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 […]
Features
LAUNCHING THE MID-OHIO EXPO AND CONSIGNMENT AUCTION
Careful planning and a good deal of footwork turned a challenge into a success. By Lynn Ascrizzi When one door closes, another door opens. That old saying pretty much sums up what John Raber, owner and operator of Hillside Harness Hardware in Millersburg, Ohio, had experienced last year. It all started when Weaver Leather, LLC, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
German Artist Aline Seiler
It’s in the Bag! Alles dreht sich um Taschen! By Gene Fowler German leather artisan Aline Seiler has always been into bags. “As a teenager,” she says, “I always wanted to know about the latest bag of the season and one of my big, big dreams was to one day own a designer bag. I […]
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, […]