterinarians. Steakhouses. Candles, contractors and campgrounds. Art galleries. 
Accessories Artisan

Lost Dutchman Leather Nears Double-Digit Growth 

by Liisa Andreassen  In September 2020, we ran an article about an up-and-coming entrepreneur Nate Walker, founder of Lost Dutchman Leather. We were excited to catch up with him again and learn all that’s happened since we last talked. To date, he’s seen a huge growth spurt in his community and continues to push his creativity in design. In fact, over the last year, he’s realized about a 40 percent
Artisan Saddles/Tack

Don Gonzales: Riding the Wave of Social Media

By Nick Pernokas Many of us, who have been in the leather business for a long time, started out with Al Stohlman books and Tandy Leather tools. Some craftsmen were even able to go to a Tandy store and take lessons. For the young person interested in the leather business now, it’s a brave new world; one unlimited by the brick-and-mortar walls of the nearest leather dealer. Since ShopTalk! last
Accessories Artisan

Lifetime Leather Co. 

By B. Crawford  ShopTalk! is proud to have supported the age-old skills and resilience of leather craftsmen for the last five years. In this, our yearly anniversary issue, it is only fitting that we reach back into our own heritage and shine the spotlight on Ty Bowman, a craftsman whose story was told in our December 2018 issue, who continues to honor the tradition that so few follow in modern