By Liisa Andreassen While his passion is fighting fires, he has a burning desire to work with leather too. Jeremy Unruh, a battalion chief with the Hutchinson Fire Department (HFD) in Hutchinson, Kansas, has been fighting fires for about 20 years, but it wasn’t until about four years ago that he began doing side work […]
Features
A Conversation with Shep Hermann
Hermann Oak Leather’s chief executive shares knowledge and wisdom gained from his long years of running the tannery By Lynn Ascrizzi It takes a certain kind of resilience, know-how and stick-to-itiveness to run a successful business long-term, especially a four-generation, family-run tannery like Hermann Oak Leather, located in St. Louis, Missouri. All this became evident […]
M.D.Y. Horseshoeing and Harness Shop
Old World Work Ethic By Nick Pernokas In the rolling hills of Northern Indiana, just outside of Middlebury, is a harness shop that epitomizes the work ethic of the Amish craftsman. In an area long known for fine woodworking, leatherworking and many other old world skills, M.D.Y. Horseshoeing and Harness Shop is making its mark […]
Ezra Arthur
Revival of an Era By Liisa Andreassen Planned obsolescence. That’s something that Sebastian Sandersius, founder of Ezra Arthur, a brand and manufacturer of high fashion casual lifestyle accessories for men, has trouble with and so he decided to do something about it. The idea for Ezra Arthur was first conceived while sitting in a jazz […]
American Leather Direct is Moving Up
The 31-year-old distributor has a brand-new, ecommerce website and is building a $2.8 million facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky By Lynn Ascrizzi Ashley Wheeler, sales and marketing specialist for American Leather Direct (ALD) currently based in Morgantown, Kentucky, has been super busy this year. Among her regular work, she has been writing copy and designing […]
Michael Anthony
Bootmaker By Jennifer June Lots of folks come to California with big dreams, a place full of easy money, sunny weather and lucky breaks. The story we’ve all heard about Michael Anthony goes like this… Michael rides his motorcycle, a Harley, out of Detroit and across the country. He gets Texas bootmaker Mr. Jack Reed […]
Clint Wilkinson
A Top-End Texas Leathercraft Hand By Gene Fowler When Clint Wilkinson was born in Denton, Texas, his grandfather Weldon Burgoon bartered a custom-made saddle to pay the doctor bill. Now, 36 years later, Clint carries on the family tradition of leathercraft arts: producing handmade bags, briefcases, wallets and other finely wrought creations in the same […]
Precision Saddle Tree Company
Ten Years of Discarding Tradition Driving Change through Technology By Danna Burns-Shaw Halfway between San Antonio and Houston, is the small town of Yoakum, Texas – a town steeped in the saddle and leather business tradition. Yoakum first received its saddle making identity back in 1919, when the Tex Tan Leather Company was founded. In […]
K Bar J Leather
Know Your Customer By Nick Pernokas Jack Gully decided to take a break from the plains of Montana in Miles City. He was hauling a load of horses home to South Dakota. As he ate breakfast in the motel, an older gentleman walked up. Jack didn’t recognize him at first. The man said, “You damn […]
Treasuring the Art of Fly Fishing Through Leather
By Liisa Andreassen It all started when James (Jimmy) Acord met a guy in a band who had a cool-looking belt pouch made out of an old Western boot. Acord figured he had some boots, so why not try to make his own? And, so it began. With a background in welding, he knew how […]