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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
S ss I
John Hopper: Man
of
Many Sorrows
Dec. 25, 1939 — Oct. 13, 2013 by Nick Pernokas, Senior Feature Writer
OCTO B ER 2 0 16
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
OCTOBER 2016
FEATURES 23 Boot and Shoe News
25
25 Houston Bootmakers 31 John Hopper 37 Fred Wagoner 42 Marcell Mrsán
42
Marcell Mrsán
IN EVERY ISSUE 4 Laugh Lines
Fred Wagoner
Published by Proleptic, Inc. • P.O. Box 17817 • Asheville, NC 28816 Ph (828) 505-8474 • Fax (828) 505-8476 • shoptalk@proleptic.net Read Shop Talk! online with links to advertisers and online information. www.proleptic.net
6 Hide Report 11 Goods & Services 50 News, Notes & Queries 57 Classifieds COVER PHOTO: John Hopper sits in one of his saddles.
2 OCTOBER 2016
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SHOP TALK!
ShopTalkLeatherMagazine Proleptic, Inc. is the creator of an original work of authorship entitled "Shop Talk!". Proleptic, Inc. attempts to maintain the highest accuracy of content; however, neither Proleptic, Inc., nor any of its officers, employees or agents, warrants, makes any warranties, guarantees or representations as to the accuracy or timeliness of any information published or referenced in "Shop Talk!". Under any and all circumstances, Proleptic, Inc., including its officers, employees and agents, shall be held harmless from and against any loss caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information.
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.
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 3
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LAUGH LINES ___________________ Ø ____________________
IT'S
OCTOBER! October’s birthstones are the tourmaline and opal. The birth flower is the calendula, and the zodiac sign (until Oct 21) is Libra. ___________________ Ø ____________________
October is the 10th month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and one of seven months with 31 days in it. It was the 8th month in the old Roman calendar and retained its name, October, with octo meaning “eight” in Latin.
Month Long Observances Dwarfism/Little People Awareness Month LGBT History Month (US) Brain Tumor Awareness Month Eczema Awareness Month Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month National Pizza Month National Sausage Month National Cheese Month National Cholesterol Awareness Month
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October 15 is Sweetness Day—always the third Saturday of the month. It provides an occasion for remembering friends, relatives, and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we’ve enjoyed. Show your appreciation
Movable Observances First Friday—World Smile Day Week of Oct. 10—Fiji Week (Fiji) First Monday—Thanksgiving (St. Lucia) Second Friday—World Egg Day Second Saturday—National Tree Planting Day (Mongolia) Second Monday—Fraternal Day (Alabama) Third Thursday—International Credit Union Day
4 OCTOBER 2016
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Quiz:
1) How long did the Hundred Year’s War last? 2) Who’s buried in Grant’s tomb? 3) Which country makes Panama hats?
Advice from a Country Farmer
4) From which animal do we get catgut? 5) In which month do the Russians celebrate the October Revolution? 6) What is a camel hair’s coat made of?
Most shortcuts turn out to be dead ends
7) The Canary Islands in the Atlantic are named after what animal? 8) What color is a purple finch? 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from?
— Roy English
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Fixed Observances Oct. 1— International Day of Older People
Oct. 9— World Post Day
Teacher’s Day (Uzbekistan)
Oct. 10— Independence Day (Cuba)
World Vegetarian Day (Hug a Carrot)
Oct. 11— Gen. Pulaski Memorial Day (US)
Oct. 2— Feast of the Guardian Angels
World Day for Farmed Animals
Oct. 4— Cinnamon Roll Day (Sweden) Oct. 5— International Day of No Prostitution Oct. 6— Day of Commemoration and National Mourning (Turkmenistan) Oct. 8— Navy Day (Peru. The public is
invited to take rides in its one pontoon boat normally reserved for the President.)
International Day of the Girl
Oct. 12— Freethought Day Oct. 15— Breast Health Day (Europe)
Global Handwashing Day
Spirit Day (International)
Oct. 21— Apple Day (UK) Oct. 26— Intersex Awareness Day (US) Oct. 27— Black Cat Appreciation Day
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 5
YOU R GLO BAL P ERSP ECT IVE
The Hide Report
HIDE REPORT The following summaries are of reports which have appeared on hidenet.com, the world’s leading source for information regarding the international hide and leather markets. By the time this issue reaches you, these reports will be at least a month old; while the information is not current, it should at least suggest how markets are behaving and trends to watch for. Enjoy.
HIDE PRICES STEADY, SLIGHTLY HIGHER Heavy Texas Steers 62/66 lbs. have been selling been between $66.50 and $67, down slightly. Branded Steers continue steady at $61-62, Butt Branded Steers steady to slightly higher, Heavy Native Steers steady at $74 on 62/66 lbs., Heifers gain $2, and both Holsteins and Plump Cows slightly higher.
405 FM 3083 RD., CONROE, TX 77301 USA TEL: 936-539-1400 ~ FAX: 936-539-1411
WWW.CAMPBELL-RANDALL.COM 6 OCTOBER 2016
SHOP TALK!
1-800-327-9420
SALES@CAMPBELL-RANDALL.COM
The Hide Report WOLVERINE WORLDWIDE RELOCATING WAREHOUSE
TANDY LEATHER FACTORY REPORTS Q2 EARNINGS UP 21%
Rockford-based Wolverine Worldwide, a maker of footwear and apparel, said recently that it will expand its Big Rapids plant by 16,000 sq. ft. The new space will house its local shipping and receiving operations which are currently located in Rockford.
Tandy Leather Factory, Inc. reported that its consolidated net income for the quarter ending June 30, 2016, was $1.8 million compared to $1.5 million for the second quarter of 2015, an increase of 20.8%. Total sales for the quarter ending June 30, 2016, were $19.5 million, down 1% from $19.8 million in the second quarter last year.
Mike Jeppesen, president of the Global Operations Group and Wolverine Heritage Group at Wolverine Worldwide, said the company’s Big Rapids’ factory consists of 76,000 sq. ft., which is mostly used for manufacturing its footwear brands. The company decided to relocate the shipping and receiving functions to save time but also to free up some space in the Big Rapids facility that was used for warehousing. The plans are now to redeploy the space for manufacturing purposes.
Consolidated sales for the six months ending June 30, 2016, were $40.2 million, down 1% from 2015’s first half sales of $40.6 million. Consolidated net income for the first half of 2016 increased 13% to $3.3 million.
ATLANTA SHOE MARKET REPORT Thousands of exhibitors and retailers converged on Atlanta’s Cobb Galleria Centre for The Atlanta Shoe Market (TASM) presentation of Spring ‘17 collections. The shows eight sections (comfort, men’s dress casual, athletics, work boots, moderate, jobber’s, juniors, and children’s) enjoyed steady traffic despite concerns that the show would be affected by a tumultuous election year and a soft economy. Keeping in line with previous years, TASM continued to maintain its robust attendance with a Who’s Who list of exhibitors that attracted everyone from boutique owners to national department store buyers.
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The Hide Report JBS HAS CONFIRMED PLANS TO MOVE ITS HEADQUARTERS TO DUBLIN
NEW BALANCE COLLABORATES WITH HORWEEN LEATHER
The move comes after JBS registered a number of companies in Ireland and the restructuring of the company will see more than €30 billion of assets moved to Dublin. The Brazilian company is the largest meat processing company in the world, producing processed beef, chicken, and pork, and also selling byproducts from the processing of these meats. It is currently headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil.
New Balance’s ongoing partnership with Chicagobased tannery Horween Leather Co. has already produced a handful of ultra-premium sneakers and, from the looks of things, the collaboration isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The latest entry in this Made in USA series is another men’s New Balance 998 which boasts reflective silver 3M detailing on the heel, toe, and New Balance logo.
JBS has a huge presence in the US and is responsible for 22% of the US beef supply. Some 70% of its revenue is said to come from its US operation. It leads the world in slaughter capacity and at 51.4 thousand head per day, it dwarfs Irish meat processors. The company has in excess of 200,000 employees and reported revenues in 2014 of $45 billion.
ADIDAS FINDS A HOME FOR NEW US SHOE MAKING FACTORY Adidas refers to the new facility planned for the Atlanta area as a “Speedfactory” and will be more than 74,000 sq. ft. The new production facility will focus on running footwear and should be operational in the second half of 2017. Adidas says the new factory is targeting production of 50,000 pairs of shoes in 2017--a relatively small run considering Adidas makes around 300 million pairs of shoes each year. Adidas— the world’s second-largest sportswear maker— says that by opening a US facility, it will shorten shipping distances and turn out performance goods at a faster rate for a local market. The US Speedfactory will create around 160 jobs. Last year, the company opened a Speedfactory in the Bavarian town of Ansbach, Germany, which is expected to begin large-scale production next year. 8 OCTOBER 2016
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The Hide Report MILLIONS OF INDIA WORKERS STRIKE OVER LOW WAGES Estimates say as many as 180 million people around India participated in a recent strike over inadequate wages. Ten of India’s central trade unions called for a daylong strike demanding a 692 rupee ($10.39) daily wage and universal Social Security among other things in their list of twelve demands. In trying to ward off the strike, the government raised workers’ wages 42% (350 rupees) which fell far short of strikers’ demands.
ARGENTINA’S FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY CONCERNED BY DROP IN DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION The footwear industry in Argentina is on alert because of lower domestic consumption, and unexpected massive influx of imported goods, and increases in their costs. A proposal by the Argentine Federation of Footwear and Related Products Industry includes the lowering of the level of industry imports, facilitating access to credit for working capital, the possibility of tax reform to reduce taxes, and strengthening the vision of the importance of defending domestic industry in international negotiations.
Robots Threaten 137 Million Asian Footwear, Garment Jobs Robots and automation could endanger the jobs of more than half the workers in five Southeast Asian countries over the next two decades, according to a study by the International Labor Organization. Those working in the garments industry are particularly vulnerable, but jobs in other industries were also found to be at high risk. About 137 million workers— approximate 56% of the salaried workforce from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam— fall under the high risk category, according to the study. “Countries that compete on low-wage labor need to reposition themselves. Price advantage is no longer enough,” said the director for the International Labor Organization’s Bureau for employers’ activities. The report said workers have to be trained to work effectively alongside digitalized machines. Of the 9 million people working in the region’s textiles, clothing, and footwear industry, 64% of Indonesian workers are at high risk of losing their jobs automation, 86% in Vietnam, and 88% in Cambodia. The United Nations agency said technologies including 3-D printing, wearable technology, nanotechnology, and robotic automation could disrupt the sector.
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 9
The Hide Report COLOMBIAN LEATHER GOODS, FOOTWEAR SEE STRONG GROWTH Columbia’s leather goods and footwear manufacturers saw growth of 10.1% in production output during the first four months of 2016. Growth in sales, however, was lower, increasing by 2.4% compared to the same period in 2015.
LEATHER CONTINUES TO BE IN FASHION With rock bottom prices for the hides typically used for garments and cries of “garments are dead,” you’d think that the only place you can find leather garments is on the clearance rack. Instead, leather seems to be in vogue this fall, with the trend of many fashion “hot” lists for the upcoming season. Even though fall is typically when leather predominates fashion, it’s being marketed by some of the top trendy retailers. Marketing leather more aggressively is something that’s often discussed and here are retailers doing
their job for the industry. Not all trends take hold, and not all consumers will buy leather for various reasons. However, even with all the faux materials available, there are plenty of consumers who prefer the real thing, and there’s nothing like a hot trend to propel fashionistas to the checkout counter. It doesn’t hurt to have retailers tell their upscale customers to “leather up” or to be selling leather garments as a way to add an instant cool factor. There’s room for this type of marketing and advertising in all parts of the leather industry.
OCTOBER 2016 MARKET IN REVIEW Weight (lbs.)
Selection
wts. vary month to month
July (early)
August (early)
Price September Last Sept. 2015 (early) (early)
Heavy Texas Steers
62-64 $72-74 $68-72 $68-70 $68-70
Heavy Texas Steers (Hvy)
70-74 $77-78 $74-75.50 $71-73 $71-73
Branded Steers
62-64 $67-69 $64-66 $70-71 $70-71
Branded Steers (Hvy)
70-74 $76-77 $73-76 $69-70 $69-70
Colorado Steers
62-64 $64-65 $60-62 $60-62 $64-65
Butt Branded Steers
62-64
$75-76
$72-73 $71.50-72.50 $74-75
Butt Branded Steers (Hvy) 70-74 $80-81 $78-80 $77-79 $76-77 Heavy Native Steers (Hvy)
70-74
Heavy Native Heifers
50-52 $60-61 $57-58 $57-58 $52-54
Branded Heifers
50-52 $57-59 $57-59 $57-58 $59-60
Heavy Native Cows
50-52 $38-40 $39-40 $38-40 $48-50
Branded Cows
50-52 $30-33.50 $28-31 $30-32 $43-45
Spready Dairy Cows
50-52 $47-49 $46-48 $46-48 $58-60
Native Bulls 10 OCTOBER 2016
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$80-81
$79-80
$80-81
$82-83
100-110 $47-50 $47-50 $47-50 $55-60
Goods & Services OCTOBER 2016
Here is a maker stamp that my friend Nick Pernokas uses: The maker stamp has a plain oval border and then Nick takes a leather stamp and decorates around the edge. What a great look! Maker stamps—whether you’re making wallets or harness—can really spruce up your work and give it a nice professional look. Most leather workers have at least two—a large one and a small for different sizes of work. We have two advertisers that make stamps and they both do an outstanding job. They probably can make your stamp out of steel or brass so please ask. Here’s the contact info: Buckeye Engraving (330) 677-5685, www.steelhandstamps.com.
We came across a stamp maker the other day we did not know about, Embossing Die Co. EDC makes stamps out of hard plastic and, to be honest, they look pretty good and would be the perfect thing for someone just starting out or needing to mark very small quantities. The stamps start around $35 and go up. They can be from ¼” to 24”. The impression is sharp, not as sharp as steel or brass but still very professional looking. You can even get a FREE “Made in USA” stamp. Just send them $5 to cover shipping cost, and tell em, “THANKS! – we saw it in Shop Talk!”
Steel Stamps (208) 345-2550, www.steelstampsinc.com.
Contact: P O Box 1299, Cicero, NY 13039, (315) 5169065, e-mail: EmbossoingDieCompany@gmail.com.
Companies like Springfield Leather and Tandy Leather Factory sometimes also offer stamp making to their customers so you might check to see what they have or can suggest.
So whether you’re a busy shop and needing a top of the line stamp or a hobbyist trying to improve the look of your work, there’s a stamp out there with your name on it in a price range you can afford.
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 11
Goods & Services Keystone Mfg. & Supply supplies hardware to the following industries: --tent/awning --fire safety --law enforcement --pet/equine --flag --military --industrial supply --hammocks --playground
If you’re someone who enjoys using older tools and needs a source for them, look no further than Douglas Saddle Co. They carry good bench tools as well as ones that collectors might like. And when you buy a tool from Douglas Saddle it’s always in the best of shape and ready to use right out of the box. Their inventory is always changing so you never know exactly what sort of goodies they might have on hand. Additionally, they sell small bench machines like skivers and splitters which they recondition. And they make rivet sets, slickers, bouncers, rosette cutters, groovers, stitch groove tips, and excellent awl blades—top notch! You may contact Douglas Saddle Co. at 46 Wakely Rd., Sheridan, WY 82801, (307) 737-2222, e-mail: dsctools@ rangeweb.net.
--equipment mfg. --outdoor equipment --fashion And if you need something they don’t carry, Keystone will try and find it for you. Yes, they carry halter hdw., dees, rings, swivels, snaps, buckles, etc. So you better give them a shout and get a catalog! Contact: 4696 Springside Ct., Allentown. PA 18104, (800) 848-8813, (610) 366-8825, info@kmsinc.net, www.kmsinc.net. You never know—they may have something no one else on the planet carries so find out!
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Tired of the same old same old leather catalog? Looking for something a little off-center and edgy? Maybe just this side of completely insane? Look no further, fellow freak. What your wild side has been craving is the 2016 Supply Guide from Springfield Leather Co. It’s 272 pages of the bizarre and the unusual. It’s 272 pages of the miraculous. Steam punk? Goth? Everything zombie? Steam punk zombies with tattoos? They’ve got it. Sewing machines and equipment? Surprise—they have a complete line, and they have patterns for everything, lots of Native American supplies, all the usual supplies, and a lot of stuff that’s not so usual. So the Supply Guide
Goods & Services is a wonderful education and imaginatively stimulating!! Danger, Will Robinson, danger! One oddball product they carry is goat rawhide. Very light. You can see through it. And it works like any rawhide—wet and mold. Very tough. Maybe good for thongs. Maybe to reinforce something—holster, dog collar, boots? Could you bind a book with it? They sent us a piece to look at, and it’s fun trying to figure out how it could be used. And Springfield has literally 1,000’s of interesting products that you may never have seen before and you’ll be delighted to find out about—and use! Like a very handy refillable dye pen and a thread zapper for ending synthetic threads quickly and neatly. Your work will never look better. So get a copy yourself—you’ll love it. 1463 S. Glenstone, Springfield, MO 65804, (800) 668-8518, www.springfieldleather.com. (Rehtaeldleifgnirps—that’s Springfield Leather spelt backwards.)
Now if you’re more of a white picket fence guy or gal and find Springfield’s catalog a little threatening (and many do), then you just might like the 176 pp. prim and proper catalog from the nice folks at Beiler’s Mfg. and Supply.Very traditional. But, here’s the crazy thing: production people and people who work heavy leather might not even give Springfield a second look because it’s for “hobbyists,” not professionals. And they’d be wrong, wrong, wrong. Yes, SLC carries lots of heavy leather, heavy hdw., and sells in quantities at discounted prices to medium size and large manufacturers.
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Goods & Services Same weird thing about Beiler’s—if you’re a professional leather worker, do production, or work with heavy materials, then Beiler’s is where you shop but never ever if you do light work or only dabble. Again, wrong, wrong, wrong! Did you know that Beiler’s sells light weight metallic and garment leathers in lots of bright colors? They do! They sell embossing machines for belts and straps along with the rollers. Lots of sewing machines, hand tools, leather supplies, crystal spots, etc. They even have letter stamping sets which not everyone sells. They carry a handheld edge dying tool which NO ONE else does and which works brilliantly! Use it once and you’ll fall in love. So it really behooves professionals and hobbyists alike to look at everyone’s catalog—you never know what you’re going to find! Beiler’s carries a lot more horse health care products than you might think—tons! As well as bits—driving and riding. So get a copy for yourself: 3025 Harvest Dr., Ronks, PA 17572, (717) 768-0174.
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Goods & Services Now Fairview carries a lot more than Biothane products. They make up finished goods like halters, and they have a very nice selection of E-Z Entry Carts— wholesale. They have horse size carts and carts for ponies. They have tandem carts and sleigh runners PLUS lots of different types of wheels and tires. They have heavy duty models and lighter ones. They have steel wheels, wooden wheels, drum brakes, and disc brakes. Contact: Fairview Country Sales, 3024 County Road 160, Millersburg, OH 44654, (330) 359-1501.
So how many colors of Biothane does Fairview Country Sales carry? Over 50. That’s right. Lots of different finishes and widths. They are a major distributor so give them a call and get a catalog.
I know there are going to be other folks who might take umbrage with me for putting in a good word for my friend John Glick at Sweat Pad Shop. But let me say this—every pad maker in the US does exceptionally good work so you just can’t go wrong no matter who you buy from. But of all the pad makers out there, I guess John probably has been in business the longest, and he’s been making great pads for many years. And I want to thank him for being one of our oldest advertisers— John, thank you for your many years of support. John still makes my favorite—The Old Timer Yellow collar pad with red edges and stuffed with deer hair. He also makes fake fur and crushed velvet pads, vinyl deer hair pads, and vinyl healing pads. There are other styles of collar pads from which to choose as well as other types of pads such as a breast collar, neck, and gig pads. So you better drop John a note and ask for one of his nice catalogs: 183 Stony Hill Rd., Quarryville, PA 17566.
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Goods & Services The 164 pp. catalog that the folks at Hillside Harness Hdw. has gradually changed over the years to include more finished goods like leather pet products, training equipment, Western headstalls, martingales, breast collars, leather tie downs, and more. Does Hillside still carry leather, Biothane, bits, and lots of hardware? Yes, they do! They also carry products you see nowhere else which they cast themselves— like SB block letters, horse brasses, and fine SB harness hdw. Also lots of clippers, barn supplies, and horse
SUN BIAS, INC.
INDUSTRIAL SEWING SERVICES 1718 N. 1ST. STREET ** MILWAUKEE, WI. 53212 Serving the needle trades 90 years. POLYPROPYLENE WEBBING Firsts & Seconds. 28 colors on Firsts 59/60” NYLON FABRICS Firsts & Seconds Urethane Coated. 60 colors on 1000-Denier & many other fabrics. HOOK & LOOP Sew on 1/4” to 6”, some widths in 35 colors. P. S. (Stick on) 5/8”-5” Rubber & Acrylic. SPECIAL Hook/Loop. Call for prices ELASTICS Woven H D 1” thru 3” & Ex H D, also knitted & braided types. PLASTIC & METAL HARDWARE for webbing & miscellaneous items Grommets Washers 3 colors & Snaps 39 cap colors.
Firewood Bundle Webbing Handles Automated Hot/Sear Cutting on webbing, Elastics and Hook & Loop. For no-fray ends use Hot cutting on webbing for belt tip ends. 2-1/4” Electric Webbing & Rope Cutters for cut it yourself. Self-Locking Nylon Ties (Cable Ties) 4” thru 15”. BIAS or STRAIGHT CUT fabric binding tape slitting SINGLE & DOUBLE folded Bias Tapes * 200+ colors. CORD EDGE PIPING 200+ colors & Asst. Cord Fillers for horse blankets.
Up to 200 Catalog color pages available. Save paper order as needed from our catalog index pages and the latest changes by e-mail in the same day to sales@sunbias.com (or USPS mail takes longer) TOLL FREE NATION WIDE 1-800-425-4747 • FAX 1-414-265-5353
MOST IN STOCK MATERIALS ARE SHIPPED WITHIN 24 HOURS. MASTER CARD,*VISA,*DISCOVER & E-CHECKS
16 OCTOBER 2016
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Goods & Services healthcare products. Their motto: “Large enough to serve you, small enough to need you.” Please contact: 4205 Township Road 629, Millersburg, OH 44654, (330) 893-1510.
If it’s a heavy pulling collar you’re needing—whether it’s for a draft horse or a mini—then you need to give the folks at Sugar Valley Collar Shop a shout! They have full face, half Sweeney, and full Sweeny and anything in betweenie! Ha! Of course, they have collar parts and some hame parts. They have a helpful 27 pp. catalog for the asking. Contact: 18 Wagon Wheel Ln., Loganton, PA 17747, (570) 725-3499.
Probably the largest catalog available to our industry is the one printed by Weaver Leather which weighs in right around 330 pages—it’s a whopper and always has new, interesting products listed. In the 2016 issue, for instance, they have a section on just conchos—with screw backs, loop backs, Chicago screw backs, and slotted conchos. Boy—there are a lot of interesting designs and colors which is something completely new. Same can be said of Weaver’s buckle selection, buckles that can be used with waist belts as well as Western strap goods like halters and bridles. Lots of colors!
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Goods & Services There have been good reports of Weaver’s new water buffalo bends which come in four colors and also their English bridle leather now available in double bends and double backs—9/10 and 12/13 oz. Sides in ¾ oz. Five colors. Weaver continues to be the leader in the manufacture of new bench and floor machinery as well as a great source for sewing machines (large and small), sewing parts, needles, accessories, and supplies. They carry the Jeremiah Watt line of fine hand tools as well as their own Master Tools, several of which are unique to their line. Saddle makers and harness makers alike will find most anything they need in the way of supplies, equipment, tools, and hardware in the Weaver catalog. Very complete! Contact: P O Box 68, Mt. Hope, OH 44660, (800) 9328371, shop.weaverleather.com.
18 OCTOBER 2016
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Goods & Services Pony blankets and horse blankets in different sizes, styles, and colors may be found at Beacon Hollow Blankets along with gig pads, breeching pads, breast pads, and a lot more! They also make bareback saddles, slow feed hay bags, shipping boots, etc. You may acquire your own catalog by contacting: 105 Centerville Rd., Gordonville, PA 17529, (717) 768-0289.
If you’re looking for a striking combination of colors in the rope you stock for resale or use to manufacture products in your shop, then the people you need to speak with are at Troyer’s Rope Co.—I don’t think there’s a color combination they can’t offer so give them a call: 20785 Morris Rd., Conneautville, PA 16406, (800) 872-0103. They have very colorful imaginations.
It’s such a misleading name—Chupp Blacksmith Shop. Sounds like they make a few horseshoes now and then which is NOT the case whatsoever. Chupp makes more hames and hame hardware than anyone
else in the world. They have about any sort of harness hardware you could ever need—any style, any size. And they make lots of other products which may or may not be horse related. Of course they have bits in sizes 3 ½” to 6”. They make collar clocks which have hames on either side of the clock. They make electric, oil, and gas lamps also with hames on either side of the lamp. They make a child’s pedal hobby horse with cart for kids, kick scooters for kids, and indestructible mailboxes—that’s right, mailboxes! They come a long way since 1967. You just might be surprised by the variety of products that Chupp Blacksmith makes—and they’re all well made. Find out more by contacting: 9107 Township Road 609, Fredericksburg, OH 44627.
They make such a clean looking, well-proportioned horse collar. That’s Fisher’s Harness Shop. Up until recently all their collars have been made from leather but they now offer many of the same styles made out of synthetic materials. The new collars are still stuffed with wheat and rye straw. They also manufacture a wide variety of gift items such as collar clocks and collar mirrors as well as waist belts, door chimes (lots of door chimes), strung bells, leather fly swatters, etc. Fisher’s has several catalogs showing their many diverse products. Contact: 267 North Star Rd., Ronks, PA 17572, (717) 687-6048.
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 19
Goods & Services The one shop that has had most to do with the development and use of synthetic materials in the making of harness has to be N & A Harness. They’ve been at it for at least twenty years and now manufacture a very extensive line of machines which are powered by air and also manually powered for performing tasks such as stapling, setting spots, punching, cutting, riveting, and more. In addition to the development of new machines for the use with synthetic materials and coated webbing, N & A
makes harness parts for different sizes of harness including synthetic parts which have been formed and molded for a more comfortable and correct fit. This was a notable achievement in the development of quality synthetic harness. They have harness parts available as well as complete sets of harness including draft show harness, deluxe show harness, mule harness, farm harness, pulling harness, etc. Both single and team. N & A carries a lot of SS harness hdw., SS bits, and is a distributor for BioThane. Urethane sheets in different thicknesses and imitation patent leather are also to be found listed in their catalog so you better get one! Contact: 6009 Township Road 419, Millersburg, OH 44654, (330) 893-1024.
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Goods & Services Looking for an odd piece of furniture hardware? Maybe something for a trunk or a chair you have to repair? Maybe some interesting furniture nails? Then get a catalog from Van Dyke’s Restorers! So many interesting things to see, so many new ideas! Call (800) 558-1234, www.vandykes.com. Write: P O Box 52, Louisiana, MO 63353.
If you have a business, shop, or office and you have machines or equipment which use solar power, wind energy, compressed air, batteries, or some sort of engine, then you really need to get an issue of Plain Communities Business Exchange. It’s a great source of information about where to find the supplies and equipment to run your business if you are living off the grid or operating from a remote location. Need a gas-powered skill saw? How about some battery operated work lights? Even answering and e-mail services are advertised in PCBE. Contact: P O Box 520, Millersburg, PA 17061, (717) 362-1109. Also a good place to advertise!
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22 OCTOBER 2016
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P EOP LE PRODUCTS P L AC E S
Boot & Shoe News
CONDITIONERS & WATERPROOFERS People are always asking, “What’s the best leather conditioner for boots?” And I always reply, “The one you’ll use regularly!” Boy, there are a lot of great ones out there and now is the time to get a little display of them on your counter top as fall approaches. Fiebing makes a great selection. So does Bee Natural. Another dependable supplier is Pecard Leather Care Co.—they make several good waterproofers and conditioners so give then a shout and get a catalog. Call (800) 467-5056, www.pecard.com.
SUPERIOR THREADS SHOW ‘N TELL BOOT CONTEST Send your best top stitched boot photo entries to Ellen Franck at Superior Threads by e-mailing them to: industrial@superiorthreads.com with “Shop Talk CONTEST” in the subject line. Photos must be clear and show the detail of the stitching. Multiple pictures OK. E-mail should contain all contact information of boot maker and any additional information about the boots you wish to share.
What’s your favorite? Please let us know—P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, shoptalk@proleptic. net.
Rules: Overall use of top stitching will be judged on detail, use of color, and uniqueness. Entries must be received by Nov. 25, 2016. Open to US, Canada, and all international boot makers.
NEW OSTRICH
Winner: Winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to Superior Threads to use toward needles and thread. Winner to be announced in and appear on cover of Shop Talk! Winner will also be highlighted in Superior Threads e-mail newsletter.
There’s a new supplier in town—South Cape Ostrich Tanning, and they have a distributor in El Paso which would be International Hides and Skins at (915) 241-7164. The web site is www.scot.co.za. Lots and lots and lots of colors.
ALSO: To sweeten the pot, Shop Talk! will throw in a $100 cash prize on top of Superior Threads’ gift certificate.
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Easy • Effective • Affordable SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 23
24 OCTOBER 2016
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Boot & Shoe News
Family is Center of Houston Bootmaker’s Business In a tiny shop in midtown Houston, makes custom Western boots, determined to provide a no-fuss, no-ego experience to his growing customer base. “Everything is handmade—no computers, no embroidery— everything we do is by hand,” Alvaro, known as Al, says of his custom creations. “Everything in the boot is leather.”
by JENNIFER FULFORD, STAFF WRITER
Rivera, 47, is a plainspoken man, whose thick Spanish accent tips off his background. Originating from the Baja region of Mexico, he learned boot making from his dad, Guillermo, who learned it from his dad, who learned it from his dad, and on and on, dating back five generations. Hardly a blip. Rivera has never thought about doing anything else for a living.
His family had an affinity for leather work. “They got into the leather. They had gotten into raising goats, using goats for leather. They bought the machinery in WWII.” Rivera worked for his dad up until 1993, when Al immigrated to the United States from Mexico with his wife, Diana, and daughters. He wanted to pursue the American dream. Landing in Houston, he started to work with two top Texas bootmakers, Jose Gonzales and Antonio Moreno. Only four years ago, he opened his own shop in a tight 400 sq. ft. store front in the heart of midtown Houston. The no-fanfare name for his business is Al’s Handmade Boots.
“Back in the day, you had to learn a trade—farmer or carpenter—they just learned the trade from their dad.”
“We worked hard the first two years. We barely made it,” he recalls. “There was maintenance on the building, payroll, and stuff like that, then we started to get referrals.” They made all the difference. Plus the fact that he’s focused on friendly service, measurements in person, and repairs. For custom boots, his prices aren’t astronomical either. His handmade boots start at $950. If a customer wants an exotic leather or an inlay, prices go up according to the intricacy of the work and the cost of materials. Infrequently, Rivera has made higher end exotic leather designs for big spenders. Those might bump up the price of a pair to $5,000, but those orders aren’t his meat and potatoes.
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 25
Boot & Shoe News
His style is straightforward, clean elegance. Simple lines. Classic Western styles. He makes boots for sophisticated buyers who aren’t trying to show off. Flashiness is not the overarching goal at Al’s Handmade Boots. “We can make it. We’ve done it. But it is not the boot we make every single day of the year,” he says. “We make something comfortable to wear, something to wear with pants and jeans or a nice dress. Something to wear every single day.”
shop also carries a line of belts, wallets and other small leather goods. The Alvaro Family Lineage Al consulted an uncle to make sure he got the story right about the span of his family's history in leather. Best that he can tell, their history dates back five generation. His family’s long ties to the leather business date to the
He also prides himself on making boots that aren’t too heavy. His favorite leather these days is alligator, but he’s made pairs from elephant, ostrich, buffalo, lizard, python, and shark. He sources his leather from Florida, Georgia, and California. “Kangaroo, American bison, buffalo from India, shark, ostrich from South Africa, elephant from South Africa, actually Zimbabwe, Nile croc and …” and the list goes on. Al, Armando Torres, and Cesar Arrecis make boots, while another worker, Albert Lowe, is dedicated to repairs. The
L to R: Armando Torres, Cesar Arrecis, Albert Lowe, Al Rivera
Transferring pattern for stitching on the uppers of the boots. Bootmaking shop, Alpine, Texas. Photograph by Russell Lee, May 1939 26 OCTOBER 2016
SHOP TALK!
Boot & Shoe News Later, Guillermo moved to Culiacan, where he opened up his own shop. “My father brought the same machinery that had been passed down through the generations and moved them from Michoacán to Culiacan into his new shop.”
18th century when his ancestors, three brothers named Rivera, came from Extremadura, Spain, to Mexico and settled in Michoacán state in the southwest region of Mexico (near Guadalajara and Leon). “They were tanners and cobblers who made shoes and boots. One of the brothers, named Juan Rivera, my greatgreat grandfather, later on had children, one of which was my great-grandfather, Jose Santos Rivera, who Juan instructed in the leather crafting profession,” he shares.
Botas Culiacan opened in 1975. Al and his older brother, Jorge, began working in the shop as youngsters. “When I was around eight years old, I began by learning how to repair, shine, and dye shoes and boots. I completed my first pair of boots when I was 15 years old, on the same machines my great-grandfather had worked on back in Michoacán.” His father’s shop didn’t close until 2010, three years after Guillermo passedaway.
Jose Santos later moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a construction worker. With the money he saved from working in LA, he bought shoe and boot making machinery from Germany and the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At that time, Europe made the best machines for leather work, Al says. “My grandfather, Jose Santos’s son, Fortino Rivera began at a very young age as a shoemaker’s apprentice in Michoacán. With the machines his father had bought, they began their own family shop with Jose’s older sister Maria, who was in charge of top stitching. They began making one-piece boots and fine shoes.” The skills and the machinery were handed down to Al’s father, Guillermo Rivera, one of twelve children. All twelve learned the trade (eleven sons, one daughter). All of Al's aunts and uncles learned their skills in Michoacán at the same shop.
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 27
Boot & Shoe News
Family Atmosphere All that family history influences Al’s Handmade Boots today. Al maintains a “family environment” in the store, which enjoys foot traffic in downtown Houston, although custom orders are the mainstay. He wants to convey to customers that they will be treated as if they were family. His daughters come in and out, though they are both grown, and his wife is often in the mix, urging her husband to slow down.
His customers come from all walks of life. His patrons are Texas oil and gas businessmen, ranchers, ropers, and customers from as far as Ethiopia, any place a genuine Western boot enthusiast might live. The shop makes about two pairs of boots a week and has a backlog of orders about three months out. He’s happy for the work and the success his little shop enjoys.
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THE SPIRIT OF AFRICA | WORLD-CLASS STYLE 28 OCTOBER 2016
SHOP TALK!
Boot & Shoe News
“I believe that when you love what you do, you enjoy doing it, can see the smiling face of a satisfied customer and above that, get paid for it, why not continue doing it,” he says. “After over 30 years of experience working with leather, I can’t imagine myself doing something else.” To reach Al’s Handmade Boots, call (832) 488-3000. E-mail: alscustomboots@gmail.com. Check the website at www. AlsHandmadeBoots.com or stop by the shop at 2323 Fannin St., Houston,TX, 77002.
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SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 29
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John
Hopper: the Man Behind the Book
The young boy sat on his horse and watched the glint in the sky. The rising sun coming up over the Utah foothills caught the windscreen of the single engine plane as it flew toward the horsemen over the San Rafael Desert floor. The men told the boy that by NICK PERNOKAS, SENIOR FEATURE WRITER the plane flew low so the pilot could make sure that none of the horses below him were branded. The boy wasn't sure he believed it, but the pilot was good and, like many of the cowboys the boy waited with, had recently returned from the Second War to End All Wars across the ocean. The boy himself could not see the horses yet, only the red dust that they churned as the plane urged them forward. The gelding he was riding pawed the ground in anticipation at the sound of the mustangs. Soon the horses were upon them, their dun and buckskin coats blending with the dust. The men could feel the vibration of the running hooves in their chests. As the wild horses passed, the cowboys joined the run. The horsemen began to haze the running horses towards a box canyon and the trap pens that waited there. The young boy, John Hopper, brought up the rear and hoped that the older men would let him pick a horse for himself this time.
John Hopper would not return to mustanging until his twenties. By then there were more landowners cutting up the West, and some of them claimed ownership of the horses. John ended up in court on one such dispute, and decided to find another occupation and became a welder. In 1968, a friend who knew John was a cowboy showed up with three saddles. He asked John if he could fix them and John said that he could. "I told him 'What do you think you're doing? You've never done anything like that’,." remembers Thelma Maxwell, John's former wife. "When I got up at midnight, John had all three saddles apart on the living room floor. Even the trees were broken." John repaired the saddle trees using material that he'd used to repair irrigation pipe. He repaired and reassembled the saddles.
"Anything he wanted to do, he could do," says Thelma. John wanted to be an outfitter so the Hoppers, including their four daughters, moved to Afton, Wyoming, where John worked in the Yellowstone area for a man named Frome. He guided guests into the back country near West Yellowstone. He had many stories of riding over passes on very narrow trails, with steep drop offs, and the perils of meeting an outfitter coming from the other direction. SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 31
"Our family pretty much did the whole thing," recalls his youngest daughter, Jodie Hopper Schiermeier. "We would set up the camps with the tents and mules and horses, and Dad would guide the hunters." John continued to repair saddles as well. He didn't understand everything that saddle makers did, so he began to buy saddles that had been made by good saddle makers, take them apart, learn what he could, make patterns, and then reassemble them. He bought paper remnants from the local newspaper and he had stacks of patterns from different makers. When he was done, he'd sell the saddle and buy another. John also bought up old saddle shop equipment and tools.
"Whenever he'd buy an old shop, he'd take the garbage too," says Thelma.
at The Native American rodeos and helped in other ways such as donations. He became friends with famed actor Chief Dan George.
John believed that whenever someone passed away, the family and friends cleaning up wouldn't have any idea as to what was important in a saddle shop. Many times there were prizes to be found in the trash. The tools that John didn't need were sold, and many times these paid for the shops. John liked Ray Holes and Dale Harwood. Both of them influenced his work. He made a pilgrimage to Dale Harwood's saddle shop in Idaho.
"Dale and Karen took John into their home, and Dale gave him guidance and encouragement, and Karen fed him like he was a king. They were wonderful human beings to John," says Thelma. Soon John began building stock saddles and rodeo equipment for the public. John even made leather outfits for the local cheerleaders. His chaps were the Hoppers' bread and butter though. John also went to work for a local cheese plant to make ends meet. John's next move was to the Riverton, Wyoming, area where He began to become immersed in Native American culture. John actually looked like a Native American, and he was able to trace his lineage back to a woman who had been a lover of the infamous Indian outlaw Blue Duck. John worked 32 OCTOBER 2016
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John Hopper participated in many Native American functions and was a supporter of them.
"John dressed and talked like them and was very involved with them," says Thelma." He took the children to the rodeos, and pow-wows, and everything else he was involved in." The next move for the Hoppers was to Salt Lake City. Shortly after moving John got the contract to make the saddles for the 1977 Indian National Finals Rodeo and had to make all eleven saddles from August to November. John worked through the night frequently, and he still had to finish two of the saddles after the Hoppers actually got to the finals in Albuquerque.
"He was very proud of those saddles," remembers Thelma.
John was able to put a deal together on a horse facility and arena near Salt Lake in Draper. The whole family, including his brother and sister-in-law, chipped in and ran "Hopper's Arena", a multimillion dollar indoor facility. They put on roping schools and boarded horses. John bought into the deal with a hundred dollar bill. Unfortunately, he took on a silent partner who was well schooled in real estate deals. After a year the partner, seeing the success of the project, used a clause in the contract to take it away from John.
"That almost broke his heart," says Thelma. "He never believed that anyone could be mean and vindictive like that. It almost destroyed him." John began to have extreme headaches. A friend of his, who was a psychiatrist, prescribed Mellaril for relief, and John became a believer in the medicine.
John (l) presents one of his saddles at the Indian National Finals Rodeo.
The Hoppers moved back to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in the early 80’s. John called his shop there Chahala's Saddle Shop, named after a registered Appaloosa that John had owned and loved. It was at that shop that John had started teaching students how to build saddles. He thought it was a good way to better his own techniques because it made him analyze what he was doing. In fact, John enjoyed teaching so much that he decided to write a book about saddle making. This proved to be a huge endeavor, and John did it all himself. He worked on his saddles in the basement and took all of the pictures himself. If he had to be in SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 33
"We started conversations periodically. If I had a question, I'd give him a call," says Ron."Later we might correspond by letter every two to six months." The book opened doors for John. He always wore his black cowboy hat and a blue scarf. His cowboy image was the reason Levis used him in an advertisement.
"In the early 80’s John developed diabetes. He was in denial for John astride his Appaloosa Chahala which was originally from Hawaii. several years before he finally aca picture, he would set the camera in position, and knowledged that he had diabetes," Thelma would come down and snap the picture. says Thelma. "When he developed diabetes, He selected paper for the book that was moisture he had a personality change which was very resistant so it would resist spills. He designed the hardcover book binding to stay open to whatever drastic." page a reader was using. He refused to publish the book overseas as he considered it an American work about an American craft.
"He wouldn't let anybody else do it. He was so fussy. I thought I would go insane," laughs Thelma. "He put all of those little pieces of paper all over the living room floor. I couldn't use the dining room table for a year." Cowboys Complete Saddle Making came out in 1982. It was an ambitious, large book that covered constructing saddles and almost everything else related to them. John signed and numbered a hundred copies. Today these can be found for sale on the Internet for over $1,000.
"He was an absolute genius and he had the temperament of a genius too," says Thelma. People from as far away as Germany and Saudi Arabia would come to John's shop to watch him work and ask questions. Saddle maker Ron Ross from Indiana received a signed copy from John in 1984. This began many years of correspondence between the two men.
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Darrell Winfield, The Marlboro Man,� was a friend of John and rode one of his saddles.
John went to work for the Miller Ranch as a foreman in Daniel, Wyoming. He kept the saddle shop going in a building on the ranch. Later the family moved on to Riverton, Wyoming, for a couple of years.
"It was such a very small part of his life," says Thelma." It was sad because he had so much left to offer."
Eventually, the Hopper family ended up in Twin Falls, Idaho, where both John and Thelma wanted to take some college classes at the College of Southern Idaho. Eventually, John got a job with the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Department and kept his saddle making going in a shop at the house. The Hoppers took in two grandchildren to raise.
Ron Ross's letters to John began to be unanswered. He knew that John worked for the Twin Falls Sheriff's Department so after a year he called them. "The dispatcher said that he didn't know of anyone by that name in the area, so I let it go," says Ron.
John worked as a sheriff's deputy in Twin Falls for eight years. Like many Western tales, what happened next depends on who you talk to. In 1997 John was injured on the job. Eventually the Sheriff's Department let him go. "If I remember right, he was on an anti-depressant," says Jodie, one of John’s daughter. "He had a nervous breakdown during the process of being injured, laid off, trying to support the family, and make saddles." John began to worry that people who bought his saddles would not appreciate and take care of them, and it became difficult for him to part with them. The last saddle that he built was for Jodie. "John was a part of the judicial system," says Thelma."Everybody knew him either from the Sheriff's office or his saddle shop. John was very well liked by his co- workers. He had and still has a following there." However, a domestic incident occurred, aggravated by John leaving jail prematurely. When the smoke cleared, John was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.
Another year went by and Ron saw a Hopper saddle for sale on eBay. He contacted the owner and asked him if he knew what happened to John. The owner told him to contact the State Correctional Facility at Boise. Ron did, and two weeks later he received a letter from John. This was in 1999. The correspondence about saddles resumed between the two men. Occasionally, Ron would get a collect call from John as well. Ron sent a copy of John's book to him while he was in prison so that he could show the other inmates what he'd done. Ron believes that a couple of other saddle makers also corresponded with John. Ron kept all the letters, but communication ended the day John got out of prison. "I've always regretted that I didn't take the time to go down and meet John," says Ron. Diabetes and cataracts took a toll on John while he was in prison. John was released, after serving his full sentence, in a wheelchair. His brother, Terry, picked him up and took him back to Salt Lake City. After a year of freedom, 75-year-old John Hopper died of a massive heart attack on October 13, 2013. "My Dad was a true cowboy," remembers Jodie."I still smell the sheepherder coffee he used to make every morning."
"He was who he was," says Thelma. "You had to let him be. He was just such a talented human being and very driven in what he wanted and what he wanted done." I read John Hopper's book when it came out. Like many folks, I suppose, I called him to ask questions. There were a couple of other books available at the time on saddle making, but John's was the biggest and the most ambitious. There weren't saddle shows and buyer’s guides for saddle makers back then, and John came out with this huge index of SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 35
where to find things. That in itself was worth the price of admission. I have a few knives that I still use today that were made by an old man named L. B. Lienemann that I wouldn't have if it weren’t for that book. So here's to John. I'll raise my glass to that little mustanger galloping through the red Utah dust after those wild ponies. I hope he got one. Thelma Maxwell still has a few of those first edition hardcover copies of Cowboys Complete Saddle Making for sale on her Facebook page "John Hopper Author". John always ended his conversations and letters with the northern Arapaho expression “Ni-iihi” which means “go in a good way.”
"There is a word we Native American people use a lot. It's called pride. Please remember saddle making is an art, a craft, a trade, the same as any painter or sculptor. Be proud." John Hopper Ni-iihi, John Hopper, ni-iihi.
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M
Fred Wagoner,
Partial to Mules & Mountains
Sometimes, it’s good to have a quiet place to work. Every day, Fred Wagner, Colorado saddle maker, takes advantage of his little piece of solitude. Out in his garage-turned-shop in rural by JENNIFER FULFORD, EAST COAST BUREAU CHIEF Custer County, he can work 24/7 if he wants. After two decades in the saddle making business, he’s doing it his way.
“I’ve got big tall pines all around me. Man, on evenings, like last night, the sunset was just unbelievable.” Wagner, 69, is a Colorado native. He grew up in Aurora. Moved around some and spent time in the Arkansas Ozarks in Eureka Springs and later moved to the western side of the Rocky Mountains and lived in Montrose, CO, where he decided making mule saddles was probably his best bet. That was fifteen years ago.
“The horse industry, horses just slowed down to nothing,” he recalls. “People started riding mules. That’s where the money is at, in the mules. So that’s where I went with my saddles.” Nowadays, 80% of his orders are for mule saddles, his expertise.
“The only difference between a mule saddle and a horse saddle is in the bars of the tree. SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 37
Now, the horse, the bars have what we call rock, because the horse has kind of a dip in their back. It’s a little concave. Whereas a mule, their backs can be straighter, from the donkey. So the bars don’t have as much rock in them,” Wagner explains. He learned to make saddles by repairing saddles. At one time, he ran his own small repair shop and tack store in Montrose and employed a few extra hands. After doing that for ten or so years, he decided to move into the mountains seven miles down a dirt road, absent wives and four grown kids.
“I’m able to live this way because of the Internet,” he says.“I have my website, I advertise in the magazines, 90% of my saddles go out of state. I’ve sent saddles to just about every Western state. I do a lot of saddles back in the South. That’s where a lot of the mules are.”
saddles and soaking up the landscape. He’s not a recluse by any stretch, he says. He just likes the elbow room. “I’ve never lived close to a suburban
area.”
His shop, Wagner’s Saddle and Tack, is a souped-up garage, fancy by some standards and roomy enough for him to work on several saddles a year. He used to make two a month, but he’s scaling back to take it easy. He’s earned the right, bringing in about $2,300 per base saddle. All his saddles, whether for mule or horse, include: • A fiberglass or rawhide covered tree, guaranteed for five years • 13/15 oz. skirting leather • 100% wool sheepskin lining • Flat plate 7/8 rigging
His next saddle goes to Arkansas.
• Six strings with holes bored through the tree
The closest significant town near him is Pueblo, an hour away by car, population 108,000. Wagner just wanted to be in a place that felt more remote. He goes into Westcliffe, the closest community twentyfive miles away, about every ten days or so. The rest of the time, of course, he spends building or repairing
• 4" back cinch doubled and stitched
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• Wrapped horn with rope carrier • Saddle oiled and stirrups set
Though he’s slowing down and has a full gray beard, he’s not taking fulltime retirement. The good old days when he was a ranch hand didn’t pad an IRA. “I miss ranching so bad it’s just unbelievable,” he says. “But physically, you reach a point where
you’re just gonna get hurt.”
Wagoner has always been a horse person. He favors them a little more than the mules that contribute to his living. His dad was a serviceman in the Army and his mother rued his ranch-hand ways when he took to cowboying as a young man. It suited his disposition, and he just kept at it. He kind of fell into the leather work out of necessity. On his website, the story goes:
“As a young cowboy in 1974, I partnered up with a man known as Tex. Tex Belt was a horseman of the old school, who used great old high back saddles that the ‘Dudes’ couldn't fall out of. Tex started me on the
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road to saddle making. Learning to repair those saddles was the start of a lifetime of horses, mules, and leather.” Though nostalgic for his ranching days, he keeps a toe in that world by restoring old saddles for local ranchers.
“They have a thing in Colorado where you have a Centennial Ranch.You get a plaque for it and everything, which means the ranch has been in the same ownership for 100 years,” he says. “And most of my restoration work is for saddles for people like that, saddles that their grandparents rode.” Of his newer saddles, a popular one right now is the Mountain Hunter. It has a form fitter tree and comes with either mule or horse bars, 7" wide gullet, and 4" or 5" cantle. He adds a barbed wire border with tooled tapaderos.
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“It’s got a little bit more swell on it, and it’s pretty. If something starts bucking or backing up or shies real fast, you’re gonna stay in that saddle. That’s why a lot of the guys like ‘em,” he adds.
Another best selling saddle is the Mule Wade (see photos below). He also makes saddles for women, particularly for trail riding. Occasionally, he’ll work a 10 or 12 hour day. He has a mare, too, that he’ll sometimes saddleup. But overall, he’s enjoying life and the leather working talents that keep him in beans and cornbread.
Wagner’s Saddle & Tack is located at 781 Ernest Ave., Westcliffe, CO, 81252. To call Fred, (719) 783-2715, or email, saddlesmith@gmail.com. His website is www. WagnersSaddleandTack.com.
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 41
Marcell Mrsán,
Serious Master Shoemaker from Long Lineage
Marcell Mrsán, shoemaker, 45, wears a cognac capital Oxford with a double sole. This says a lot about him. In the prime of his career, he appreciates by JENNIFER FULFORD, EAST COAST BUREAU CHIEF classic ideas from an old profession that he’s mastered. Shoemaking, he believes, is a trade that should be mastered, and he’s here to help.
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“We can do a lot of things all alone,” he says. “What we can do all alone is make footwear, give a bunch of interviews to people. We cannot educate alone.” Mrsán spends a significant part of his work week teaching. During the spring and fall, he is an Accessory Design Professor at the Savannah School of Art and Design (SCAD) on the coast of Georgia. In the summer months, and at other times throughout the year, he offers workshops from his own place. In July, he opened a new workshop and store in the center of Savannah, the Duffy Street Store.
A relative newcomer to the States. Mrsan took the job at SCAD in 2011, bringing himself and wife from his native Hungary. There, he learned shoemaking skills that focused on the bespoke style. He prefers making shoes by fitting the wearer in person and building a custom last for each patron. However, he doesn’t consider himself traditional.
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 43
“I am not a traditionalist, even though they think that I am,” he says of those in the profession.
“Even if I do make traditional shoes and I’m really into that, I perfectly accept that other people choose a different path. Many people use a lot of machines. And, you know, that is fine. As long as you are honest about it.” Mrsán concentrates on men’s footwear, but he can also make a mean pair of high heels. When made in the bespoke manner, his custom shoes can take up to forty hours to build. He uses a leather upper and sole and sometimes exotic leathers. He builds shoes on modified lasts as well. Depending on the customization, he asks anywhere from $1,000 to $3,500 a pair. His brand name is Koronya. “Handmade shoes have a place. We cannot make shoes for everybody. The price is too high, too work intense; we cannot make that many shoes. But we can make great quality shoes. We can make shoes that on your foot give you comfort,” he says.
• Swivel Knives • Stamping Tools • Sharpening Tools • • Blades • Beader Blades • Lacing Punches •
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BACKGROUND Mrsán’s family have been shoemakers for 160 years, so he estimates he’s a sixth generation shoemaker.
“Probably more. My whole family on my mother’s side were shoemakers, bootmakers, all different kinds of leather crafters, and tanners,” he says. In Hungary, he also studied economics and was working as a shoemaker and accessory designer when he answered the ad at SCAD.
“I said, ‘You know what? If I don’t try, I might always regret it.’ I like educating people. And I thought it might be a great way to do it,” he says.
Since moving to the U.S., Mrsán has involved himself in the bespoke shoe culture here. He says it’s different here than in Europe where apprenticing is more prevalent, but he hopes to establish stronger
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 45
paths to encourage and certify “master” makers. Last year at the 2015 Shoe Symposium in Ashland, which he helped launch, about seventy attendees signed a founding document for the Footwear Makers Guild. He is the guild’s first president, but he sees it more as an egalitarian role.
“I want it to be a more flat hierarchy. I don’t want to be the king of this. I want to have a guild where people decide together what to do next,” he says.
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SPREADING THE GOSPEL Mrsán successfully spreads knowledge about shoemaking online. His mastery of shoes seems to have transferred into a mastery of finding an audience on social media. Within a relatively short time, he’s built a broad following of shoemaking enthusiasts and fans through Facebook, Instagram, a blog, and YouTube videos.
Each outlet is an active place where Mrsรกn shares ideas and techniques. His Instagram account is filled with pictures of his shop and shoes and is followed by almost 10,000 people. His blog, with 1,600+ subscribers, includes regular updates about his workshop and classes and goings-on. His YouTube videos (more than 20) have been played more than three million times. The most watched are a set of videos simply entitled: How to Make a Shoe. Additionally, his classes outside of SCAD are designed for beginners and advanced learners. His curriculum encompasses a comprehensive skills overview about processes and techniques involved in handmade shoemaking from design to the finished product; an introduction of stitched down construction by hand; an English welted construction class for experienced makers; and a cemented construction class for beginners.
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 47
“He gives honest feedback about your work, whether you are asking for it or not. If the work is bad, he will say it is bad. He is not there to be your best friend (or as Marcell would say, ‘I am not there to be your mummy.’). He is there to teach you and make you better,” his student writes. “However, if you are a novice shoemaker, it is quite intimidating to be around a master shoemaker. Especially a master shoemaker with his talent. Still, his student says she’s glad to be there.
He also trains apprentices in his shop. He’s known for his stern assessments of his students’ work, mainly because he’s serious about passing on important skills in a no nonsense way. A recent apprentice described her experience in a guest post on his blog, ShoesandCraft.com.
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It’s easy to find Mrsán. His store is located at 125 W. Duffy St. in Savannah, GA 31401. For info about his custom shoes, visit www.koronya.com; and for classes, check www.shoemakingcourse.com. His blog is www.shoesandcraft.com. On Instagram, www.instagram.com/marcellmrsan; on Facebook, www.facebook.com/koronyashoes; on YouTube, www.youtube.com/c/marcellmrsan.
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OCTOB E R 2016
News, Notes & Queries
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR
EXTRA COPIES OF SHOP TALK! ANYONE?
It’s that time of year when you get out the old checkbook
YES! We have them. We had someone ask us recently if he could get some old copies of the magazine to handout to people who come into his shop, wanting information about how to do leather work and we said, “Of course!” No charge and THANK YOU!
and make a donation to your local volunteer fire department—today! Send them $100, $50, $20, $10— something!! You never know—you might be their next customer.
furnace or stove, let’s check the filter, let’s check the
So if you’d like to have some extra copies to hand out, just let us know. They won’t be the latest issue but they will be kind of recent. Give us a shout: (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net. Or write: Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816.
vents and chimney. Now let’s make sure that you clean
Thanks!
Of course, it’s getting to be that time of year when the nights start getting a little chilly and a little heat in the shop might feel pretty good. So—before you fire up that
up the clutter that’s built up around the stove over the summer. NO rags or boxes or paper or flammables of any sort ANY where near your furnace. Very good—but before you light the match or throw the switch, you better pick up the phone and give your insurance agent a call. Don’t have an agent? That’s like saying you don’t carry a pocket knife. Call an agent, make sure you have ADEQUATE coverage. Don’t be stupid or a victim of wishful thinking—get insurance. TODAY. And send in a donation.
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News, Notes & Queries FIRE SABRE VIDEO
SIEGEL OF CALIFORNIA: UPDATE
Learn all about how our new butane powered Fire Sabre works by watching a 2 minute video on:
It appears that Siegel of California has relocated to North Carolina. The company’s new address, it seems, is 1147 Huntingdon Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27104. The web address is www.siegelleather.com.
YouTube—www.youtu.be/A2odD1bDJEA. You will love it! Highly dramatic! A cast of 1,000’s!! Award winning.
BIG TOOL AUCTION This is probably the biggest hand tool auction in the US which features a lot of tools for the woodworking and carpentry trades. Of course, there are also scientific instruments that show up, wrenches, measuring tools, and even some leather working tools. It’s quite a treat. The 49th Tool Sale & International Antique Tool Auction will be held on Oct. 28-29 in Camp Hill, PA, at the Radisson Inn. This is hosted by Brown Tool Auction at (800) 248-8114. The number for the Radisson is (717) 763-7117.
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News, Notes & Queries NEW WEB SITE—AGAIN?
GOODS & SERVICES WORTH A LOOK
Ha, ha! In fact, we actually do have a new web site with a great new look—www.proleptic.net. We’d really like to hear how you like it so give us a shout--shoptalk@proleptic.net or call (828) 505-8474.
Boy, it is! Regardless of whether you’re just getting into the biz or have been around so long that you worked with Moses, there’s bound to be something in “Goods & Services” that will tickle your imagination. Are there things that you might find scary, weird, odd, strange? You just never know.
If you ever have a problem or something isn’t working properly, just give us a call. We want your visit to be a pleasant one.
JUST MERINO SHEEPSKIN STILL OPEN We don’t get ads from them but news releases seem to make their way to us. Just Merino Sheepskin let us know that they are still alive and well. They still have samples and scraps that have built up over the years which they’d like to find a home for. (800) 323-WOOL.
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So you better find out for yourself and give “Goods & Services” a look!
News, Notes & Queries IT’S ALL ON ETSY!
CATCH THE EXPRESS! American Express that is. We are now able to happily accept American Express credit cards as well as Master Card, VISA, and Discover. Just say, “Charge it!”
And we are too! We have a new Etsy store so tell your friends and give it a look! Pretty interesting. https:// www.etsy.com/shop/ProlepticShop
NEW ADVERTISERS? You may have noticed over the past few months that we have one or two new advertisers every issue. That’s partly because we have a person in the office who does nothing but work on marketing and finding fresh accounts. The new people seem to be pretty happy with our prices and with the responses they are getting—so that’s real good to hear! The same can be said of our readers—we’ve seen a nice steady growth over the past six months. They love the magazine and that also means that our advertisers, old and new, are getting fresh customers!
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 53
News, Notes & Queries TRADE SHOWS TO ATTEND The Pendleton Leather Show will take place on Nov. 4-5 and feature instructional classes. Always a great show! It’ll be at the Pendleton Convention Center, 1601 Westgate, Pendleton, OR. For more info, please call (307) 737-2450, www.pendletonleathershow. com. The 17th Southwest Leather Workers Trade Show in Prescott, AZ, takes place this coming Feb, 24-26, at the Prescott Resort and Conference Center, 1500 E State Route 69, Prescott. The event is always well attended and worth the trip. The host is Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal, (888) 289-6409, www. leathercraftersjournal.com.
FIND US ON FACEBOOK! ShopTalkLeatherMagazine All our halters are made with a heavy double bar buckle and extra heavy squares. The snaps are all stainless steel. Nylon & Leather • Wholesale • Halters • Manufacturer • • Custom Sales • Call for Price List.
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News, Notes & Queries
NUTRA-GLO™ Nutritional Feed Supplement for Horses, Ruminants, Dogs and Poultry (Liquid Products)
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! 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
hoice The 1st tofChundre ds of
OCTOBER 21 James Cox's Western Leather and Equipment Fall Auctions at the Dearborn County Fairgrounds in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Call James Cox for more info (513) 889-0500.
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SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 55
BEHIND EVERY GREAT PROJECT THERE’S A GREAT MACHINE
Model 2600 cylinder walking foot
Model 830 post bed roller feed
Model 2900-L leather patcher
TECHSEW 5100-SE The Techsew 5100 Special Edition is the ultimate sewing machine designed for a wide range of leather work projects. Featuring the latest in time & labour saving technology, the Techsew 5100-SE will increase your productivity and produce the finest looking leather products. Features: - SmartServo-NP Needle Position Motor - TLG Laser Guide - Flatbed Table Attachment - Swing Down Roller Guide - LED Work Lamp & LED Stitch Light - Chrome plated specialty presser feet - Complete with instructional DVD & user manual - Includes diamond point needles, nylon thread & much more!
TOLL FREE
1-866-415-8223 www.TechSew.com info@techsew.com
56 OCTOBER 2016
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TLG Laser Guide
Flatbed Table Attachment
Swing Down Roller Guide & LED Stitch Light
Model 1660 flatbed walking foot
BU Y, SE LL OR TRAD E
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WANTED
FOR SALE
WANTED: New subscribers from Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, and Illinois. Now is the time to renew! Give us a call at (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net or visit www.proleptic.net.
LAME OR SORE HORSES? Limber Res-Q might be your answer. Agri-Tonic: Taking your animal’s potential to the next level. Contact: Oregon Ag, LLC, 1150 E. Oregon Rd., Lititz, PA 17543 or (717) 656-0067.
WANTED: COMPLETE TOOL COLLECTIONS. Contact: Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net.
WALLETS AND BI-FOLDS FOR SALE: Black and brown. Excellent quality. $4.75 ea. $57/doz. Can mix. Contact: Don Livingston, 3092 Ravenwood Dr., Greensburg, PA 15601, (724) 219-3400.
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. WANTED: GANG PUNCH with self-center, air or foot punch. Please call (717) 656-9838.
S CLASSIFIED T BUY! S E B R U O E AR rs .....
tential buye o p f o ’s 0 0 0 Reach 1, $26.50!! for as little as
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. SADDLE BUSINESS: Machinery and inventory for sale. Hydraulic press, USMC splitter. For full list of all inventory, please call (256) 597-2001. Wish to sell entire inventory together. HITCHING POST SUPPLY has horsehair and mohair cinch cord available in natural and dyed colors. For use in pottery, braiding, hitching, and more. Instructional books and DVDs at www.hitchingpostsupply.com, Call or e-mail Hitching Post Supply for new wholesale and retail catalogs at vickie@hitchingpostsupply.com, (800) 689-9971 or (360) 668-2349 (outside USA).
SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 57
CLASSIFIEDS 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 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 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: 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: 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: 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)
58 OCTOBER 2016
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WWW.THELEATHERGUY.ORG for all your leather, tool, and supply needs. Polyboard clicker blocks for your clicker or workbench in assorted sizes. Friendly, helpful staff at (507) 932-3795.
CLASSIFIEDS
The “Word of the Day” is: trope BOOT & SHOE BUSINESS FOR SALE: Shoe repair shop established in 1964 in southern Oregon. Great equipment. Loyal customers! For more information, contact Katherine at (541) 660-0704 or cobbleon164@gmail.com.
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. (1/17) BUSINESS FOR SALE: Prominent, reputable wholesale/ retail leather holster manufacturing company established in 1972. Manufactures leather law enforcement equipment, concealed carry,Western, competition, and specialty cases. Located in Oregon, employs 4-7 employees. Owners wish to retire. For detail, contact: donlbrown46@gmail.com or (503) 407-9448. HARDWARE CLOSEOUTS! Misc. SB hdw. 376-38 SB mule face plate with very nice finish. $1.75 ea. ST ¾”. Beta PK and VI $.40/ft. 7 1/2’ ss trace chains, $59/pr or 5 or more prs. For $57/pr. Bio mini breast strap driving harness made with durable 401 and 101 material. CB and SS hdw. Single hip and neck strap—no holdbacks included, $115. Wholesale. Contact: Woodland Harness Shop, 505 S. Fork Ridge Rd., Liberty, KY 42539 or call (606) 787-2076. FOR SALE: 6” American Splitter with extra blade. $350 plus shipping. Contact: Hochstetler Harness, 13733 Township Road 199, Kenton, OH 43326
UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR WESTERN BOOTS sales and repair business in San Antonio, TX. Great climate, economy, and customers. Plenty of boot sales and repair work. Established 28 year old business. One-man operation with inventory of apx. 350 pairs of 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 $650 per month. Retiring. (866) 250-3350 or (210) 215-9158, e-mail: info@ shiplerboots.com. $175,000. BUSINESS FOR SALE: Davis Custom Boot located at 1209 E. 11th St., Quanah, TX 79252. Contact: (940) 8396537 for more information. WANTED: Experienced Shoe Repair Person. Successful applicant will perform shoe and boot repair at established premier shoe store of forty years. Will train to next level of orthopedics and custom shoe making. Opportunity for complete management of shoe repair shop. Pay/hours based on experience and training required. Located in northeastern Ohio. E-mail resume to: cobblerscorner2003@yahoo.com. For more information contact Heather or Kathy at (330) 482-4005. FOR SALE: Shoe repair equipment. Finisher, Auto Soler, Landis K Stitcher, Adler patcher, shoe lasts, hand tools, and other small tools. $3,000 for all. Contact: Ervin S. Beachy, 1300 State Route 1901, Marion, KY 42064, SHOP TALK! OCTOBER 2016 59
ADVERTISERS INDEX A. Lyons & Co., Inc.....................................23 AGS................................................................53 American Leather Direct........................36 Beiler’s Mfg. & Supply..............................54 BioThane.........................................................3 Bogle-Greenwell Machinery Corp........18 Booth & Co..................................................10 Bowden Saddle Tree.................................45 Brayer............................................................41 Brenemann's Leather..............................40 Brodhead Collar Shop..............................42 Buckeye Blankets.....................................18 Buckeye Engraving...................................16 Buckle Barn USA........................................15 Buggy Builder’s Bulletin..........................42 Campbell-Randall.........................................6 Center Square Harness..........................52 Champion Halters.....................................54 Chino Tack...................................................11 Chuck Smith Tools....................................44 Chupp Blacksmith Shop.........................19 Chupp Brothers..........................................52 Coblentz Collar...........................................52 Danny Marlin Knives.................................51 Double K Leather Sales, LLC.................43 Douglas Saddle Co...................................12 Evener Shop, The.........................................8 Fairview Country Sales...........................18 Fiebing Leather..........................................58 Fine Tool Journal........................................41 Garland Mfg................................................20
George Barta Hide Co..............................54 Gfeller Casemakers, Inc..........................18 Goliger Leather Co....................................14 Hadlock & Fox Mfg. Co............................48 Hansen Western Gear.............................41 Harness Hardware....................................51 Hastilow/NASS..........................................54 Hermann Oak Leather................................... .......................................... inside front cover Hide House, The.........................................50 Hillside Harness Hardware.....back cover IHS ELP, LLC................................................53 International Sheepskin............................8 J.M. Saddler, Inc.........................................47 Kalico Products..........................................27 Kelly-Larson Sales....................................43 Keystone Leather.....................................49 Landis Sales & Service..............................7 Leather Crafters Jornal, The.................47 Leather Machine Co., Inc., The................... ...........................................inside back cover Ludwig & Marglin Leather.......................44 Maine Thread Company..........................51 Mark Staton Co..........................................20 Maverick Leather......................................40 Miller's Wholesale Harness...................11 Montana Leather Co................................27 Mules and More.........................................53 N & A Harness Shop.................................21 Nettles Country Store.............................13 Nutra-Glo.....................................................55
Ohio Plastics Belting Co.........................41 Ohio Travel Bag...........................................39 Pecard...........................................................23 Pendleton Leather Show........................54 Perfectex Plus, LLC..................................18 Precision Saddle Tree..............................22 Proleptic, Inc........................ 21, 24, 26, 32 ..................... 34, 35, 49, 53, 55, back cover RJF Leather.................................................17 Shelton-Reynolds, Inc.............................14 Shetler’s Collar Shop...............................50 ShoTan..........................................................39 Small Farmer’s Journal...............................9 Smoke & Fire Co........................................13 Sorrell Notions & Findings.....................46 South Cape Ostrich Tanning..................28 Southstar Supply......................................42 Springfield Leather...................................46 Steel Stamps, Inc.....................................16 Sugar Valley Collar....................................49 Sun Bias, Inc................................................16 Superior Thread.........................................29 Sweat Pad Shop....................................... 15 TechSew/Raphael’s Sewing.................... 56 Tennessee Tanning Co.............................49 Texas Custom Dies......................................7 Toledo Sewing...............................................1 Weaver Leather.........................................30 Western Mule.............................................43
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Reduce - Reuse - Recycle Recycling old magazines, catalogs, and newspapers is one of the easiest ways to help the environment. To increase the supply of recoverable wood fiber and to reduce the demand on regional landfills, Shop Talk! urges its readers to support recycling efforts in their communities. Shop Talk! is printed with only vegetable-based inks.
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