By Nick Pernokas If you’ve ever traveled south on the back roads of eastern Idaho, you’ve seen the dark forests and craggy mountains give way to sage brush, and then the vast plains to the south. You’ve probably noticed that it was lonesome country, the kind of country that can keep a secret. Towns with names like Custer and Bonanza were once booming towns where men coaxed […]
Features
Never Too Young to Lead
By Jim Linnell Many people may think that Elktracks Studio is synonymous with Jim Linnell, however the reality is that it takes a team of passionate leatherworkers to make it all happen. Annie Libertini has reached entirely new audiences with her additions to the instructional library. George Hurst still regularly publishes patterns on the page. Michael […]
Platte Valley Saddle Shop: The Legacy of a Rambling Saddle Maker
By Nick Pernokas The Chevy box truck labored up another hill. In 1928, some of the roads in western Nebraska were in name only. The region was not called “the Sandhills” for nothing, and Elmus Henderson hoped he would not have to pull the planks out of the back to give the tires some traction. He looked over at his assistant, who […]
E.C. Leather – Kickin’ it Old School
by Liisa Andreassen No social media? No website? No ecommerce? No problem. In fact, E.C. Leather in Tulsa, Oklahoma, prefers it this way. This small family-run business still likes to talk to people and their old-school formula seems to be working just fine. While the business was founded in 1977, the foundation for E.C. Leather was set way […]
Saddle Maker Wilford Lewis: The Long Haul in His Own Words
By Nick Pernokas Sometimes the dust of history covers up some pretty good stories. Sometimes it takes a cold West Texas wind to blow some of it away, so you know where to start digging. The wind was blowing that day in 2002, when I pulled off Highway 67 just outside of Brownwood, Texas. I was looking for a man […]
The Cowboy Boot Destiny of Texan Mark Candela
by Gene Fowler Ever since I was a little bitty kid,” says Texas bootmaker Mark Candela, “I’ve loved anything western.” Having recently notched his 59th year wherever he notches ‘em, the Houston native grew up in an era when Hollywood westerns ruled the TV waves and the silver screen. “I had a Hopalong Cassidy watch,” […]
An Armory of Creations
By Liisa Andreassen Ever wonder what it would feel like to be a medieval wonder woman or to walk in Aquaman’s shoes? From medieval legends and superheroes to knights in shining armor, leathercraft master Samuel Lee is helping people realize their fantasies – one leather creation at a time. “I first became interested in making armor while I was in high school and doing […]
Motörhead and Mule Ears: The Cowboy Boot Mojo of Pascal Davayat’s Hollywood Riff Raff
by Gene Fowler Southern California bootmaker Pascal Davayat grew up in the rural Auvergne region of France, fascinated with cowboy boots and all things Wild West. “I lived on a solid diet of western movies and TV shows,” he says. Young Pascal dreamed of being a pirate or a cowboy, but yo-ho-ho-and-a-bottle-of-rum seemed unreachable, so […]
Slone Saddles: Rooted in Rodeo
By Liisa Andreassen Tod Slone, an icon in the western saddle making industry, had no idea that one day, saddle making would be his business. But here he is, 24 years after the founding of Slone Saddles (1996), where he and his wife, Lonna, currently employ more than 50 people, including their daughter, Kailey, and sons, Ace and Leske. “Built […]
TOUGH BOOTS FOR TOUGH CUSTOMERS
JK Boots builds on-the-job footwear for wildland firefighters, linemen, loggers, welders, mechanics, foresters, ironworkers — and more! By Lynn Ascrizzi Picture yourself lugging a 60-pound pack in the heat of summer, while hiking for miles across forested, mountainous terrain to reach your job site — literally, hundreds of acres of raging inferno. There, in remote fire-prone regions like northeastern Nevada, central Utah and eastern Washington, you put in high-risk, 12-to-16-hour days. As your buddies race to hose down towering flames, you cut and dig wide swaths through the forest with chainsaw and shovel, hoping to contain backcountry blazes. Special gear, like fire-resistant […]