T H E L E AT H E R R E TA I L E R S ’ & M A N U FACT U R E R S ’ J O U R N A L
Juan Ortiz
M ARCH 2 0 1 6
S I NC E 1984
W W W . P RO L E P T I C. NE T
$6.50
THE LEATHER RETAILERS’ & MANUFACTURERS’ JOURNAL
MARCH 2016
FEATURES 12 Orion Calf, Ltd. 14 A One-Stop Shop: Zelikovitz Leathers
14
21 Rawhiders Gathering 28 A Bootmaker’s Tale 33 Thomas Bates 36 Juan Ortiz: Rawhide Manufacturing
21
Rawhider’s Gathering
IN EVERY ISSUE 4 Laugh Lines 6 Hide Report 45 News, Notes & Queries 50 Goods & Services 55 Classifieds COVER PHOTO: “Sweeter Than The Flowers” cowboy boots, by Lisa Sorrell.
2 MARCH 2016
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40
Bootmaker Lisa Sorrell Published by Proleptic, Inc. • P.O. Box 17817 • Asheville, NC 28816 Ph (828) 505-8474 • Fax (828) 505-8476 shoptalk@proleptic.net • www.proleptic.net Read Shop Talk! online with links to advertisers and online information. www.proleptic.net ShopTalkLeatherMagazine
Shop Talk! is published monthly (ISSN 1547-0121) by Proleptic, Inc. Subscription rates are $36 annually, $39 (US) for Canada and Mexico, and $54 (US) for all other countries.
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MARCH 2016 3
Driver: Sure. Here it is.
LAUGH LINES
It was valid. Captain: Whose car is this? Driver: It’s mine, officer. Here’s my registration. Registration card showed that the driver owned the car. Captain: Could you slowly open your glove box so I can see if there’s a gun in it?
Driver: Yes, sir, but there’s no gun.
Tickle Your
FUNNY BONE
Sure enough, there was nothing in the glove box. Captain: Would you mind opening your trunk? I was told you said that there’s a body inside. Driver: No problem.
A police officer pulled a guy over for speeding and had the following exchange: Officer: Can I see your driver’s license? Driver: I don’t have one. It was suspended after my fifth DUI. Officer: May I see your registration please? Driver: This isn’t my car. I stole it.
The trunk was opened and there was no body inside. Captain: I don’t understand it. The officer who stopped you said you told him that you didn’t have a license, that the car was stolen, that you had a gun in the glove box, and that there was a dead body in the trunk. Driver: Yeah, and I’ll bet the liar told you I was speeding too.
Officer: The car is stolen? Driver: That’s right. But come to think of it, I think I saw the owner’s registration in the glove box when I was putting my gun in there. Officer: There’s a gun in the glove box? Driver: Yes, sir. That’s where I put it after I shot the woman who owns this car and stuffed her in the trunk. Officer: There’s a body in the trunk??? Driver: Yes, sir. Hearing this, the officer immediately called his captain. The car was quickly surrounded by police, and the Captain approached the driver to handle the tense situation. Captain: Sir, may I see your license? 4 MARCH 2016
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Q: Why did the dishonest man grow a beard? A: So that no one could call him a barefaced liar! A minister told his congregation, “Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon better, I want you all to read Mark 17.” The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many people had read Mark 17. Every hand in the church went up.
Welcome to the Afterlife
C
inderella, Superman, and Pinocchio died and went to heaven. On their way there, they talked about their lives: Cinderella: “I want to be remembered as the most beautiful girl in the world.”
Superman: “I want to be remembered as the strongest person in the world.” Pinocchio: “I want to be remembered as the greatest liar who ever lived.” When they reached heaven, Cinderella was called in to speak with St. Peter. When she came back, she was smiling and said, “That’s all taken care of. I’ll be remembered as the most beautiful girl in the world!” Then Superman was called in to speak with St. Peter. When he came back, he was also smiling and said, “That’s all taken care of. I’ll be remembered as the strongest man in the world!”
Advice from a Country Farmer Life is simpler when you plow around the stumps. — Roy English
Then finally Pinocchio was called in to speak with St. Peter. When he came back, he was very angry and shouted, “Who’s this Preston guy anyway?”
Try & Test Me Bob and Joe sat next to each other while taking a test. When they finished, the teacher called them up to the front of the room and said, “Boys, I’ll have to give you both zero on this test.” “Why?” they both asked at the same time. The teacher said, “Your answers were too nearly alike. One of you cheated and the other one let him do it.” “What makes you think we cheated?” Bob asked. “That could have been a coincidence.” The teacher replied, “I might have believed that if it wasn’t for the fact that when you came to question #10, Bob wrote ‘ I don’t know’ for the answer, and you, Joe, put, ‘Me neither.’”
Murphy, a dishonest lawyer, bribed one of his client’s jurors to hold out for a charge of manslaughter, fearing the murder charge that was brought by the state. The jury was out for days before returning with a verdict of manslaughter. Later, as Murphy paid off the corrupt juror, he asked him if he had a hard time convincing the other jurors to see things his way. “Boy, did I!” said the juror. “They kept voting to acquit!”
BIGGEST LIES --The check is in the mail. --I’m from the government, and I’m here to help you. --You get this one, and I’ll pay next time. --Drinking? Why, no, officer. --I never inhaled. --It’s not about the money. It’s the principle of the thing. --Don’t worry, I can go another 20 miles with the gauge on empty. --We’ll release the upgrade by the end of the year. --... then take a left. You can’t miss it. SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 5
YOU R GLO BAL P E RSP ECT IVE
More Than 60 Shoemakers Bankrupted in Putin, Fujian Province According to a CCTV report, 60 shoemakers in Putian city have closed their businesses, surging production costs are blamed for bankrupting these companies. Some have shifted to other business and some transferred to eastern Asian countries. Putian city in China is one of the footwear production areas for global brands. About 4,000 shoemakers are located there, making footwear that is sold to the global market. According to statistics, 250 large-scale companies made 600 million pairs of shoes with the sales value of 60 billion yuan last year. Despite the number of shoemakers declining, there was a 9% increase in sale revenues for 2015. !
W NE
The Hide Report HIDE PRICES STEADY TO LOWER During the first week of February, prices for Heavy Texas Steers between 64 and 68 lbs. range from $60 to 61. 70 lbs. averages sold at $67. The oversupply of heavier averages plaguing the market in January seemed to have dissipated in varying degrees but the premium for heavyweights continued to be diminished. Branded Steers 64 lbs. and up sold at $57 and 66/68 lbs. sold at $56 Butt Branded Steers were down a dollar with 66/68 lbs. trading at $70. Heavy Native Steers finally succumbed to lower prices with 66/68 lbs. hides selling for $73 during most of January.
SALES/SHIPMENTS SURPASS SLAUGHTER Combined sales of hides for the period were 564,900. Adding an estimated 35,000 consumed domestically and total sales were 599,900. Combined sales were 459,900 and slaughter for the same period was 506,900. As result, sales surpass slaughter by 30,900 hides and shipments by 109,100.
FEDERALLY INSPECTED SLAUGHTER Federally inspected slaughter as of Saturday, January 30, was estimated to be 567,000 with the week before coming in at 569,000, the same amount as a year ago. Year to date slaughter is 2,309,000 head. This compares to 2,376,000 at this time last year or 2.8% less which translates to 67,000 fewer cattle.
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The Hide Report
Global Leather Goods Industry 2015-2019 Technavio’s market research friendly, and are certified free of analyst predicts the leather goods harmful substances by the German The growing industry to grow at a CAGR certification body TUV Rhineland. demand for organic (compound annual growth rate) Some highlights: of around 4% during the forecast leather products The footwear segment dominated period. The rise in the export of is expected to the market during 2014 with a leather is the primary driver for the market share of 59%. growth of this market. For instance, contribute to the during 2014, the US exported The Americas accounted for 39% market growth hides, skins, and semi-processed of the market share during 2014 leather which generated a revenue during the forecast and are predicted to retain its of around USD 3 billion. China, leadership until the end of 2019. period. Taiwan, Korea, Mexico, as well as The US is the market leader in this some European countries were region followed by Canada. Product the biggest importers of leather innovation and technological products during 2014. Moreover, advancement by the primary growth drivers of the growth of the global automobile industry is this market. also fueling the demand for leather upholstery. The growing demand for organic leather products is expected to contribute to the market growth during the forecast period. Conventional leather tanning has a disastrous effect on human health and also creates an ecological imbalance. Eco leather is organically tanned for the tanning process and includes using plant tannins, vegetable tannins, and smoke for the process. For instance, Nutureally, an UK- based vendor, uses only certified hides from selected British farms. The hides are chrome-free, environmentally Lasting Quality and Style Matte Finishes Many Colors
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MARCH 2016 7
The Hide Report SADESA LAS TOSCAS TANNERY CLOSES According to the online newspaper ellitoral.com, Sadesa closed its Las Toscas tannery in northern Argentina. The Santa Fe-located tannery, which is involved in the tanning of soles and vegetable tanned leather, is one of the eight industrial facilities that the group runs in South America and Asia. According to spokesman of Argentina’s leading tanning group, market issues are the reason for the tanneries shut down as alternative materials are increasingly eroding the other competitiveness in footwear.
CLARKS FLEXES NEW COMFORT TECHNOLOGY A style from 1883 inspired Clarks’ newest design innovation, the Trigenic Flex. The design takes cues from Clarks Hygiene shoes, which contrary to the trend in 1883, where shape to the natural contours of the foot. The modern construction features a slimmed down anatomical last shape and a three-part decoupled sole unit to support each stage of impact. Deconstructed uppers made from premium leather panels are cut and interlocked for comfort. Styles include a nubuck walking shoe, a leather brogue, a suede high top, and beeswax chukkas.
UK’S DOC MARTENS SEE DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH Permira has profited from its acquisition of Doc Martens. The iconic British boot brand closed its first fiscal year under the guidance of the Londonbased fund which took over the company previously controlled hide the brand R. Griggs. The increase in sales 2014/15 was 13% for a total of 235.3 million pounds, approximately €312.5 million, while net profit rose to 40.9 million pounds, with an increase of 17.4%. The growth in Europe, which has passed the performance in the United States thanks to the British market and online sales, has been crucial to success. Meanwhile, the number of monobrand stores is growing with the latest openings including the new flagship Oxford Street in London, totaling 45 stores worldwide for the brand. 8 MARCH 2016
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The Hide Report
South Africa Wants to Outlaw the Abuse of the Leather Mark A few decades back in South Africa, when you Leather Link, an agent for invested in a leather lounge suite, South Africa’s largest upyou knew you’d be getting holstery leather tannery, something which would last for Hannitan, is made up of In recent decades and actually improve 85% synthetic mate years, the with age. That’s because leather rial. “It’s the biggest furniture was upholstered with con on the market,” South African leather the “grain split” or “top he says. “It’s a synthetgrain”— the top ic polyurethane with industry has come up with part of the leather leather shavings sprinafter it has been kled on the back to make many creative ways to… split in two which is it look like leather. And it the nicest, strongest comes in 30 m rolls.” make “leather” lounge part. Alarmingly, given the degree of suites affordable. The bottom portion, consumer deception, it’s not illegal called a “split” is much to call this bonded product “leather” weaker since it does not in this country as is the case in have the outer epidermis European countries and in Brazil. to hold everything together. In recent years, the South African leather industry has come up with many creative ways to turn that bottom split in the coverings for furniture—splitting, embossing, pigment in, pitting with plastic— so as to make “leather” lounge suites affordable to the mass-market. Manufacturers call it “bonded” and “bi-cast” leather and some suppliers attempt a description of what that entails but what most consumers focus on is the Leather Mark they use on their products, not realizing that the material lacks the strength, breathability, and durability of top grain leather. . . . Mr. Price Home started selling a range of bi-cast leather sofas and chairs in 2005 and within 3 to 4 years the complaints appealing leather were coming thick and fast, mainly from coastal areas. The company offered limited compensation and then stopped selling bi-cast leather furniture altogether. Bonded leather is even more inferior than bi-cast leather and in fact, according to Hugo Zuanni of
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MARCH 2016 9 AM 6/19/13 9:42
The Hide Report Hidenet.com Op Ed Our industry priced itself out of competition in 2013 and 2014 and into early 2015; as a result, leather substitutes have taken a huge percentage of the market share of leather. Even now with the lowest price of most leathers seen in years, substitutes have become entrenched in the minds of designers. It’s an ugly situation if you’re trying to sell leather to a brand that is now using, and very pleased with, the substitutes they’ve adopted. To add insult to injury, despite uncoordinated industry efforts like Leather Naturally, manufactures, retailers, etc. are selling synthetic products with substitute names for leather like faux leather, leather like, bonded leather, etc.
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So what to do? Sell! Tanners need to be creative and present leather product manufacturers with innovative textures, colors, etc. at a price competitive to substitutes. The industry needs to sell the retailer and ultimately the public on leather being unparalleled in its lasting beauty and longevity. Leather lost its market in just a few years. If current trading ranges can be maintained, and the trade does its part to promote the product from which we all live, success is possible, albeit not overnight.
10 MARCH 2016
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The Hide Report
MARCH 2016 MARKET IN REVIEW Selection
Weight (lbs.) wts. vary month to month
December (early)
January (early)
February (early)
Price Last Feb 2015 (early)
Heavy Texas Steers
66-68 $62-63.50 $64-66.50 $61-62
Heavy Texas Steers (Hvy)
74-78 $68-69 $72-73 $64-66 $105-106
Branded Steers
66-68 $61-62 $60-64 $58-59 $94-96
Branded Steers (Hvy)
74-78 $66-68 $71-72 $62-63 $104-106
Colorado Steers
66-68 $57-58 $57-58 $51-52 $92-94
Butt Branded Steers
66-68 $69-70 $70-71 $69-70 $103-105
$95-97
Butt Branded Steers (Hvy) 74-78 $77-78 $77-78 $75-76 $107-108 Heavy Native Steers (Hvy)
74-78
Heavy Native Heifers
50-52 $58-59 $59-60 $54-55 $87-90
Branded Heifers
54-56 $55-56 $56-57 $51-53 $84-87
Heavy Native Cows
50-54 $45-48 $45-48 $44-45 $68-71
Branded Cows
50-54 $34-36 $35-37 $32.50-36 $59-61
Spready Dairy Cows
50-52 $57-59 $57-60 $57-59 $79-81
Native Bulls
$75-77
$77-78
$77-78
$108-110
100-110 $56-61 $56-61 $49-51 $79-82
SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 11
Orion
Calf, Ltd. Sources Small Quantities for Leather Craftsmen Measuring a hide in a European tannery.
Orion Calf Ltd. sells the very finest French calf leather made from European small calf and veal. This is the same leather used by the world’s luxury brands for items such as handbags, small leather goods, boots, and shoes. They maintain inventory in the U.S. so domestic by LIISA customers don’t have to worry ANDREASSEN about import logistics, and they can usually ship within a couple of days. And, there are no minimum order requirements. “We won’t turn away a customer who only wants a single hide or two,” Amelia Corey, sales and service coordinator, says. Corey explains that for many years, its parent company, AXMS, Inc. sold to custom boot and shoe makers such as Allen Edmonds Shoe Corp., Johnston and Murphy, Alden Shoe, Footjoy, Polo, Ralph Lauren, Rancourt Shoes, and many more.
12 MARCH 2016
SHOP TALK!
Orion Calf Ltd. was formed to supply craftspeople and small businesses, basically those who would find it extremely difficult to source this type of leather on their own because previously it was only sold in drum loads (production runs of 2,000 feet). “We are here for those craftspeople who are highly skilled, creative, and cater to a discriminating customer base of the fashion conscious, trend makers, and others who appreciate the classic look and feel of these aniline, full grain, drum dyed leathers,” she says. “And, we don’t discriminate between those making items for their personal use or for sale.”
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Fast FAQs • Orion’s French calf hides generally range from 23-25 square feet. The European baby calf are 8 to 10 square feet for whole hides. These are from young animals with fine grain and tight fiber which make genuine European calf so desirable. • The tanneries that supply Orion’s leathers use classic tanning and finishing processes in modern facilities that meet strict environmental regulations. • Orion Calf, Ltd. hopes to help many leather craftspeople elevate their product offerings by using the best leather in the world. • A web-based business with no retail store, Orion Calf, Ltd. has warehouses in Connecticut and Texas. It ships all over the world, but the majority of its sales are in the U.S.
Its current product line consists of smooth glazed French Calf, naturally milled French Calf in 3-3.5 oz., and smooth European Baby Calf, 2-2.5 oz. All whole hides are chrome tanned, full grain, and drum dyed, aniline leathers. A large selection of colors are available from traditional tans and browns to blues, reds, and even hot pink. All calf leather is not created equal
“It’s nature versus nurture,” Corey says. “All calf leather is not alike. We have decades-long experience and relationships with some of the world’s top tanneries and producers of fine leather goods and are happy to share our knowledge.”
Orion Calf, Ltd. enjoys getting to know its customers and their product visions. “If we aren’t a good match, we try to direct the customer to an appropriate source that better fits their needs. Our leather is not for everyone—it is the type of leather to pair with genuine exotics (e.g., ostrich, alligator, or lizard) rather than printed cowhide,” she adds.
Sample of shoe made with calf from Orion. The pair retails for about $700 US.
So for those who may have given up on sourcing this great leather, it should no longer be an issue. “We pride ourselves on great customer service and also have experienced technicians on staff to help with leather or construction issues,” she says. For more information, visit: www.orioncalf.com. 1-800-765-8033.
Glazing the hide. This leather is ready for the consumer.
SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 13
A One-Stop Shop
ZELIKOVITZ LEATHERS MAKES BIG GAINS BY OFFERING WORLD’S LARGEST SELECTION OF LEATHER CRAFT PRODUCTS by LYNN ASCRIZZI, STAFF WRITER
In 1857, Queen Victoria designated the city of Ottawa, located in southeastern Ontario, Canada, as the nation’s capital. Although many businesses sprang up during that enterprising Victorian Age, not many of them operating in that city today can say they were founded during the queen’s long and prosperous reign. But longevity is, indeed, part of the 125-year-old history of Zelikovitz Leathers. Begun in 1890 as a humble supplier of leather, shoe-care products and findings, the small business moved from Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1905 to the bustling city of Ottawa, named after the Algonquin word, adawe, which means trade. The family run enterprise must have picked the right spot since it has thrived in that international business and cultural center ever since to become the oldest distributor of leather and craft supplies in the world.
the leather, and decided to take it over—to expand it to leather crafters. I wanted to have the largest collection of craft supplies and the best quality materials,” he said, a goal that he has reached, if not excelled. Or, as he noted: “We have the largest selection of leather craft supplies in the world.” Although based in Ottawa, the company’s partnership with the US Postal Service enables them to connect with markets here and abroad through their distribution center in Ogdensburg, NY. “Everything coming in or going out, goes through that warehouse. We’re doing this in order to be competitive, to compete with American companies. Our biggest volume of sales is coming through the U.S.,” he said For 115 years, Zelikovitz Leather was a finder of products for shoe repairs and shoe factory needs. Then, the shoe industry went to Asia. “When I bought the business, it was actually dormant for eight years— no salespeople, no staff, one shipper. They just took orders, although they continually made money with regular customers,” he said. Currently, the company has gone from a 100% shoe business down to 1%. “We still have some glue,
Today, the company is booming. “Retail sales for the past ten years have been up by 20 to 25%, year over year. We’ve had substantial growth,” according to company owner and CEO, Jaimie Melamed. He took over the reins of the company in 2004, the same year that its former owner, Joe Zelikovitz, an outstanding Ottawa benefactor, passed away. “I had done leather work since I was 8 years old,” Melamed recalled. “When I heard the company was for sale, I walked in, smelled Courtesy Zelikovitz Leathers.
14 MARCH 2016
SHOP TALK!
some heels, and other materials for the shoemaker. But all the rest of the products are for the craftsperson,” Melamed said. The company distributes, retails, and manufactures thousands of quality craft related products. Or, as their business motto states, “Serious crafts for serious crafters.” Products are retailed in their Ottawa-based store, Zelikovitz Leathers, located on the first floor of a large 5,000 square foot, two-story, bright blue building. Ongoing craft courses are held in a mid-sized room on the second floor. Classes cap at seven to ten people.
“Retail sales for the past ten years have been up by 20 to 25 percent, year over year. We’ve had substantial growth. . . . Our biggest volume of sales is coming through the U.S.” — Jaimie
Business manager Delphine Sullivan deals with receiving, order placing, and other facets of the store, including organizing craft classes. “The retail store is separate from our back rooms. We keep overstock upstairs,” she said. For a digital tour of the store, click on Virtual Tour at: www. zelikovitz.com.
Sullivan has been with the company for five years. “When I started, business was focused on the shoe care side of things. But now, we see people interested in leather work. We Melamed, Owner know a lot of customers on a firstand CEO, Zelikovitz name basis, and some are starting Leathers their own businesses. We’ve seen Melamed, who has conducted quite a boom in the last few years. leather work courses, is also the We are constantly opening new products, which author of seven leather craft how-to booklets opens up new customers. As we grow, customer listed on their web site. Titles include “How to Dye knowledge grows. A lot of customers are growing Leather,” “Leather Types and Terminology,” and with the store,” she said. “How to Antique Leather.”
SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 15
“…We are constantly opening new products, which opens up new customers. As we grow, customer knowledge grows… A lot of customers are growing with the store… There’s always something new coming out. The new generation will find it all online.” — Delphine Sulllivan, Business Manager, Zelikovitz Leathers Czech made glass beads, often used for flat beading into leather, are displayed on racks. Courtesy Zelikovitz Leathers.
The company offers an online catalog (zelikovitz. com), but no print version. “There’s always something new coming out. The new generation will find it all online,” Sullivan said. Besides their store and online catalog, currently in the process of being redesigned, their products are also sold at two Etsy stores (etsy.com) and at one eBay store (ebay.com). And they’re on Facebook.
A LOT OF EVERYTHING Melamed’s distinctive business style is to offer large numbers of product selections to his customers. “We carry over 16,000 part numbers, or SKUs (stock keeping units used to track inventory). Tandy has 3,500 SKUs,” Melamed said. A browse through their online catalog shows it to be chock-a-block full of inventory. After wading through dozens of the site’s pull down menus, it becomes clear that the company is a one-stop shop
16 MARCH 2016
SHOP TALK!
for all kinds of crafters. There is a lot of everything— from jewelry and hardware findings to tanning and leather craft kits, from books and patterns to lacing and stitching materials, from leather care products to heavy industrial sewing machines and supplies— all sourced from Canadian, U.S., and international manufacturers. “We check what people are ordering online. We ask customers questions, which open up a dialogue. We try to listen to our customers. We are constantly trying to satisfy the customer,” Sullivan commented. The cross-cultural nature of the global marketplace is even more evident when you peruse their extensive, online selection of beading supplies such as the four direction rosettes found under Finished Beading. “They’re from a Native American company, but the items are made in India,” Melamed said. And so are the buffalo horn (water buffalo), bone spacers, and feathers. “Beads always have been from India. It goes back 100 years—bringing beads from the Orient,” he said.
Zelikovitz also carries hundreds of its own line of tools. “It used to be exclusively Tandy Leather tools. We still have some Tandy tools. Our tools are made in the U.S., Taiwan or China—punches, bevels, tool racks, buckles. We have our own designs,” he said. And, they offer twenty-eight colors of Feibing leather dyes, a popular product. “We have a huge selection, just in Feibing’s. We sell a lot of dyes,” he said. They also carry about eighty different kinds of cutters and knives manufactured by Olfa Corp. of Osaka, Japan. Other popular items are shoetrees and kits. “We sell tons of shoetrees. We get them in on skids,” he said of the vintage shoe stretchers made from aromatic cedar since 1922 by Rochester Shoe Tree Co. of Ashland, NH. “And we sell lots of polishers, creams, and protectors. We did a baby booty kit with white leather and a veg-tan sole, and we did the same kit to look like a moccasin. We sell lots of kits,” he said. Yet another item offered is Speedy Stitcher of Poughkeepsie, NY, maker of sewing awls with made-in-Maine wooden handles since 1909. “We keep our products North American as much as we can. If we can’t do that we have stuff made in Asia,” Melamed said Among a plethora of other products, the company is also the master distributor for Preval® of Coal City, IL, maker of portable airbrush systems. “We manufacture our own water-based leather dyes. You can take our dyes and automatically use it in this airbrush system,” he said. And they are master distributors of C. S. Osborne & Co. of
Fur stripping. From left to right: yellow, pink, and red dyed fox, white fox, beaver, and natural red fox.
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Suede leathers including cow and pig. Veg tanned leathers in adjacent shelf.
Harrison, NJ, a manufacturer of quality leather, upholstery, and general industrial hand tools and supplies since 1826. Moreover, they manufacture their own line of leather belts, another highly popular item. “We sell thousands of belts online and in the store. All belts are solid leather and are handmade in Ottawa. We might sell them online for $30, but if you go into a store, a comparable product would be $80 to $100,” said Melamed. “We have three main models of top grain leather belts,” Sullivan added. “We have the oiled water buffalo belt, full grain water buffalo belt, and our bridle belt made from cowhide which is a bit shinier and stiffer. Our big
seller is the oiled buffalo leather belt with a matte finish. It is very versatile, soft, and high quality. Our stitched belt and our Western belt with a flashy buckle are our most expensive belts. Prices are about $35 to $40.” And, oh yes, they sell leather too. “We don’t sell leather online, only over the phone. Our leather is warehoused in Ottawa. We bring a lot of leather into the U.S. We were using veg tan from U.S. tanneries, but most closed. For a while, we were getting U.S. hides tanned in Mexico. Now, we’re bringing veg tan hides from Venezuela,” he said. “For the most part, we sell by the full hide, not by the square foot,” Sullivan added. “We do sell
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leather strips online. Generally, all leather sales are final. It’s hard to track what items have been used or not. Also, tool sales are final. We do exchange for store credit within 30 days,” she said. Melamed also aims to keep the charitable tradition established by his predecessor, Joe Zelikovitz, and to give back to the community. In summer, the company holds Zelifest, a festival during which their customers come and set up tents to sell their handcrafts. “They donate a percentage of sales to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. [Canada’s largest and foremost heart health center.] We hold other fund raisers throughout the year. We do give back,” he said.
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No one really knows exactly how big the artisanal crafts universe is. From a global perspective, its size is dauntingly vast. But even if you hone your search to include only the United States and Canada, scant, current data can be found on the subject. You may as well want to travel to Alpha Centauri, which is only 4.37 light years away. Even a call to the American Crafts Council, a high profile, nonprofit group based in Minneapolis, MN, came up empty. So what contribution does the handcraft industry make to the US economy? How many crafters are out there? The first hint came in 1995, when the nonprofit organization, HandMade in America, studied twenty-two counties in western North Carolina. They discovered that crafts were contributing $122 million annually to that part of the state. Later, a similar study in Kentucky showed that craft artists contributed more than $52 million annually to the state. Then, a 2001 landmark study drew national attention. It was conducted by CODA (Craft Organization Development Association). Their large survey showed that artisanal crafts created a $13.8 billion economic impact in the United States. The CODA study also showed that 127,000 U.S. craftspeople were working in the United States. Seventy-nine percent of them were home based. The average gross sales/revenue per craftsperson was $76,025. Income from handcraft businesses made up 47% of household income, on average, and 22 percent of craft households derived all their income from craft. Retail sales accounted for almost 52.9% of annual sales; just over one-half of these sales were made at craft fairs. And the average craftsperson derived 27% of annual sales from wholesale and 11.2% from gallery consignments.
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Unfortunately, no comprehensive new studies of the American craft industry have been made, so we don’t have updated data. In fact, CODA suspended its operation in 2012. But the bottom line is, their statistics proved to business and government leaders that artisanal handcrafts were a vital, dynamic industry, comprised of small businesses worthy of investment and support. And it threw a spotlight on the important relationship between crafts and cultural tourism. As for our neighbor to the north, Canada, crafts are “also a highly diversified sector, comprised of individual craft persons, studios, enterprises, media guilds, public and private galleries, retail and wholesale shows, and industrial organizations,” according to information posted at the Craft Central web site, craftcentral.com. Artisanal crafts in Canada, a country with a much smaller population than the U.S., account for over $100 million in exports and employs about 22,597 people in the various establishments and industrial organizations, Craft Central’s web site stated. FOR MORE INFO: Zelikovitz Leathers 1160 Heron Rd. Ottawa, ON K1V 6B2 Canada +1 613-727-8804 +1 800-609-6698 www.zelikovitz.com sales@zelikovitz.com
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The Rawhiders Gathering A finished set of reins and romal is passed around and inspected. Photo courtesy Jim Hale.
One of the oldest and arguably the most difficult disciplines in the world of leather is braiding. Fortunately, the road towards becoming an accomplished braider by NICK PERNOKAS, just got a little shorter SENIOR FEATURE WRITER with the formation of an annual workshop known as the Rawhiders Gathering. The Gathering is more than an event, though; it’s a group of knowledgeable individuals who are encouraging and helping each other, as well as making braiding information available to those with less experience. I caught up with noted reining horse trainer, leather worker, and braider, Clint Haverty, at the 2015 NRHA Reining Futurity to find out more about braiding and the Rawhiders Gathering that was held in November in Decatur, TX.
Clint started out working in saddle shops in Patagonia, AZ, and then Tucson, AZ. Saddle maker Roy Salge was Clint’s first mentor in the business.
“I started out sweeping out the shop and rubbing edges,” remembers Clint, “and then I started to learn how to tool.” Clint’s dad had started him braiding when he was a kid, but he never really got into it until he met Don Brown in Montague, CA. Brown is a top hackamore and bosal braider who is well respected by horse trainers in the cow horse industry. Clint ended up buying a pair of braided kangaroo reins from Don for a customer; they were so nice that Clint then ordered a pair for himself as well. “He told me I ain’t going to make you a set. Make your own damn set. You can do it,” laughs Clint. “That made me mad so I did.” That was twenty years ago, and Clint has continued to concentrate more and more on his rawhide and kangaroo braiding. He also builds high-end tooled leather gear as well as doing custom tooling for other individuals. “Reins and quirts are what I really like to make in regards to the braiding,” says Clint. “I make my romals a little differently, and I make them the way that I like them to feel.” SHOP TALK!
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Clint makes three grades of reins and romals: Work, Show, and Collectible. Many of his “work” reins are made 8 by 8 plait in rawhide without a core, which means that they’ll have a square shape. The first number is always the plait for the rein, and the second number denotes the plait in the romal. This shape fits well in a rider’s hand. If a rider wants a rounder rein, Clint will use a cotton clothesline core. Clint’s “show” quality are 12 by 16 plait kangaroo lace over a rawhide core. Clint wants his reins to have so much “feel” that they feel like they could vibrate in your hand. He believes that the key to this is the rawhide core with kangaroo lace braided over it. He wants to be able to use the reins to push the horse left or right. The show reins have a little bit of color in the pattern. The “collectible” reins are 16 by 16, or 16 by 24. The more expensive the reins, the more buttons there are on them, and the more intricate they are. Some have 90 to a hundred buttons. “It takes a lot of thought to build the collectibles. The button string is extremely small, 1/16-1/32 “, and the body string will be 5/64”, and it takes a lot of time to braid that. I cut all of my string for the same set of reins at the same time. Then when I start on them everything else in the shop shuts down until I finish them,” says Clint. Jeff Minor of Idaho hand bevels rawhide string. Photo courtesy Jim Hale.
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Clint cuts his lace slightly oversize, and then stretches the damp lace. The lace is then split to the desired thickness and cut to the correct width. Over the many days it takes to braid the reins, the lace is allowed to case. When
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Work that was brought to the Gathering including these beautiful bosals..Photo courtesy Jim Hale.
it’s time to make the buttons for the reins, Clint recuts and rebevels the remaining lace because it has swollen up from the moisture. Each pair of rein buttons and the romal buttons are done together to guarantee uniformity. If this sounds like a lot of work, it is. Anyone who has ever started out with Bruce Grant’s book on braiding and tried to teach themselves how to braid will tell you that you need some help. That’s where the Rawhiders Gathering comes in. In 2014, Belgian braider and horseman Jan Boogaerts contacted Clint to see if he could come to Clint’s ranch in Krum, TX, and see how he did his braiding and leatherwork. Jan asked about other braiders in the area and one thing led to another which resulted in a get-together at Clint’s shop with seven or eight other experienced braiders. Everyone had a good time exchanging
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ideas. After supper, the group decided that they should try to meet on an annual basis. They also wanted the event to be more informative. Braider Brent Callahan wanted to begin with a hide and scrape it because hide preparation is the most important part of producing good lace and a good product. To accommodate this and to have room for more people to come, Clint contacted National Ropers Supply in Decatur, TX, about using their facilities. In November 2015, the second Rawhiders Gathering was held at the NRS facilities. The four day event had 28-29 people in attendance each day. They ranged from novice braiders to experienced ones. “We had way more people there then I thought would come,” says Clint. The format was a loose workshop. Each of the experienced braiders
showed and explained a part of the braiding process. Topics ranged from Barti Frunz, from Germany, showing how to braid nose buttons on a hackamore, to Billy Albin showing how he works deer hide. Serving the Leather Goods Industry Since 1992
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“Reins and quirts are what I really like to make in regards to the braiding,” A Christmas Riddle says Clint. “I make my nce upon a time, a perfect man and a perfect Unfortunately, the diving conditions deteriorated and romals a little differently, woman met. After a perfect courtship, they had a the perfect couple and Santa had an accident. Only one andwedding. I makeTheir them perfect lifethe was,way of course, perfect. of them survived. Istorm like them to feel.” Who was the survivor? Onethat snowy, Christmas Eve, this perfect couple
O
was driving their perfect car along a winding road when The perfect woman survived. She’s the only one who The quirts were made by Billy Albin and brought to the show where they were snatched they noticed someone at the side of the road in distress. really existed in the first place. Everyone knows that up by other attendees for their personal collections. Photo courtesy Jim Hale. Being the perfect couple, they stopped to help. there is no Santa Claus, and there is no such thing as a Theresaddle stood Santa with a huge bundle of brought toys. Texas makerClaus and braider Calvin Waters Not wanting disappoint any children on thecould eve ofbe three hides soto that dehairing by scraping Christmas, the perfect couple loaded Santa and his toys demonstrated.
perfect man. as to what good braiding is. the consumer
So, if there’s no perfect man and no Santa Claus, the
“Some of the cheaper imported braiding has hurt the perfect woman must have been driving. This explains braiding market,” says Clint. “We hope to educate the into their SUV. Soon they were driving along, delivering why there was an accident. public about the difference between mass produced, toys all over the world. “There were a lot of good braiders who take different partially machine made, braiding, and high quality work approaches to braiding,” says Len Yule, a top Oklahoma that’s done by hand. In other words, gear that can be braider who is also one of the founders of this group. A very merry Christmas and a prosperous (and healthy!) 2015 from all used, cherished, and passed down to the grandkids.” “That was the great value to it. Rawhide braiding is to been each and everyone of you out there! us things herethat’s at Shop not one ofof those cut andTalk! dried. I’ve By the end of the weekend a new association had been braiding since 1962, and I came away with new ideas.” formed. The New RawhidersYear!! Gathering is an informal group Merry Christmas & Happy which is currently located on Facebook. Members Len Yule feels that not only will this group be able to are asked to periodically type up “how to’s” and tips help educate braiders, but it will also be able to educate
8 |
December 2014
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the gathering were recorded. The Rawhiders Gathering DVD’s will be available in 2016, and start around $50.00. Tentatively, the 2016 Rawhiders Gathering is scheduled for the second or third weekend in October. Membership in the Rawhiders Gathering is $50.00 and includes perks like group discounts on hides.
Barti Frunz from Germany demonstrates tucking the ends on a bosal noseband. The bosal was a collaboration between Barti and Texan Billy Albin. Billy cut the string and braided the body at hoe then brought it to the Gathering so Barti could demonstrate how he braids the nose and side buttons. Photo courtesy Jim Hale.
for the page. DVD’s are in the works to provide more in-depth looks at braiding techniques. All of this year’s demonstrations at
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“We’ll be using Facebook to provide a constant flow of information and sharing,” says Len. “This is a great time to be a braider. When Clint and I started, this information wasn’t available.”
To find out more about the Rawhiders Gathering, or their educational DVD’s, contact Clint Haverty at haverty1@yahoo.com or call (940) 390-0553.
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A Bootmaker’s Tale It all started when she answered an ad for someone to “stitch boot tops.” Lisa Sorrell, custom bootmaker and owner of Sorrell Notions and Findings, said she had no idea what stitching boots meant, but she knew that she could sew. She applied for the job. Raised in a small church, similar to Mennonite, her mom began teaching her to sew at the age of 12. Before long, Sorrell says that her mom was coming to her for sewing tips. At age 15, she began sewing clothing professionally for ladies in her church and, soon, for women in the community. by LIISA ANDREASSEN
“I enjoyed sewing, but it was so feminine,” she says. “It was what I was expected to do and that took some of the joy out of it. Making cowboy boots allowed me to explore my creative side through making beautiful boot tops and also to challenge myself with the physical aspect of building the entire boot.”
In the beginning… Sorrell’s first job was with Jay Griffith, a legendary boot maker who liked to drink vodka and curse loudly. “I’d never been around anyone who did either of those things, so I learned a lot in the year and a half I worked with him,” she says. “After I left Jay’s shop, I sewed boot tops independently for various boot makers, and then paid Ray Dorwart, another of Jay’s former employees, to teach me to build boots.” In 1996, she started Sorrell Custom Boots where the starting price for a pair of her boots fetches about $5,000. “I was trained to build a solid cowboy boot, but because I didn’t grow up riding horses and chasing cows, I’ve always viewed cowboy boots as more about personality and style than working gear,” Lisa comments.
Cherokee Fiddle
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Editor’s Note: Just so you know, Lisa Sorrell is one of the top ranked boot makers in the US. Her story is instructive. Everyone wants to know how other people succeed. In Lisa’s case it’s a combination of dumb luck, real talent, and a huge amount of effort and sacrifice to promote her work. Nothing was ever handed to her, but she’s worked hard to capitalize on every opportunity that’s come her way. She’s never given up. And she’s succeeded. No mystery. No secret. Just a lot of hard, unremitting work—and that elusive thing we call “luck”.
Green, Green Grass of Home
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Her typical client is a business owner or art collector who enjoys the comfort and self-expression of a well-made cowboy boot. And, because of her busy travel schedule, she’s only able to make about fifteen pairs a year. Having a passion for classic country and bluegrass music, she names each pair after song titles.
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I’m passionate about the craft. I An accidental business her boot making skills evolved, enjoy the process. As so did her business. She started I learn something Sorrell Notions and Findings almost new every time, and by accident. “I saw a need for items in our inI try to get better dustry, and I realized I could help,” she says. with each pair.” For example, she uses a particular
Editor’s Note: Sorrell recently purchased Bootlast.com, an online supplier of lasts. She carries stock sizes from 4 to 12 ½ but can get lasts down to size 1 and up to size 16 ½ in widths from AAAA to EEEEE. Different heights and styles of boot heels available. Lasts cost $85 a pair plus shipping.
There’s a Bluebird Singing
style of skiving knife and her students began asking where they could find it. She found a company that would make the knife according to her specifications, and began selling that one product. She also developed a sensitivity to rubber cement, and, on a trip to German, she found the Aquilim glues made by Renia. She brought home samples and realized they worked great, but, when she contacted Renia, she was told they had no U.S. supplier. She volunteered. It was during a group seminar at the Boot and Saddle Makers Roundup that a conversation started about how difficult it was to find quality insoles. They’d all heard of Baker Leather in England, but procuring their leather was difficult. Sorrell raised her hand and vowed to contact them and to ask if they’d let her sell their leather in the U.S. Surprisingly enough, they said yes. “Before I knew it, I had a business,” she says. “Ever since, I’ve been adding leather working items and tools that are difficult to find in the U.S.” She says that the Aquilim water-based glues are very popular. “Leather workers are beginning to realize the harmful effects of solvent-based glues and are getting interested in finding options that won’t damage their health,” she says. “I also carry Hirschkleber, another water-based glue that’s popular with shoemakers. I stock the full line of Baker Leather pit tanned leathers for shoemaking, and the insoles, in particular, are quite popular.”
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Educator and mentor Sorrell also teaches boot making classes in her studio and leather inlay/overlay workshops at craft schools and leather shows. However, the stress of singe-handedly running two businesses, traveling to speak and teach, and hosting classes in her workshop is taking its toll. “Teaching boot making in my shop causes me the most stress. My studio is my retreat–I enjoy being alone with my boots and my music,” she says. It’s for this reason that she’s decided to cut back on teaching boot making. However, she has produced a DVD that covers the entire process of building a pair of cowboy boots, and it comes with a book of patterns, formulas and templates.
Lisa Sorrell working on a pair of boots at her shop.
Tune In: In: It’s It’s aa Tune Boot’s Life Life Boot’s “It’s a Boot Life” is a YouTube series that Sorrell started a few years ago. She does one episode a month that’s includes an “In the Studio” segment where she shares a tip or technique for making boots, working with leather, or maintaining sewing machines. The rest of the show is simply about her life as a boot maker. CONTACT: Lisa Sorrell Sorrell Custom Boots 217 E. Oklahoma Ave. Guthrie, OK 73044 (405) 282-5464 customboots@aol.com www.customboots.net www.sorrellnotionsandfindings.com 32 MARCH 2016
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“I want to support the craft of cowboy boot making and help to pass it along to other generations, but for now, it will have to be in the form of a DVD,” she says. “I really want to slow down and focus on enjoying building cowboy boots. It’s easy to get so busy making boots and paying bills that it just becomes a job. I’m passionate about the craft. I enjoy the process. I learn something new every time, and I try to get better with each pair.” Just the other day she drew a new design for a set of cowboy boot tops. “At first it didn’t look like much, but then it took on a life of its own and became something beautiful. I didn’t want to do anything else for the rest of the day but stare at the design and start making it immediately. I don’t want to lose that excitement.” Look for Sorrell’s new book expected to publish in June of this year, “The Art of Leather Inlay and Overlay,” published by Schiffer Publishing. Sweeter Than Flowers
THOMAS BATES:
BIG ON BELTS—AND NOW, SHOES Acquisition of footwear company makes leather more attractive for Bates Accessories
by Lynn Ascrizzi, Staff Writer
Bates Accessories, Inc., makers of Thomas Bates branded belts, bags, wallets, and sandals, is set in the heart of the historic shoe factory district in Haverhill, MA, not far from the banks of the Merrimack River.
The independent, family owned, leather goods factory is the namesake of company founder and president Thomas Phelps Bates. His wife, Martha Bates, is manager.
Thomas Bates. Photo courtesy Bates Accessories.
The business, now in its 27th year, is situated in a 16,000 square foot factory space on the third floor of a landmark, eight-story building constructed between 1911 and 1916. Built to accommodate Haverhill’s then burgeoning shoe industries, the structure is renowned for being one of the first and largest poured concrete factories in the world. At one time it also housed a tannery. However, Haverhill’s heyday as Queen Shoe City soon faded as a result of lower priced imports and the Great Depression. But the city eventually prevailed, and new businesses sprang up. The presence of Bates Accessories in that historic neighborhood is a testimony to the ongoing manufacturing spirit of the city.
SHOP TALK! Photo courtesy Bates Accessories.
MARCH 2016 33
THE LONG VIEW Thomas Bates and his office at Bates Accessories in Haverhill, MA, go back a long way. “I actually worked in this very office in 1989, when I started doing business with Chaucer Leather, once located here on the third floor,” he said. His return to work in that same Haverhill office came decades later, after a long, circuitous, career path. From 1982 to 1989, he headed up sales for New England Accessories, a belt making company that was based in New London, CT. During that era, Bates sold to J C Penney, Sears and Macy’s, to name a few. “I came here [to Chaucer Leather] because of their reptile leather cutting trade. I came here to buy products,” he said.
“Haverhill is a good place to manufacture. I like the people; I like the proximity to neighborhoods that provide us with workers and its proximity to Boston. It’s convenient, it’s local, it’s working for us,” Bates said. The company also operates a customer service office based about thirty-five miles from Haverhill, in Greenland, NH.
PRODUCT INNOVATOR In his Haverhill office, Bates works at a crowded desk in a bright and spacious room. Dozens of company products, mainly leather and durable fabric belts and handbags, are casually displayed on walls and racks. Wallets and pet accessories, such as dog collars and leashes, and leather shoes round out his product line.
In 1989, shortly after his daughter was born, he quit his New London job and launched his own accessories business in a 200-year-old barn in East Haddam, CT. “I made a decision to be in business at age 30,” he recalled. Most of his products were leather belts made in the United States and Argentina and sold to wholesale and retail fashion brands. By 1995, the company was creating innovative designs in leather and fabric. That year, he showcased the Thomas Bates brand at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Reno, NV. The new line incorporated unique materials for the outdoor industry, such as nylon webbing, climbing cord, and marine yacht rope. The company’s signature styles kept evolving. In 2000, he purchased Chaucer Leather, a leather goods production factory on Essex St. That same year, Bates began moving the business from Connecticut to Haverhill, a process that took three years. Photo courtesy Bates Accessories.
34 MARCH 2016
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“Ninety percent of our product today is belts.” — Thomas Bates, president, Bates Accessories, Inc.
Visiontree®. Photo courtesy Bates Accessories.
Belt making, however, has long been his main focus. In fact, Bates has been big on belts since 1986, when he first launched his own accessories business in Connecticut. “Ninety percent of our product today is belts,” he said. Currently, the company manufactures more than fifty belt styles for men, women, and children. Bates’ work ethic, “Invest in yourself,” extends to his thirty employees. “I strongly encourage our workers here to be entrepreneurs, to think like their owner. That’s what we need here, motivated people who want to grow,” he said. Besides handling multiple tasks—finances, cash flow forecasts, sales, customers both here and abroad, and product reviews and development—Bates takes an active role in designing belts. His innovative ideas have been a catalyst for research projects for both his brands and for other companies. A prime example is Visiontree®, a manufacturing process that Bates pioneered in 2000. “It’s a patented product. It involves the process of taking unique, digital graphics and dyeing them onto narrow fabrics,” he explained. The design technology enables the company to produce more than 400 stock patterns on belts, pet products, tote bags, and sandal straps. “We believe we offer more patterned accessories products than any other manufacturer in the world… And very few people manufacture this belt—braided elastic,” he said, as he held up a sample.
SALES Overall, sales are strong, 90% of which are made in the United States, Bates said. Roughly 90% of those sales are made through traditional venues, such as retail stores and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), companies that make parts or subsystems for another company. Online business (http:// thomasbates.com/) accounts for about 10% of sales. “We’ve been growing 20 to 30% per year in the past five years. We may double that in 2016 because of our purchase of Custom Brand Footwear,” he said. The shoe company, formerly headquartered in Delavan, WI, makes hand sewn leather footwear in Mexico and the Dominican Republic under the David Spencer label. The brand targets golfing and other specialty outdoor markets and also sources private label goods. Before the acquisition, Bates produced accessories for Custom. The footwear company was purchased in the fall of 2015, and, since then, its business headquarters has relocated to Greenland, NH. Former owner Claude Trotter will remain on board in an advisory role; John Bracewell is to continue as director of sales. The David Spencer brand will continue to offer its line of hand sewn shoes. But changes are in the wind. “We’re integrating a much broader line of accessories and adding new shoe designs,” Bates said.
d Bates cont. on p. 52 SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 35
“Everything in the catalog is made in Mexico, in the Tecate shop.” — Juan Ortiz, owner, Rawhide Manufacturing
Juan Ortiz
Juan Ortiz
Rawhide is His Business
For fifty-seven years, Juan Ortiz has worked out of a small leather workshop in Tecate, Mexico, a border city located only forty miles from San Diego, CA. But from this modest, approximately 700-square-foot business space, recently renamed Rawhide by LYNN ASCRIZZI, STAFF WRITER Manufacturing (formerly Rawhide Distributors), thousands upon thousands of handsomely handcrafted, braided rawhide products have been created, using traditional techniques with roots in the era of the Spanish vaquero (cowboy). Today, Ortiz’s business offers a diverse line of braided equine accessories which includes the following products and more: — Bosals (nose bands) — Cabezadas (headstalls) — Jacquimas (hackamores) — Riendas (reins) — Riatas (lariats, ropes) — Maneas (hobbles) — Mecates (hand twisted, four, six and eight strand rope made with solid or multicolored horse tail or mane hair)
36 MARCH 2016
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“Bosals are the most popular; the second, is the reins. Headstalls are third. The ropes are also very popular,” Ortiz said. Rawhide is used for most of their braided items because of its strength and durability. Their rawhide is manufactured in another small Tecate workshop also run by Ortiz. “We buy the hides from packing companies in Mexico. We take off the hair. We scrape the hides in the sun. They’re very clean. We do maybe twelve or fifteen hides per week. After we dry it, we cut it in 24” diameter circles and wet it again. This way, we can get a lot of lacing (for braiding), from 1/8” to ½” wide. It depends upon what we need,” he said. Only two other leathers are used in small amounts for custom orders— cowhide and also kangaroo leather purchased from leather wholesaler Charles L. Hardtke, Inc., in El Paso. “It’s very soft, very strong,” Ortiz said of the exotic leather. A strictly wholesale business, Rawhide Manufacturing sells to about 250 Western retail stores, including Smith & Edwards of Ogden, UT, Buckaroo Business of Billings, MT, King’s Saddlery in Sheridan, WY, and National Roper’s Supply in Decatur, TX. The family business includes Ortiz’s oldest daughter, Claudia Ortiz, who has worked with her father for twenty years. She manages the business from her office in Chula Vista, CA. Her younger sister, Carla Ortiz, is assistant manager. “One of these days,
Claudia is going to take care of the business,” Juan Ortiz, 70, said. His nephew, Juan Antonio Ortiz, helps him manage the workshop in Tecate. Ortiz and his wife Isabelle have three children. “The oldest, Juan Ortiz, is not in this business. He is a medical doctor, an internist,” his father said. To study medicine, his son attended the University of Guadalajara in Guadalajara, Mexico. “We call the building where they work in Tecate, the Pequena Taller, (pronounced tah-yer,) or the Little Workshop,” Claudia Ortiz said. She spends many hours a week commuting back and forth across the border.
“We almost have the same prices the whole year… What we do is try to keep the customers happy. I told my daughter, Claudia: ‘Don’t compete in price, compete in quality.’ We have customers we lost 10 or 15 years ago who are starting to come back. We still offer the same quality.” — Juan Ortiz, Rawhide Manufacturing
“It’s forty miles from Chula Vista to Tecate. I travel three or four days a week. That’s not a bad commute, but the problem is crossing the border to get back to the U.S. The lines can be at least 100 cars long, and there are only two lines,” she said. Also, for certain items she has to go through customs which can take her a whole day. A 48-page catalog, available in print and online at www.rawhidemfg.com, lists more than 100 items, including silver spurs and bits which are not made in Tecate.
“We do, by far, more sales from the print catalog,” she said. “New items have been added over the years to the catalog, which is made of loose pages bound in a folder. We make copies of the catalog and add more pages to it when needed.” New designs are also displayed at their web site. The majority of their sales, however, come from the printed catalog.
“We try to be honest with the customer and charge the right prices,” he added. “We almost have the same prices the whole year. Leather and hardware are going up every month. What we do is try to keep the customers happy. I told my daughter, Claudia: ‘Don’t compete in price, compete in quality.’ We have customers we lost 10 or 15 years ago, who are starting to come back. We still offer the same quality. If we receive ten returned items a month, it is a lot. We use the best cowhide, from Hermann Oak Leather,” he said of the company based in St. Louis, MO. A mecate, a rope made of hand twisted strands of horse tail or mail hair, is the rein system of the bosal style hackamore typically used to train young horses.
A worker cuts out rawhide lacing for braiding
SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 37
38 MARCH 2016
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Intricate Artistry Rawhide leather braiding is a complex process, involving interlaced strands of varying widths. “We have reins and bosals from 4 to 24 plaits. We have really beautiful, natural plaited reins,” Claudia Ortiz explained. In our fast paced, get-it-now computer age, the detailed and exacting art of traditional rawhide plaiting is in danger of being lost. To make braided rope, reins or other items is an exacting skill. “Like in reins, we make a 4 plait to 24 plait braiding. It takes six weeks to make a 24 plait rein. You can see why some of these products, you can’t make in the states,” Juan Ortiz said. Ortiz’s shop has twelve employees. Some of his workers do the braiding at home, during the evening, to escape the heat of the day, he said. The workshop produces about 75 to 100 braided items per week. “Right now, I have a hard time finding young people who want to learn the braiding. I have mostly old people. I have three or four young people learning, who are about 16 or 18 [years old]. It’s hard to pay a good salary here. Young people are looking for an easy way to make money. Braiding is something you do eight hours, all day. You need to love that. Otherwise, you are not happy,” he said.
Juan Ortiz does other leather work in his shop beside braiding rawhide. Here he is tooling a gun holster.
“You have to learn the art of braiding, in order to do it right,” his daughter Claudia added. “I have gone to the Internet to see who braids. There are books on the subject, and people try to learn it. They want to learn how to braid because they fell in love with the product. It’s an art.”
Hand braiding a 12 plait bosal.
SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 39
“We have reins and bosals from 4 to 24 plaits. We have really beautiful, natural plaited reins.” — Juan Ortiz, Owner, Rawhide Manufacturing
40 MARCH 2016
SHOP TALK!
Coping With Competition Ortiz keeps his prices down because competition in the braided rawhide market, both here and abroad, is stiff. “We lost a lot of our market in Europe. My business used to be overseas,” he said of retail stores in places like Germany, Italy, Japan, and France. “Pakistan is doing what we’re doing here. They got a lot of the market in Europe. Their competition is pretty strong. We still have customers in Europe, but it’s not what it used to be. Now, 80 to 90% of our customers are in the U.S.”
Detail of hand braided rawhide romal with quirt.
Other competition comes from braided products made in Peru, he noted. “Peru has good braiding, but the quality of leather is really bad. It’s beautiful artwork, but it won’t last.”
Roughly 50% of their European market was lost, his daughter added. “We lost some but we have gained some in other countries, such as in Sweden.” Sales have slid about 5% in the past three years, she said. Her challenge now is to boost sales by updating their web site and expanding their customer base. Meanwhile, she and her father are busy fulfilling orders. And the workshop offers customers a lot of customized flexibility, she pointed out. “If a customer calls me, wanting something special, not in the catalog, like a headstall with different braiding, the customer can send me a picture of what they have in mind. I send it to my cousin Antonio in the workshop in Tecate, and they make the drawings and braid whatever the customer wants.”
Early Years When Juan Ortiz learned the skill of rawhide braiding as a youngster from old rawhide “braiders” in Tecate, many trade secrets for braiding and curing rawhide were passed down to him. “In my young days—twelve or thirteen years old—I used to watch a man braiding reins and bosals in Tecate and sell them to the local people. I liked it. After school, I’d go to his shop. I would just be there. So, one day he said, OK, and he trained me. This is Mexico—it was a way for me to make money—a way to learn the braiding,” Ortiz said.
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MARCH 2016 41
“We lost a lot of our market in Europe… Pakistan is doing what we’re doing here. They got a lot of the market in Europe. Their competition is pretty strong. We still have customers in Europe, but it’s not what it used to be. Now, 80 to 90% of our customers are in the U.S.”
His early years as an apprentice blossomed into a long career. He started working at a small workshop in Tecate in 1958, where braided goods were being made for a California company called Rawhide Manufacturing, then owned by Jim Dyer. Around 1961, Ortiz became the owner of the “taller” in Tecate where he had been working and continued to supply all the braiding needs for Rawhide Manufacturing. By 1972, he began to work for Dyer in San Diego two or three days a week, commuting from Tecate. In a year, he was working fulltime in San Diego. His older brother, the late Hector Ortiz, was put in charge of the Tecate workshop which continued to be a braiding supplier for Rawhide. By 1982, the original “taller” was moved to a new workshop in Tecate, built especially for the business. In the 1980s, however, Dyer ran into economic difficulties and health problems. By that time, he and Ortiz had become friends so Dyer offered to sell him the business as long as he took care of the debts. In 1985, Ortiz assumed ownership and began doing trade shows under that name.
— Juan Ortiz, Rawhide Manufacturing
Today, he does the WESA (Western & English Sales Association) shows, held in Denver, CO, twice a year.
Lynn Ascrizzi lives and writes in Freedom, Maine.
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3348 US Route 62 • Millersburg, Ohio 44654 Ph.: 330-893-3858 • Fax: 330-893-1166 Visa-Mastercard Accepted 42 MARCH 2016
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Custom Made Collars
Rawhider’s History We can thank the Moors, who conquered Spain in 711, for bringing with them their knowledge of fine rawhide braiding. This beautiful and practical art eventually arrived in the New World, along with horses, when Hernando Cortez and his Spanish conquistadors overpowered the Aztec Empire in 1521. When the conquistadors taught rawhide braiding to skilled native Indians of Mexico, it laid the foundation for even greater advances in craftsmanship. To the conquerors went huge tracts of land, or haciendas, and the men they employed to herd cattle were the vaqueros. Horsemanship and exquisitely braided riatas, riendas, bosals, and other equine accessories became a point of pride.
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The cattle market brought the Mexican vaquero north to California. Along with them came their expertise in rawhide braiding. Competition among these “rawhiders” helped to raise to new heights an intricate art form—braiding that can involve from 4 to 24 plaits or strands. This handiwork, which takes years to master, was often passed down from father to son or friend to friend. But by the early 1900s, the colorful style of the vaquero began to fade. Ranches grew smaller, and then, around the 1920s, cheaper grass and hemp rope began to supplant the finely plaited riatas and other items. Today, however, in a world cluttered with machine made goods, there’s been a surge of interest in traditional handiwork in danger of being lost, bringing with it a renewed appreciation for the artistry of rawhide braiding. FOR MORE INFO: Rawhide Manufacturing 2240 Main St., #3 Chula Vista, CA 91911 (615) 575-1957 cell phone: (619)-770-9916 rawhidedist@sbcglobal.net www.rawhidemfg.com SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 43
Skirting • Harness • Latigo • Holster • Rawhide • Tooling
HERMANN OAK RUSSET SKIRTING LEATHER CARVES LIKE BUTTER–STAMPS TO AN INCREDIBLE DEPTH The unique color, the way it oils so evently, the clean flesh, firmness and its excellent yeild give your work a uniqueness like no other. Our leather is crafted to last a lifetime. Your work of art will keep its body and beauty long after others sag and fade. Hermann Oak Leather is the last of the Vegetable Tanners using the original traditional tanning methods. Made in the USA with US steer hides. For wholesale service, contact us at 1 (800) 325-7950 or fax us at (314) 421-6152 Or call the dealer nearest to you: El Paso, TX, Bowden Leather Company 915-877-1557 Ventura, CA, Goliger Leather Company 800-423-2329 Napa, CA, Hide & Leather House 707-255-6160 Billings, MT, Montana Leather Company 406-245-1660 Portland, OR, Oregon Leather Company 503-228-4105 Amarillo, TX, Panhandle Leather Company 806-373-0535 Sheridan, WY, Sheridan Leather Outfitters 888-803-3030 Mt Hope, OH, Weaver Leather, Inc 800-WEAVER-1
44 MARCH 2016
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Springfield, MO, Springfield Leather Company 800-668-8518 Calgary, AB, Canda, Buckskin Fur & Leather Co. 888-723-0806 Botany, NSW, Australia, Birdsall Leather 011-612-9316-6299 Toowoomba, Qsld, Australia, Toowoomba Saddlery 011-617-4633-1855 Suginami-ku, Tokyo, Japan, Craft & Company Ltd. 011-81-3-5698-5511 Taito-Ku, Tokyo, Japan, Kyoshin Elle & Co., LTD 011-81-3-3866-3221 Maniwa, Japan, Star Trading Company 011-81-8-6742-8004 What Firminy, France, Logis de Cordes 33-04-61-19-16
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MARCH 2016
News, Notes & Queries MORE EXPENSIVE TO MAIL AND SHIP
ALL’S WELL IN THE VALLEY I recently got a call from my friend and putative nemesis, Everette Burkholder at Burkholder Buggy in sunny Dayton, VA, letting me know that my old boss, Lewis Martin of Martin Harness Shop, had had a slight heart attack and was in the hospital. So I figured I better hop a big dog heading north and pay Lewis a visit just to see how the old grump was. I landed in Harrisonburg the next day and made my way over to the hospital and—can you believe it—someone had moved it! Someone finally had pity on me and asked their Smarter Than Me Phone where the hospital had been taken and was informed that the new one was a few miles out of town so that’s where I headed. I finally tracked Lewis down and we got to visit a few minutes. Turns out that he did indeed have a very mild heart attack and that the doctor had installed a stint that very morning. So the long and short of it is that, after only two days in the hospital, they packed him up and shipped him back home. Which I thought was very good news. He will remain under the care of his wife, Dr. Mabel Martin, creator of Dr. Mable Martin’s Miracle Cure Peanut Brittle. While I was on the loose and at large, I decided to head down to Dayton and say hello to Everette at the buggy shop—after all Everette is a fellow editor and publishes The Buggy Builders’ Bulletin. It seems Everette has had severe back problems for many years with no one able to offer any hope; fortunately, he did have surgery very recently which fixed a lot of his problems and helped alleviate most of the pain! More good news! Although he may not continue to have a pain in the neck, he will continue to be one.
I bet you can remember a time when you really didn’t think much about what it cost to mail a customer something. You may or may not have charged anything because you probably didn’t think much about it. Things are a bit different today so you may need to rethink about what you charge for shipping and for handling because it’s not cheap; moreover, it seems everyone who you order from wants get into the act! Recently, I ordered a nice sweatshirt online. The shirt cost $11. The shipping was $7!!! Kind of makes you wonder. Most people would agree that one always needs to get reimbursed for the cost of postage or shipping. Agreed! So what about “handling”? Some folks might argue that the cost of handling is covered by an item’s cost. Other folks would disagree and argue that “handling” is a separate service from the actual product—so you’re charging for the product and you’re charging for the handling. So how much should that be? It seems reasonable that you should charge enough to cover all the materials used—box, paper, tape. Of course, there’s the TIME it takes to create a mailing label and a return address label. What about the time you spend getting the product ready to be shipped? I estimate it takes me 8-10 minutes for most small to medium orders. If we ship out 6 orders a day then I’ve spent 48-60 minutes just packing. Admittedly, it seems some companies go a little overboard when it comes to what they charge for handling; however, it does take time and there is some cost for materials involved so it would seem reasonable that these expenses should be passed along to the consumer. It’s just a part of doing business. SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 45
News, Notes & Queries ON THE MOVE New address for Brenneman’s Leather Goods is 658 Davis Rd., Salisbury, PA 15558, phone (814) 662-4027 and (814) 662-2580. The phone and fax numbers did not change. If you are needing a good supplier of leather waist belts in a huge variety of styles, wallets, trucker wallets, clutches, and bags, you better get a catalog from the folks at Brenneman’s.
DRAFT ANIMAL-POWER NETWORK DAPNet is an organization of like-minded folks who own and operate horses and oxen in the great Northeast. They have a newsletter, a web site, and they sponsor field events in the fall of each year. Their newsletter might be a good place for you to advertise if you’re selling pads, blankets, collars, or harness. Give it a try! For all the details, contact: Reva Seybolt at 271 Plank Rd., Vergennes, VT 05491, (802) 763-0771, e-mail: dapnetinfo@gmail.com, www.draftanimalpower.org.
46 MARCH 2016
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR 2016! MAY 20-22 Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show, Sheridan, WY. Hosted by Leather Crafters Journal. Contact: 222 Blackburn St., Rhinelander, WI 54501. (888) 289-6409, www.leathercraftersjournal.com. JUNE 15-16 Weaver Leather Consignment Auction. Contact: 2540 County Road 201, Millersburg, OH 44654, (800) WEAVER-1, www. weaverleather.com. JULY 14-15 47th Annual Harness Makers’ GetTogether and consignment auction. Auction on 14th at Windy Knoll Sewing, Nottingham, PA, (717) 529-7506. Get-Together on 15th at Keystone Harness & Tack, Drumore, PA, (717) 284-4565 OCTOBER 7-8 Custom Boot & Saddle Makers’ Roundup, Wichita Falls, TX. For all the details contact Kimmel Boot, 2080 County Road 304, Comanche, TX 76442, (325) 356-3197, www. bootandsaddlemakerstradeshow.com
News, Notes & Queries EAIA The Early American Industries Association will be holding its annual meeting this coming May 18-12 at the Pleasant Hill Shaker Village near Harrodsburg, KY. Lots of seminars, tours, and tool trading. For all the details call Ann Voris at (859) 734-1548. Or contact: EAIA, P O Box 524, Hebron, MD 21830
46TH ANNUAL HARNESS MAKERS’ GETTOGETHER The Get-Together was held this past July 17, at Miller’s Harness Shop in Arthur, IL. Pat Martin travelled the most miles to attend. Ora Knepp was recognized as longest in business—since 1959. Glen Davis at Hawkeye Harness from Bloomfield, IA, was newest in business with just 1.5 years under his belt. Enos Schrock and Dab Kauffman, both 92 years old, were the two oldest harness makers present. A total of 21 companies donated door prizes. The 47th Get-Together will be held this year on July 15 at Keystone Harness & Tack in Drumore, PA. The annual consignment auction will be on July 14 at Windy Knoll Sewing in nearby Nottingham, PA. See you there!
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Sale or Lease of New & Used Machinery www.boglegreenwell.com
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MARCH 2016 47
News, Notes & Queries NEW LINE OF THERMAL TOOLS FROM PROLEPTIC Proleptic, Inc, reports that it’s recently developed a number of thermal tools heated by butane which makes the new products completely portable. The refillable tools are designed to be used by woodworkers, leatherworkers, farmers, hikers, campers, trail riders, and fabricators using different types of webbing.
ON THE LOOKOUT. . . • Ray Meyer is looking for a decent used power splitter. He’s working on getting things together to open up his new shop which will be called Yellow Quill Leather in River Falls, KS. Any help would be appreciated. He can be reached at (620) 636-0045 • David Rhodes at Martin Harness Shop in Dayton, VA, is looking for the same thing. Call David at (540) 879-9302.
Proleptic has also developed a new “Hot Knife” attachment for its Pro-Thermal line of electrically heated tools. Another new portable, butane-powered product being carried by Proleptic is their Click 2 Cook stove (Bella Tavola BT-5000). The cost is $39 plus SH and does NOT come with fuel which must be purchased locally. It weighs only 3 lbs. 6 oz. and comes with a hard plastic carrying case. It will run 1.25 hrs. on high and 2.5 hrs. on low.
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SHELTON-REYNOLDS, INC. 11516 N Port Washington Rd., Mequon, WI 53092
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50 MARCH 2016
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Goods & MARCH 2016
Have you ever had a hide that just would NOT lay flat? You start reaching for tack trays and glue cans and anything with a little weight to keep it from rolling back up or hitting you in the eye or falling off the table. There is a solution other than nailing it down to the bench! Why not try a couple of the flat weights with handles that SouthStar Supply sells? They have ones that are 10” long all the way up to 60”!! Mighty handy. SouthStar has all sorts of gizmos that you just might enjoy having—like their knife blade handles for $1.95 ea. They have clamps, tracing pencils, many different types of scissors (even left handed ones), rotary cutters (manual and motorized), lube, machine oil, oil bottles, and lots more!
Services Need a CONSEW Premier Servo Motor? They have one for $119.95.
Contact: SouthStar, P O Box 90147, Nashville, TN 37209, (800) 288-6739 or (615) 353-7000, www. southstarsupply.com
If you use lots and lots of boxes or other shipping supplies, then you need to contact Cornell Paper & Box/Robbins Container Corp. Most orders start at 100 pcs. and go up to 1,000. There’s about any size box you’ll ever need as well as poly bags, wrapping paper, gift bags, and more. Contact: 236 Conover St., Brooklyn, NY 11231, (888) 251-1297, www.cornellpaper.com
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“I’m moving toward leather. We are historically known as a fabric belt company. But in growing our leather accessories dramatically, and, now, by acquiring a leather footwear company, we’re deeper into leather.” — Thomas Bates, president, Bates Accessories, Inc.
Montana boot. Photo courtesy Bates Accessories.
a Bates cont. from p. 35 Bates Accessories manufactures its own line of casual footwear—bucks, saddles, chukkas, cowboy boots, sandals, and their “Montana” boot. But this coming fall (2016), the company plans to introduce a style of slipper made with bison hide, a pilot project to be produced in the Haverhill factory. “Currently, we’re not manufacturing footwear in Haverhill,” Bates said, this past December, “but we intend to later this year. I’m moving toward leather. We are historically known as a fabric belt company. But in growing our leather accessories dramatically, and now by acquiring a leather footwear company, we’re deeper into leather.” As a customer service, the company uses an outof-house shoe repair facility in Haverhill. “We’ve always provided guarantee of workmanship, stood behind our product and provided repair services or replacement as needed,” he said.
Thomas Bates Bison Collection. Photo courtesy Bates Accessories.
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Eight years ago, however, the company’s economic picture was not as bright as it is now. In 2008, during the Great Recession, Bates Accessories
“We’ve been growing 20 to 30%, per year, in the past five years. In 2016, we may double that because of Custom Brand Footwear.” — Thomas Bates, president, Bates Accessories, Inc. suffered dramatic losses, along with countless other businesses, here and abroad. “We had to soul search. We had a 90% customer turnover. Why? Not for anything we did. During that time, we had to make a decision whether to stay in it or not. Every brand had to reassess where it was going. It’s terrifying, but everybody gets cleaned. You have to focus on your core strength. “We’re not a big company. We have ups and downs with our product line,” he added. “But it has more than rewarded us to stay in the game, especially since the pendulum has swung back to U.S. manufacturing. It’s rewarding to see a growth of new young factory workers.” Trade shows also are a regular part of the company’s business agenda. In early January 2016, he and Martha Bates attended the Outdoor Retailer Wintermarket Trade Show in Salt Lake City. “We’ve been going consistently to that show for twenty-two years. We have a good audience there. We see all our customers. We have our own brand and we make things for other brands,” she said.
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WHAT’S IN A BUCKLE? Every belt needs a buckle, an indispensable little item that belongs to a vast and complex manufacturing universe all its own. Thus, a belt manufacturer like Thomas Bates, of Bates Accessories in Haverhill, MA, has to stay on top of buckle technology. The company offers a number of buckle choices with its leather and fabric belts such as the D-ring, cam, slide roller and standard (heel bar buckle). For the sailing market, a D-ring product is used. “This type of buckle drives the rest of the product line. Sailors like rounded and smooth buckles that don’t scratch the woodwork on a boat. They don’t want heavy metal that might set off the compass. Then there are the issues of water resistance and quality finishes. We use special, heat treated steel with a lacquer coating. We’ve had belt buckles last for more than twenty years, without rusting,” Bates said. He also talked about a “fascinating new product,” an injection-molded, polycarbonate buckle that can be thinner and stronger than other plastics, making it useful for belt buckles. “I had to become an expert on polycarbonate materials. We can make [polycarbonate] buckles that meet our quality test. . . .They’re not cheaper [than other buckles]. “Take the cam lock buckle,” he added, referring to the quick release fastener that works great for belts or light-duty straps. “We used to contract two or three different components that link together, to make this buckle. With the evolution of polycarbonate material— what goes into plastic—we can give the buckle stability. We’re already making them.”
Oakdale, CA 95361 SHOP TALK!
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“We believe we offer more patterned accessories products than any other manufacturer in the world.” — Thomas Bates, president, Bates Accessories, Inc.
TANNERIES & LEATHER Bates works with a variety of U.S. and foreign tanneries. Fifty percent of the company’s hides come from the states. “Tanning is done in Mexico, Indonesia, and some in China,” he said. “We buy leather from the tanneries. . . . One of our biggest leather suppliers ships all their hides to Italy to be finished there because they do such a great job.” He welcomes emerging solutions for leather processing, such as tanning without chromates. “There’s a manufacturing shift away from the heavy use of effluent to more environmentally sensitive processes,” he noted. The largest percentage of leather used in the Bates product line is cowhide. American bison makes up 20%; water buffalo, “a popular, soft leather,” is 10%.
“The cost per square foot for buffalo is less than for cowhide. It’s a much bigger animal. A 25-foot cowhide loses about 7.5 feet to scrap. A 40-foot water buffalo hide might lose 12 feet. But it’s not what’s lost. It’s what’s gained—how many belts or other accessories we can get out of the hide.” The natural oil content in water buffalo hide, he said, makes its leather softer. “Tanneries are learning how to make the finish better on those hides. The oil prevents a good finish, as oil resists the dyes. The tanning process has to get out the excess oil.” Elk hide is also used. “You have to cut around a bullet hole. Elk is not commercially raised, so it’s expensive. We’re one of the few people in America who make elk skin belts,” he commented. The company’s overall use of leather will increase, he added, particularly bison leather. “It’s a difficult leather to work with but worth it, once you get over the hassle and learn how to work with it. It matches our footwear.”
GLOBE TROTTING Approximately 70% of Bates’ product line is USA made in Haverhill; the rest is sourced from other countries such as Indonesia, Mexico, India, China, and the Dominican Republic. “Custom Brand Footwear started manufacturing footwear in the Dominican Republic. We’ve developed a nice business relationship with Japan. We hope to grow that relationship and with all of Asia . . . . We embrace the worldwide view of manufacturing, not only culturally, but geographically,” he said. In 2004, he and a business partner started a factory in Panyu, China. “What that factory gives us, is a way to make things less expensively and lots of sources for hard materials—zippers, snaps, dyes, buckles, machines. It helps us source whatever we need. Our partner factory is a tremendous asset. It takes real commitment to do business in China, to understand the culture, and enjoy working there.” He knows only a few words of the mix of Cantonese and Mandarin spoken in Panyu, but his travels
Canyon chukka. Photo courtesy Bates Accessories.
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d Bates cont. on p. 58
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EXPERT MECHANIC WANTED: Must have working knowledge of the Campbel-Bosworth Cyclone sewing machines. Preferably in the Tri-State area (Texas), but not necessary. Call John at (718) 445-6200, M-TR, 7am2pm EST. (R&B)
NEW!! ALL SYNTHETIC HORSE COLLARS!! Available in buggy, All Purpose, and Draft Styles. In stock for immediate shipping. We also stock Brahma webbing, Bio sheet, belting, nylon webbing, thread, and hardware. We manufacture and stock a full line if synthetic harness parts and supplies. Free catalogs available. Contact: Countryside Manufacturing, 504 S. Humbert St., Milton, IA 52570.
WANTED: New subscribers from Canada, Canada, Australia, and Kentucky. Now is the time to renew! Give us a call at (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic. net or visit www.proleptic.net. WANTED: Complete tool collections. Contact: Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 5058474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net. WANTED: Bench equipment. Any condition. Skivers, splitters, pressers, spotters, etc. Also parts and pieces— bolts, frames, springs, blades. We pay shipping. Contact Shop Talk!, P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net. LOOKING FOR WHOLESALE OUTLET to sell leather belts and/or other handcrafted leather products. Contact: Dan D. Troyer, 10896 Rt. 28N, Brockway, PA 15824. EXPERIENCED SADDLE MAKER and/or Chap Maker Needed in historic Hamley & Co. saddle shop. Must be able to relocate to Pendleton, OR. Call Penny at (541) 278-1100, option 1.
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RANDALL MODEL 132 14” strap cutter, $1,400. Randall Power Creaser, $250. Hand crank creaser, $250. Champion hand crank splitter, $250. Contact: Kent Logan, 2591 N 600 E, Kendallville, IN 46755, (260) 8973713. LACE, LACE, LACE CLOSEOUT!!! 5/32” gold foil apx. 11 yds. $2; 3/32” brn. plastic 100 yds. $4; 3/32” tan kangaroo 25 yds. $4; 3/32” tan kangaroo 25 yds. $4; 3/32” tan kangaroo 25 yds. $4; 3/32” black kangaroo 50 yds. $7.50; 3/32” brn. kangaroo 50 yds. $7.50; 3/32” black kangaroo 50 yds. $7.50; 3/32” med. brn. leather 25 yds. $4.50; 3/32” med. brn. leather 25 yds. $4.50; 3/32” dk. brn. vinyl 50 yds. $3.50; 3/32” tan kangaroo 50 yds. $4. ALL FOR $39 plus SH. Contact: Proleptic, Inc., P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, shoptalk@ proleptic.net. CLOSEOUTS FOR SALE. All types of hardware: buckles, dees, snaps, rivets. All types webbing, colors and widths. Light weight leathers. Scrap leather. Latigo, russet, and colored leathers. Discontinued and overstock items. Call for pricing. Contact: Michael Schrekenhofer (501) 3299471 ext. 305.
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CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE: Union Lock Stitcher #6195. Good condition. Used very little for 25 years. $3,000 or make offer. Contact: Yoder’s Tack Shop, 30904 Perch Lake Rd., Evans Mills, NY 13637. INTERNET BUSINESS FOR SALE. Manufacturing and retail sales of specialized livestock tack and supplies. Includes exclusive patterns and designs, inventory, large customer base, 37 years in business. Owner retiring. Serious inquiries only. $385,000. Call: (541) 451-4345. FOR SALE: Union Lock Stitch. #6195. Good condition. Used very little for25 years. $3,000 or make offer. Contact: Yoder’s Tack Shop, 30904 Perch Lake Rd., Evans Mills, NY 13637. FOR SALE: Randall Edge Beveller with stand. Extra knives and wheels. Excellent condition. Contact: Christie Saddlery, Alvord, TX, (940) 427-3260. E-mail: lcox@christiesaddlery.com. SINGER PATCHER 29-4 SEWING MACHINE. Good condition. Guaranteed to work. $400. Contact: Ruben Yoder, Yoder’s Collar Shop, 25090 County Hwy J66, Davis City, IA 50065, (641) 442-2517. WESTERN SADDLE BUSINESS FOR SALE LOCATED IN IDLER, AL. Includes business, buildings, and equipment. Two buildings connected totaling 6,100 sq. ft. Ready for buyer to start building saddles. Call for a very good price. Rocking-R-Saddlery, (423) 280-5971 or (256) 632-8882. FOR SALE: Industrial Pfaff box stitching machine with stand and electric motor in working condition, $450. Standard River spot setter with stand. Fully automatic, 110v, excellent condition. Setup for 3/8” spots with ½” parts included. $2,000. Contact: Mud Creek Leather, LLC, 9415 W 300 S, Topeka, IN 46571, (260) 593-0044. LEATHER UNLIMITED. Quality wholesale leather distributor since 1970 including oak, deerskin, garment, rawhide, oiled cowhide, furs, and more. Quality leather goods, leather tools, black powder gear, all steel clicker and mallet dies. Complete Internet catalog at www. LeatherUnltd.com or call (800) 993-2889 for quality leather and friendly service from a USA family-owned and operated business. (R&B) LIQUIDATING ENTIRE INVENTORY. 7 hvy. Duty sewing machines—Cobras, Artisan, Juki’s. 2 embossing machines. 12” USMC splitter. 12” Aperture band knife. 2 creasers. Singer 112 dbl. needle. 14” strap cutter. 3 Standard Rivet spot machines. 5 nylon hole burners. 2 chap machines. 5 cargo trailer container loads of saddles, bridles, halters, leads, etc. No reasonable offer refused. Contact: Ben Day, Western Specialties, 3106 Cedardale Rd., Mt. Vernon, WS 98174, (360) 708-4201.
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ARGENT EXPRESS CELEBRATING 40 YEARS of custom conchos, rosettas, scraf slides, and pins has moved. New address: P O Box 117, Folsom, LA 70437. Phone (209) 402-4430. Visit our eBay store at: Conchosmiths Argent Express, seller: quintasper or e-mail: conchosmith@ hotmail.com. KREBS SKIVER BLADES new. $200 plus SH. Made in US. Double tempered. Contact: Proleptic, Inc., P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, shoptalk@ proleptic.net INSTALL AND REMOVE CHICAGO SCREWS quickly and easily in the shop or on the trail. $16.95 + $4 S&H. Call for wholesale pricing. Contact: JP’s Bridle & Equine Tool, 26266 E. County Road 700 N., Easton, IL 62633. (309) 562-7266. E-mail: jp-equinetacktool@casscomm. com, www.jptacktool.com. FOR ALL YOUR LEATHER NEEDS. Call Moser Leather (800) 874-1167 or (513) 889-0500. You can visit our website at www.moserleatherco.com. (R&B) FOR SALE: The Pro-Concho Turner: The only one in the U.S. Makes removal of decorative conchos a snap! Used with electric drill. Take the fuss and bother out of a difficult job with the Pro-Concho Turner! Saves time, makes money! Rubber gripper protects the concho and makes removal or installation easy. Only $29.00 plus $3.95 S&H, 6-inch steel shank, and rubber gripper. Ready to use! Contact: Proleptic, Inc., P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net. FOR SALE: “Making Harness: A Step-by-Step Guide”, $58 plus $5.50 S&H. Specs and instructions on how to make and repair six styles of harness from pony to draft, driving, team wagon and mule. Contact: Proleptic, Inc., P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net, www.proleptic.net. FOR SALE: Randall Splitter. $1,200. Excellent working condition. 100% full blade. Call Texas Saddlery at (903) 765-2600 or e-mail: dmartin@txsaddlery.com. FOR SALE: Pricing Guide: “How to Establish Prices for the Saddle Maker and Leather Worker.” Only $39.95 plus $4.50 S&H. Contact: (828) 505-8474. (12/12) FOR SALE: New and used Adler, Brother, Consew, Juki, Pfaff, Singer machines for sewing bio-plastic, canvas, leather and nylon. Available in single or double needles, standard, long arm, flatbed, postbed, cylinder arm. Contact: Bob Kovar, Toledo Industrial Sewing Machine, 3631 Marine Rd., Toledo, OH 43609, (866) 362-7397 or (419) 380-8540. (11/10) WWW.THELEATHERGUY.ORG for all your leather, tool, and supply needs. Friendly, helpful staff at (507) 932-3795. (R&B)
CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE: Juki Pro 2000. Like new. On stand with clutch. Ready to use on line shaft. $4,200, Contact: G.R.T. Saddlery, 149 Chestnut Rd., Dayton, PA 16222. NEED HELP PRICING? The “Green Book” Guide to Pricing Repairs and Western Tack. American Saddle Makers Association. Contact us at (719) 494-2848 or www.saddlemakers.org. FOR SALE: Nick-O-Sew 441. Used very little. Priced to sell. Contact: Moreland Acres Harness, 3942 Moreland Rd., Fredricksburg, OH 44627. CUSTOM ORDERS: Belts, suspenders, holsters, pistol cases, rifle slings, purses with holsters, clutches, welders arm protectors, and phone cases. We guarantee satisfaction. Please Contact: Porterbilt Custom Leather, 2605 State St., Salem, OR 97310, (503) 378-2514 or e-mail: osphobbyshop@gmail.com. NEW: Heavy horse, show & work harness parts for sale. Custom made. Elnail or call for photos and pricing. amaltS@vahoo.com or (2O41444-3465. Located in Canada FOR SALE: Adler 30-L0 patcher on motorized stand. Like new. Excellent condition. S1,500 or best offer. Contact: Covered Bridge Upholstery at (717) 445-9825
BOOT & SHOE BOOT & SHOE BUSINESS FOR SALE: Davis Custom Boot located at 1209 E. 11th St., Quanah, TX 79252. Contact: (940) 839-6537 for more information. FOR SALE: Landis 12K. Clean, runs smooth. $1,800. Contact for photos. (406) 531-2589, e-mail: howard. knight@montana.com. ESTABLISHED 26 YEAR old business in San Antonio, TX. One man operation with inventory of apx. 350 pair top of the line all leather Western boots. Great boot repair business. Complete line of immaculate boot repair equipment. Could be expanded to include saddle repair. Sale includes website (www.shiplerboots. com) and company name. Guaranteed lease in current location for one year at rate of $650/month. Retiring. (866) 250-3350 or (210) 215) 9158 or e-mail: info@ shiplerboots.com. $150,000.
The “Word of the Day” is: lacuna
FOR SALE: Landis 12L Aristocrat, Landis Line Finisher, Adler patching machine, Singer long arm patcher 29K, heel wheel by Auto Soler, Continental McKay stitcher; Singer tabe machine, lots of parts and shoe supplies. Would like to sell all together for $3,500 or best offer. Please call Kent From at (308) 249-3091, Sidney, NE 69162. SHOP TALK!
MARCH 2016 57
d Bates cont. from p. 54 abroad are made that much easier, he said, “because young people everywhere are speaking English.” Bates spends a month in China, annually, and he makes two or three other 10-day trips abroad each year. “We know who works with what, what the factory looks like, and we see what’s going on. I basically see myself as a facilitator. My job is to see that everybody can do their job,” he said. What about current China’s economic slowdown? How might that affect business? “Don’t listen to what is said on the news,” he countered. “We would love to have the growth that China has been having. Last year it was 7%. We [U.S.] had 2%. They have three times the growth than us in a bad year.”
TARGETING THE OUTDOORS MARKET Most of Bates’ products are geared for the outdoor market. “It’s my passion—backpacking, sailing. For a year, I was once captain of a charter boat in the Caribbean,” he recalled of his adventuring days during the mid-1970s. “I use powerboats now and have no time for sailing. I hope to get back to that—and a canoe!”
Past customers included outdoors retailers such as Cabela’s, L.L. Bean, Bass Pro Shops and Eastern Mountain Sports. Now, he sells to smaller, specialty outdoor retailers such as Kittery Trading Post of Kittery, Maine, a store that carries a sizable inventory of outdoor recreational gear. “You don’t need big markets. You need good markets. Good markets mean the opportunity to produce high quality products at reasonable margins,” he said. His accessories company also makes belts for Boy Scouts of America. However, Bates chose not to name more of his customers, past or present. “We don’t talk about our contract customers and national retailers,” he explained. Nonetheless, he made an exception regarding the outdoor clothing retailer, Woolrich. “We were under contract with them for leather belts. Thomas Bates had the rights to use the Woolrich name to manufacture their products,” he said.
At this point, the company is not making technical footwear. “We have the Montana hiker boot and the cowboy boot, and we’re doing some product testing to see how we stand up to competitors,” he said.
“We embrace the worldwide view of manufacturing, not only culturally, but geographically” — Thomas Bates, president, Bates Accessories, Inc. Photo courtesy Bates Accessories.
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CUSTOMIZE YOUR BELT DESIGN ONLINE The web site, http://thomasbates.com/ offers a wide range of Thomas Bates branded products. There, browsers also will find a customer friendly feature to help them custom design their own belts or pet accessories.
Beardsley heavy canvas tote with bison trim. Photo courtesy Bates Accessories.
That relationship ended in August 2015. “Woolrich was changing their sales distribution model. They did not want to carry a line of accessories. They wanted to narrow it down to a few styles—to show limited selections of high-fashion products. We provide a full range of accessory products. We parted amicably. We wanted to take on a new opportunity and new direction which is one reason why we bought Custom Brand Shoes in 2015.” Business at Bates Accessories also goes beyond the bottom line. The company mission extends to support non-profit organizations doing important work in the community, like Reel Recovery, a group that offers fly fishing retreats for U.S. cancer patients (www.reelrecovery.org). It also helps to support sailing programs, such as Sail Maine (www.sailmaine.org) and the Robie Pierve Regatta, a sailing event for sailors with disabilities. (www.robiepierceonedesignregatta.com). And there’s Pease Greeters, a group that offers active servicemen and women hospitality for layover flights at Pease Tradeport, Portsmouth, NH. (www. peasegreeters.org). “It is by building each other up that we are strengthened,” Bates said.
To customize a belt, select “Belts” under the Men’s or Women’s menu, and choose Fabric or Leather. Under Fabric Belts, for instance, you’ll find one of the company’s bestseller’s, the Hiker Money Belt. Click on View Details to find a row of various color and pattern options. For even more design choices, click on, “Need more pattern options?” A boggling number of fun design choices are available. Customers can also upload their personal design, such as a logo, to see how it works with a selected item by clicking on Custom Bulk Orders. If you need more help navigating this custom design option, go to the video tutorial: http://thomasbates.com/patterned-belts/ FOR MORE INFO: Thomas P. Bates Bates Accessories, Inc. 143 Essex St. Haverhill, MA 01832-5732 1-866-524-6709 mbates@thomasbates.com www.thomasbates.com
Customer Service: Thomas P. Bates Bates Accessories, Inc. P O Box 468 Greenland, NH 03840 (603) 430-0050 Fax (603) 430-0049 bates@thomasbates.com SHOP TALK!
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ADVERTISERS INDEX American Leather Direct........................30 Beachy Blacksmith Ltd...........................15 Beiler’s Mfg. & Supply.................................6 BioThane......................................................23 Bogle Greenwell Machinery Corp.........47 Bowden Saddle Tree.................................44 Brayer............................................................20 Brenneman’s Leather..............................20 Brodhead Collar Shop..............................50 Buckeye Blanket........................................41 Buckeye Engraving...................................11 Buckle Barn USA........................................16 Buena Vista Blankets.................................8 Buggy Builder’s Bulletin..........................43 Campbell-Randall......................................26 Chupp Blacksmith Shop............................9 Chupp Brothers Wholesale....................43 Coblentz Collar...........................................42 Danny Marlin Knives.................................19 E.C. Leather.................................................10 Fairview Country.......................................42 Fine Tool Journal........................................48 Garland Mfg................................................51 Gfeller Casemakers, Inc..........................21 Goliger Leather Co....................................41 Hadlock & Fox Mfg. Co............................25 Hansen Western Gear.............................53
Hastilow ......................................................41 Hermann Oak Leather..............................44 Hide House..................................................50 Hillside Harness Hardware.....back cover IHS ELP, LLC................................................51 International Sheepskin.........................20 J.M. Saddler, Inc.........................................51 Kalico Products..........................................31 Kelly-Larson Sales....................................19 Keystone Leather ....................................11 Landis Sales & Service...........................43 Leather Crafters Journal........................31 Leather Machine Co., Inc., The................... ...........................................inside back cover Leather Unlimited.....................................46 Ludwig & Marglin Leather.......................22 Maine Thread Company..........................47 Mark Staton................................................24 Maverick Leather......................................26 Mid-River Sales..........................................10 Milton Sokol................................................17 Mud Creek Leather...................................12 Mules and More.........................................10 N & A Harness Shop.................................48 Ohio Plastics Belting Co............................7 Ohio Travel Bag...........................................22 Orion Calf, LTD.............. inside front cover
Perfectex Plus LLC...................................10 Precision Saddle Tree..............................38 Proleptic..........................6, 8, 24, 57, back cover Rawhide Manufacturing..........................39 RJF Leather....................................................8 Rural Heritage............................................39 Sew What Supplies..................................18 Shelton-Reynolds, Inc.............................50 Sheridan Leather.......................................29 Shetler’s Collar Shop...............................19 ShoTan..........................................................47 Small Farmer’s Journal...............................8 Smoke & Fire Co........................................51 Sorrell Notions...........................................29 Southstar Supply......................................15 Springfield Leather...................................40 Steel Stamps, Inc.....................................15 Sun Bias, Inc...................................................7 Sweat Pad Shop....................................... 18 TechSew................................................................ 3 Texas Custom Dies...................................46 Toledo Sewing...............................................1 Troyer’s Harness........................................46 Wayne Jueschke.......................................47 Weaver Leather.........................................27 Western Mule.............................................47 Wickett & Craig..........................................49
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