Shop Talk! November 2015

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

THE ART OF NICK PERNOKAS BIG INDUSTRY NEWS

Chuck Stormes:

CHASING THE THE BEST BEST CHASING

BIG

HOLIDAY BOOK SALE!

NEW LOOK, NEW NS COLUM N OVEM BER 2 0 15

1 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

S I NC E 1984

W W W . P RO L E P T I C. NE T

$6.50

Book Sale

How to Make Cowboy Horse Gear

by Bruce Grant, author of Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding. Also conatins apx. 42 pp. section by Lee M. Rice entitled“How to Make a Western Saddle”. Paperback. 186 pp. For beginning rawhide braiders. Covers making a Turk’s Head, rawhide bosal, braided hackamore, reins, headstall, romal, quirt, honda, hobbles, decorative braided knots, and more. Was $12.95

SAVE 15%

SALE PRICE: $11.00 Floral Pattern Drawing for the Artistically Impaired

A systematic approach to developing patterns for western floral carving. How to: layout your design, draw flowers and leaves, develop your own floral patterns, numerous design ideas and more. Plus: 8 pages of flowers and leaves to be used. By Pete Gorrell - Academy of Western Artists Saddle Maker of the Year 2000 & Al Stohlman Award Recipient 2007. Was $18.95

Art and Craft of Leather

Leathercrafters of all experience levels will value the author’s presentation of history, techniques and information. This very well illustrated book explains the role leathercraft has played throughout history as well as discuss the various tanning methods. Full of non-traditional project ideas. Learn step-by-step how to make eight different projects. 160 pp.

SALE PRICE: $24.65

Was $29

SALE PRICE: $16.10

Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather Braiding

by Bruce Grant, hard cover, 528 pp. Dozens and dozens of braids illustrated and described. Step-by-step explanation for each entry. If you could have only one book on braiding, this would have to be it. Great for both reference work as well as instruction.

Heavily influenced by Argentine braiders and their techniques.

Was: $29.95

SALE PRICE: $25.45

Fine Art of the West

This is one of those hefty coffee table books that is not simply loaded with gorgeous pictures of all things Western such as saddles, silver, boots, holsters, pistols, hats, and spurs. Rather, each picture has been chosen with a lot of thought and often depicts an unique historical development or an example of unusual workmanship. The many photographs are accompanied by thoughtful commentary and solid historical research that make the craftsmen and the products they created very present to the reader whether he or she is a rank amateur, veteran leather worker, or just an interested reader. Many historically important saddle makers, bit makers, boot makers, etc. are covered in some detail. 270 illustrations. 10 3/8” x 12 ¼”.

Was: $75.00

Wheels Across America, Vol. 2 Hardback with dust cover. 134 pp. Color. Over 400 photos of historical carriages, wagons, hearses, stage coaches, commercial vehicles, and more. Chapters include: “Museums & Private Collections,” ”Manufacturers, Distributors, Dealers, Jobbers & Agents,” “Contemporary Craftsmen,” and “Carriage Art.” Was $40.00

SALE PRICE: $34.00

SE

T! BRIDLEWORK U O

O

CL

A Step-By-Step Guide

BY ROBERT H. STEINKE

SALE PRICE: $63.75

SALE ENDS 11/30/2015 The Complete Book of Tanning Skins and Furs Solutions & Formulas. Step-by-Step Instructions, Small Animal Skins, Small Furbearers, Making Buckskin, Moose - Elk - Beaver - Raccoon, Tan Goat, Horse & Cow, Reptile Tanning. Soft cover; 200 pp. Was $21.95

SALE PRICE: $18.65

PROLEPTIC, Inc. P.O. Box 17817 Asheville, NC 28816 Ph 828.505.8474 Fax 828.505.8476 shoptalk@proleptic.net www.proleptic.net

Bridlework: A Step-By-Step Guide CHAPTERS COVER: • • • •

Step-by-Step Instructions Tools & Supplies Needed Handstitching English Riding Bridle (different styles) • Driving Bridles • Halters

Was: $48.00

• Reins (different styles) • Accessories • Martingales • Nosebands • Schooling Aids • English Girths & Stirrup Leathers Softcover, 270 pp

SALE PRICE: $28.50

1 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

THE LEATHER RETAILERS’ & MANUFACTURERS’ JOURNAL

NOVEMBER 2015

FEATURES

IN EVERY ISSUE

18 Passion from His Pencil: Amish Fine Artist

Andy Mast

3 Laugh Lines

24 Nick Pernokas: Still Making Show Stopping Saddles 29 Chuck Stormes: Chasing the Best

5 Hide Report

24

Nick Pernokas

9 Boot & Shoe News 41 News, Notes & Queries 55 Classifieds

COVER Close-up of Chuck Stormes’ 2009 TCAA saddle shows the mixed floral detail and the John Ennis silver.

29 Chuck Stormes

Read Shop Talk! online with links to advertisers and online information.

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 2 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

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.

LAUGH LINES Q:

ODE TO THANKSGIVING To our national birds the American eagle and the Thanksgiving turkey— May one give us peace in all our states And the other a piece for all our plates Little Levy was sitting in his grandmother’s kitchen watching her prepare the Thanksgiving meal. “What are you doing?” asked Levy.

“Oh, I’m stuffing the turkey,” his grandmother replied.

“That’s super!” Levy exclaimed.

“Are you going to hang it next to the deer?”

“Dad,” said little Mose, “I’m late for football practice. Would you please do my homework for me?”

His father said irately, “Son, it just wouldn’t be right!”

“That’s okay,” replied little Mose, “but you could at least give it a try, couldn’t you?”

3 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHICKEN AND A TURKEY?

A:

CHICKENS CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING!

Q:

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU CROSS A TURKEY WITH A BANJO?

A:

A TURKEY THAT CAN PLUCK ITSELF!

TRUE STORIES FROM THE BUTTERBALL TURKEY HOTLINE: A woman called 1-800-323-4848 to find out how long it would take to roast her turkey. To answer the question, the Talk-Line home economist asked how much the bird weighed. The woman responded, “I don’t know—it’s still running around outside.”

The turkey popped out of the oven And rocketed in to the air; It knocked every plate off the table And partly demolished a chair.

It ricocheted into a corner And burst with a deafening boom Then splattered all over the kitchen Completely obscuring the room.

It stuck to the walls and the windows, It totally coated the floor.

There was turkey attached to the ceiling Where there had never been turkey before.

It blanketed every appliance, It smeared every saucer and bowl.

There wasn’t a way I could stop it— That turkey was out of control.

I scraped and I scarped with displeasure And thought with chagrin as I mopped That I would never again stuff a turkey With popcorn that hadn’t been popped.

–By Jack Prelutsky BILLY: I can’t wait to go to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving. My cousin’s going to be there, and he has three feet!

WILLY: Wow! How’d that happen?

BILLY: I don’t know. My aunt wrote my parents and said, “You won’t recognize little Howie. He’s grown another foot.”

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 3

Fun Facts About Thanksgiving 1

The date for the first Thanksgiving occurred somewhere between September 21 and November 9, 1621, in Plymouth, MA. The first feast lasted for three days.

According to Edward Winslow, a participant in the first Thanksgiving, the meals consisted of corn, barley, fowl including wild turkey and water fowl, and venison.

2

Fifty-two Pilgrims attended the first Thanksgiving in 1621 including approximately 90 Wampanoag Indians with their Chief Massasoit among those present along with Squanto, the

4 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

Pilgrim’s translator and a former English slave.

3

The domestic turkeys normally eaten at Thanksgiving are about twice as large as their wild counterparts and are too large to fly. Americans eat roughly 535 million pounds of turkey during the holiday.

4

The average long trip at Thanksgiving is 214 miles compared with 275 miles over Christmas and New Year’s.

5

Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879) tirelessly worked to establish

Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

She was also the first person to advocate women as teachers in public school, the first to advocate day nurseries to assist working mothers, and the first to propose public playgrounds. She was also the author of two dozen books and hundreds of poems, including “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.

6

Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving holiday in 1863 which was observed annually thereafter. In 1941 Congress established the fourth Thursday in November as a national holiday.

YOU R GLO BAL P ERSP ECT IVE DOWN, DOWN, DOWN— HIDE PRICES CONTINUE TO FALL At the very beginning of October, Heavy Texas Steers were trading at around $67 with a low of $66.50 and a highs of $76 and $73 for 70/72 lbs. hides. Branded Steers were down $1-2.00 as were Colorado’s.

Butt Branded Steers were down $2. Heavy Native Steers were also trading lower.

Low grade hides continued to be hard to sell even at $34 for 52/54 lbs. #1 and #2 renderers.

LOW COST MANUFACTURING HUBS EMERGE IN ASEAN While the Chinese manufacturing sector is in the process of transitioning to higher value-added

The Hide Report manufacturing under the government’s new strategic industrial policy of Made in China 2025, a number of countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are emerging as new low cost manufacturing hubs.

The ASEAN countries and Chinese provinces in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) are expected to be among the biggest beneficiaries since they are positioned to become low cost manufacturing suppliers to the rapidly growing Chinese consumer market and industrial supply chain.

Average manufacturing wages in Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos are considerably below those in Chinese coastal provinces. Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region — the Chinese areas that are

part of the GMS — also have relatively lower wage costs compared to the national average and considerably lower wages than those of coastal industrial hubs such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tianjin, and Beijing.

However, a major competitive weakness of the GMS is relatively poor infrastructure connectivity which has been a constraint on economic development.

This issue was one of the main areas of focus at the 5th Greater Mekong Subregion Leaders’ Summit in 2014.

If infrastructure connectivity is strengthened in Southeast Asia to allow high speed rail networks and modern roads to link Chinese provinces, such as Yunnan in southern China to the Indian Ocean via Thailand and Myanmar, it could significantly improve freight logistics

PAKISTAN’S LEATHER INDUSTRY FACES 42% DECLINE India’s Reporter said this week that the leather industry is facing a 42% decline in the value of hides and skins due to a recession in the world leather market, as well as delay in releasing the refund claims by the government to tanners. Muhammad Musaddiq, chairman Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) linked the downward trend in prices of raw hides and skins to an international recession.

He stated that due to economic recession in international leather market in China, Turkey and other European countries and depreciation in their currencies the demand and export of leather from Pakistan has declined which has adversely affected the purchase price of hides and skins during three days of Eid [Islamic Feast of Sacrifice commemorating the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son.]

According to Musaddiq, less collection of hides and skins on this Eid-ul-Azha owing to cash flow problems 5 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

in the industry in the backdrop of held-up customs duty drawback, sales tax and income tax refunds by the FBR is also one of the major reasons for the decline in the value of hides and skin. Pakistan earns about $1.2 billion dollars from hides and skins annually. On average, tanners usually collect hides and skins at a total value of Rs 10-12 billion [Rs is the abbreviation for the Indian rupee which has a value of .015 US dollar.] but this Eid they estimated the value would drop to Rs 6-7 billion. An estimated 7.3 million pieces of hides and skins are expected to be collected this time.

During the three days of Eid-ul-Azha, an estimated 2.5 million cow and buffalo hides were collected at an average price of Rs 1,500 to Rs 1,800 per piece. The price of cow and buffalo hides was Rs 4500 in the previous year. Similarly, collection of goat skins was around 4 million at an estimated price of Rs 175 to Rs 250 per piece. The price in 2014 was Rs 500 per piece. . . .

The Hide Report for southern China for both imports and exports.

It will also create significant opportunities for the development of major new ports and free trade zones in Thailand and Myanmar, thus boosting their economic development. . . .

VIETNAM EXPORTS TO U.S. PROSPECTS BRIGHTEN As the second largest footwear supplier to the United States, Vietnam is already an important part of the production portfolio for many US footwear companies. But with growth being fuelled by the possible Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), companies eyeing the country as a sourcing destination should also be navigating potential risks.

ASEAN has become one of the world’s fastest growing economic regions, driven by a range of factors including its large domestic consumer population of 600 million, dynamic economic reforms, and trade liberalization to boost competitiveness, and close trade and investment ties with Asia’s largest economy, China.

Of a total of 2.3bn pairs of shoes imported into the US in 2014, the 273.6m pairs shipped by Vietnam accounted for an 11.7% share of the market – a rise of 19% over the year before.

With China having emerged as an upper middle income economy with a fast growing consumer market, ASEAN’s industrial hubs in a wide range of industries, including autos, electronics, and textiles, are poised to experience rapid growth in exports to the Chinese market. . . .

Yes, there might be a precipitous gap compared with China, which sits in the top footwear import slot with 79% of US imports by volume – coming in at a staggering 1.84bn pairs – but faced with rising labor costs in China, retailers and brands are continuing to diversify their supply chains. . . .

This is a “pretty good chunk,” according to Matt Priest, president of the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America (FDRA) trade association, who notes that imports from Vietnam in the seven months to July are currently running 21% ahead of the same period last year.

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MARKET OBSERVATIONS

by Don Oshman, hidenet.com

Human nature is to resist change. Once a trend becomes established, it’s not easy to form a reversed opinion. The mentality amongst the industry since early September has been one of general bearishness. This is not unfounded. Those visiting Asian tanneries, and especially those in China in and around the Shanghai ACLE saw and heard their customers’ laments about the slowdown in leather business. It wasn’t just price, as is usually the case, it was the lack of leather orders in the volume seemed over the past year and before.

be the case, in Chinese consumerism is another negative.

There’s the strong dollar that doesn’t help either.

Another tendency of human nature is to rarely, if ever, see the forest through the trees. When things are going well, be they professional or personal, we don’t dwell on the negative possibilities, if we even give them any thought. The same holds true when, like now, the hide market is on a downward trajectory. It’s hard to imagine a market again on the upswing.

As result, we think that the rebound off the bottom of steer prices in August was simply pre-fair hope and optimism that is now, as is more often the case than not, fading back into realism. Bottom line: we think the American steer market will do well to not sink below July lows and that the “basket case” of the branded cow market will continue to suffer if for no other reason than competition from Brazilian wet blue.

As far as we know, one plus 2 still makes two. A reduction in the amount of leather sole by tanners in the Far East, combined with excessive stocks in Brazil, the world’s largest producer of leather making material, are very bearish factors. The slowdown, to whatever degree may

SELECTION

WEIGHT (LBS.)

So will hides fall back to July lows? Will they even go below? Yes, it’s possible. The key in our view is if there is an increase in leather orders in the next 30 to 60 days.

Major brands and footwear, furniture, and automotive industries have “designed out” leather over the past year due to its cost. Sources say it will be six and more likely 18 months before it can be “designed in” again, presuming these worldwide manufacturers will choose to do so.

Significantly reduced Brazilian slaughter and less kill in North America is market positive, but as has been proven since spring, supply is not the most important factor in the market’s direction. It’s simply demand.

JULY (EARLY)

AUGUST (EARLY)

OCTOBER PRICE LAST (EARLY) OCT (EARLY)

Heavy Texas Steers

60-62 $70-72 $60-63 $68-70 $98-99

Heavy Texas Steers (Hvy)

70-72

$84-87

$72-73

$76-78

$106-109

Branded Steers

60-62

$69-71

$62-63

$65-66

$94-96

Branded Steers (Hvy)

70-72

$86-87

$69-70

$72-73

$102-105

Colorado Steers

60-62

$69-70

$59-60

$64-65

$93-94

Butt Branded Steers

60-62

$78-80

$70-71

$73-74

$99-101

Butt Branded Steers (Hvy)

70-72

$92-97

$76-77

$76-79

$112-113

Heavy Native Steers (Hvy)

70-72

$90-92

$77-78

$82-83

$114-117

Heavy Native Heifers

48-52

$65-66

$54-55

$60-62

$85-87

Branded Heifers

48-52

$59-64

$52-53

$57-58

$82-85

Heavy Native Cows

48-52

$52-55

$45-46

$42-44

$79-81

Branded Cows

48-52

$50-52

$43-44

$36-42

$61-66

Spready Dairy Cows

48-52

$63-66

$54.50-57

$58-60

$84-88

Native Bulls

100-110

$69-72

$68-71

$55-60

$85-87

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 7

8 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

P EOP LE PRODUCTS P L AC E S

Boot & Shoe News

NEW BRAND MANAGER AT OLATHE BOOT Western Leather Goods (Rios of Mercedes, Anderson Bean, and Olathe Boots) announces the promotion of Steven Kahla to Brand Manager of Olathe Boot Co. “I look forward to being part of the revitalization of this iconic American brand of cowboy boots. Olathe is a great boot that was actually the first brand of handmade cowboy boots I ever owned,” said Kahla.

Steven will maintain his role as Sponsorship Based Marketing Director for the company’s involvement with the National Cutting Horse Association, National Reining Horse Association, National Reined Cow Horse Association, Texas & South Western Cattle Raisers Association, and the Texas 4H. Steven, his wife Erica, and daughter Sidney live in Waller, TX, and own and show cutting horses. His family ranches in Alto, TX, with a herd of Steven Kahla brahman and brahman influenced cattle. He has an extensive background in the cattle and performance horse industries.

Kahla has been with Western Leather Goods for five years and has been part of the driving force behind the successful growth of Anderson Bean and Rios of Mercedes in the market.

If you’d like more information, please contact Olathe Boot Co. at (956) 975-1994 or e-mail: info@olatheboots.com.

BIG BOOT ISSUE!!

Yeah, boy!! We’ve been working on stories for the past few months on all sorts of boot makers—big boot makers like Olathe and small custom shops. And we’re going to take all those great stories and make one BIG BOOT ISSUE—so stay tuned. Should be a pretty good one.

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 9

Boot & Shoe News

IT’S ALL ABOUT HEALTH— Can Toxic Adhesive Fumes Be Avoided?

by Dr. Rainer M. Buchholz, Renia USA In shoe and boot making, leather working, saddlery, and many other fields, bonding is an important technique for joining two pieces of material. No matter if for a permanent bond or just for holding the parts in place for sewing, there are many adhesives available that do the job. But still, there are substantial differences between products that have been around for ages and modern, up-to-date adhesives actually developed for the application you have in mind.

Ethyl-Ketone or Butanone) can damage nerve cells, and, in combination with many other solvents that are commonly used, it also carries a risk of permanent brain damage – very long term, of course, but still a risk that you might not want to take. Both toluene and MEK won't cause all this from a one-time exposure – but many people who have been working with any of them for a long time have experienced the effects, not to their pleasure. These effects have been documented by American and European work safety organizations—and all that information is available online nowadays.

TOLUENE – AVOID IF POSSIBLE!

ARE THERE ALTERNATIVES?

Toluene has been recognized as the main hazard in a lot of products still on the market. Chemically, it is really a great solvent: very strong, not too much odor, and it even helps the bond along a little by eating into many surfaces it is applied to. But at the same time, inhaling such a strong chemical cannot be very healthy – not only does it make you dizzy and can cause headaches, but imagine what happens in your lungs and your liver on top of that. Toluene is known to cause several severe health problems, and exposure to it is very dangerous during pregnancy: it is classified as "harmful to the unborn," which means it can cause birth defects or even a miscarriage.

Even if you are not using much adhesive – you might also not have as much fume extraction and other safety precautions in place as a large scale industrial manufacturing plant has. But even if you are using a fume extraction system – more hazardous solvents mean that dangers can result even from small quantities left in the air. And where do all the solvents go as they evaporate?

Do you really want to expose yourself, your employees, and your customers to dangerous solvent vapors? Or how about the stores next to you in your premium mall location? If you are looking for an alternative, always make sure that the product you choose is at least free of toluene and MEK. This way, you avoid the two largest risks. Where do these solvents occur? Most oldfashioned contact cements still have them, as well as the very useful rubber cement (rubber solution – that is basically natural rubber dissolved in Toluene!). "VOCfree" adhesives often contain MEK, so these are maybe not the best idea. If you go for a modern product, you usually have the additional advantage of avoiding the

MEK – NOT MUCH BETTER This chemical is often used in "toluene-free" adhesives, and it does indeed not have the same adverse health effects as the substance it replaced – instead, it can cause other health problems just as severe. MEK (Methyl-

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Manufacturers of Leather, Nylon or Biothane Products like Halters, Harnesses or other Equine or Pet Related items. Distributors of Harness & Saddlery Hardware. Leather, Leather Oils, Biothane & Nylon Webbing plus other Equine Products.

Call us for any custom made Harness or Saddlery Hardware item you may need.

10 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

ugly brown glue line – there are products on the market now that dry almost completely clear, and, while they still contain solvents, these are at least the less toxic kind.

THE SAFEST WAY – GO WATER-BASED! If you really want to go "all the way" in regard to health and safety, and especially if you are working in a small and enclosed space, you might really want to try the newly available water-based adhesives, developed for many applications like bonding shoe and boot uppers, insoles, bags, clothing, general leather work, etc.

Unfortunately, attaching soles still requires a solventbased adhesive in most scenarios – there has been a lot of development work, but there are still some technical limits to water-based products. For the right job, they are great, but not for some other common applications, like work on the bottom of a shoe. Wet or damp leather, as it is often encountered in saddlery, can also be a problem: there are even only a few solvent-based adhesives that work on that! There are several types of water-based adhesives available: water-based contact cements, as well as water-based replacements for the old rubber solution. But also here, there are differences: if you open the can and jump a few feet backwards from the smell alone, you just encountered the natural latexbased variant. Recognizable by the pungent ammonia smell and the poor bonding strength ... so try to go for a neoprene-based adhesive (replacement for contact cement or rubber solution), or a PVA-based product (non-permanent for sewing) – they are both easier on the nose and also yield much better bonding results.

or cannot do. Same thing with adhesives: they are often quite minor, but there are differences in application, e.g. a different drying or open time. Especially when working with a water-based product for the first time, you should take care to follow the usage instructions – these products can yield excellent results but only if used correctly.

For a long time, using the old fashioned products with toxic solvents was the only option, but, fortunately, that has changed in the past years. Now, there are products available that yield the same or even much better results at a greatly reduced risk to your health! They might be a little more expensive but how valuable is your health?

SOME ADJUSTMENT REQUIRED If you decide to change the adhesive you are working with, you should remember that this is just like switching to a new and different tool or machine: you can't just keep working exactly like you did before, but you need to adjust a little to what the new tool or machine can

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SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 11

Boot & Shoe News

Texas Size Shoe Hospital

by GENE FOWLER

They say everything is bigger in Texas.

Well actually, they say everything in Texas is the biggest. I realize people outside the state can find that annoying. And I really don’t blame them. Truth be told, we get a little tired of it, too. Biggest this, biggest that. It can be exhausting. But let’s face it.

The fact is, the place is just....big. It’s, uh, it’s awful damn big.

And another thing they say is.... it ain’t braggin’ if it’s true. So when the company of folks who operate eleven Austin Shoe Hospitals, nine Houston Shoe Hospitals, and seven Cobblestone Shoe Hospitals in Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio say their outfit is the biggest shoe repair company in the world, I won’t argue with them. But I will say, if their business has grown that much in thirty years, they must be doing something right.

“We repair 3,000 to 4,000 pairs of shoes and boots a week,” says Carroll Kelly, owner and president of Austin Shoe Hospital. Some of the repairs are made in the twenty-seven Shoe Hospital shops, but many are completed at a central 10,000 sq. ft. plant with state-ofthe-art equipment.

“We focus on three areas in our quest to deliver the best customer service,” adds Carroll. “We start with quality materials, hand grading our own leather. We’re directly involved with the tannery to make sure our leather and rubber are top notch.” Carroll’s brother Steve Kelly, owner and president of Houston Shoe Hospital, visits the tannery three to four times a year to insure the quality and perfect cut of the leather his repair facilities use. “I make certain that the fibers and the cuts that we use on our leather are the best quality.”

The second area Carroll stresses is teamwork. With such

a large operation and so many employees, everyone has to be on the same page to keeps things running smoothly. The third consideration is a workforce of quality craftsmen and craftswomen who care about their work. “It’s not just a craft,” says Carroll. “It’s an art.”

Steve Kelly says the Texas Shoe Hospital company is the largest purchaser of leather and rubber materials in the industry which enables the Kelly brothers to deliver the best price.

“We restitch 100,000 to 150,000 leather sole dress shoes and boots a year,” adds Carroll. “In our factory, we have fifteen to twenty stitchers set up at any given time to perform a specific stitching job. One stitcher will be set up specifically for work soles, another for white threaded boots. Others will be specifically stitching dress shoes, and others will be doing any kind of stitch you might imagine.

“We have the best—and the busiest —stitching operators in the world,” he continues. “And we stitch perfectly into the same holes as

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the manufacturer used. We are able to duplicate any type of stitch that a shoe manufacturer has used, with any thread size or color.”

The hospitals care for women’s heels and high fashion shoes with Sole Guards. “Most high-heeled shoes have a thin, stylish leather sole,” explains Carroll. “It doesn’t offer a lot of padding or support. The Sole Guard is a thin, stylish rubber layer that we put over the original sole.

It makes the shoe last five times longer and provides excellent traction and padding. It also keeps the shoe stylish and thin.”

Many women, Carroll adds, bring their new shoes to the hospital to have Sole Guards applied before they even wear the shoes.

The hospitals recork soles with a pneumatic corking machine, the same machines used by shoe factories. The cork comes out of the applicator already mixed with the glue so it fills uncorked areas much more readily than more common piecemeal recorking methods. Then an iron, heated to 700 or 800 degrees, fills in any area still devoid of cork and smooths it out instantly. The process is not only faster and more efficient than recorking with cork sheets but also less expensive.

To repair heels, a pneumatic nailing machine shots nails

into the new heel from the inside of the shoe. “It seats the heel the way the manufacturer does and sets the heel properly,” says Steve Kelly. “Other methods leave the nails exposed.” To replace heel caps, the hospitals use rubber caps instead of plastic ones. And they wax the caps to provide a shiny finish.

Half of the hospital repair jobs are for leather items other than boots and shoes. “We repair anything leather,” says Juste Bradley, manager of one of the nine Houston Shoe Hospitals. “We work on handbags, briefcases, wallets, belts, baseball gloves, even chaps.” (Yes, it’s true, everyone in Texas wears chaps.)

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Boot & Shoe News The Kelly brothers’ hospitals also specialize in dye work, boasting of the largest single dye facility in the world.

“People are amazed at the finish we can put back,” says Carroll Kelly. “And if you’re planning a wedding, we have color blending experts that can make your wedding party beautiful.”

Some 15,000 suede items per year are cleaned and reconditioned at the hospitals, using an air-blown glass bead cleaning method. And leather reconditioning includes not only the cleaning of the leather but the restoration of essential oils and touching up missing color spots. Then the leather is sealed with a patented glazing treatment.

This being Texas, of course, the shoe hospitals work on whole herds of cowboy boots. They can extend the lives of both factory and custom boots, whether the boots are made of cowhide, lizard, alligator, sea turtle, hornback, anteater, elephant, snakeskin, antelope, pigskin, sharkskin, goatskin, kidskin, ostrich, or you name it.

In 2013, the Houston Shoe Hospitals began offering Pinkheels, a line of bold pink heels that can be cut and

14 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

custom fitted onto any shoe, for men or women. The only program of its kind in the country, the Pinkheels initiative raised $10K its first year for breast cancer research, with all proceeds donated to Houston’s M. D. Anderson Hospital.

While the Kelly brothers have learned their business inside and out over the last thirty years, the Houston Shoe Hospital actually goes back to 1901, when a Sicilian immigrant named John Loreto Maida began shining

and repairing shoes. In time, he added custom boot making to his repertoire, picking up and delivering footwear in a horse drawn carriage.

Carroll and Steve Kelly’s father, Houston lawyer William Carroll Kelly, bought the Houston Shoe Hospital from Maida’s descendants in 1983. But Maidas continue making custom boots in Houston, and their distinctive designs have graced the feet of Gene Autry, ZZ Top, Ben Johnson, and other stars. The Maida name lives on in Houston today in Maida’s Shoe and Boot Repair and Maida’s Shoe Hospital.

And if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the Maidas should feel flattered. In 1957, a former Houston resident named Rankin “Benny” Bender replicated their format with Mobile Shoe Hospital on the Alabama coast.

Benny Bender would likely agree with the Maidas and the Kelly boys that shoe repair and recycling is good for the environment. “It uses less natural resources and expends less energy,” says Carroll Kelly. “It’s not only a function of preventive care for the interface of your feet with the earth. It also takes care of the earth.”

For the details about establishing an account with HSH, contact: 4904 B Commercial Park Dr. Austin, TX 78724 (877) 471-SHOE www.myshoehospital.com.

There’s lots of information on the different products and services that HSH offers on their web site which is a real dandy.

A special thanks for Kaleb Harper for supplying pictures for this article— thank you, Kaleb!

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 15

Boot & Shoe News

One Reader Writes This call for help comes from Jim Kitchens at Kitchens Custom Saddles and Boot Repair in Brady, TX 76825, e-mail: kitchensj@centex.net: I am still searching for a video or instructions on how to make a pair of boots. I have been repairing boots for some fifteen years but have not made a pair. I can do most everything on the outside but the inside is still a mystery to me.

I made one pair of motorcycle boots for myself that did not turn out just right—they were too big but looked good. I just need to make a few more before I can say I am a boot maker.

I am a boot mechanic, I think. I can half sole, full sole, build heels, heel cap, replace welts or rewelt a boot. I can and do stretch them, clean them, and repair them; however, I still need to know the ends and outs of making a good pair of Western boots.

Most of the schools are located way far away from me and with lodging, food, and travel puts them out of my reach. So are there any books and videos out there that can help me? I have most of the tools and machinery I need I my shop at present—Landis G curved needle, Singer patcher, good 5-in-1, and a good Landis finisher. I just need more knowledge.

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Passion from His Pencil: AMISH FINE ARTIST ANDY MAST “The cowboy is exhausted. Shoeing horses is a side job he does at night to make ends meet. He has been working all day long, and now his back is aching with exhaustion. You can see how tired he is in his posture, his bowed head.

But the horse is full of life, strength and peace. In the darkness, his neck wraps around the cowboy, protecting and supporting him in his time of struggle.

The horse’s eye is the true heart of the picture, expressing profound energy, comfort and support.”

by VIRGINIA PERRY DAFFRON, STAFF WRITER

A TURNING POINT On January 19, 2009, Andy suffered a serious head injury while leading a horse to pasture at his family’s farm. He was taken by air ambulance to a major hospital in St. Louis, MO, for trauma treatment. Although it is still unclear exactly how the accident happened, the results were devastating. Though Andy did not sustain permanent brain damage, he continued to experience physical symptoms through a long period of poor health.

His progress was far from steady, and he remembers the years following the accident as a dark and difficult time.

As Andy Mast explains the story behind his graphite drawing A Long Day, the profound symbolism of his art comes into focus. What at first appears to be a straightforward depiction of a traditional way of life revolving around horses begins to reveal itself as a visual metaphor for Andy’s personal and professional journey.

A UNIQUE PATH Growing up as one of five children in an Amish farm family in rural Illinois, Andy loved to draw from the first time he picked up a pencil. He remembers looking forward to art in school and thinking that, someday, he would make his living as an artist.

Trouble was, he didn’t know any professional fine artists.

He didn’t even know anyone who knew a professional artist. “As a teenager, I craved leadership and critique for my artwork. Amish people are very creative and excel at a wide variety of arts and crafts, but there was no one in my community with a background in the fine arts,” explains Andy.

Even after leaving school, Andy continued to draw. After a full day working in the fields on his family’s farm, he would sit and draw late into the night. At seventeen, he began working at a part-time job with an Amish enterprise and still he continued to draw. But he began to see that the demands of daily life and adult responsibilities might soon make it difficult for him to find the time and quiet he needed to make art.

18 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

Andy Mast’s award-winning graphite drawing A Long Day is an allegory for his struggle to regain his health after a serious accident.

Andy’s drawing Best Friends is another highly personal picture using places, animals and tack owned by family and friends to convey a message of optimism for the future.

By 2012, the formerly healthy young man weighed only 115 pounds. His diminished strength made it impossible for him to perform most farm duties and to participate fully in the life of his Amish community.

Once a beloved hobby, drawing became Andy’s refuge and solace, providing him a way to both express his despair and to see hope beyond it. At his lowest point, when he couldn’t even muster the energy to draw, Andy found the process of conceptualizing and composing his drawing A Long Day profoundly therapeutic. Over a year and a half in the making, the work required 260 hours at the drawing board.

A SLOW RECOVERY As Andy’s body and spirits continued along the long road toward health, a new picture emerged from his pencil.

19 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

At 24” x 30”, Best Friends is Andy’s largest work to date, and it expresses his sense of emerging from the darkness (represented by the wooden barn) into the hope of a bright day filled with light streaming from the sky. In front of the barn, a horse and a dog wait together, looking into the future with calmness and hope. On the right side of the picture, space stretches out before the pair, open and endless.

In addition to its symbolism, Best Friends is an intensely personal picture which demonstrates Andy’s ideas about the importance of details. The barn belongs to a friend in Illinois, but its surface is different from what is seen in the finished work. Andy added the fine wood grain from his own imagination.

“Details are not in my picture for the sake of decoration,” Andy explains, “but rather, to express my belief that everything is made of details. To see the truth of something, SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 19

we need to see the details within it. That allows us to understand that the truth is deeper than just what we see on the surface. Small details make a difference, sometimes even the difference between life and death.”

The horse and saddle in the picture belong to Andy’s brother, who trains horses full-time. At first, the scene was composed with a newer and fancier saddle, but Andy eventually realized that it didn’t feel right.

He asked his brother to let him photograph a trusty old saddle which still sees daily use. Since Andy does not use computers or projectors to compose his work, he painstakingly resized the saddle to fit the scale of the picture. The results were worth the effort because Andy loves the feeling of wear and tradition the old saddle conveys.

“To see the truth of something, we need to see the details within it.”

Best Friends represents over 320 hours at the drawing table, though Andy says the drawing is in his mind before he ever puts pencil to paper. His labor intensive technique requires him to be flexible when certain ideas don’t work out while remaining focused on his larger vision for the image.

“I’d rather take the extra time and do it right,” laughs Andy. “Otherwise, it would bother me for the rest of my life, if something in the picture wasn’t quite right.”

During the period of his recuperation, Andy submitted pieces to a regional

WEAR WEAR THE THE

museum, the Cedarhurst Center for the Arts, for twice-yearly shows of the work of regional artists. Carrie Gibbs, director of Cedarhurst’s Schrode Art Center and a curator for the shows, remembers that visitors always seemed to be drawn to Andy’s work. “His pictures just seemed to strike a chord with our visitors—they asked many questions about his pieces and expressed a lot of enthusiasm for them.”

RECOGNITION IN THE ART WORLD In 2014, Andy was stunned to hear that his work had been invited to the Western Spirit Art Show at the Old West Museum in Cheyenne, WY. The honor, says Andy, was humbling: “The Old West Museum has pieces from some of my artistic heroes in its permanent collection, so I was

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amazed to be asked to show my drawings there.”

Not only did Andy show his work at the museum, he also had the thrill— on his birthday, March 3, 2014—of being awarded Best in Show for A Long Day. Also in 2014, the Schrode Center at Cedarhurst in Illinois invited Andy to present a one-man show of his work. To help show visitors understand Andy’s work in the context of his daily life, the museum commissioned local photographer Nick Wheeler to create a series of photographs depicting life on the Mast family farm.

Out of respect for the family’s Amish faith, however, special consideration was given to the composition and selection of Wheeler’s photography.

Because they believe that posing for pictures violates biblical prohibitions

Andy finds meaning and inspiration in his work with horses. “The eyes of my horses feel like the windows to my soul,” says Andy, shown here on his family’s farm in Illinois. Photo by Nick Wheeler.

against making graven images, Amish people usually do not work with photographers. Nick Wheeler and Schrode Art Center director Amy Gibbs met with the Mast family several times to discuss the goals of the photography project and the

types of unposed images that would help art show visitors to gain a greater sense of Andy’s artwork and subject matter.

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exhibit gave insight into the importance and relevance of Andy’s choice of equestrian subject matter.”

Andy’s father works a team of draft horses on the family’s farm.

One source of income for the Masts is growing fall mums for local sale. Photo by Nick Wheeler.

show: “At first glance, some may think Andy’s artwork is romanticized and created in a nostalgic, ideal way, but, in fact, his day to day experience is similar to that of an earlier time. Horses are vital to the Amish way of life, which would not be possible without them. Andy is able to convey the true spirit and personality of his family’s horses because they are not only useful but also partners in his way of life. The photography accompanying this

Photographer Nick Wheeler, who owns and operates Once Upon A Lifetime Photography in Mt. Vernon, IL, says he jumped at the opportunity to visit an Amish home and farm. “I’ve grown up in this community alongside Amish neighbors, but it was a rare privilege to be given a closer look at their lifestyle,” Wheeler remembers. In two photography sessions, one in the spring and one in the fall, Wheeler captured views of Andy’s drawing studio inside the family home, as well as farm work with horses.

All of the images Wheeler shot were then reviewed with Andy and his parents. Wheeler remembers one photograph as being a particularly good example of the collaboration between the Mast family and himself.

“One image showed Andy’s father as he drove his team in the fields. Andy thought his dad wouldn’t like his face to be visible, so I said, ‘How about we make the horse’s hindquarters bigger to cover it more?’ Andy thought that was a good idea, and I was able to alter the image so that Andy and his father felt comfortable,” Wheeler says. “It ended up being one of my favorite pictures in the show.”

Presented from January 18 through February 15, 2015, the one-man show proved popular with visitors. An Art

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Drawing studio at the Mast home. Photos by Nick Wheeler.

Chat featuring Andy and Nick Wheeler allowed audiences to ask questions and to gain a fuller understanding of Andy’s inspiration and technique. At the end of the show, a collector from Houston, TX, purchased A Long Day, which represented a new milestone in Andy’s professional career as an artist.

NEW ADVENTURES AND INSPIRATIONS In 2015, Andy was once again invited to show his work at the Western Spirit Art Show at the Old West Museum.

Andy traveled to the show and was again humbled by the response his work received. “The show opened at 5:00 in the afternoon and by 5:02 I had sold another picture,” Andy marvels.

Following the show, Andy has stayed on in the West, visiting friends and soaking up the natural beauty of the landscape and the Western lifestyle. From the bunkhouse where he is lodging in Westcliffe, CO, he delights in magnificent views of the Sangre de Christo mountains which rise over 14,000 feet from the valley floor. Sangre de Christo, Andy explains, is Spanish for “blood of Christ,” so named because of the pinkish or reddish glow of the light on the peaks at sunrise and sunset.

During his stay, Andy is collecting inspiration and new material. He delights in opportunities to ride with cowboys and to assist with the work of caring for, sorting, and driving cows. As his health continues to improve, he is looking toward the future with hope and growing confidence: “God has led me through all I have experienced. Now it is my job to keep my priorities in line and keep God first. I have been very blessed despite my hardships, and I hope that my work may inspire people and bring them closer to their inner quietness.”

Andy believes that the simplicity and sincerity of his work can serve as an antidote to the pace of modern life. “I hope that my drawings remind people of the beauty all around us and of a simpler time. I hope my work causes the viewer to pause and reflect and thereby be emotionally or spiritually refreshed with a sense of peace,” he says.

NEXT FRONTIERS Schrode Art Center director Carrie Gibbs observes that Andy’s talent and personal story are unique. “I think he will have a strong career in the arts,” she says, noting that the young artist also faces unique challenges. “As he continues to participate in art exhibits and to make connections with galleries, he will need to find new solutions for providing digital images and communicating with the broader art world,” says Gibbs. “It will definitely not be easy to pursue this path while staying true to his Amish convictions, but fortunately his family and community are very supportive of his talent.”

For his own part, Andy plans to stay focused on refining his technique and exploring new ideas. He is not daunted by the challenges ahead. “I think that being immersed in the computer world--well, people can become blind to the real things in life,” he reflects. “I don’t have sophisticated tools or a sophisticated vocabulary, but I believe that my simple lifestyle shines through and allows me to show the essence of my subjects.”

For More Information To learn more about Andy Mast’s work or to inquire about purchasing reproductions, contact him at: 7155 N. Goshen Ln., Belle Rive, IL 62810 (618) 246-2964

In Andy’s drawing Dream Team, the artist’s close attention to every detail of the team’s harnesses is evident

23 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 23

NICK PERNOKAS:

Still Making Show Stopping Saddles Nick Pernokas, whose byline frequents the pages of Shop Talk!, is also a first class leather worker in his own right. A saddle maker since 1982, Pernokas finished a new custom saddle this past summer after working on it for a year and a half which is pretty typical.

His latest job, a Western pleasure saddle, was commissioned by a California client who wanted a saddle inspired by the work of the late Forrest Shoup, a famous saddle maker, also from California. The client, Marian Pattee, owns a Shoup saddle and several others made by well-known people in the business.

“She had several pages of ideas,” Pernokas says. “We made some style changes and gave it a more current look.”

The saddle is a Chuck Sheppard swell on Pernokas bars with a 3” cantle. The ground seat is built over a metal strainer seat and then formed manually using a hand skiver.

The saddle design is what Pernokas refers to as the Fort Worth style, a composition of oak leaves, acorns, and scrolls accompanied by sterling silver conchos and trim.

“I build all of my

saddles in the old Fort Worth construction style of the 1960s and 1970s, so the riggings are all hand sewn with a double needle, using thread I roll from lacing tape which is very heavy and indestructible,” he says. “The seat and cantle binding are whip stitched with this same thread.

There is an inner stitch line on the skirts to hold the plugs in and an outer one for the sheepskin.”

by JENNIFER FULFORD, EAST COAST BUREAU CHIEF

The carving style of oak leaves may have been the selling point for the client. Not many saddlemakers outside of Texas and Okla-homa use it because its appeal is regional and somewhat unique.

“Some oak patterns you see can be pretty choppy. Mine is not realistic but more stylized, so it does flow a little better.

The pattern is freehanded, but I draw most of it roughly on paper first. I used to draw it directly on the leather without paper, but I like the paper method right now,” says Pernokas.

Tim Moore of Wimberley, TX, provides all of Pernokas’ conchos and famed bit and spur maker Glenn Pointer of Tuscola, TX, is his go-to

Nick Pernokas

24 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

Note seamless swell cover detail and riata holder.

“I’m geared to making saddles for an event or show. Everything in them is to give the rider the advantage.” guy for dee rings. Everything on this saddle is custom, including a holder for a vintage Luis Ortega riata. No stain touched the saddle. It is oiled with pure neatsfoot oil and coated with a sealer.

For skirting, Pernokas used lightweight Hermann Oak leather (10/11 oz.) because “there is a lot of color change in their leather when you stamp it.”

“This ‘bruising’ allows me to get a lot of shadows and depth to the carving,” he says.

Pattee plans to show the saddle before putting it into her personal collection. Whether for roping or reining, riders of all kinds find Pernokas, usually by word of mouth. He’s been making saddles for more than thirty years, so his name is well known.

“I’m geared to making saddles for an event or show.

Everything in them is to give the rider the advantage,” he says. “I’ve built saddles for horsemen as diverse as Tim McQuay and Joe Beaver.” (McQuay is a legend in competition reining; Beaver, an unsurpassed roping champion.)

In other words, brace your checkbook. One of these saddles goes for $7,000 to $9,000 and up.

FROM TOP: A western pleasure saddle recently completed by Pernokas for a lady in California.

Made with Hermann Oak Leather, Tim Moore solid sterling silver, Glenn Pointer dee rings. Photo

by Joan Livingston, Miller Studio, Stephenville, TX / Breast collar with Pointer dees. / Acorns engraved on sterling silver covered dees to match carving.

Pernokas, 57, runs his shop solo in Stephenville, TX, near Fort Worth, and builds a few saddles a year. His background as a rodeo cowboy and saddle maker help him make a product that not only looks great but functions the way the rider expects it to.

He’s shown horses, primarily American Quarter Horses, has rodeoed in the PRCA, and holds a Gold Card. A correspondent for Shop Talk! for fifteen years, he also has written for many other trade and mainstream magazines.

His book on the modern saddle, All the Pretty Saddles, is available from www.proleptic.net. And, he writes and acts for Western TV series and movies.

“This year I played the rodeo commissioner in She Rides Bulls. It was a speaking role in a short film, which is doing very well at the film festivals. I also played an outlaw in Headin’ For Mexico, a feature film that is in post production now,” he says.

His diverse interests keep his schedule busy.

To reach Nick Pernokas, call (254) 967-6183 or see his work at www.PernokasSaddlery.com. Glenn Pointer Handmade Hardware is reachable at (915) 554-7726. See Tim Moore’s work online, www.MooreBits ofSilver.com, or call him at (512) 847-5489.

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 25

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Chuck Stormes: CHASING THE BEST

Hidden at the end of an unmarked, tree lined driveway in the rolling western Alberta hills sits a building which could be called many things. From the

by NICK PERNOKAS, driveway it looks like SENIOR FEATURE WRITER an attractive garage or outbuilding that compliments the house next to it.

Step inside the lower level, though, and the two-story ceiling with a large mural on one wall and saddle art decorating the others might

make you think “gallery”. Maybe “studio” would be more precise because there is art being created here from wood, leather, and silver.

For the saddle makers who are fortunate enough to be invited here, it could be called a shrine.

“I just call it a saddle shop,” laughs Chuck Stormes as I admire the two levels of windows that let in the natural light. I’d call it the perfect saddle shop, then, because there is room for everything. Separate work areas for drawing, saddle construction, tooling, and sewing are lit to eliminate shadows under

your hands when tooling or cutting.

The art and tooling displayed on the walls is beautiful and inspirational, some of it created by hands long gone. The classical guitar music playing softly provides the perfect background because this studio has great acoustics as well.

Growing up east of Calgary, Chuck started colts for his neighbors during the summers. Chuck’s stepfather was a horseman and teamster who had won the chuck wagon races at the Calgary Stampede in 1934. He passed along much of his equine knowledge to Chuck and helped

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 29

Save 15%

Book Sale Cowboys Complete Saddle Making

The Basics of Saddle Fit

By Pete Gorrell. A guide to understanding the relationship between the saddle tree and the horse’s back. For saddle makers and anyone who rides. Very practical.

Was $21.95

“The best saddle making book written to date.”

by John Hopper. Spiral bound. 360 pp. 100’s of Pictures, Patterns & Measurements, Step-by -Step Instructions, Western Saddles, Hunting Equipment, Halters, Bridles, Hobbles, Chaps, Breast Collars, Pack Equipment, and more.

Was $44.00 SALE PRICE: $37.40

SALE PRICE: $18.65 Halter Making: A Step by Step Guide

How to Make Whips

by Ron Edwards: hard cover, 166 pp.

Contains detailed instructions on making everything from a basic 8-strand whip to bullwhips, snake whips, and whips made from precut lace. Includes instructions on plaiting names in whips & using plaiting designs for whip handles. Was $24.95

16 pp. booklet which gives detailed, step-by-step instruction on how to make two styles of a horse halter.

Instructions for both flat throat latch and a rounded throat latch. There are also size charts for making a pony, yearling, cob, horse, and stallion size halter. Specs for both styles of halters are given. Was $16.50

SALE PRICE: $14.00

SALE PRICE: $21.20

Horses, Hitches, and Rocky Trails

Making Leather Knife Sheaths, Vol. 1

By Joe Black, 128 pp. Referred to as the packer’s bible.

Written in the language of the West, it is a complete and often humorous presentation of the method of packing horses into the wilderness. Amplified by the brilliant drawings of artist Joe back, the book is for both the amateur and professional packer. Was $12.95

Spiral bound, 142 pp. Color, beginner to intermediate, four projects, patterns, teaches excellent leather working techniques.

Was $25.00

SALE PRICE: $11.00

SALE PRICE: $21.25

Handmade Leather Bags & Accessories

Making Leather Knife Sheaths, Vol. 2

Soft cover, 112 pp. Color, beginner to intermediate, basic bag design, 27 projects, many styles, many patterns. Was $20.00

From basic leather working techniques to professional tips to make your project its best.

144 pp, 300 photos and diagrams, extensive step-by-step instructions. Was $25.00

SALE PRICE: $17.00 Bags

Soft cover, 384 pp. Color, pictoral history of handbags from 1550 to present, many mediums, wonderful source book. Was $35.00

SALE PRICE: $29.75

SALE PRICE: $21.25 The Art of the Western Saddle

Highlights the work of great traditional and contemporary saddle makers. Was $52.00

Ph 828.505.8474 Fax 828.505.8476 P.O. Box 17817 shoptalk@proleptic.net Asheville, NC 2015 28816SHOPwww.proleptic.net 30 NOVEMBER TALK!

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SALE PRICE: $44.20

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CLOCKWISE: Chuck spends a lot of time at his drafting table, drawing his floral patterns. / Chuck’s stamping rock weighs 650 lbs. / Chuck works on a saddle he built in 1981. Mark Drain did the silver which features a ram’s head of gold. Jeremiah Watt was an apprentice at this time and did some work on the saddle.

him when he needed it. Infatuated with the “West,” Chuck would scour The Western Horseman when it came every month and became fascinated with the cowboy gear.

Consequently, he started learning to do leatherwork and stamping belts as a hobby which he really enjoyed.

Although he graduated from high school in 1962 with good grades, Chuck was only sixteen and not ready to go to university. His familiarity with leatherwork, however, led to his first job with Kenways Saddle and Leather in Calgary.

“Once I was there, I was hooked,” says Chuck.

The Kenways shop placed an emphasis on speed. Each man made five saddles at a time. There was a machine man who did all the sewing, a cutter, and a stamper.

For the nearly plain saddles, fourteen hours of labor was allowed. Chuck saw the foreman build one saddle in eight hours in order to show up one of the slower workers.

“His point was that it wasn’t the Mona Lisa, it just had to be done and that didn’t appeal to me,” says Chuck.

Shortly thereafter he moved over to the Riley and McCormick Saddlery which was established in 1901. They did a

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This 2009 saddle that Chuck built for the TCAA is a Mother Hubbard style with fine mixed floral carving and a dyed background.

The silver was made by John Ennis. This saddle was purchased by the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for their permanent collection.

lot of mail order business and built a lot of saddles for ranches in British Columbia. They were mostly 3/4 double rigged, swell fork style saddles. Low cantles had become popular because of the rodeo timed event influence. The stamping was predominantly “Northwest Style” with three or four large flowers on a fender.

“The reason I wanted to be at Riley McCormick was an old saddle maker named John Foss,” says Chuck. “He had apprenticed in the 1890’s with one of the Calgary firms that merged to become Great West Saddlery.”

Eighty year old John Foss was an old time saddle maker, and stamper, from a time when stamping and saddle making were considered two separate trades. Although he retired at 82, Chuck was able to spend a couple of years learning the basics from him. Another saddle maker who worked there at the time was a European trained saddler, Jan Looman, who was also certified in many other leather trades. Chuck learned a lot from him including many of the subtleties of hand sewing and casework.

“I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was very lucky to be able to work in shops like that because they became extinct not long after that,” reflects Chuck. “Today they are all one or two-man shops. An apprentice needs to have a large volume of products like strap goods to learn to use the tools on. You really can’t apprentice anymore, and it makes it difficult to learn the trade.”

Chuck would work in two more shops before he opened his own. At a shop in Medicine Hat, the owner was friends with Ray Holes who would stop by frequently. Chuck 32 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

Chuck uses an all leather ground seat in his saddles.

“The California already kept a Ray Holes catalogue on his bench to refer to for scale and proportion. Now Ray became a major influence on Chuck. Ray, in turn, had been influenced by Gene Sisco and Stanley Diaz in the San Francisco area as well as Bill Knight.

This produced a strong California look in Ray’s carving. The flowers were dominant, and the vine work less so. Chuck has studied and owns work produced by these artists.

Bay area was the biggest influence on Ray’s tooling, and on mine as well.”

“The California Bay area was the biggest influence on Ray’s tooling, and on mine as well,” says Chuck.

Chuck’s next job was as foreman for Grand Saddlery in Calgary. There were seven employees in the saddle shop at the time. In 1968, the owner decided to stop building custom saddles and instead focus on gear for metal workers because Calgary was undergoing a lot of new

construction at the time. That was when Chuck decided it was time to go out on his own.

Chuck took on a financial partner and the downtown Calgary shop took both of their names: Stormes Irwin Saddle and Leather. In the beginning a Western store was included in the

business, and there were as many as five employees in the shop. Chuck just wanted to do the leatherwork, though, so partners and locations changed as the business became more streamlined.

Chuck built a wide variety of styles, from slick forks to roping saddles.

In the late Sixties, inspired by the many broken strainer seats he saw in repair saddles, Chuck began using an all leather ground seat. The exceptions were in the flatter seats like cutters. In 1976, Chuck became friends with silversmith Mark Drain and began using his silver. They clicked personally as well. In 1979, Mark and Chuck shared a booth at the Snaffle Bit Futurity in Reno. This opened up a new market for Chuck and also provided a new buckaroo influence on his saddles.

In the 80’s the retro trend was

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 33

34 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

towards loop seats and ultra-high cantles. Chuck’s preference was for the classic styles and tried to steer his customers away from what he felt were fads. He was still building saddles for trainers and pleasure saddles, but his clientele began to include a few collectors.

“They wanted outrageous saddles, as wildly decorated as you could do.”

Chuck built his first “collectable” saddle on spec and began going to the trappings shows at Flagstaff and Cody. In the late 80’s he sold it for $30,000 and that was the beginning of his involvement with building “collector” saddles. Today, Chuck builds around two of these ultra high end saddles per year, and one is for the TCAA show.

This takes up half a year, and the rest of the time is spent filling regular orders.

He still builds a wide variety of saddles but less of them are for cowboys. The cowboy clientele has become younger with less “lifers” involved as ranch jobs dwindle. Today, Chuck’s base price for a rough out saddle is $5,500.00.

“Once you’ve done your best carve job, and added it to your base price, there’s really not anything else you can do to raise the price of your saddle. The thing that raises

the price after that are your silver and gold. And those collaborations with your silversmith are a lot of fun.”

In 1980 Chuck began to build his own saddle trees.

“I felt like I had no choice,” says Chuck. “My prices were getting higher, and I didn’t feel like I could charge that if I didn’t have a tree that I could feel good about.”

Chuck bought a band saw and a sander and called Dale Harwood who had been building his own trees for ten years. Dale gave him a crash course in tree making and allowed him to make patterns of his holding jigs.

“I damn near went broke doing it. It was very difficult. I made a lot of firewood.”

Today the trees are built in a small woodworking shop off the main shop. Chuck uses slow growth fir from the interior of British Columbia for the bars. It has more growth rings per inch which makes it stronger. Other

LEFT: Stormes’ tree and woodworking shop are just off his main saddle shop. BELOW: This close-up of Chuck’s 2009 TCAA saddle shows the mixed floral detail and the John Ennis silver.

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 35

types of fir may be too soft or too hard and not as tight grained or smooth. Chuck has to buy it from a small sawmill that will do custom cutting. The completed tree is painted before rawhide is sewn over it. His rawhide comes frozen from a friend who also makes trees. Chuck covers all of his trees with mature

cow or steer hides, ¼” to 3/8” thick and thinks that rawhide is three to ten times stronger than fiberglass.

Chuck does not level the hides as he feel this weakens them. The rawhide is allowed to dry at room temperature so that it doesn’t dry too fast. The best part of the rawhide goes towards the front of the tree. He

feels that a tree that’s built properly and covered with good rawhide is extremely difficult to break.

An office in the loft overlooks the shop. Accessible by a ladder, this is where Chuck works on his other vocation as a writer. Chuck has written many magazine articles as well as a book written in collaboration with Don Reeves, curator at National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, on the life of Luis Ortega. The title is Luis Ortega’s Cowboy Artistry.” Chuck and a friend have also put a lot of research into the history of the Visalia Saddle Company and the development of the Visalia style saddles. This book is yet to come out.

Among the interesting items in the office are Chuck’s 1998 Award as Saddle Maker of the Year from the Academy of Western Artists, and the Calgary Silver Spur Award from the same year.

Around 1998 he moved his shop to its present location outside of Millarville. An architect friend who had designed the Stormes’ house many years before came out of retirement to design the studio.

“I always said that when less than half of my customers actually came to my shop then I could have it here at my home,” says Chuck, who values his privacy.”This is really the ideal situation for me. By myself, making saddles.”

This is the 2008 saddle that Chuck made for the TCAA show. It’s a half sized, early 1900’s Visalia style saddle, fully carved and lined, built on a tree made by Stormes. The engraved sterling silver was made by Scott Hardy.

The riata was braided by Nate Wald.

Over the years Chuck has had a few apprentices. He also gave lessons on saddle making to paying students.

When the TCAA was formed, members were expected to mentor other craftsmen through workshops and lessons. As a TCAA member, Chuck has had a few saddle makers come to him for help in specific areas.

Chuck and his wife of forty-eight years, Heather still have a few

36 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

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CLOCKWISE from top left: Chuck is able to do a lot of unusual things since he builds his own trees. Here are some silver bindings have been mounted on a horn and cantle which will be exposed on the finished saddle. / Chuck recently collaborated with Jean Luc Parisot to build this fully carved jumping saddle for John Simpson, a former show jumper and Alberta ranchers. / Chuck builds other things in his woodworking shop besides trees. Here a block of claro walnut waits to be made into a swell to match the 1850’s stirrup that’s shown in the picture.

horses. Heather competed in the barrel racing at the pro rodeos at one time. Although Chuck has ridden for his entire life, he doesn’t think that that is a prerequisite to building a good saddle. Two of the best saddle makers he’s known have never ridden a horse.

Chuck feels that some saddle makers do not reach their potential because they try to build for a certain price which limits the amount of labor and the quality of the materials that they use. He prefers to use the best materials that he can, with as much labor as he needs to do to make the best saddle he can. At the end, he Continued on page 52 38 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

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Cowboy Bits and Spurs

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Save 15%

SALE PRICE: $33.95

Restoring Vintage Western Saddles

Braiding Rawhide Horse Tack

by Alain Eon: Alain is one of the most foremost restorers of collectible saddles in the world. He shares all his secrets about how to restore worn out “dead” leather in his new 64-page book. His methods are practical and easy to understand. Reg. $48.50

180 drawings and photographs, the reader is shown every step of the process, beginning with a fresh cowhide, continuing through cutting strings and braiding, and ending with finished reatas, bosals, hobbles, or reins. Reg. 16.99

SALE PRICE: $41.25

SALE PRICE: $14.44

The Leatherworking Handbook

Art of the Boot

by Valeri Michael: paperback, 120 pp. Great for most any leatherworker. Total of 10 projects from simple to advanced complete with instructions and patterns.

Also gives some background and theory of leatherworking and discusses tools, techniques and construction methods.

by Tyler Beard, photographs by Jim Arndt: soft cover, 160 pp. Elegant presentation throughout.

Instense focus on the boot makers’ craft. Lots of great background notes on the different boot makers included. Reg. $24.95

Reg. $19.95

SALE PRICE: $21.20

Book Sale!

Ph 828.505.8474 Fax 828.505.8476 P.O. Box 17817 shoptalk@proleptic.net Asheville, NC 28816 www.proleptic.net

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How to Establish Prices for the Saddlemaker or Leatherworker All the Pretty Saddles

By Nick Pernokass, 65 pp. Handy reference tool for buyers of new and used saddles by a professional saddle maker.

Reg. $18.00

SALE PRICE: $15.30

SALE PRICE: $16.95

by Robert G. Brenner: paperback, 68 pp.

The best pricing information available for the leatherworker. It answers all the questions you ever had about your business. This is the real thing and will help any craftsman to be a better businessperson. Reg. $39.95

SALE PRICE: $33.95

Whips of the West

by David W. Morgan: 155 pp, black & white. An illustrated history of American whip making. How the West was won with whips! Reg. $12.95

SALE PRICE: $11.00

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 39

Sheridan Style Carving

Whips and Whipmaking

SALE PRICE: $29.75

SALE PRICE: $16.95

by Bill Garner and Clinton Fay: paperback, 136+ pp.

This is a book by carvers for carvers and leatherworkers who appreciate world-class craftsmanship. Readers are taken step-by- step through the process of laying out and tooling the intricate patterns of the famous Sheridan style. Was $35

by David W. Morgan: paperback, 132 pp. An illuminating exposition of the uses as well as the construction and design of whips. This book revives an aspect of our technological and social history that had fallen into neglect.

Was $19.95

Braiding Fine Leather: Techniques of the Australian Whipmakers

To Handmake a Saddle

by J.H.L. Shields: paperback, 80 pp. Probably the best book on the market for craftspeople wanting to learn how to build or repair an English Saddle.

Was $14.95

by David W. Morgan. For beginner/intermediate.

Flat and round braiding–4, 6, 8 strand. 7 projects.

Clear step-by-step instructions. 148 pp.

Was $19.95

SALE PRICE: $12.70

SALE PRICE: $16.95 Leather Braiding

Book Sale!

by Bruce Grant: paperback, 191 pp. The definitibe book in its field. Contains detailed illustrations, step-by-step instructions and a wealth of incidental, fascinating information.

Was $9.95

SALE PRICE: $8.45 Leather Facts:

How to Better Evaluate & Buy Leather. 20 pp. Was $11.50

Leather Tooling & Carving

by Chris H. Groneman, soft cover, 111 pp. with 148 photos & diagrams. This book was originally published in 1950 and has a very dated look in the way it’s organized as well as in the types of projects and styles of carving that are presented. However, with that said, there maybe forgotten ideas, techniques, & patterns that someone who stamps and carves leather would be happy to rediscover. Has the look of a classic. Was: $14.95

SALE PRICE: $12.70

Western Saddle Making

by Robin Yates: paperback, 60 pp. Step-by-step instructions for how to make a Western Saddle.

Includes instructions and descriptions of tools, cutting, rigging, and much more. Was $24.95

SALE PRICE: $21.20

Advanced Western Saddle Making Vol. 1

by Robin Yates: paperback, 76 pp. Covers different styles, gullet and cantle lacing, different rigging and more. Was $21.50

SALE PRICE $18.25

40 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

SALE PRICE: $9.80 Shoe Repairs That You Can Do

Save 15% HURRY!!

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Resoling Rocky Mountain Boots • Installing Lifts in a Woman’s Sneaker • Rebuilding Birkenstock Sandals • Resoling an Allen Edmunds Men’s Dress Shoe • Making Your Repair Shop Successful • Half Soles & Heels for a Western Boot • Repairing Worn Heels • Resoling Running Shoes • Potions & Lotions • Rocky Mountain Boots Revisited: New Soles & Mid-Soles • Installing a Three-Quarter Wedge into Sandals, 52 pp. Was $22.50

SALE PRICE: $19.15

Ph 828.505.8474 Fax 828.505.8476 P.O. Box 17817 shoptalk@proleptic.net Asheville, NC 28816 www.proleptic.net

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NOVEM B E R 2015

News, Notes & Queries

CHUCK SMITH DECIDEDLY UN-RETIRED Leather toolmaker and famed carver Chuck Smith of California could justifiably make the case for hanging up his tools and putting the “Gone Fishin’ ” sign on his door.

by JENNIFER FULFORD, EAST COAST BUREAU CHIEF

But Smith, 79, who’s been in the leather carving and stamping business for more than twenty years, has a problem. He doesn’t want to retire. He also doesn’t fish.

So, set aside those rumors that Smith, who had successful hip replacement surgery in April, has shut his doors. Chuck Smith Leather Tools is open for business, just at a much slower pace than before.

Lana Smith, 70, his wife and only business partner, advises customers to keep calling. They soon anticipate taking orders, big and small, like before.

“While he’s been sitting around, he’s been thinking of new stamps to make,” she says by phone from their homebased business in Valley Center, CA. “He’s non-stop.”

Chuck had to turn away big clients earlier this year when back pain made it impossible for him to stand and work for long hours. It’s the most significant slowdown he’s experienced since opening his business in 1991.

“We had some huge orders from overseas, and it wiped us out, almost,” his wife recalls.

It turns out, Chuck’s hip was the culprit. The results of the surgery around Easter have been great. He’s walking and in far less pain, says Lana. (While on the phone, she

hollers good-bye to Chuck, who’s headed out the door for a custom hot rod show.)

Custom carburetors and fuel injectors for vintage cars are another of Chuck’s businesses, Chuck Smith and Co. He’s been focusing on his car clients during his recuperation because the work is more lucrative. He’s an ideas man, says Lana, and his mind is always figuring out details for car parts or carving patterns, even during his leisure moments. He’s got the mind of an engineer-slash-artist.

“He’s so artistic,” she says. “Always drawing on napkins, designs for anything. He’s more or less a happy-go-lucky guy.”

And in demand. On the leather side, his number one seller is the OL’ Smoothie swivel knife. Lana says they have plenty in inventory. Another popular item, one that is new, is a pattern book she put together for Chuck a couple years ago. The book contains fourteen original Chuck Smith Western floral carving patterns for $30, complete with photographs. Belts, chaps, wallets and notebooks covers are also included. It’s not even for sale on their website yet. She compiled it on a fluke, but sold out the first show she took it to.

“I have 50 books ready to go,” she says.

The patterns are popular because of Smith’s reputation.

As a teenager in southern California in the ‘50s, he fell in love with saddles and gun leather. At one time a paperboy, he ran into the likes of old Hollywood star such as Gene Autry who used to make San Fernando Valley a Western haven. He studied leathercraft under Joey Smith and Lad Haverty. He rubbed elbows as a guildsman with Al Stohlman, Al Shelton, Cliff Ketchum, and Kenny Griffin. He credits all of them for his carving ability, especially Shelton who is still a good friend.

He has always strived for

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 41

perfection in creating new tools for the public and to improve the art of leatherwork. In 1996, he was presented with the Al Stohlman Award for Achievement in Leathercraft. In 2014, the Academy of Western Artists selected him as their Master Leather Artisan of the year. He was unable to receive the award in person last February due to his back.

Smith has taught many seminars in leather carving over the years, including those for Leather Artists of America, National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City; Annual Western Floral Seminar, Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage in Los Angeles, Annual Western Floral Seminar in Brownwood, TX, and The 1999 Gathering of the Masters in Sheridan, WY. He’s not traveling far these days, and neither is Lana. She’s chief marketer.

They are planning to change that in

2016, and head back out to shows in Witchita Falls and Sheridan. In the near term, Lana is taking a short break for her own health reasons though Chuck isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. And frankly, despite the health issues, neither is she. Between four kids, numerous grandkids, two businesses, and loyal customers, there’s plenty to keep them forging ahead.

“We’re both still alive. We’re not planning to quit yet,” she says, chuckling. “He’s always told everybody he’s intending to work until he drops dead.”

Give them a call.

Chuck Smith Leather Tools (760) 749-5755, fax (760) 749-5355, email OlSmoothie@sbcglobal.net or find them online at Chuck-SmithLeather-Tools.myshopify.com 29081 Fruitvale Ln. Valley Center, CA 92082

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News, Notes & Queries

MAVERICK LEATHER COMPANY MOVES TO BEND, OR

by JERILYN MARTIN, GENERAL MANAGER, SHOP TALK! With over forty years experience in the leather industry, owner Matt Foster of Maverick Leather Company decided to make a move. And not just any move, a big one for the company and the Foster family.

“Change is good all the way around”, says Matt. Since the business can be run from anywhere, it just made sense to relocate to central Oregon where there isn’t a major leather dealer around, Matt explained.

The small mountain town of Bend, OR, is now home to the entire staff of the Maverick Leather Company, and the Foster family now resides there permanently.

After visiting the town in January, Matt decided that Bend was just right. He said, “It’s just a cool, laid back place” and the only thing he needed to do was convince the rest of the family to jump on board. When daughter

Erin re-visited with Matt in April, she exclaimed, “Yeah, let’s do it!”

“Happy campers - all around. I can go hunting and fishing and there’s even skiing within half an hour drive.

The river runs right through town and the Cascade Mountains surround us. It’s a blast!” said Matt. The new Maverick location will also house a brand new toy. Matt has acquired a tumbling drum and is very excited to use it. He explained that the machine is intended to be used to re-soften leathers that have gotten stiff.

The town is small, business friendly, and the new ideal location is twice as big as the previous shop. The local Chamber of Commerce is planning a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the Maverick Leather Company to welcome them to the community.

New contact information: Maverick Leather Company, Inc. 63055 Corporate Place #6, Bend, OR 97701 www.maverickleathercompany.com Ph: 541-797-2108 F: 541-797-2107 CLOCKWISE from top left: Lower building / L to R Andriana, Erin (Matt’s daughter), Matt, Ryan, and Kevin (Matt’s son) / Maverick Leather Company warehouse

44 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

The American Donkey & Mule Society Established 1967—Serving Longears and their owners for over 40 years.

World’s Largest Single Source of Information and Services for all sizes of Donkeys, Mules & Zebra Hybrids.

Home of the BRAYER magazine, The Original All-Breed Longear Publication 112 pages bi-Monthly. $23 US, $30 Canada, $35 overseas Ck, MO, Paypal, MC/Visa ADMS, PO Box 1210, Lewisville TX 75067 (972) 219-0781 Email lovelongears@hotmail.com ** www.lovelongears.com

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 45

Hand Plait Leather & Ludwig’s Leather Become LUDWIG & MARGLIN LEATHER, LLC

by JERILYN MARTIN, GENERAL MANAGER, SHOP TALK!

Longtime owner Al Ludwig of Ludwig Leather Company & Hand Plait Leather is retiring from the business but will continue to mentor new owner Terri Cocanougher. “I initially purchased the building thinking that the family wanted to move to a new facility,” said Terri. When Al mentioned he wanted to sell the business, Terri couldn’t pass up the opportunity. “I was fortunate that Al was willing to help me learn the business”.

Terri grew up in the New Braunfels area and, like Al, is an Aggie!

Frequenting Al’s leather shops over the years as a purchasing manager for several farm stores across northern Texas, Terri is not just familiar with the equine industry but has also manufactured the supplement line “Vita-Key”.

“I have previous experience in the farm & ranch store business, but the leather we carried wasn’t the quality of that Al Ludwig uses in his product lines”.

There are numerous prototypes in the pipeline and new products will be introduced at a later time. In the past month the facility has been completely remodeled and the new layout will boast an additional 2,000 square feet of retail space.

Ludwig & Marglin Leather will continue to produce the same great product because Terri has kept the entire staff from both companies, some of which have been with Al for over twenty years. In addition to the bullwhips from Hand Plait, they also produce a line of paracord bullwhips that can be spotted easily if dropped in the grass by ranchers. Aside from whips, Ludwig & Marglin also manufactures halters, scabbards, cases, folios, belts, straps, slings, and holsters that are available in their retail space.

You can still visit them at 197 S. Seguin Ave. in New Braunfels, TX. Terri would love to meet you and show you around the shop. Check them out online at handplait.com or ludwigsleather.com. Their phone number is still (830) 629-0540.

TANDY HAS NEW UK STORE AND NEW 2016 CATALOG Tandy Leather Factory has opened a new store in Manchester, UK, which will serve both retail and wholesale customers. The official opening was October 30.

Jon Thompson, CEO and President, commented, “We are excited about the potential of this store as it allows us better opportunity to expand our customer base in the northern part of the UK by having a physical presence in the area. Our Northhampton store, now seven years old, will focus on the southern part of England. We are confident that the UK can easily support the two stores. . . .”

46 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

Award winning and acclaimed leather artist Jim Linnell was a featured guest at the Grand Opening on October 30th and 31st. As part of the event, Mr. Linnell shared wonderful insights from over fortyfive years of dynamic leather working experience as he demonstrated a variety of leather carving techniques for attendees.

ACADEMY OF WESTERN ARTISTS 2016 NEW VENUE FOR ART OF THE COWBOY MAKERS The 6th annual Maker’s Contest will take at the Roper Cowboy Marketplace, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV, during the 2015 National Finals Rodeo, December 3-12.

The address of the new store is: Lime Square, Unit 20, Ashton Old Rd., Openshaw M11 1DA, phone 01601 3710158.

TLF also has a new 2016 catalog— always a treat! The catalog features 230 new items with a total of over 2,300 items and a page count of 188.

Contact Tandy Leather at 1900 SE Loop 820, Ft. Worth, TX 76140, (817) 872-3200, www.tandyleather.com.

Categories include: Boots, Braiding, Chaps, Engraving, Hats, Saddles, Spurs, Cinch, and Rope Bag

The AWA 20th annual awards ceremony will take place this coming March 12, 2016, in the Bruce-Lupton University Ballroom at Texas Christian University, 2901 Stadium Dr., Ft. Worth, TX 76129.

Award categories include: Bootmaker, Braider, Cartoonist, Cowboy Poetry, Engraver, Fine Artist, Hitcher, Master Leather Artisan, Saddlemaker, Spurmaker,

To find out more about the show and about entering your work, please contact Art of the Cowboy Makers at 6455 N. Union Blvd., Suite 100H, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, (719) 247-0062, e-mail: info@artofthecowboymakers.com, www.artofthecowboymakers.com.

SHELTON-REYNOLDS, INC. 11516 N Port Washington Rd., Mequon, WI 53092

First Quality & Closeouts

G Nylon Halter, Harness & Collar Webbing

G Nylon Sling and Tie-down Web G Urethane & Vinyl Coated Webbing G Seatbelt Webbing Seconds G Polypropylene Webbing G Hook & Loop – Sew-on & Pressure Sensitive G Derby Rope, Shock Cord G Vinyl Fabrics - Laminates & Coated G Sewing Thread - Nylon & Polyester - all sizes G 100% Acrylic Marine Fabrics G Truck Tie-down Web 1"- 2" - 3" - 4" G Clear Vinyl Tent & Boat Window G Rope - Nylon & Polyester G 1/8" Nylon Parachute Cord for Braiding

G Canvas - All Styles & Weights, Natural,

Flame Retardant, Water & Mildew Resistant

Call Toll Free ~ Nationwide

1-800-877-7150

www.sheltonreynolds.com

Fax (262) 478-9226 SHIPMENT WITHIN 24 HOURS

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 47

News, Notes & Queries Media, Pure Country, Western Music, Western Swing To make a nomination and complete entry rules are available at www.AWAAwards.org.

You may also contact the AWA at (580) 221-8793 and at working_cowboy@hotmail.com.

SILVER CREEK PURCHASES MARCELLUS-ORIVA Silver Creek Leather reports the recent purchase of Marcellus-Oriva Leather Co. of Hawthorne, CA, Marcellus-Oriva, founded in 1904 as a manufacturer of leather goods in the Los Angeles area, had evolved over the years to become a maker of leather lacing, leathercraft kits, and finished badge cases. The badge case manufacturing was recently bought out Sm byText Entenmann-Rovin Hermann Oaks Ad_BW03_12_Layout 1

Co. of Los Angeles.

“I had dealt with Chuck Marcellus for over twenty-five years until his death in 2010,” said Greg Sartor, President of Silver Creek Leather. “I always thought that they made the best leathercraft lace in the market and were a reliable and respected supplier. Adding their ‘Superior Lace’ to our line, along with some of the traditional billfold liners and other kits should help to make Silver Creek a better rounded leathercraft company and it should be relatively easy to incorporate these items into our manufacturing operations in southern Indiana.”

Silver Creek Leather Co. is a manufacturer and distributor of leather, lace, leathercraft kits, tools, and supplies, located in New Albany, IN. Their “Realeather” brand of products

3/4/13 8:13 AM Page 1

can be found at most major craft stores nationwide and also through mail order distributors.

To purchase the Marcelus-Oriva products or for more information, call (812) 945-8520 or e-mail: info@ silvercreekleather.com.

HAPPY TRAILS 2016 CALENDAR

If you enjoy fancy gun rig and fancy saddles as much as I do, you’re going to love the 2016 calendar

Skirting • Harness • Latigo • Bridle • Holster • Belting • Rawhide • Tooling

CARVES LIKE BUTTER–STAMPS TO AN INCREDIBLE DEPTH

FIRM–STRONG & FLEXIBLE–BEAUTIFUL

THIS IS HERMANN OAK LEATHER! Our leathers are tanned in the United States using only the finest North American Hides.

For wholesale service, contact us at 1 (800) 325-7950 or fax us at (314) 421-6152 Or contact the nearest distributor listed below: 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

48 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

Springfield, MO, Springfield Leather Company 800-668-8518 Calgary, AB, Canada, Caledon Sales Ltd 403-252-0232 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

St. Louis, MO Since 1881

Legends Are Made Of. www.hermannoakleather.com

from Happy Trails Children’s Foundation that do what they can to mend the lives of mistreated children—a noble calling.

The 15-month calendar is about half saddles and half gun rigs. Cost is $10 per calendar and $15 for two. Postage paid. Great for the office, home, and shop. To order yours please contact the Foundation at 10755 Apple Valley Rd., Apple Valley, CA 92308, (760) 240-3330, www.happytrails. org, e-mail: happytrails@happytrails.org.

LEATHER WORKER OF THE MONTH Shop Talk! has a number of readers who are guests at a variety of state and federal prisons, and we’d like to find out more about their lives as leather workers behind bars.

What’s it like? Are supplies hard to come by? What about machinery? How did they become leather workers?

What do they do with the work that they produce?

We’d like to hear from you. If it’s possible for one of our writers to interview you by phone, please let us know.

Or please send us your story along with any pictures you may be able to send to: Shop Talk!, PO Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@ proleptic.net. Whatever you send will be returned.

Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you.

MORE NEW BOOKS As we reported last issue, we have reprinted To Handmake a Saddle which is now available. It’s a very handy book for people wanting more information about repairing and building English saddles. It’s a classic. Cost is $14.95 plus SH. Now we have Basic Leathercrafting. It’s the perfect book for beginning leather workers. The book is $24.95 plus SH and 184 pp. Dozens of pictures and step-by-step instructions. Covers terminology, basis leather working techniques, pattern making, tools, hand sewing, lacing, belt making, stamping, dyes and finishes, and more.

Good basic book.

WHOLESALE

& RETAIL

We make custom show stall curtains with decorations Also tack box covers, table covers, etc.

• Horse blankets & sheets, shipping boots, harness bags, hay bags, & related items • Reflective bands • Carriage covers 4285 TOWNSHIP ROAD 628 Millersburg, OH 44654

Phone: 330-674-0879

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 49

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 2016!

FEBRUARY 4-6 Wickenburg Leather Show.

Contact Hansen Silver at (800) 970-7391 or visit www.wickenburgleathertradeshow.com for all the details about attending or being an exhibitor.

Then there is The Complete Book of Tanning Skins and Furs for $21.95 and 200 pp.

It covers solutions and for formulae, instructions of tanning small animal skins, small furbearers, how to make buckskin, how to tan elk, bear, horse, goat, and cow. Even reptile leather!!

FEBRUARY 26-28 16th Southwest Leather Workers Trade Show, Prescott, AZ. Hosted by Leather Crafters Journal. Contact: 222 Blackburn St., Rhinelander, WI 54501, (888) 289-6409, www.leathercraftersjournal.com 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.

To order, please contact: Proleptic, Inc., P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816 (828) 505-8474 e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net.

JUNE 15-16 Weaver Leather Consignment Auction.

Contact: 2540 County Road 201, Millersburg, OH 44654, (800) WEAVER-1, www.weaverleather.com.

ON THE MOVE Rockin’ Y Leatherworks—makers of those fantastic and fancy rodeo chaps—was recently purchased by Wyoming Leatherworks which will continue wholesaling leather tack, chinks, chaps, etc. Maybe they could do some private labeling for you!

Please call or write them if you need a new catalog.

Contact: Henry Hambright, Wyoming Leatherworks, 201 Horseshoe Ln., Hulett, WY 82720, (307) 467-5651, ext. 2.

MARTIN FALL AUCTION There was a real nice auction this past October 1617, at the Lebanon Fairgrounds in Lebanon, PA. Lots of great vehicles as well as china, chests, equestrian accoutrements, lamps, and art—even a Fred Remington sculpture!

WWW.WICKENBURGLEATHERTRADESHOW.COM COME SEE US AT

ODNIURO liUTIIR BlliffR 8 fOOli BIO =

FEATURING TOOLS. SILVER. AND LEATHER PRODUCTS JEWELRY. SEWING MACHINES. SADDLE HARDWARE AND MORE CLASSES AVAILABLE

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC HOURS: 9 TO 5 WICKENBURG COMMUNITY CENTER FEBRUARY 4-5-6, 2016 THURSDAY, FRIDAY & SATURDAY WICKENBURG, ARIZONA FOR INFORMATION CONTACT TIM&. MARIE AT HANSEN SILVER 209-847-7390 WWW.HANSENSILVER.COM

50 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

BUGGY BUILDER’S NEEDS COPY & PHOTOS Hey—if you know of anyone restoring a buggy, maybe they’d like to take some pics and write up a brief story about what they’ve been doing. Or if you know someone who’s already restored a vehicle or maybe has a collection or maybe has an old buggy sitting around that they’d like so information on—get them to contact Buggy Builder’s Bulletin at 7895 Mason St., Dayton, VA 22821, (540) 879-9260.

For all the details about the next auction, please contact: Martin Auctioneers, P O Box 99, New Holland, PA 17557, (717) 354-6671, www.martinauctioneers.com.

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.

Champion Halters

0715N 900W• Shipshewana, IN 46565 260-768-3080 ext 2

Whip Manufacturing

50”, 60”, 66”, 72” in stock  Colors  Custom Orders

Leather, BioPlastic & Brahma Webb Harnesses

N aLL sizes N

Available for Large & Small Production Runs  Private Labeling  On Time Delivery 

X

Center Square HarneSS

246 Forest Hill Rd., Leola, PA 17540 • (717) 656-3381

Champion Halters_FEB 2012

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 51

Chuck Stormes Continued from 38 adds it all up and adds his profit on to that to come up with a price. Chuck feels that the customer cares more about being happy with his purchase than the price being slightly higher or lower, within reason. The trick is to cultivate the right kind of customer.

“I used to worry about my prices getting too high for the cowboys to afford them,” says Chuck,” but then I realized that it wasn’t up to me to subsidize a cowboy just because he didn’t make enough money.”

Chuck’s philosophy has worked for him and allowed this soft spoken saddle maker to build the kind of saddles that he wants to, where he wants to. Occasionally, for any artist, that means pushing himself outside of his comfort zone. Recently, Chuck had a call from Calgary horseman John Simpson who wanted to order a fully carved jumping saddle. Chuck told him that the only way he could do that was with assistance of a classical saddle maker since Chuck had never built one.

Simpson ended up hiring French saddle maker Jean Luc Parisot, and the men met at Pedro Pedrini’s shop in Marysville, CA. With Pedro acting as the interpreter, Jean

Luc and Chuck collaborated on two completely hand sewn saddles over a two week period. The first was a fully carved, close contact, jumping saddle which Jean Luc did most of the work on. The second was a border stamped, contemporary dressage saddle which Chuck made. This second saddle will be on display at the TCAA show this year.

“It was an outstanding experience for everyone involved,” says Chuck.

Jean Luc is world renowned for his hand stitching (see Shop Talk!, Nov. 2014) and, although Chuck had been hand sewing for fifty years, he felt that he improved by watching Jean Luc. And for Chuck, the constant search for improvement is what it’s all about.

“I always tried to make a better saddle. I never used patterns much other than to rough cut the leather because I might improve the proportions next time. I want the next saddle I make to be the best saddle I ever made.”

Chuck Stormes can be reached at 403-931-4810 or at www.chuckstormes.com; however, due to a six year backlog, Chuck is not taking new orders at this time.

a r n H e s A s Shop d n a N Request your Catalog today!

6009 Township Road 419 • Millersburg, OH 44654 • Voice Mail (330) 893-1024 • Fax (330) 893-0112 52 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

We stock over 1,000 types & colors of leather!

New & Improved Full Color Catalog Upon Request

FeatURINg: Chap Leather (125 colors available),

embossed Cow Sides, garment & Hair-On Hides, genuine Buffalo, genuine Salz Latigo, Harness Leather, Metallic Cow Sides, Patent Leather, Skirting, Strap & Upholstery Leathers Complete line of decorative accessories & full line of leather crafting tools.

Become a Preferred Customer:

Benefits of becoming a preferred customer: Very best pricing for the leathers you use the most. Receive immediate notification of leathers going on sale. Added luxury of choosing only leathers that interest you, thus eliminating unwanted emails. Notification of new products and services as they become available ensures the personal service you deserve.

Logon to

l 595www.hidehouse.com Monroe St., Napa, CA 94559

800-4LEATHR (800-453-2847) Fax: 800-255-6160

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 53

Chap, Saddle & Tooling Leather!

The best grades from the best tanneries!

Hermann Oak #1, or A & B grades only!

Skirting, Harness, Strap, tooling, etc.

Large clean sides of chap leather!

Same types and colors always in stock!

Work, Rodeo and Show!

Outstanding service!

Real leather sample cards available!

Goliger Leather Company 800 423-2329 Fax 805 650-1742 email: service@goligerleather.com Visit our website: goligerleather.com

54 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

Buggy Builder’s Bulletin

Bi-monthly trade publication for Carriage & Wagon Makers $25/year in U.S. ~ $30 (US funds only) in Canada

Buggy Builder’s Bulletin 795 Mason St., Dayton, VA 22821

(540) 879-9260

BU Y, SE LL OR TRAD E

CLASSIFIEDS

Classified ad rates are $26.50 for the first 20 words and $.65 cents for each additional word. Words (or groups of letters) fewer than three characters are not counted when calculating the cost of the ad. Street addresses are counted as one word. City, state, country, and zip or postal code are combined and counted as one word. Enclose payment when submitting ads. Ads received without payment will be held until payment is made.

Ads must be received no later than the fifth of the month prior to the month you wish the ad to run (e.g. ads for the February issue must be in our office by January 5). Typed or neatly printed ads are preferred. We are not responsible for mistakes due to handwriting. Faxed ads must be typed and are accepted with MasterCard, VISA or Discover only.

WANTED

FOR SALE

WANTED: New subscribers from South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia. Now is the time to renew! Give us a call at (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net or visit www.proleptic.net.

FOR SALE: EXACT TOUCH EDGE FINISHER painting bands. No seam. Exactly like the original. ¾” wide.

These work great. $7/per set of 2. Made in USA. Contact: (812) 345-6393.

WANTED: Complete tool collections. Contact: Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net.

USED UNION LOCK SEWING MACHINES FOR SALE. All machines are in good working condition and have had regular maintenance. Contact Weaver Leather for more details at (800) 932-8371, ask for Allen Burkholder, ext. 223.

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.

MORE SEWING: A & R Halters is looking for more sewing horse, pets, and related products. Also holsters, stall curtains, book covers, etc. Contact: A & R Halters, 10339 Dover Rd., Apple Creek, OH 44606 SOURCE FOR 1/2” AND 5/8” stitched loose keepers for English bridles. Contact: Daniel Smucker, (717) 445-5956, e-mail: daniel@dmsmucker.com.

RE OUR CLASSIFIEDS A BEST BUY! ers

potential buy Reach 1,000’s of $26.50!! for as little as

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.

WHOLESALE NYLON HARNESS FOR SALE. Halters and nylon webbing. All sizes. Heavy weight in ¾”, 1”, 1 ¼”, 1 ½”, and 2” with pebble weave edge. Send for free catalog. Contact: Stauffer’s Harness Shop, 5940 Dry Bone Rd., Hillsboro, OH 45133.

FOR SALE: Landis 6” hand crank leather splitter. Good condition, $700. Contact: Stauffer’s Harness Shop, 5940 Dry Bone Rd., Hillsboro, OH 45133.

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.

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 55

CLASSIFIEDS HOLSTER BUSINESS FOR SALE: Prominent, reputable leather holster manufacturing company established in 1972. Owners wish to retire. For details, contact: donlbrown46@gmail.com.

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 MACHINERY FOR SALE: Champion 6” hand crank splitter good condition. Landis Model 14 lap skiver good condition. Champion 5-in-1 excellent condition.

New 8” hand crank splitter. New needle bar and nut for Landis, Union Lock, Randall, Pearson, and more.

Contact: Landis Sales & Service, 115 E County Road 500 N, Arthur, IL 61911, (217) 543-3464.

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.

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.

SHOP LIQUIDATION: OWNER RETIRING. Selling quality leather making tools and misc. items. Selling leather making company as a whole. For details, contact: Jack Hatcher, (352) 303-8191, fax (352) 748-6052.

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) 56 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

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.

WHOLESALE HARNESS & SUPPLIES! Brahma web, PVC sheeting, PVC belting, nylon webbing, nylon thread and hardware. We manufacture a full line of synthetic harness parts. In stock for immediate shipping, including blinds, gig saddles, molded curved crowns, cruppers, winker stays, and lots of die cut parts, etc. Ask for your FREE catalog! Contact: Countryside Mfg., 504 S. Humbert St., Milton, IA 52570.

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.

Book Sale!

S

Leather Projects You Can Do: Volumes I- VIII Volume I

• Installing Strings on a Western Saddle • Replacing the Wool on a Western Saddle, Part One & Part Two • Replacing Western Stirrup Leathers, Part One & Part Two • More Tips & Tricks for Replacing Western Stirrup Leathers WAS $21.50

SALE $18.25 + SH

Volume II

• More Western Saddle Repairs • Making an Old Fashioned Western Bridle • Making Tapaderos: Different Styles & Sizes • More Tapaderos • Repairing a Western Saddle Horn WAS $22.50

SALE $19.15 + SH

Volume III

• Making a Carpenter ’s Apron, Part One & Part Two • Making a Farrier ’s Apron • Making a Custom Tool Pouch • Making a Walkie Talkie Case WAS $19.50

SALE $16.60 + SH

Volume IV

• Making a Pistol Holder • Making a Western Gun Belt • Making Shell Loops • Making a Detachable Shell Carrier • Making an Adjustable Rifle Sling with Shell Pouch WAS $17.00

SALE $14.50 + SH

PLUS

ave 15%

Volume V

• How to Make Rounds • Making a Rounded Throat Latch • Making a Mule Riding Bridle • Making a “Brollar” • Making a Team Breast Collar • Fast Facts WAS $22.00

SALE $18.70 + SH

Volume VI

• Collars, Couplers & Leashes, Part One & Part Two • Installing Spikes & Spots • Making Dog Harness • Making Dog Tracking Harness • Making a Dog Muzzle WAS $19.50

SALE $16.60 + SH

Volume VII

• Making a Leather Log Box • Making Leather Pockets for Billiard Table • Repairing a Leather Gun Case: New Straps & Handle • Replacing Trunk Handles • Rerigging a McClellan Saddle WAS $19.50

SALE $16.60 + SH

Volume VIII

• Making a Possible Bag for Black Powder Shooting • Restringing Bells • Making Leather Suspenders • Making Cow & Horse Hobbles • Making a Knife Sheath • Making a Double Bit Axe Sheath • Making a Single Bit Axe Sheath WAS $22.00

SALE $18.70 + SH

· Service Manuals · Instruction Manuals · Parts Lists

Visit www.proleptic.net for the list of manuals & prices or give us a call and we can mail you the information.

PROLEPTIC INC | P.O. Box 17817 Asheville, NC 28816 | P 828.505.8474 | F 828.505.8476 shoptalk@proleptic.net | www.proleptic.net SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 57

CLASSIFIEDS 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) 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.

SHOP LIQUIDATION: Selling high quality harness and saddle making tools and equipment. Too much to list.

Manitoba, Canada. Contact: amalt5@yahoo.com or (204) 444-3465.

WESTERN COLLECTIBLE AUCTION, 9 am--Sat., Jan 9th, 2016. Apx. 150 saddles to include old hi-backs, loop seats, military, sterling silver show saddles, and more.

Apx. 500 old bits and spurs of all kinds. Also old saddle, bit, and spur catalogs. Sellers: Wagler’s Leather Shop, 20273 County Road 201, Bogart, MO 64622. Auctioneer: Ed Norris at (417) 296-3950.

BOOT & SHOE 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.

LEATHER MACHINERY FOR SALE: Champion 6” hand crank splitter good condition. Landis Model 14 lap skiver good condition. Champion 5-in-1 excellent condition.

New 8” hand crank splitter. New needle bar and nut for Landis, Union Lock, Randall, Pearson, and more.

Contact: Landis Sales & Service, 115 E County Road 500 N, Arthur, IL 61911, (217) 543-3464.

58 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

The “Word of the Day” is: bumptious

HORSE TONIC r!

eale ’s A H

It

Good For • Muscle • Joints • Kidneys • Arthritis • The Stifle • Founder

Feed one teaspoon two times a day.

28 day supply - 3/4 pound $24.50 plus $5 shipping $7 shipping for two containers

SAM TROYERS 130 Deckard Rd. Bidwell, OH 45614

Save 15% HURRY!! SALE ENDS 11/30/2015 Cowboy Boots

Dictionary of Leatherworking Tools c. 1700-1950

by Tyler Beard with photos by Jim Arndt: paperback, 320 pp.

By the same duo that did the original Cowboy Boot Book and then Art of the Boot. This effort is every bit as good.

A must for boot collectors & boot lovers. Note: This book measures 6” x 6”. 500 color photos. Was $15.95

and the Tools of the Allied Trades by R. A. Salaman: paperback, 350+ pp. Useful information for harness and saddlemakers, shoe and boot makers, hat and glove makers, book binders and more. The most complete leather-working tool reference available.

Was $37.50

SALE PRICE: $13.55 English Saddle Repair

SALE PRICE: $31.90

• Disassembling the Saddle • Replacing Billets • Fixing a Broken Tree • Sewing on Panels • And More Repairs You Can Do Was $21.50 52 pp.

Artistic Leather of the Arts and Crafts Era

By Daniel Lees, 272 pp. Hardback. Historical information on individual artists and manufacturers. Includes 540 color photos of leather objects made from 1900-1929. Was $69.00

SALE PRICE: $18.30

SALE PRICE: $58.65

United States Military Saddle

Encyclopedia of Knots and Fancy Rope Work

by Randy Steffen: paperback, 158 pp. Traces the development of the McClellan saddle.

Covers all models and variations. Great reference book. Was $24.95

By Raoul Graumont and John Hensel, 4th edition, hard cover, 689 pp. This is the reference for any and all knots that have ever been tied on land or sea. Splicing also discussed.

SALE PRICE: $21.20

Was $39.95

Cowboy Collectibles & Western Memorabilia

The Business of Saddle Making

by Pete Gorrell: paperback, 58 pp. Includes: pricing; retail vs. wholesale; figuring cost; market strategy; work sheets. Was $12.50

with Revised Price Guide by Robert W.D. Ball & Ed Vebell: soft cover, 157 pp. Color throughout. Find artifacts essential to life in the Old West. Cover rifles, pistols, saddles, clothing, boots, hats and gun rigs. A wonderful book that makes the era come alive! Was $29.95

SALE PRICE: $10.65 Buckaroo Boots

SALE PRICE: $25.45

Hardcover. 128pp. Color 7 1/4” x 7 1/4” Boots and the kids who wear them. Plain • Fancy • and Really Cute Was $14.95

Saddles

by Russell H. Beatie, hard cover, 391 pp. An eclectic & interesting collection of information about saddles of all types, past and present. Discusses the history and development of each part of the saddle. Evolution of saddles is traced from prehistoric times to present. Sidesaddles also featured along with English and American Cavalry saddles.

Photos are generally poor quality but are plentiful & depict interesting & unique historical saddles and other riding accessories. Was: $75

SALE PRICE: $63.75

SALE PRICE: $33.95

SALE PRICE: $12.75 Making a Halter/Bridle:

A Step-by-Step Guide

36 pp. Was $22.50

SALE PRICE: $19.15

Ph 828.505.8474 Fax 828.505.8476 P.O. Box 17817 shoptalk@proleptic.net Asheville, NC 28816 www.proleptic.net

PROLEPTIC, Inc.

e v a S % 15

Basic Leathercrafting Soft cover; 184 pp., Basic leathecrafting, perfect for beginners. Dozens of color pictures. Step- by-step instructions. Was $24.95

SALE PRICE: $21.10

Book Sale

SHOP TALK! NOVEMBER 2015 59

ADVERTISERS INDEX American Leather Direct...........................4 Beiler’s Mfg. & Supply..............................10 BioThane.............................................. 20, 27 Bogle Greenwell Machinery Corp.........43 Bowden Saddle Tree.................................51 Brayer............................................................45 Brodhead Collar Shop..............................43 Buckeye Blanket........................................49 Buckeye Engraving...................................22 Buckle Barn USA........................................49 Buggy Builder’s Bulletin..........................54 Campbell-Randall......................................34 Center Square............................................51 Champion Halters.....................................51 Chino Tack...................................................22 Chris Herschberger..................................43 Chupp Blacksmith Shop.........................21 Chupp Brothers Wholesale....................35 Coblentz Collar...........................................16 Danny Marlin Knives.................................22 E.C. Leather.................................................53 Fairview Country Sales...........................38 Fiebing Leather..........................................26 Fine Tool Journal........................................45 Gfeller Casemakers, Inc..........................43 Goliger Leather Co....................................54 Hadlock & Fox Mfg. Co............................45 Hansen Western Gear..................... 26, 50 Hastilow ......................................................26

Hermann Oak..............................................48 Hide House..................................................53 Hillside Harness Hardware.....back cover International Sheepskin.........................53 IHS ELP, LLC................................................15 Kalico Products..........................................10 Kelly-Larson Sales....................................26 Keystone Leather.....................................11 Landis Sales & Service...........................53 Leather Crafters Journal........................58 Leather Machine Co., Inc., The................... ...........................................inside back cover Leather Unlimited.....................................45 Ludwig & Marglin Leather.......................47 Mark Staton................................................45 Maverick Leather......................................44 Mid-River Sales..........................................13 Milton Sokol................................................42 Mud Creek Leather...................................16 Mules and More, Inc.................................16 N & A Harness Shop.................................52 Nettles.........................................................11 Ohio Plastics Belting Co.........................21 Ohio Travel Bag...........................................15 Perfectex Plus LLC...................................11 Precision Saddle Tree................................... 8 Proleptic........................................................................ ..................inside front cover, 30, 39, 40, 57, 59 RJF Leather.................................................13

Raphael Sewing Machine/TechSew................ .....................................................12, back cover Renia................................................................6 Rural Heritage............................................15 Sam Troyer...................................................58 Schwarz Productions...............................14 Sew What....................................................31 Shelton-Reynolds, Inc.............................47 Shetler’s Collar Shop...............................22 ShoTan..........................................................54 Small Farmer’s Journal............................54 Smoke & Fire Co........................................43 Southstar Supply......................................12 Sorrell Notions..............................................9 Springfield Leather...................................33 Steel Stamps, Inc........................................9 Sun Bias, Inc................................................13 Sweat Pad Shop................................ 14, 49 TechSew/Rapheal Sewing Machine.......... ...................................................... 12, back cover Texas Custom Dies...................................31 Toledo Sewing...............................................1 Wayne Jueschke.......................................14 Weaver Leather................................. 37, 54 WESA............................................................28 Western Mule.............................................21 Wickett & Craig..........................................17

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Inserts

Deadline for advertising copy is the 5th of the month prior to the month of publication. Invoices are due upon receipt. 6 or 12-month prepaid advertising contracts receive a 5% discount.

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Shop Talk! published by Proleptic, Inc. P.O. Box 17817 Asheville, NC 28816 (828) 505-8474 shoptalk@proleptic.net www.proleptic.net 60 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

Full Page $485.00 Half Page $271.00 Quarter Page $147.00 Eighth Page $78.00 (Color and guaranteed placement additional)

Setup Charge

$60 per hour with a $18 minimum.

Line art may be inserted at no additional charge. $10 per photo.

$399 for one page­— Maximum trim size: 8-1/4” X 10-3/4” $45 each additional page.

Event flyers must be inserted 60 days in advance. All inserts must be shipped directly to printer.

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.

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61 NOVEMBER 2015 SHOP TALK!

NOVEMBER 2015 P.O. BOX 17817, ASHEVILLE, NC 28816

Check your renewal date today!

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Distributors of Quality Hardware & Supplies for the Harness, Tack, Saddlery, and Pet Industries

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We manufacture our own line of leather riding and training tack.

We also do custom leather and nylon work.

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