Accessories Artisan

Duane Ballard Custom Leather 

Easy Rider by Gene Fowler  “As long as I get to mess with leather,” jokes artisan Duane Ballard, “I don't really care what I'm making.” To prove it, he sports tattoos of a swivel knife and a traditional oak leaf tooling on the back of his right hand.  But, while he does find leatherwork of any kind to be a satisfying activity, Duane generally concentrates on custom motorcycle seats and
Accessories Artisan

Carlos Macias: The Lost Buckaroo 

By Nick Pernokas  Forty-five-year-old Carlos Macias was raised in the small town of Elk Grove, California. This urban setting in a non-horsy family wasn’t the background that most people would think of for a cowboy. Carlos received a nudge in that direction from an aunt who was involved in “The Painted Ladies,” a drill team that performed at rodeos. She put him on his first horse when he was little
Accessories Artisan

Prairies, Tattooed Fingers and Victorymade Goods 

By Bill Crawford Victorymade Goods is like the song “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” by Richard Thompson - bold, ballsy and forever cool. Like Thompson, Danial Orchard, the founder of Victorymade, is a dedicated craftsman with a passion for bikes. But unlike Thompson who is British, Orchard is Canadian.   “Full disclosure,” Danial confessed from his workshop in Okotoks, Alberta, just outside of Calgary. “I moved here from Central Ontario in 2013,
Accessories Artisan

Crimson Willow: The Horse She Rode In On 

By Nick Pernokas  Rachel Dake inherited a love of horses from her mother. When she was nine, Rachel got her first horse. She spent the next few years competing in various equine events in 4-H, but never suspected this passion would lead to her eventual livelihood.  Rachel started barrel racing while in college in Independence, Missouri. She purchased a mare named Crimson Willow and started competing with her at local
Accessories Artisan

Julie Simon Turns Reality TV Addiction into New Career 

by Liisa Andreassen  When Julie Simon started watching Project Runway, an American reality TV show that focuses on fashion design, she had no idea that one day it would inspire her to trade in her computer for a sewing machine. After more than 12 years working as a graphic/web designer, she was ready for a change, so with the show as her muse and YouTube by her side, she bought
Artisan Boot/Shoe

FOOTWEAR FOR THE STARS 

Sharlot Battin has made a full career out of building shoes, boots and sandals for Broadway actors — and beyond.  By Lynn Ascrizzi  Who’d think that someone born and raised in the old railroad town that is Whitefish, Montana, would establish a highly unique career in New York City building leather footwear for celebrities of stage and screen?   “My grandparents had 200 acres in Whitefish,” said Sharlot Battin, reminiscing about
Artisan Leather

TRADING IN HIDES AND LEATHER  

Andy Barta gained expertise in the business from the toughest of teachers   By Lynn Ascrizzi  After working for 55-plus years in the hide and leather business, Andy Barta knows a thing or two about weathering the ups and downs of the trade. His hands-on confrontations with adversity and his knack for bouncing back with fortitude, began for real in December 1955, one year after his father had launched the rawhide
Artisan Boot/Shoe

Tim Bishop: Just What He Wants to Do 

By Nick Pernokas Tim Bishop was raised in the small, eastern New Mexico town of Logan. Tim’s high school had only 13 in his graduating class. In this rural ranching community, there were only a few choices in lifestyle for a teenager. Tim chose the most attractive one to him which was the western one.   “Everybody wore boots,” Tim remembers fondly.  Tim’s dad retired from the military in Logan and