St august 2015

The Leather Retailers' and Manufacturers' Journal

August 2015

Shop Talk! with Boot and Shoe News

Inside:

Auburn Leather Takes On The World News From Hermann Oak | Hide Report | Paul Taylor Sandals Leather Unlimited 45th | Summer Reading

Since 1984

www.proleptic.net

$6.50

SKIRTING • HARNESS • LATIGO • HOLSTER • RAWHIDE • TOOLING

Hermann Oak Russet Skirting Leather Carves Like Butter and Stamps to an Incredible Depth The unique color, the way it oils so evenly, the clean flesh, firmness and its excellent yield give your work a uniqueness like no other.

Our leather is crafted to last a lifetime. Your work of art will keep its body and beauty long after others sag and fade.

Hermann Oak Leather is the last of the Vegetable Tanners using the original traditional tanning methods. Made in the USA with US steer hides.

Saddle Crafted by Aurélie Jouan AAJ’s French Western Saddlery

For wholesale service call, 1-800-325-7950 • Or, call the dealer nearest to you.

Bowden Leather Company El Paso, TX 915-877-1557

Oregon Leather Company Portland, OR 503-228-4105

Buckskin Fur & Leather Co. Calgary, Alberta T2H 1J2 888-723-0806

Craft & Company Ltd. Suginami-ku, Tokyo, Japan 011-81-3-3393-2222

Goliger Leather Company Ventura, CA 800-423-2329

Panhandle Leather Company Amarillo, TX 806-373-0535

Birdsall Leather Botany, NSW, Australia 011-612-9316-6299

Star Trading Co. Maniwa, Japan 011-81-8-6742-8004

Hide & Leather House, Inc. Napa, CA 94559 707-255-6160

Sheridan Leather Outfitters Sheridan, WY 888-803-3030

Logis de Cordes Firminy, France 33-04-7761-1916

Kyoshin Elle & Co., LTD Taito-Ku, Tokyo, Japan 011-81-3-3866-3221

Montana Leather Company Billings, MT 406-245-1660

Weaver Leather, Inc Mt Hope, OH 800-WEAVER-1

Toowoomba Saddlery Toowoomba, Qsld, Australia 011-617-4633-1855

St. Louis, MO-Since 1881

What Legends Are Made Of www.hermannoakleather.com

$2,795 COMPLETE

Shop Talk! |

The Leather Retailers’ and Manufacturers’ Journal

with Boot & Shoe News

Shop Talk!

June 2015

Hide Report 6

The Leather Retailers' and Manufacturers' Journal

With Boot and Shoe News

Little's BOOTS

Celebrates

Laugh Lines 12 Boot & Shoe News 14 News, Notes & Queries 41

Pg. 15

Years 1915 - 2015

Since 1984

www.proleptic.net

$6.50

Read Shop Talk!

Online with links to advertisers and online information www.proleptic.net ShopTalkLeatherMagazine

Classifieds 58

Paul Taylor Sandals......................15 Leather Unlimited.........................22 News in Brief...............................27 Leather Worker of the Month.........30 Auburn Takes on the World...........32 Summer Reading..........................46 Goods & Services.........................54

Shop Talk!

published by Proleptic, Inc. P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816 Ph (828) 505-8474 | Fax (828) 505-8476 www.proleptic.net

Pg. 32 Cover: Danny Rager on left and Anthony Norman on right, employees of Auburn Leather Co.

Shop Talk! is published monthly (ISSN 1547-0121) by Proleptic, Inc. Subscription rates are $36 annually, $39 (US) for Canada and Mexico, and $54 (US) for all other countries. Shop Talk! is the official monthly publication of the Saddle, Harness, and Allied Trades Association (SHATA). SHATA members receive a $4 discount on annual subscriptions. For more information on subscriptions, advertising rates, or SHATA membership, contact us at (828) 505-8474 or www.proleptic.net

MADE IN USA

For free catalog please contact us: 125 Jersey St. Harrison NJ 07029 Phone: 973-483-3232AUGUST 2015 | 5 Shop Talk!

Email: cso@csosborne.com www.csosborneleathertools.com

your global perspective

The Hide Report

Prices continue to go down, down, down. For example, a year ago Heavy Native Steers sold for $118-119.

In June, they sold for $107-109, and in early July they were selling for $90-92. Maybe it’s time that leather prices followed suit!

The following articles originally appeared on www.hidenet.com, the leading source for news about the global hide and leather markets. The information is dated from early July 2015. Enjoy. This is the fifth issue in which we’ve reported a decline in the price of hides.

Leather Pilot Project Assesses Italian Data Gustavo Gonzalez Quijano, CONTANCE general secretray, thanked UNIC, the Italian tanning industry association, for gathering and supplying data on leather production in Italy for the Leather Pilot project that is currently taking place in Europe.

One goal is to convince the European Commission to confirm leather as a “green product,” but first the carbon footprint of leather has to be calculated. This has to be done with three other sectors related to the cattle industry: meat, dairy, and pet food.

Tanners exported 19.7 million square meters of finished leather with a value of just over $450 million US, a decline of more than 25% in volume and of 9.5% in value.

Exports of finished products— including garments and gloves, but excluding footwear— earned almost $550 million US, a decline of 4.4%. Leather footwear manufacturers exported 12.7 million pairs with a

“Primary data on leather production has been collected in Italy and is now being analyzed to see how representative it is. This requires demonstrating that tanning processes and technologies are the same in Italy as in other countries,” said Gonzalez Quijano.

The EU Leather Pilot will use Italy’s data to model worldwide production, but he also said that input from the industry in other countries is needed to define Europe’s situation and to demonstrate that tanning technology and processes are the same worldwide. He appealed for information, particularly from tanners in Spain, France, Germany, Portugal, Brazil, India, and Turkey, guaranteeing that no commercially sensitive information will be shared.

Pakistan Declined in Leather Exports Pakistan’s leather sector registered export values of just over $1.1 billion US in the first eleven months of the fiscal year that just ended, representing a decline of 5% compared to the same in the previous fiscal year.

6 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

GENUINE New from Juki

JAPANESE MACHINES

New from Juki

$2,995

$5,500

LU-2"8Th1ro0at

NEW 13 /2" thick Sews over 1 hread Up to T207 T

$3,950 Cylinder Arm

$6,500 Cylinder Arm

PLC-2710

NEW 13" Thro at Sews Over 1 /2" Thick Up to T207 T hread

$2,750

TSC-441

Flatbed

16" Throat Sews Up to 7/8" Thick Up to T415 Thread

MADE IN JAPAN

LS-1h3ro4at1

10" T /2" Thick Sews Up to 1 hread Up to T207 T

LU-1508NH

10" Throat Sews Up to 1 /2" Thick Up to T207 T hread

Nick-O Sewing Machine, LLC

www.Nickosew.com • 7745 Hwy 76 S • Stanton, TN 38069 1-800-526-4256 • ph (731)779-9963 • fax (731) 779-9965 Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 7

combined value of $120.3 million US. This indicates a fallen volume of 10.9% and increase the value of 11.9%.

Vietnam’s Footwear Tops Brazil Market Vietnam has become the largest footwear exporter to Brazil, accounting for 52.8% of that country’s market share. Vietnam exported $335.66 million US worth of footwear to Brazil last year, the Industrial and Trade Information Centre said, beating Indonesia, China, and Paraguay.

distributors from the high point-based accounting and consulting firm Smith Leonard. . . .

Year-to-date, shipments rose 7% over the same period a year ago, down slightly from the 8% reported for March. “Last year through April, shipments were up 6% so the 7% gain this year remained very positive,” Smith Leonard managing partner Ken Smith said in the report. Backlogs fell slightly from March but were up 7% over April 2014.

Digital Luxury Market Predicted to Triple by 2025

During 2010-14, Vietnam’s footwear exports to Brazil recorded annual growth of 26%. The country exported footwear worth $86.90 million US to Brazil by the end of the first quarter of 2015.

“Digital is a must for luxury growth,” said Nathalie Remy, partner at McKinsey & Co. this according to the latest study conducted on e-commerce in the luxury market by the global consulting firm.

The leather and footwear industries achieved a year-on-year increase of 24.8% in output to touch 130.7 million pairs of footwear, and a 19.5% rise in the export value of footwear to reach $4.6 million US during the first five months of 2015, said the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The sector is expected to earn $13.5 billion US to $14 billion US in export turnover this year. . . .

The global consulting firm’s largest study on e-commerce in the luxury market found that online sales currently account for 6% of total sales in the sector, or €14 billion, equivalent to $15.51 billion US at current exchange. But by 2025, the study predicts that figure will triple to an average of 18%, or €70 billion or $77.59 billion US.

General Secretary of Lefasco [Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association], [Ms.] Phan Thi Thanh Xuan said the impending FTAs [free trade agreements] and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) would attract new investments to Vietnam’s leather and footwear industry. The agreements would promote remarkable growth in export turnover in the coming years, as the ensuing reduction in tariff barriers would make it easier for Vietnam to export large markets, she said.

April Furniture Orders Up 3%; Shipments Rise 5% New orders for furniture from retailers rose 3% in April compared with the same month last year, and furniture shipments were up 5% for the same period. That’s according to the latest Furniture Insights survey of residential furniture manufacturers and

Always Relevant 98 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

This growth will be primarily fueled by luxury brands’ own websites, accounting for 20% of sales, along with department stores, which are expected to provide an additional 18% of revenues. The smaller the brand, the more impact the Internet is going to have.

“We are feeling a real momentum in the market,” Remy said, although she added that some brands were warming up more quickly to the new sales channel than others.

“We know that luxury consumers are the most digital-savvy and most social-media active out there.

80% visit a social media platform at least once a month, 5% are doing it daily; two-in-three luxury shoppers are posting content at least once a month, 50% are doing so daily. . . .”

According to the study, the rewards are high. “Once a brand reaches the 6% mark, sales tend to explode, reaching on average 20% within five years,” Remy noted, citing Kate Spade with currently 23% as the front runner. . . .

“In general, the city store remains the number one touch point with the consumer, accounting for 80% of exposure, followed by fashion magazines with 66% and word of mouth at 50%,” she said, though she noted that these can vary depending on category and geography. “If you want to sell ready-to-wear in Italy, you’ll need magazines, apps, and CRM. If it’s watches and jewelry in China, you will depend on sponsored events, apps like WeChat, and cinema or TV ads,” she explained.

According to McKinsey, the “must win battles” can be reduced to five touch points: the city store, word-of-mouth, online search, the interaction with the salesperson, and the brand’s own website since three quarters of off-line sales are influenced by customers’ browsing on the Internet. . . .

A Fortune in Watch Bands: Atelier Du Bracelet Parisien (ABP) Creates Customized Leather “Leather craftsman, a time machine, zoo or travel agency” are all words that could be used to describe ABP. “Leather craftsman” because it specializes in the material. “A time machine” because it has been

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!

AUGUST 2015

| 9

certified a Living Heritage Company by the French state as its products are entirely handmade in its workshop-boutique in Paris according to centuries old traditional craftsmanship techniques, a luxury experience that is becoming increasingly rare. “A zoo and travel agency” because you can choose from a menagerie of animal skins— including alligator, lizard, emu, ostrich, llama, buffalo, kangaroo, calf, anaconda, cobra, python, Nile perch, and stingray— which will make you feel like you’ve gone on an around the world voyage.

ABP custom builds watch bands from A to Z, and countless elements may be personalized to ensure your strap is unique in the world: materials, textures, linings, designs, sizes, thicknesses, tannings, finishes, stitches, tip shapes, buckles, keepers, inserts, double or triple tours, straight cut or folded edge, notches, indents, imprints, the bespoke boring of holes and even the selection of the exact part of the skin that will be used. Experts in crafting readyto-wear and bespoke watch straps, ABP also performs revisions, repairs, engraving, and polishing on timepieces and sells new and secondhand watches, belts, bags, and other small leather goods.

ABP studies customer morphology to offer watch straps suited to individual needs. If you’re looking to take your watch underwater, apart from ABP’s waterproof technical, nylon, and rubber straps, check out its shark, natural seal, and rubberized straps which have undergone strong tanning processes and may be exposed to any depth. Its rubberized straps are strong as any rubber strap and available in five colors.

ABP is a story that stretches back for decades and spans two generations of the same family. JeanClaude Perrin, today known in the watch industry for having participated in the development and creation of two leading watch strap manufacturers that supply many prestigious Swiss watchmaking brands— Camille Fournet and Creations Jean-Claude Perrin— married Regine (niece of the founder of the Camille Fournet brand) in 1966. Both left their native Champagne region for Paris to work at Camille Fournet, where Jean-Claude became the manager.

The couple subsequently decided to launch their own company, Creations Jean-Claude Perrin, which they sold to an individual group two decades later.

After having worked in industrial production of luxury watch bands, John Claude then turned his attention

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

10 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

to handcrafted watch bands for individual customers, opening a small workshop-boutique in Paris in 1997, to which enthusiasts flocked to design their straps.

Today, the company remains human sized and has moved into larger premises where you will catch sight of craftsman at work in the open atelier. Its artisans are trained in leather craft and have at least five years’ experience in the trade, including strap making. There is leather from 50 different species available, up to 200 colors, 20 different thicknesses, 50 shapes, and 600 thread colors.

The most outrageous order ABP has ever received was for a strap in stingray with pearls, which cost €850 to craft, whereas the watch itself was priced at just €100. ABP spends the longest amount of time on technical prototypes because it has to try different ways to make the one shape that will fit the timepiece, which sometimes requires two to three days of work. The watch company subsequently approaches another strap maker to make the bracelets in 1,000 or more pieces. These proto-

Selection

Weight (lbs.)

types go for between €500 and €1000.

Iran to Hold 17th International Leather & Skin Fair The association of leather producers and exporters of the Iranian province of East Azerbaijan is making final preparations for the 17th International Leather Exhibition in the town of Tabriz, from July 29 until August 1. Exhibitors will represent the entire supply chain in the region.

Brazil A slight reduction in fresh Brazilian hides was confirmed in early July; however, the main important slaughterhouses kept their quotation on a high level considering the situation of current sales prices.

Packers’ reluctance to accept any lower bids is predicated upon their continuing a low rate of slaughter.

This is absolutely against the tanners, as selling prices in wet blues are falling every week and (with the exception of the automotive market) furniture, shoes, and small leather goods are finding lower worldwide demand especially in main markets like China and Italy.

May (early)

June (early)

July (early)

Price Last July (early)

Heavy Texas Steers

60-62

$85-86

$85-86

$70-72

$103-103.50

Heavy Texas Steers (Hvy)

70-72

$101-102

$90-91

$84-87

$102-103

Branded Steers

60-62

$84-85

$84-85

$69-71

$102-103

Branded Steers (Hvy)

70-72

$90-91

$90-91

$86-87

$113-114

Colorado Steers

60-62

$83-85

$82-83

$69-70

$100-102

Butt Branded Steers

60-62

$96-97

$93-95

$78-80

$106-107

Butt Branded Steers (Hvy)

70-72

$105-109

$100-105

$92-97

$117-118

Heavy Native Steers (Hvy)

70-72

$107-109

$107-109

$90-92

$118-119

Heavy Native Heifers

48-52

$76-78

$72-74

$65-66

$86-87

Branded Heifers

48-52

$73-74

$72-74

$59-64

$83-84

Heavy Native Cows

48-52

$65-66

$60-63

$52-55

$78-80

Branded Cows

48-52

$62-64

$57-62

$50-52

$66-68

Spready Dairy Cows

48-52

$75-77

$68-72

$63-66

$87-88

100-110

$77-79

$77-79

$69-72

$90-92

Native Bulls

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 11

Laugh Lines Insightful Insights without sunshine is *likeA day night.

*On the other hand, you have different fingers.

42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

Remember, half the people you know are below average.

Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

The early bird may get the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Support bacteria. They’re the only culture most people have.

A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

When everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.

Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?

What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, “What the heck happened?”

Light travels faster than sound. That’s why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

* * * * * *

* * * * * *

* * *

12 | AUGUST 2015

The Wisdom of Groucho Marx

“No, Groucho is not my real name. I’m breaking it in for a friend.”

“How do you feel about women’s rights? I like either side of them.”

“A child of five can understand this. Fetch me a child of five.”

“Marry me and I’ll never look at another horse!”

“If you find it hard to laugh at yourself, I would be happy to do it for you.”

“Marriage is the chief cause of divorce.”

“I never forget a face, but in your case I'd be glad to make an exception.”

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”

“I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.”

“I didn’t like the play, but then I saw it under adverse conditions— the curtain was up.”

H

ANSEN

WESTERN GEAR

Conchos Saddle Trim Hand Engraved Silver Products “For those who want the very best”

HansenSilver.com

209-847-7390

800-970-7391

Marie, Tim & Kelleigh Hansen

Oakdale, CA 95361 Shop Talk!

Sad But True --Girlfriends are like credit cards: you can’t get one unless you already have one.

--I’m not an optimist but hopefully one day I will be.

--An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing.

--It’s funny how the people who know the least about you always have the most to say.

--When you’re single, all you see are happy couples. When you’re committed, all you see are happy singles.

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 13

Boot & Shoe News

PEOPLE and PRODUCTS and PLACES

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.

Let Us Hear From You! We’d love to hear from more repair shops so why not drop us a line? Got a problem that you want to share? Maybe a new product that you just love and want to let other shops know about. Maybe a new finder.

So go ahead and drop us a line and thanks! Contact: Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net.

Crazy Big Tool Sale This October With over 1,300 lots, we certainly have something for EVERYONE regardless of the sort of work you

14 | AUGUST 2015

do. We have lovely antique pieces that would make any collector drool as well as just plain, good ole using tools that are priced to sell!

So stay tuned! Sale starts October 1.

ANPIC It’s the largest footwear and leather show in North America—ANPIC. It will take place this November 5-7 in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, at the Poliforum, right across from the Holiday Inn! It’s a great place to either exhibit or attend. You name it, they have it—everything from lasts to leather and every finished products and components. Vendors from around the world. Details at www.anpic.com.

Boot Contest is Back!

Once again there will be a Boot Contest at the Roundup in Wichita Falls, TX, Oct. 2-3. Mike Vaughn will once again coordinate this popular event. So you better get started! For all the details please contact Kathy Kimmel at Kimmel Boots, 2080 County Road 304, Comanche, TX 76442, (325) 356-3197, www.bootandsaddlemakertradeshow.com.

Shop Talk!

Paul Taylor Sandals: Passing On the Tradition of Custom Craftsmanship to A New Generation

by Virginia Perry Daffron, Staff Writer hese days, Evar Hecht works with stitchers, splitters, and punches, but, five years ago, the tools of his trade were the brush, ladder, and pail.

As the owner of a residential and commercial painting company, Evar used to spend his time overseeing crews and estimating contracts. But after the global financial crisis of 2008 dried up a lot of the painting work in Western North Carolina, Hecht turned his attention to finding a new way of working with his hands and serving customers.

Hecht, who has always appreciated well-made leather goods, got to know Paul and Valerie Taylor, the original proprietors of Paul Taylor Custom Sandals in Asheville, NC, through his wife Rebecca. Valerie was a faithful customer of Rebecca's downtown salon, Adorn, and the two women had engineered a number of trades

Bogle Greenwell Machinery Corp.

Since 1953

3100 E. Main, Grand Prairie, TX 75050 (972) 262-8652 or (972) 262-3101 Fax (972) 262-3251 Leather Machinery, Dies & Supplies Representatives & Distributors for:

Indusco Acme Staple Co. Adler America Inc. Chandler Machine Co. Manufacturers Supplies Co. Campbell Bosworth Machinery Co.

Consolidated Sewing Machine Corp.

Randall Leather Machine Corp.

Quick Roll Leaf Mfg. Co., Inc. Fortuna Machine Co. Jado Machine Co. Juki AmericaSinger Machine Co.

Hudson Machine Co. Western Supplies Co. Schaefer Machine Company, Inc. Ferd, Schmetz Needle Corp.

New England Needles Inc. Pfaff Pegasus of USA, Inc. & many more

Sale or Lease of New & Used Machinery www.boglegreenwell.com

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 15

of styling services for leather items. When Paul and Valerie began to think of retirement, Evar approached the couple about an apprenticeship.

The World's Finest Sandals Paul Taylor's sandal making career owed its beginnings to chance. Walking one day in New York City's Greenwich Village, Paul happened to stop in at a sandal making shop and found himself fascinated by the work. He hung around the shop for a few months, helping out, and learning. When Paul left New York for Michigan, he took his newfound passion for working with leather with him.

As he developed his skills and practiced his trade at craft fairs, leather shops, and his own business, he slowly narrowed his focus to specialize in making sandals and belts. In 1995, Paul and Valerie relocated to Asheville, NC and established their shop on Wall Street, one of the city's charming pedestrian shopping areas.

After a two-year apprenticeship, during which he learned Paul's designs and methods, Evar took over the business in 2011. Now in his third year of ownership, he remains faithful to Paul's labor intensive process. It takes eight to ten hours to construct one pair of sandals, using vintage machinery, and traditional methods. All cutting, punching, and assembly is done by hand. Sandals can take between two to six weeks from order to delivery, and prices start at $300 per pair.

Because every pair is a truly custom creation, a wide range of preferences and orthopedic concerns can be addressed.

16 | AUGUST 2015

Not being a podiatrist, Evar doesn't diagnose foot defects or suggest treatments. What he does do is listen carefully to each customer's concerns. He examines customers' specialized orthotic devices and suggests ways to address diagnosed foot issues through a sandal's design and construction.

Some of the features his shop often incorporates into custom sandals include heel cups for plantar fasciitis, orthopedic arches to counteract overand under-pronation, shims, lifts, customized toe spring and metatarsal bumps for hammertoes.

Paul Taylor Sandals have accommodated some of the biggest and widest feet around, up to a man's size 21 and a width of EEEEEE. For customers with two different sized or shaped feet, the left and right can be made to the customer's exact measurements.

Even for customers without significant foot issues, Evar and his team meticulously measure the foot and the precise position of the arch for the perfect individualized fit.

Evar has noticed a surge in the popularity of leather soles with the rise of the “earthing” move-

Beiler’s Mfg. & Supply Manufacturing address 290 S. Groffdale Rd. Leola, PA 17540 (717) 656-2179

Main Office & Warehouse 3025 Irishtown Rd. Ronks, PA 17540 (717) 768-0174

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.

Shop Talk!

ment. The theory to get the perfect fit. If a behind earthing, also customer isn't satisfied called grounding, after every option has is that contact with been exhausted, Evar energy from the refunds the purchase Earth contributes to price. “I want people to a healthy life. Reconbe happy with the fit and necting with the earth's feel of their sandals. If I energy by removing can't make them happy, synthetic or non-conI give them their money ductive materials from back—simple as that,” he the soles of shoes explains. Out of the 200 is thought to benefit to 300 pairs of sandals health and well-being. the shop makes every In addition to leather year, only a handful are soles (with leather or returned.

Evar Hecht with a display of Paul Taylor sandals and belt Vibram heels), Paul buckles with state themes.

Taylor Sandals are When a customer has a also available with full perfect shoe, they want it crepe or Vibram soles. to last, and Paul Taylor Sandals deliver outstanding durability. The shop also offers a full range of Paul Taylor Sandals come with a two-year unconrepair and rebuilding services. Evar sees sandals ditional guarantee for fit, comfort, and wear. Evar that have been in use for six to ten years come in will work with a customer for as long as it takes for resoling or perhaps a new strap. Older san-

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 17

Another leather source Evar has recently begun exploring is the surplus leather inventory of North Carolina's furniture industry since furniture manufacturers must buy in large quantities and end up with surplus leather. With the furniture manufacturing region just a short drive away, Evar can personally visit the surplus inventory warehouses and inspect the hides to select those most appropriate to his products. He and his wife have been developing a new line of baby shoes that utilize some of these high quality, brightly colored surplus leathers. dals, including some that date from Paul Taylor's earliest years in Asheville, can be completely rebuilt with new straps and soles. Evar says that the shop performs three to five repairs per week, making a Paul Taylor Sandal the opposite of a disposable product.

It All Starts with the Hides Evar sources two types of leather for sandal making, both tanned in the USA. For the footbeds, he uses a heavy 15 oz. hide from Hermann Oak Leather of St. Louis. For straps, he depends on a vegetable tanned Ruffian from Horween Leathers of Chicago. Evar tries to order hides three months in advance since market conditions beyond the control of the tanneries give him reason to worry that he will run short of the top quality hides he requires. A resurgence in the domestic tanning industry would be a great thing for Evar's peace of mind—and he would be especially glad for a tannery located in the Southeast. “We try to source our supplies as close to our shop as possible,” he explains.

18 | AUGUST 2015

Belts and Buckles High quality belts have been a popular offering throughout Paul Taylor Sandals' history, and demand continues to grow. “It's nearly impossible to find a leather belt that will look good and wear well in a regular retail clothing store these days,” says Evar. “After a year, the leather will start cracking, the stitching will come undone or the finish will start wearing off the buckle. Customers want something that will last.”

Shop Talk!

Evar's shop offers men's and women's belts made to order in a variety of colors and widths. With a high quality brass buckle, the belts are priced around $75. But that's just the tip of the iceberg: Evar stocks a dizzying array of over 5,000 new and vintage belt buckles in an array of metals, sizes, themes, and prices. Where do they come from? Anywhere and everywhere: Evar buys collections and individual buckles from antique dealers, sales, artisans, collectors, and just regular folks who have heard that the shop purchases one-of-a-kind buckles.

Like many businesses, Paul Taylor Sandals is actively working to expand its online sales capabilities, and it will soon be listing and selling its extensive stock of buckles online through its own website and Etsy.

Taking Care of Business From Thursday through Sunday, you can find Evar in his shop helping customers, talking about leather, coaching apprentices, and just generally

DOUBLE K LEATHER SALES, LLC

OPTIONS.

k-k

205 N. MAIN, ST. CHARLES, MO. 63301 OFFICE: 636-493-1833 • Toll-Free: 888-263-5277 FAX: 636-493-1825 • sales@doublekleather.com VISIT Our New webSITe

www.doublekleather.com Daily Specials Hide OPTIONS U.S. Heavy Native Steer (U.S. or South American) Leather OPTIONS

Custommade Knives & Tools for Leatherworkers

■ New Handles Danny Repair ■◉Sharpen Round Knives ◉ Stitch Groovers Marlin ◉ Custommade Tools Knives ◉ Bench Knives

(254) 842- 5405

◉ Stock Tools ◉ Old Blades Reshaped

1550 County Road 207 ■ Blanket, TX 76432

Skirting • Latigo • Harness • Strap Craft Sides • Double Shoulders • Double Butts Dossets • Veg Bellies • Suede • Chap • Oil Tans Top Grain • Full Grain 3/4 oz (10 Colors) • Motorcycle Saddlebag 7oz Black • Exotic Prints Imitation Golden Fleece • Hair On Cowhides • BioThane (coated webbing) •

Double K Leather Sales Warehouse Locations: Atchison, Kansas • Houston, Texas St. Charles, Missouri

You have OPTIONS with Double K Leather

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 19

running his very lively show. Two days a week, he works in his 1,000-square-foot home workshop making sandals. The workshop is where Evar keeps some of his treasured vintage equipment, such as his Landis K stitcher, without which his shoe making process would not be possible.

These days, with sandals, belt buckles, and leather goods sales making up roughly equal portions of Paul Taylor Sandals' net revenue, Evar is actively exploring ways to grow his business.

Online sandal ordering is already an option, with fitting kits available by mail, supplemented by email or telephone consultation. Evar would like to add sandal fitting stations to his business model.

Footwear sales staff at a complementary retailer would be trained by Evar to measure and advise the customer. The custom sandals would be made in Asheville and delivered to the customer either by mail or through the original retailer.

Evar enjoys consulting with orthopedists and podiatrists and welcomes inquiries about making custom footwear to accommodate challenging needs and conditions.

20 | AUGUST 2015

Paul Taylor Sandals in action.

Asheville is home to some large and popular craft fairs and festivals, such as the Big Crafty and the Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands, and Evar would like to expand his presence at these events.

He finds that, on weekends when big shows are in town, his walk-in business is reduced since visitors interested in handmade goods are attracted to

Shop Talk!

the large craft events. At one street fair last year, Paul Taylor Sandals offered a “make your own cuff” station, using end cuts from belts. The shop provided stamps and punches as well as setting snaps to fasten the cuffs. Evar says that customer response was enthusiastic, and he looks forward to repeating the activity again this year.

In addition to expanding distribution and awareness of Paul Taylor Sandals' products, Evar and Rebecca are actively developing new leather products such as baby shoes, bags, and jewelry.

As the business grows, the couple hopes to train more new leather artisans and to restore some of the manufacturing employment which has slowly left the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Though he estimates that only twenty to thirty handmade belt shops and fewer than ten custom sandal stores remain in the U.S. today, Evar is convinced that the market exists for durable, local, healthy, and high quality leather products.

the opportunity to learn and perpetuate a tradition of fine craftsmanship and custom made goods. He doesn't plan on returning to his ladder and brushes anytime soon.

Paul Taylor Custom Sandals & Belts 12 Wall St. Asheville, NC Open daily, noon to 6 p.m.

(828) 251-0057 www.paultaylorsandals.com

While the economic crisis that propelled him into the leather business was tough, Evar is grateful for

SUN BIAS, INC.

INDUSTRIAL SEWING SERVICES 1718 N. 1ST. STREET ** MILWAUKEE, WI. 53212 Serving the needle trades 90 years.

POLYPROPYLENE WEBBING Firsts & Seconds. 28 colors on Firsts 59/60” NYLON FABRICS Firsts & Seconds Urethane Coated. 60 colors on 1000-Denier & many other fabrics.

HOOK & LOOP Sew on 1/4” to 6”, some widths in 35 colors.

P. S. (Stick on) 5/8”-5” Rubber & Acrylic.

SPECIAL Hook/Loop. Call for prices

Easy • Effective • Affordable All leather needs to be conditioned. Left untreated, leather will dry out, flake & crack.

Once this happens, it cannot be repaired. The choice is simple: If you have leather, you need Pecard Leather Care.

Condition • Protect • Preserve • Restore MADE IN THE ®

WWW.PECARD.COM

USA

ELASTICS Woven H D 1” thru 3” & Ex H D, also knitted & braided types.

PLASTIC & METAL HARDWARE for webbing & miscellaneous items Grommets Washers 3 colors & Snaps 39 cap colors.

Firewood Bundle Webbing Handles Automated Hot/Sear Cutting on webbing, Elastics and Hook & Loop. For no-fray ends use Hot cutting on webbing for belt tip ends.

2-1/4” Electric Webbing & Rope Cutters for cut it yourself.

Self-Locking Nylon Ties (Cable Ties) 4” thru 15”.

BIAS or STRAIGHT CUT fabric binding tape slitting SINGLE & DOUBLE folded Bias Tapes * 200+ colors.

CORD EDGE PIPING 200+ colors & Asst. Cord Fillers for horse blankets.

Up to 200 Catalog color pages available.

Save paper order as needed from our catalog index pages and the latest changes by e-mail in the same day to sales@sunbias.com (or USPS mail takes longer) TOLL FREE NATION WIDE 1-800-425-4747 • FAX 1-414-265-5353

MOST IN STOCK MATERIALS ARE SHIPPED WITHIN 24 HOURS. MASTER CARD,*VISA,*DISCOVER & E-CHECKS

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 21

CELEBRATING 45 YEARS

Leather Unlimited has built a strong market backbone by attracting a broad customer base and creating online capacity

by Lynn Ascrizzi, Staff Writer

A lot has changed since Joe O’Connell launched Leather Unlimited in his parents’ garage in Milwaukee, WI. That was 1970, before the world leapt into the digital age and computers and the Internet revolutionized the way we do business.

Today, his company is housed in three buildings that total 20,000 square feet, all situated on six acres of land in Belgium, WI, a small town located about 30 miles north of Milwaukee.

The family enterprise offers a wide variety of leathers, pelts, and furs and a diverse assortment of leather related products such as tools, dyes dressings, craft supplies, finished handbags, wallets, jackets, belts, and more. “We probably have the biggest assortment of leather, anywhere — pig skin, hair on hides, calfskin, buffalo, deer, elk. We also handle exotic leathers like rattlesnake or python,” O’Connell said.

customer base. Their 2015 catalog, published this past spring, had a print run of 50,000. Yet, these days, more than 50% of their business stems from online sales. “About five years ago, it was only 30%,” he said.

Making creative use of the Internet has boosted profits. “The last three years, our volume has gone up modestly, but our profit has gone up on a much better scale. We do things smarter. We don’t do such a large print catalog mailing. At one time, we were printing 300,000 to 400,000 catalogs. We use the

The company also operates a tool and die shop where they manufacture steel clicker dies using pre-sharpened steel from Germany. And they do some leather cutting for customers.

“We’ve got just about everything covered which is why the business is called Leather Unlimited,” he said.

This year marks the company’s 45th anniversary.

“We’ll probably have an anniversary week,” he noted.

“Look for late summer sales.”

The company’s annual, full-color, 92-page print and online catalog has greatly contributed to its broad 22 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

A view of one of the three buildings owned by Leather Unlimited, set on six acres in Belgium, WI, a small town about thirty miles north of Milwaukee.

“You have to understand how to buy leather. It is a global market today, and if you do business on that level, you have to think on that level.”

— Joe O’Connell, President, Leather Unlimited

Internet a lot more. And we’re very careful before we buy. We have to have a margin—buy something at a good profit. I like to at least double my costs,” he said.

Another valuable digital tool is their weekly e-newsletter that features products and sale items. Folks who make a purchase automatically get put on the mailing list, and there’s also a place to sign-up for the free newsletter at their website home page. (http:// www.leatherunltd.com/) “When we put out a newsletter, we get more visits to our website, and there’s a bump in sales,” he said.

O’Connell embodies the long perspective of someone who has run a successful business for decades. A common thread in his discussions about business is

how much the company has gained from mining the vast, growing potential of the Internet.

In the early days, their catalog was put together using the tedious paste-up method. Now, its entire setup is done on computer, saving time, number of employees needed to do the job, and money.

O’Connell feels rewarded that he jumped on the Web very early, in 1980. At that time, it cost the company a whopping $25,000 a month to lease a mini-computer. Despite the big overhead, the desktop technology enabled the business to handle all of its billing, mailing list, and inventory.

Then, about twelve years ago, he opted to move the

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 Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 23

business to the Internet, as well as keep the print catalog. It wasn’t easy. “The Internet was new, and it was difficult to get a start with your business online.

Today, the small business can compete successfully with larger businesses. Everything is digital, and it is much easier to put together a catalog.”

the craftsman who doesn’t have the wherewithal to buy large amounts,” O’Connell said.

By helping folks to buy the leather size they needed, his customer base grew to include many different users of leather—college and high school students, “The last three years, our volume has people in prison craft progone up modestly, but our profit has grams, independent craftgone up on a much better scale. We speople, and youth groups involved in leather crafting, do things smarter. We don’t do such such as the Boy Scouts, Girl a large catalog mailing. We use the Scouts or 4-H.

Also, the proliferation of relatively inexpensive, user-friendly, high quality cameras has cut production costs. “We do all our catalog Internet a lot more. And, we’re very photos in-house, now, rather careful before we buy.” than hire a photographer.

“I would get referrals from We use the same photos for tanneries that did not want — Joe O’Connell, President, Leather Unlimited the Web. Today, you can take to sell one or two hides. a great product photo with Leather Unlimited was an iPhone 6. You have to set up a staged area, a trimore than happy to sell small orders of leather to pod and other equipment, such as a photo light tent anybody who was interested in buying leather or to get the right lighting. And you need someone who craft supplies,” he said. can do basic [Adobe] Photoshop,” he said.

Vegetable tanned cowhide, used for tooling, molding Computers and the Net did more than spring a revoor stamping, makes up about 35 % of the leather they lution. To O’Connell, the new technology helped foster the company’s evolution. “Our business evolved from a leather jobber business, which we still do, to a catalog business, with thousands of people on our mailing list requesting a catalog and looking for leather and leather products,” he said.

Chap, Saddle & Tooling Leather!

SIZE IS NOT AN ISSUE One of the signature features of Leather Unlimited is that the company sets no size limit on buying leather.

“Early on, we offered not only whole hides, which are expensive, but also half hides and piece leather for

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

24 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

sell today. About 25 % of sales are softer, chrome tanned leathers. Roughly 20 % of sales is upholstery leather, largely used by the automotive and furniture industries.

“We take the same leather and sell it to the crafts segment and smaller manufacturers. For instance, a craftsman might take furniture leather and turn it into handbags,” he said.

Other products, like coyote, wolf, fox and bear furs, deerskin and elk hides, lining leathers, exotic leathers and harness leathers, make up the balance. “The furs go to the ‘black powder’ trade, used by re-enactors who make knives, axes and the like. It’s a whole, hobby interest group. They love leather,” he said.

For do-it-yourselfers, the company provides tanning kits that contain oils traditionally used by trappers.

Specific types of oil are used on different animal skins. “One tanning kit will tan two deer, one elk, or equivalent smaller skins,” he said.

In dollar amounts, manufacturers are their biggest customers, a segment that represents 30 % of their business. The other 70 % consists of smaller buyers, such as small manufacturers and institutions. “I also work with some companies called trading partners.

We sell leather to them, they create the finished products, and we buy them back. It’s a kind of barter.

We’re trading dollars for dollars,” he said.

Leather Unlimited exports leather to Canada and Mexico and sells containers of leather to China.

Leather is also imported from South America, Mexico, and a small amount from Europe. “We are able to sell large and small orders of leather on an international basis. International sales make up roughly 15 % of our sales. The rest is domestic. We often take leather in and re-grade it,” he said.

O’Connell keeps his eye on the big economic picture.

“You have to understand how to buy leather. It is a global market today, and, if you do business on that level, you have to think on that level. Some countries

Fox pelts at Leather Unlimited. Besides a wide assortment of leathers, LU also offers various kinds of pelts including coyote, bear, and wolf.

have specialties on certain leather, so it’s better to buy from those countries. Or, they may tan leather at a more competitive price. Some countries have better quality leather. I have to buy things as competitively and sharply as possible.”

All in all, U.S. hides remain high on his list. “American leather is some of the best leather in the world.

A lot of countries want American raw hides and also tanned hides. American leather has an edge with heavy leathers and cowhide,” he said.

Photos courtesy of Leather Unlimited.

“Today, the small business can compete successfully with larger businesses. It’s more cost effective to put our catalog online. . . . When we put out an e-newsletter, we get more visits to our website, and there’s a bump in sales.”

— Joe O’Connell, President, Leather Unlimited Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 25

Leather Unlimited: Looking Back

Moving the business from the city to the country turned out to be a fortuitous choice.

Today, Leather Unlimited has from six to ten employees, many of whom are women who have raised a family and are going back into the workforce.

“We have a profit-sharing program and we like to reward the employees so that they can benefit from a successful business.

I have had real good luck with the people here. I expect them to work on their own, and I look for people who are self-motivated and work without much supervision,” he said.

26 | AUGUST 2015

Oct. 1, 2015

Big “Crazy””Tool Sale Totally Crazy Low Prices• •Tools Books Equipment Hardware 

Saddle Trees Dies 

For about two years, the fledgling company worked out of a barn on the property. In 1980, they built a main building on the land and, ten years later added a second building to store leather and scrap leather.

Leather Unlimited Corporation 7155 Hwy. B P.O. Box L Belgium, WI 53004-0911 Phone: 1-920-994-9464 Fax: 1-920-994-4099 (open 24 hours) service@leatherunltd.com www.leatherunltd.com Customer service: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST, Mon. – Thurs.

Crazy Low Prices Crazy

Crazier & Crazier

100’s and 100’s of Stamps

Big Selection

Crazzyy!!Crazier!CCrraazziieesstt!

it,Youdon’tNeedit!• •Ifweain’tgot Proleptic, Inc. P.O. Box 17817 Asheville, NC 28816 828-505-8474 www.proleptic.net shoptalk@proleptic.net 

As he and his wife Patricia raised their family of four, the decision was made to find a permanent base for the business. “My mother-in-law worked in real estate, and she told me about a farm for sale near the northern edge of Ozaukee County, WI. We purchased the property’s twelve acres and relocated our business to Belgium, WI,” he said.

For more information:



Then, to broaden the business, he launched a mail order catalog, and, as it grew, he was soon selling to crafters, institutions, and manufacturers on a national basis.

Please note: special sales are being offered during the month of August in celebration of Leather Unlimited’s 45th anniversary.



“That’s how I got into the leather business and had many open doors to tanneries,” O’Connell said. Like his mentor, he started out as a jobber—buying and selling leather from a rented warehouse space in Milwaukee.

“Our business is still basically family operated. Our children worked in the business when they were going to school and to college. It taught them a good work ethic and an understanding of what it means to have your own family business.”



Joe O’Connell first learned the leather trade from a Jewish Hungarian immigrant named Leo Musicamp, an old jobber who sold leather and traveled from tannery to tannery. After working with him for one year, O’Connell bought his business which included some leather and all the tannery contacts.

Shop Talk!

Leather News from the West Lots going on in the Northwest according to several leather tradespeople who’ve shared their recent news with Shop Talk! Here’s a roundup.

Jennifer Fulford, Roving Reporter

Two saddle makers have retired in the last few years from Hamley & Co. in Pendleton, OR, one of the oldest, if not the oldest, Western retail stores in the Northwest.

Alan Dewey, known for his intricate tooling, has moved to Hooper, WA, and is helping out on a cattle ranch. He’s also still making saddles and teaching saddle making, if you want to drive out to his place that’s as remote as it comes, hours between Walla Walla and Spokane. Pretty quiet at Dewey’s place where he can’t reach a neighbor

for a good fifteen minutes. He still has e-mail: adew@ nwinfo.net.

Dewey’s one-time co-worker, Woodrow Star, also a fellow saddle maker at Hamley’s, has “retired” to his place in Pendleton, OR, but is still making saddles and doing small repair jobs. That is, when he’s not busy being a tribal official for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla Walla peoples. Oh, and he also hunts

Shop Shop Talk!

Talk!

AUGUST 2015

|| 27 27

Work by Olive Parker

buffalo and helps a program to reduce the feral horse population in the region. Also, he helps Yellowstone National Park cull buffalo and sends the meat back to the tribe. On the home front, he’s kept busy with twentyseven grandchildren. He can be reached at WoodrowStar@ctuir.org.

Braiding master Tim George has struck out on his own.

His tack was a big draw for collectors at Hamely’s, but he works now from his home in Pilot Rock, OR. He’d like to teach some of his intricate rawhide braiding techniques from his home shop, TMS Rawhide Shop. He’s been cooking up some ideas to capitalize on a documentary about him made by a friend. Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) also shot footage of Tim’s incredible time-consuming techniques. OPB is getting a lot of mileage out of a short feature it produced on George in 2012. You can see it on Youtube by searching for Tim George and the Western Art of Rawhide Braiding. He can be reached at georgereata7@hotmail.com.

Olive Parker, who makes delicate, nature inspired leather jewelry from her place outside Stevensville, MT, is picking up large commissions.

She received a commission from the Historic Wort Hotel in Jackson Hole, WY, to reproduce ten leather murals to install over the new Silver Dollar Bar in the hotel. The original work was done 65 years ago and is beginning

to deteriorate. She says it is a huge project with a short deadline, but she is gung-ho! Each mural shows a scene from the history of Jackson Hole. Some of these murals are posted in progress on her Facebook page, Facebook. com/MontanaLeatherDesigns. The scenes are burned into the leather then painted with acrylic. Her work is also for sale in thirty retail outlets, including two stores at Glacier National Park. Olive can be contacted at olive@montanaleatherdesigns.com.

Ryder Gauteraux has moved his boot making and leather tooling shop from Redman, OR, to Wallace, ID. He wanted a different, unique locale, so he found something that matched his proclivity for the outlandish. “I found the coolest old vacant hotel I could and set it up."

You will now find Gauteraux & Co. based out of the Wallace Corner Hotel built in 1890 in Wallace. Known for his large artistic leather projects, Gauteraux is still making killer boots and packaging each in a custom wooden box.

He’s active on Facebook.com/RyderGauteraux.

Jerry Van Amburg’s work continues to be a hit in Asia, both in Japan and now expanding into China. He went “on tour” again in May to “sign autographs” and promote his work, which now includes a new jewelry line. He still is dealing in exotic leathers, too, out of his home in Blackfoot, ID. When he’s “on tour” domestic or international, it’s like a Grateful Dead show. If you can

Work by Olive Parker

28 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

wait until he gets stateside, reach him at jerry@vanamburgleathers.com.

Howard Knight continues to crank out custom work from Stevensville, MT. He’s focusing on a very cool line of tooled belts and is also working with a bespoke shoemaker on a pair of tooled Converse-style sneakers. He also continues to upgrade his website which is one of the finest high-end leather craftsmen websites around, www.rockingkleather.com. While you’re there, check out his work on Harley Davidson motorcycles. He brands his work as “What Legends Wear and What Legends Ride.”

He is reachable at howard.knight@montana.com All these artists will be featured in a book, due out in the next few months, by our staff writer Jennifer Fulford.

She’s reprinting articles previously published in Shop Talk! about the wonderful people she encountered while living in the Pacific Northwest. Her book, “Leather Artists of the American Northwest,” will include the work of eighteen craftspeople. She’s already published a few books through Amazon, but this is her first non-fiction title.

New!

Pro Concho Turner & Pro II Remove & Install decorative conchos quickly.

For electric drills only Pro Concho Turner | $29

+SH

Pro II | $26

+SH

for conchos 1” and smaller Proleptic, Inc. • PO Box 17817 • Asheville NC 28816 (828) 505-8474 • email: shoptalk@proleptic.net www.proleptic.net for conchos 1 1/8” and up

• wholesale PrICIng avaIlable •

Beta 580 ®

THE ORIGINAL SINCE 1977

It’s As Comfy As It Looks.

Great for lines and reins, our new Beta® 580 puts the ultimate look and feel of soft leather in your hands. Ask for Beta® 580 Semi-Gloss lines and reins at your local harness or tack shop. Or call us to recieve a sample 440-327-0485.

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 29

Leather Worker of the Month!

This month’s winner is Ron Ross of St. Joe, IN, who sent us the following nice pictures and a few words about himself—thanks, Ron! For his trouble, Ron will be sent a check for $49.94, and he will also receive a free year’s subscription to Shop Talk! Thanks!!

Here’s what Ron had to say: Attached are photos of my saddler’s bench, my stamping desk, and my leather storage and cutting table. The benches were built using 2” x 6” material for the frames and then covered with cherry. Also, a photo of myself and the saddle that I entered at our County Fair that won Best of Show. In 2009, this saddle also was awarded the Best of Category for saddles and tack in the Masters Division at the International Federation of Leather guilds. The other photo is of me wearing the International Internet Leathercrafters’ Guild Wall of Appreciation award for the year 2014. There is also a photo of a bridle that I made for a good friend.

30 | AUGUST 2015

A bit about me. I grew up on a horse farm so, at an early age, I learned a little from my Dad about how to make simply repairs to saddles and tack.

Then, when I was serving in the Army in 1959 while stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, a friend introduced me to leather carving. When I was released from active duty, one of the first things that I did was visit the local Tandy Leather store and buy tools and leather. That date was June 10, 1959, and I made that day the first day of Ross Saddlery and Leather and, as a sideline then, started to custom make whatever the customer wanted and to repair saddles and tack.

Later, I started building saddles to order. As of this writing, I am still doing that and plan to continue.

In addition to Ron’s many other accomplishments, he is the author of several books and DVDs on Sheridan style carving. Ron can be reached at 6415 State Road 1, St. Joe, IN 46785, (260) 337-5607.

Now let us here about your work! Please contact us at Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net. Thanks!

Shop Talk!

INTERNATIONAL WESTERN/ENGLISH APPAREL & EQUIPMENT MARKET

See what you've been missing . . . plan to attend the WESA September 2015 Market in Denver Where the Industry Meets September 11-13, 2015

The DENVER W 800-295-1041 or 303-295-1040 Fax: 303-295-0941 Website: denver-wesa.com Email: info@denver-wesa.com Find us on facebook Shop Talk!

p e n ent O m ESA rna u f To holarship l o tG Sc

r efi ng Ben Supporti nding fo HSRA

Fu nd N a 015 RA NLB 10, 2

r

mbe

te Sep

AUGUST 2015

| 31

Your Salad Lunches Are Killing American Leather

(This article appeared May 27, 2015, on www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-05-27.)

U

nderneath a cluster of fluorescent lights, Lisa Howlett inspects a 50 pound piece of skin that had, until recently covered the back, belly, and shoulders of a cow.

Though blue, faintly moist, and so large that it sides draped over the edges of a huge table, the hide is destined to be dyed and cut into shoelaces by workers at Howlett’s company, Auburn Leather, in Auburn, KY. Auburn’s corporate roots stretch to 1863, but it’s only in the past decade that the little-known, fifthgeneration company has become the uncontested global leader in the leather shoelace industry.

Howlett sold 50 million shoelaces in 2013. For a sense of the scale of her operation, look at your feet, or those of the strangers on your next commute: if they’re shod in Ugg, Sperry, Top-Sider, L. L. Bean, or Timberland, the leather laces probably

came from Howlett’s factory.

There used to be more leather lace makers in America until the exodus of manufacturing to China in the 1990s. Howlett alone survived the purge, renegotiating deals with customers and buying out a last competitor in 2009. For a while, it was good to be the shoelace queen. Now she’s facing another, potentially graver crisis, and her 152-year-old company is in jeopardy again, but Howlett, who is not going without a fight has a plan.

Toggling up.

by James Tarmy, Bloomberg News

32 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

Checking the drums.

In the receiving area of her tannery in the nearby town of Franklin, Howlett chats with the cluster workers as a forklift buzzes around unloading shrink-wrapped pallets of yet more “wet blues”.

Tall and blonde with a short cropped haircut, Howlett, 57, dresses any sort of country-business casual, with a collared shirt and jeans. She picks up the shoulder flaps of the hide on the table.

“We cut these off and sell them for $12 wholesale,” she says. “Two years ago the hides cost me $50 and that didn’t seem so bad. But now they’re $112,” Howlett sighs. “Twelve bucks starts to feel like a pretty raunchy deal.” As a middleman between cattle ranchers and shoe sellers, Howlett has limited ability to pass along rising costs. Auburn’s sales have begun to decline, to 19 million in 2014 from 20 million the year before and her net profit has been cut in half.

Leather has always been a byproduct of the meat industry, and as Americans’ beef consumption grew over the 20th century, the leather industry

Shop Talk!

grew with it. The past three decades, though, have seen a decline of about 18% in Americans’ appetite for beef, and supply of hides has dwindled accordingly. At the same time, drought in the Midwest has pushed up feed prices. The result is that America has fewer and more expensive cows. Meanwhile, the world’s consumers still want leather goods.

In most situations, reduced supply and consistent demand would simply point to higher prices.

Leather industry doesn’t work that way, at least not in the short term. “When hide shoot up, it’s

AUGUST 2015

| 33

the tanners you take the hit,” says Stephen Sothmann, president of the U. S. Hide, Skin and Leather Association. “They’re locked into sixmonth contracts with their buyers.”

Even if they weren’t, a producer like Howlett can’t double her prices and expect customers to keep buying. Not all leather is considered equal: a banker buying a pair of Gucci loafers might not blink at a $200 price increase, but customers at companies Howlett supplies— L. L. Bean, for instance— are sensitive to price. “Tanners at the lower end who get caught up in the commodity cycle are finding it very, very tough,” says Michael Redwood, a professor at the University of North Hampton and the director of the Clayton Street Tannery in Chesterfield, UK. “It’s most obvious in the shoe trade, where leather is [easily] replaced by synthetics.”

Changes in diet and climate, along with the rise of a global consumer class, are forcing Howlett to rethink her business. “The things we took for granted,” she says, “we can’t take for granted anymore.”

A typical steer weighs from 1,300 to 1,400 lbs.

Its carcass yields about 850 lbs. of meat which sells wholesale for an average of $2,300, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The hide sells for about $100, making it a mere 4.3% of the value of the animal. (Dairy cattle hides cost a little less, but the meat- to-hide ratio is the same.)

Leather in all its forms— the aspirational $10,000 Hermes bag, the $6,000 upgrade package in a Mercedes, the $120 New Balance sneaker—is the wrapper around which will become someone else’s Big Mac. For thousands of years, this byproduct was vegetable tanned: the skins would soak in natural tannins for several weeks until they pickled to the texture of what we think as leather. There’s an equally long history of people using tanned leather for apparel, but, until the Industrial Revolution, the material was used sparingly. As result the only people clothed in hide were people surrounded by cattle. American Indians had a surfeit of bison and wore leather apparel for centuries. In Western

MPEC

34 | AUGUST 2015 35

Shop Talk!

society, leather didn’t go mainstream until after World War I, and it was only in the 1950s that “leather became more available” says Michelle Finamore, a curator of fashion arts at the Museum of fine arts in Boston.

[Editor’s note: the above paragraph is suspect in that the information it offers might not stand up to close scrutiny.]

This was the result of America’s embrace of factory farming. By the mid-1970s, there were 140 million head of cattle in the US— more than one cow for every woman in the country. Cattle totals began to decrease in the 1980s, as ranchers got better at making their cows fatter faster, and American started reevaluating red meat. In 1985 there was almost 110 million head of cattle, according to the USDA, and the average American ate 79 pounds of beef a year. By 2009 the cattle population had dropped 32%, and Americans consumed just 61 pounds of beef each. Every time you opt for a salad over a burger, the law of supply and demand works against Lisa Howlett.

Her great-great-grandfather founded the com-

pany. A Civil War veteran, George Washington Caldwell made his way to Auburn in 1863, began as a foreman at the local tannery, and eventually bought his bosses out. Howlett’s grandfather, W. C. Howlett, help the company transition from making leather straps for buggies and carriages to crafting more specialized equestrian gear. In the 1950s Howlett’s father, Joe Richard Howllett, repositioned the company again, turning to leather shoelaces just as boat shoes became a major US fashion trend.

In 1969, Joe sold the company, bought it back with a partner, and lost it again. In 1985, at the age of 28, Lisa bought the leather cutting facilities back herself, paying $40,000 for the original warehouse.

In 1986, Auburn Leather’s first official year back in business, the company had 12 employees and grossed $900,000. Howlett’s big break happened early. “Our first client was a little American company called”—she pauses for effect— “Nike.” Today, Howlett employees 115 workers in two locations and subcontracts about a third of her cutting business to a factory in China. The facilities are large enough that she isn’t involved in their day-to-day operations. Instead she has the typical duties of the top executive, focused on the strategy and long-term growth.

Howlett speaks with a Kentucky twang, where “can” sounds like “kin” and is so close to her workers that she takes cigarette breaks with them outside her office. She drives a late model Subaru Outback that’s adorned with “COEXIST,” “Member of the religious left,” and Human Rights Campaign bumper stickers. She bristles at the suggestion that tanneries are bad for the environment. Her facilities include a filtering system connected to

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 35

the town’s wastewater treatment plant, and most of the tannery’s byproduct is recycled. “Contrary to popular opinion, those who make leather don’t want to be the bad guy,” Howlett says. “My vegan friends say, ‘Oh no, your leather shoes are from an animal,’ and I say, ‘Well, do you know where it would be if it wasn’t on my feet? In a landfill.’ ” Every hide Howlett buys comes from the dairy cow. “A dairy cow has been walking around, being milk, for six to eight years,” she says. “The hide is tougher and thinner, which is what you need for a strong piece of leather.” (The steer, in contrast, is usually killed after about eighteen months and has spent much of its life stationary, which gives it a thicker skin. The top of the steer hide is often used for automotive leather, while the bottom, which is textured because of its connection to muscle, is turned into suede.)

After the cow is killed, the skin is pulled off the corpse and sent to a tannery, where it’s placed in a solution that opens the pores to remove the hair follicles. It is then soaked in a chromium-based solution, which, along with turning the hide blue, is what constitutes the first phase of the tanning process. Howlett contracts this part out for about $19 a hide.

By the time the hide makes it to the receiving area in Franklin, the gruesome part is over. If you look hard enough, you can see lines of blood vessels and fat wrinkles, but there’s no gore. The facility smells of chemicals, not flesh, and even when Howlett’s workers are shaving the hide on a splitter, the scraps look more like wood shavings than chunks of skin.

Once planed, dyed, and dried, the hide is trucked to Auburn, where 80 people— 48 women and 32 men, roughly 10% of the town’s workforce— cut

36 | AUGUST 2015 37

the brightly colored sheaves of hide into laces, package them, and ship them around the globe.

In the 1900s, big New England shoe companies such as G. H. Bass, Sperry, Timberland, and L.L. Bean began offshoring their operations to China.

Howlett fought to stay in business. By agreeing to customize laces for customers and using timeintensive, costly dying techniques, she persuaded them to keep their leather laces American.

“Whether we’re making shoes in Maine or China or in the Dominican Republic, we use Auburn laces,” says David Nau, the vice president for men’s design at Sperry. “There are other people making laces, but you get what you pay for, and often those other options don’t pass our standards.”

Some companies actually require Auburn laces by name in their shoe specifications. “When you tie that sucker up, you don’t want it popping,” Howlett says. “They’ve made this $15 shoe that you’re paying $69.95 for, and the whole deal gets killed over $.45.”

Howlett’s competitors began to falter. She hired a well-connected Chinese salesperson to build relationships with factories on the mainland. Auburn’s laces are always flown out on Thursday night so they reach Hong Kong by Sunday, ensuring that factories have a healthy supply for coming work week.

Sales rose steadily through the 2000s, at an average rate of 13%. Then the high crisis hit. The average price of a live beef steer, which tracks the price of a dairy cow, has risen almost 90% in the last decade. Stir hides have roller coaster, from $64 in 2008 to $28 in the following year, and reached an all-time high near $120 in 2014.

“Most tanners, especially the big ones, are getting

Shop Talk!

squeezed,” says Sothmann. “There’s an identity crisis,” he says. “I think most of our members are pretty swayed by the ideas that [in the future] it’s going to have to be considered a luxury item.”

For super-high-end companies such as Louis Vuitton, that’s fine. Their leather goods are already perceived as luxuries, and their profit margins are probably almost 80% of the retail price, says analyst Luca Solca, managing director of the Exane BNP Paribas luxury goods team. “At the end of the day, raw material price increases would be taken in stride,” he says. “I don’t see that this is such a headache for Gucci or other, similar brands.” Howlett, however, sells to the lower end.

And she’s not ready for her 50 million shoelaces to be designated and priced as luxury goods, a move that would obliterate demand.

Howlett’s solution is to produce more leather goods while using less leather for each product, a strategy that might prove instructive for the entire industry. “We’ve worked with our major customers like Sperry Top-Sider and said, ‘OK, our cost is

Ida Elliot, VP of Business Development.

going to be astronomical based on the substance requirements right now’,” she says. “If we change the requirements by 0.2 mm, which won’t diminish the quality or strength of the lace, we can counteract the hide market. And they said yes.”

Howlett has also set her sights on those $12 shoulder flaps. “That’s where you get your added value,” she says. “Polo said, ‘Your prices are pretty high; what can you do?’ So our sales man-

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 37

Just a Little History

ager went to them and said, ‘You’ve got some accessories. We need the part that’s left over’— the shoulder flaps— ‘to go into those accessories.”

Now Polo Ralph Lauren is selling purses made, at least partially, with excess from Howlett’s hides.

--Mid-1920s. The third generation, William Caldwell Howlett, joins the tannery and Caldwell Lace Leather is formed.

--1946. Joe Richard Howlett joins the business.

--1969. W C. and Joe Howlett sell Caldwell Lace Leather to Harry Williamson (Browning Arms Co.) Williamson owned Moser Leather at that time and merged the two companies to form Caldwell-Moser which was located New Albany, IN. Augustus Barth Tannery was also purchased at some point and absorbed into Moser. Two employees of the old Barth Tannery were Ronnie and Owen Carpenter whoGUIDE left the company to form Triple A STEP-BY-STEP C Leather which eventually became American Leather Direct only a few years ago.

Sizes for: Make or Repair:  Horse  Single Later, Williamson sold Driving Caldwell-Moser to A. L. Gebhardt which then became a part of U S Leather. Upon  Cob  Team Driving the demise ofUTeam S Leather, Oversize WagonCaldwell-Moser was purchased  Draft byDave MuleShield who sold the Caldwell part back to Auburn and the Moser portion was purchased  Mule  Shetland byJim Cox. Jeff Ballard, along with Steve Fausey, also Pony  Welsh worked for Caldwell-Moser before it was purchased by Dave Shield. After the sale, Jeff worked for Wickett & Craig along with Brian Andrews and then later formed Quick Recipes for the Experienced Leatherworker Thoroughbred Leather.

Making Harness:

--As a footnote: along Joe Richard Howlett 480the pp.way, Over 900 photos, also operated Old patterns Kentucky & Leathers in Florida as well illustrations.

First edition, second printing TN. as the+ famous Blue Ribbon Saddlery of Shelbyville, $5.50 SH

$58

($11.50 SH to Canada)

Order 6 or more today for $34.80 each!

If any of the above information is incorrect, my apologies! The mistake was inadvertent and we’d appreciate Contact: Shop Talk! better, fuller, and more accurate details.

Thanks.

You P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816 • (828) 505-8474 canFax: contact Talk!• Email: at P Oshoptalk@proleptic.net Box 17817, Asheville, (828) Shop 505-8476 www.proleptic.net NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, and e-mail: shoptalk@ proleptic.net.

38 | AUGUST 2015

Ida and her colleague Lydia Wilson are two big reasons for the tremendous success of Auburn Leather along with Lisa Howlett’s innovative marketing.

In the short term, doing more with less appears to be paying off. On the day Howlett inspected the wet blue hide in her warehouse, Auburn had multiplied orders in the thousands of square feet for leather for accessories; the company has stayed in the black even as the market for boat shoes have softened. She likes to refer to yourself as

Rosewood Handles Rosewood N with N

Solid Brass Ferrules G-100A

G-100B CS-101A

CS-101B

+SH

Length approx. 4 1/8"- 4 ¼"• All A-styles accept up to ¼" tool stem.

All B-style accept up to 3/16" tool stem • Ready to be drilled.

Ferrules need to be glued in place.

Box 17817 • Asheville, NC 28816 Proleptic, Inc. PhPO828-505-8474 • Fx 828-505-8476

www.proleptic.net • shoptalk@proleptic.net

TOBER 201

$2800

EACH

--Around 1900, G. W. Caldwell’s son-in-law, Lloyd Standford Howlett, a harness maker, joined the business.

To produce this accessory-ready leather, Howlett made a large capital investment in what’s effectively a spray on tanner, which she uses to treat leather superficially to make a range of styles.

Now, no matter how large or small the piece of hide, the company can color and sell it.

custom made

--1863. George Washington Caldwell, a native of North Carolina and a veteran of the Civil War, settles in Auburn, KY, and begins tanning leather. The tannery is called Maple Park Tannery, and the site of the original tannery is just across the street and down about a block from today’s Auburn Leather.

Shop Talk!

small beans: “$19 million in sales doesn’t make a dent in the world’s leather business,” she says.

Modest that she might be, Howlett has the same tools, and is subject to the same resources, as the largest producers on the planet, and she’s determined to make things work. “Where maximizing every square inch,” she says. “I said to someone yesterday, ‘Isn’t it a shame it took me 29 years to figure that out?’ ” (Editor’s Note: Auburn Leather offers 350 different colors and finishes including metallic as well as round lace. They even have a customer for whom they make a tri-colored lace—red, white, and blue. Not only do they sell to large manufactures but small shops as well so give them a call if you’re needing a good source for lace which comes in a variety of tannages including straight alum, chrome, retan, and oil tan. Just ask!

Of course, there are many different widths and lengths available.

in North America—est. 1863! What a wonderful success story. Of course, Auburn didn’t always make just lace. For many years they were a great source for good quality, reasonably priced tack, including leather saddlebags. They also were heavily into leather saddlebags for motorcycles at one time, supplying many of the big name manufacturers.

Contact: Auburn Leather Co., P O Box 338, Auburn, KY 42206, (800) 635-0617, www.auburnleather.com.

In all fairness, while Auburn may be the biggest, there are other fine makers of lace leather in this country such as Leather Laces Direct—a division of American Leather Direct—and Tennessee Tanning.)

Be sure to visit their new web site which will knock your socks off—lots of great history. In fact, Auburn may very well be the oldest tannery/finisher

www.�iebing.com

The Most Recognized Leather Dyes in the World FIEBING’S LEATHER DYE

FIEBING’S PROFESSIONAL OIL DYE

The most recognized penetrating, alcohol based leather dye in the World.

Red Leather Dye

Oxblood Leather Dye

Dark Red Leather Dye

Burgundy Leather Dye

Mahogany Leather Dye

Maroon Leather Dye

Pro Dye is a premium alcohol based dye created specifically for natural strap leather, vegetable tanned leather and bag & case leather.

Moccasin Brn Leather Dye

Dark Brown Leather Dye

Cordovan Leather Dye

Chocolate Leather Dye

BLACK

CAUTION: Flammable. Harmful or fatal if swallowed. Eye Irritant.

See other cautions on side panel

Med Brown Leather Dye

Russet Leather Dye

Light Brown Leather Dye

Beige Leather Dye

Tan Leather Dye

British Tan Leather Dye

Kelly Green Leather Dye

Green Leather Dye

Aqua Green Leather Dye

Turquoise Leather Dye

Light Blue Leather Dye

Navy Blue Leather Dye

Buckskin Leather Dye

Orange Leather Dye

Light Tan Leather Dye

NET 4 FL. OZ. 118 mL

Yellow Leather Dye

CAUTION: FLAMMABLE. Harmful if swallowed. See other cautions on side panel.

Mahogany Pro Dye

Chocolate Pro Dye

Dark Brown Pro Dye

Walnut Pro Dye

Light Brown Pro Dye

Saddle Tan Pro Dye

English Bridle Pro Dye

Spanish Brn Pro Dye

Golden Brown Pro Dye

Show Brown Pro Dye

Drk Chocolate Pro Dye

Yellow Pro Dye

Green Pro Dye

Royal Blue Pro Dye

Black Pro Dye

NET 4 FL. OZ. 118 mL Purple Leather Dye

Black Leather Dye

FIEBING’S ACRYLIC DYE

FIEBING’S INSTITUTIONAL LEATHER DYE

Quick drying, long lasting leather paint for color coating smooth leather surfaces.

Non-flammable, water based, penetrating leather dye.

Red Institutional Leather Dye

BLACK

Red Pro Dye

BLACK

Yellow Institutional Leather Dye

Green Institutional Leather Dye

Blue Institutional Leather Dye

Tan Institutional Leather Dye

Medium Brown Institutional Leather Dye

Dark Brown Institutional Leather Dye

Black Institutional Leather Dye

Red Acrylic Dye

Orange Acrylic Dye

Yellow Acrylic Dye

Green Acrylic Dye

Turquoise Acrylic Dye

Blue Acrylic Dye

Medium Brown Acrylic Dye

Dark Brown Acrylic Dye

Black Acrylic Dye

White Acrylic Dye

Light Blue Acrylic Dye

For leather Black Net. Wt. 2oz 59mL

NET 4 FL. OZ. 118 mL

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 39

Become a Master!

Master Tools Leather Splitter This leather splitter will split almost any thickness of leather with ease. With convenient hand crank design, this splitter has an 8” hollow ground blade for precise, even splitting 

  

Check out our wide variety of Weaver Leather and Horse Shoe brand hardware including buckles, dees and rings.

Features an adjustment lever to accommodate almost any leather thickness (3 oz. - 14 oz.).

Roller bearings provide long life.

Ready to mount on your workbench.

Specially-designed by Weaver Leather to provide you with years of dependable service.

Self-Centering Guide for Punches Designed for use with our Master Tools Belt and Oval Drive Punches, this guide allows you to center holes and maintain a consistent space between holes  





This guide will accommodate straps 1/2" wide to 3" wide.

Features a 7/16" hole and a 1/2" hole for different size punches.

The 7/16" hole will accommodate Belt Punch sizes 2, 4 and 5. The 1/2" hole will accommodate Belt Punch sizes 6, 7, 8 and 9 and Oval Drive Punch sizes 5, 6, 7 and 8.

Metal measuring rod makes it quick and easy to get equal space between holes.

Oval Drive Punches All one piece for added strength and durability. Ready to use immediately, these punches feature hardened, sharpened and polished cutting edges and surfaces

Shop Talk! flattened striking Shop Talk!

40 | 800-932-8371 AUGUST 2015 June 2015 Call • shop.weaverleather.com

DAS062215R-1

News, Notes & Queries

Business and updates and happenings

Funk and Punk Issue!

We are inviting the most innovative and cutting edge leather artists anywhere in the world to display their work in Shop Talk! It’ll be an all color issue so everyone’s work will look great. So please send us some great pictures of what you do and thanks! But remember—it has to be either punky or funky! The punkier and the funkier the BETTER! Contact: P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, email: shoptalk@proleptic.net.

Events to Attend!

*

Wickenburg Leather Show is scheduled for Feb. 4-6, 2016. Contact Hansen Silver at (800) 970-7391 or visit www.wickenburgleathertradeshow.com for all the details.

*

August 29—total liquidation sale of Pepple Leather Co. at 5775 E. Lincolnway, Columbia City, IN 46725, (260) 982-9050. Visit www.metzgerauction.com.

*

Martin Carriage Auction—October 16-17, at the Lebanon Fairgrounds in Lebanon, PA, (717) 3546671, www.martinauctioneers.com.

*

Jim Cox will be holding an auction/trade show this coming September 30, in Miami, OK. For all the details to exhibit or consign, please contact Jim at (800) 874-1167 or (513) 889-0500. The auction will be held at the Peoria Ridge Golf Complex at Buffalo Run Casino.

Another event is schedule to be held in Webster, FL, at some future date.

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 41

*

The next Pendleton Show will be held November 6-7, in Pendleton, OR, hosted by Sheridan Leather Outfitters, (888) 803-3030, www.sheridanleather. com.

45th Anniversary Leather Unlimited will be marking its 45th anniversary this year by offering special sales and discounts during August. Give them a call for all the details— (920) 994-9464. Write: P O Box L, Belgium, WI 53004-0911, www.leatherunltd.com.

Leather Unlimited carries a huge range of leathers, supplies, and furs so they pretty much have something for everyone, regardless of the sort of work you do. LU is a good source for black powder supplies and accoutrement.

50 Years of Cowboy Artists of America (CAA)

Big Tool Sale!

It’s coming back by popular demand!! This October!!

Over 1,300 lots. Our biggest to date! 100's of leather stamps and everything is priced to sell! So don’t miss out. We will print a catalog as well as have it online at www.proleptic.net. Stay tuned.

My Buyer’s Guide! 2016 Oh, boy—if you weren’t in last year’s buyer’s guide you have no idea how much business you’ve LOST! MISSED! GONE BEGGING! Gazillions of dollars’ worth! What a dummy you are!

For as little as $189 you too can reach 16,000 shops, manufacturers, and retailers.

And just who does that include you might well ask.

Just about EVERY— *Tack shop in the US *Every saddle shop *Every harness shop

There’s a new book out which commemorates the first 50 years of the CAA. The title is “The Sons of Charlie Russell” and costs $95—248 pp with 139 color illustrations.

The book may be purchased from the University of Oklahoma Press, 2800 Venture Dr., Norman, OK 73069, www.oupress.com.

Buena Vista Blankets

Protects From Moisture

New Both Sides Vinyl in 8 Colors

It’s Awes Neew Deep “V” Curve Breast Pads ome! w Item N s m

Ite

Collar Pad 5 Reflective Harness Pads 5 Split

All Types of Horse Blankets Custom Made Harness Pads S-L-O-W Feed Hay Bags Give us a call: (717) 442-0164

5857 Buena Vista Rd. t (BQ 1"

42 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

*Every English saddle shop *Every Western store.

Wow! So what are you waiting for, Jed? That’s a nobrainer. Give us a call today and reserve a spot: My Buyer’s Guide!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28817, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: info@mybuyersguide. net, www.mybuyersguide.net.

If I Had Only Known How many times have your head and thought with a certain amount of regret coupled with self-disgust, “If I had only know!”? As folks say, hindsight is 20/20. So why not lend a helping paw to those younger men and women coming into the trades and share some of the things you’ve learned over the years? Doesn’t have to be world shattering. One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was to move the tack tray closer to my work so I wouldn’t reach so much—brilliant! Thank you, Everight!

Now it’s YOUR turn to pass along what you’ve learned so please drop us a line about things like ordering leather, running a business, working with customers, how to charge, your favorite round knife, etc.—whatever has made your life and work a little bit easier over the years and just might help the next generation to avoid some of the same pitfalls.

Thanks!

Go WESA, Young Man, Go WESA!!

Or young woman. If you’ve never been to the WESA show in Denver, you have no idea about all the wonderful things you’re missing! You’ll learn more in an hour about new sources and new products than you’ll learn all year if you just sit at home! No joke.

It’s always a great experience and so educational. You need to go.

The next show is Sept. 11-13. For all the details, please call (800) 295-1041 or visit www.denver-wesa. com.

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 43

Then the next market after that will be the big one in mid-January 2016.

Plan now to attend!!

Biggest Hitch in North America?

Do people make big hitches any more or is that just a thing of the past? We'd like to know if there is anyone out there still making big hitches so send us the details and some nice pictures—thanks!!

and get those boots ready. Dates are Oct. 2-3. For all the details please contact Kathy Kimmel at Kimmel Boot at 2080 County Road 304, Comanche, TX 76442, (325) 356-3197, e-mail: kimmels@cctc.net, www.bootandsaddlemakertradeshow.com.

It’s the best—plan now to attend!

Leather Worker of the Month

No Saddle Contest at Roundup

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?

There’s been a slight change in plans at the Custom Boot & Saddle Makers’ Roundup this year. There will not—repeat NOT—be a Saddle Contest this year. There WILL BE a Boot contest! So get busy

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

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

1967

Since

NEW AND IMPROVED Hame Bender • Adjustable blocks on top bar • Bends all hames from Buggy Hames to Stainless Steel Pulling Hames with ease A must for fitting your hames to the collar For more information and a complete catalog on hames and harness hardware, write to: Chupp Blacksmith Shop Ltd. 9107 Township Road 609 Fredericksburg, Ohio 44627

44 | AUGUST 2015

85263 Chupp ad 3.5x4.75 1

6/19/13 9:42 AM

Shop Talk!

Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net. Whatever you send will be returned.

or Kathy Kimmel at 2080 County Road 304, Comanche, TX 76442, (325) 356-3197, www.bootandsaddlemakerstradeshow. com.

Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you.

*

Horse Shows Are Your Best Friend!

Yeah, sure—you’re busy tweeting and you got more friends on Facebook than Jimmy Carter has wrinkles but, friends—if you are not supporting your local horse shows and other agricultural activities (Pony Club, FFA, rodeo), then you are missing out! Take out an ad! Donate a few prizes! It is a great way to get your name out there and attract new customers. And you better get with it because summer is here and it won’t last forever!

Pendleton Leather Show, Pendleton, OR. November 6-7. Hosted by Sheridan Leather Outfitters, (888) 803-3030, www.sheridanleather.com.

*

European Leather Workers and Artist Trade Show will be September 24th-26th, 2015. Le Firmament, 2 Rue Dorian, 42700, Firminy, France. Workshops Start Wednesday, September 23rd. Sponsored

by Leather Crafters & Saddlers Journal. For more information, visit www.logisdecordes.com.

Mark Your Calendar!

*

The next Custom Boot & Saddle Makers’ Roundup will be this coming October 2-3, in Wichita Falls, TX. For all the details, please contact Eddie

PEPPLE LEATHER COMPANY Property Services, LLC

Chad Metzger, CAI, CAGA Larry Evans Rod Metzger Brent Ruckman Tim Pitts Tim Holmes Austin Caudill

•Farm Sales •Real Estate •Auctions •Appraisals

260-982-9050 AC31300015

TOTAL LIQUIDATION

AUCTION

Saturday, 10 AM

AUG. 29

5775 East Lincolnway Columbia City, IN 46725

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

Leatherworking Machines, Hides, Leather Tools, Tractor, Shop Tools, Woodworking, Military rifles & More! w w w . Metzger Auction. c o m Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 45

Summer Reading Cowpals and Amigos, There follows brief reviews of several equestrian and Western magazines that are still in print and still enjoy a wide readership. Now let me say this— a lot of these publications are alike so I don’t want to be saying the same old thing since most fall in one of two categories: 1) fashion and lifestyle or 2) equestrian. So I’ll say a little about each magazine and then give you the contact information so you can get a copy for yourself.

So why am I spending time reviewing publications which may or may not be relevant to what you do?

There’s a couple reason: 1) You might have customers who would be interested in knowing about a particular type of magazine. 2) The different publications help you keep abreast of what’s happening

Can you bevel a side of lace leather in 35 minutes?

in the big world out there. 3) The stories and ads might suggest trends you should be aware of and products you should consider stocking. 4) These might be places in which you should consider advertising.

Or in other words: It’s an education!

*American Cowboy Covers Western lifestyle, travel, and people. The magazine itself seems to have more ads for Western inspired products than actual stories. There are stories about actors playing Cowboys. In a recent Lasting Quality and Style Matte Finishes Many Colors

Easy Cleaning Easy Sewing Durable, Flexible

Sure you can with the Nettles Lace Beveler!

BETTER PRODUCTS & BETTER PRICES

* easy to use * bevels both sides at once * as fast as you can pull your laces

P.O. Box 593, Columbia Station, OH 44028 Voice: 800-357-5070 Fax 440-243-5326 Email daves@firstlocal.net Website www.ohiothane.com

Custom made

produCts

Nettles Country Store • Nettles Stirrups Madisonville, TX 936-348-6541 • 800-729-2234 Call Us Today!

46 | AUGUST 2015

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!

issue there’s some rodeo news as well as a listing of Cowboy charities. Bi-monthly. Apx. 96 pp.

American Cowboy 2520 55th St., Suite 210 Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 625-1600 www.americancowboy.com

*Cowgirl Lots of fashion, clothing, and jewelry. Home dĂŠcor. Lifestyle. Bimonthly. Apx. 96 pp.

Cowgirl 6702 E. Cave Creek Rd. Suite 5 Cave Creek, AZ 85331 www.cowgirlmagazine. com

*Equus Practical articles on horse healthcare. Most horse owners wanting to better understand how to keep their stock in good health should find this magazine useful.

Monthly. Apx. 80 pp.

Equus 656 Quince Orchard Rd., Suite 600 Gaithersburg, MD 20878 (301) 977-3900 E-mail: EQletters@EquiNetwork.com

*Practical Horseman Expert how-to information for English riders.

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 47

Focus on performance of the rider. Pertinent ads.

Monthly. Apx. 72 pp.

Practical Horseman 656 Quine Orchard Rd., Suite 600 Gaithersburg, MD 20878 (301) 977-3900 E-mail: practical.horseman@EquiNetwork.com

*Horse Illustrated Covers both English and Western horsemanship.

Articles on both the rider and equestrian healthcare. Monthly. Ax. 72 pp.

Horse Illustrated P O Box 12106 Lexington, KY 40580 (800) 546-7730 www.horseillustrated. com

*Horse & Rider Western training, howto articles, and advice.

Monthly. Apx. 72 pp.

*The Trail Rider

Horse & Rider 2520 55th St., #210 Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 625-5460 www.horseandrider.com

Covers trail riding, trailers, and equestrian travel/vacationing. Good review of new products.

Bi-monthly. Apx. 80 pp.

Shetler’s Collar Shop WE MANUFACTURE A FULL LINE OF HORSE AND PONY COLLARS A QUALITY COLLAR AT A REASONABLE PRICE WRITE FOR OUR FREE PRICE LIST 5819 FLAT IRON RD., CONEWANGO VALLEY, NY 14726

48 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

The Trail Rider 2520 55th St., Suite 210 Boulder, CO 80301 (303) 625-1600 www.trailridermag.com

(480) 575-1881 www.truewestmagazine.com

*Western Lifestyle Retailer This is a business magazine for retail shop owners with a focus on boots, clothing, jewelry, and fashion accessories. Should be a real good resource for helping retailers to stay informed and current on fashion trends.

Quarterly. Apx. 104 pp.

*True West Historical articles on people and places of the Old West with a popular flair. Calendar of events for Western related art shows, horse shoes, festivals, etc. Monthly. Apx. 96 pp.

Western Lifestyle Retailer 2112 Montgomery St. Ft. Worth, TX 76107 (817) 737-6397

True West 6702 E. Cave Creek Rd., Suite 5 Cave Creek, AZ 85331

Buggy Builder’s Bulletin www.kellylarsonsales.com Ostrich Caiman Crocodile Nile Crocodile Nile Croc Backstraps Outsole / Insole Bends Pre-Cut Outsoles Elephant Hippo Giraffe Stingray Python Goat Skins Heels Welt

1812 Reliance Parkway • Suite G. • Bedford, TX 76021 Ph: 817-399-0044 • Fx: 817-399-0040 Email: elarson@kelly-larson.com

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

Neoprene Sheets Hook & Loop Fasteners Also Available • Laminated with Nylon, Lycra, Terry, UBL…etc.

• Common uses: Wet Suits, Waders, Knee/Elbow Pads…etc.

• 6 Million Yards in Stock • Sizes from 3/8” to 6” • 30 Colors Available

• TPU Laminated Fabrics • Tricot Fabrics • Mesh Fabrics • Hot Melt Adhesive Films • Webbing, Buckles, Elastic, Zippers…etc

SALES REP WANTED IN SOME TERRITORIES

5351 Oceanus Drive, Huntington Beach, CA 92649 Tel: 714-898-5989 • Fax: 714-894-8018 • E-mail: info@perfectex.com • www.perfectex.com

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 49

50 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

*Young Rider For kids who love horses and ponies. Covers trail riding and English disciplines. Lots of jumping.

Inspirational and fun.

Bi-monthly. Apx. 48 pp.

Young Rider P O Box 12106 Lexington, KY 40580 (800) 546-7730 ext. 4054 www.youngrider.com

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 51

Rodeo Red Ranch is located in beautiful Cave Creek, Arizona. Sepia toned and hand tinted photograph by K. V. Johnson and J. A. Johnson

BONDED NYLON THREAD

1-866-415-8223

www.TECHSEW.com

HORSE TONIC ler!

Hea It’s A

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

52 | AUGUST 2015

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

Shop Talk!

My Buyer's Guide Reach 16,000 shops, manufacturers & retailers

EVERY

Tack Shop • Harness Shop • Western Store • Bag Maker • Belt Maker • Saddle Manufacturer • Maker of Leather Goods in U.S.

Sell your: Reach Manufacturers of: • Business Services • Outdoor Equipment • Finished Goods • Safety Equipment • Horse Healthcare Products • Sporting Goods • Leather Care Products • Pet Goods • Machinery • Luggage • Hardware • Supplies

My Buyer's Guide!TM PO Box 17817 Asheville, NC 28816 ph (828) 505-8474 fx (828) 505-8476 info@mybuyersguide.net Shop Talk!

Contact Us About 2016! www.mybuyersguide.net

AUGUST 2015

| 53

Goods & Services • Weaver Leather is pleased to announce new leathers for your belts, holsters, tack, pet collars, accessories, and more. Their leather experts have been hard at work with select tanneries to offer only the finest new hide options in 2015. Some of the new hides include: Finished Double Shoulders -With a struck through, vintage color and feel that makes them ideal for fashion belts, these 8/9 oz. Finished Double Shoulders range from 12-17 sq. feet and have minimal waste. Available in black, bomber brown, glazed brown, milled brown, and milled chocolate.

Water Buffalo Bends - In a variety of colors like matte black, antique brown, light brown, chocolate and crazy horse, economically priced 8/9 oz. Water Buffalo Bends feature a unique color palette ideal for premium belts. These hides range from 10-12 sq. feet which will yield straps approximately 64".

Holster Sides - These new holster sides are available in black

or chestnut with a struck through color that makes for an all-around finished look. Great for tooling and molding to add a decorative flair, these hides range from 21-24 sq. feet and are available in three different weights: 6/7 oz.,7/8 oz. and 8/9 oz.

Extra Heavy Harness Sides - Specialty stuffed for a weighty feel, the all new Canyon Rose color is ideal for making leather tack, reins, and dog collars with a distinctive look. These hides average 12+ oz. and are 21-24 sq. ft.

English Bridle Sides - Now available in 3/4 oz., this new selection of sides is ideal. For personal leather goods such as bracelets, key chains, and wallets. These hides average 21-24 sq. feet.

“More options for unique creations with quality materials are at your fingertips,” commented Supply Division Manager Jim Weaver. “The new colors of Water Buffalo Bends and Finished Double Shoulders are unrivaled. Plus, the new

CHINO TACK tradition of quality since 1980

Saddle Trees: rawhide or fiberglass covered Stirrups: wooden or iron, rawhide covered Rawhide: natural, bleach, black, red, etc.

Saddles: choose rawhide or fiberglass tree Casa Zea Blankets: assorted and solid colors

1-800-696-4649 www.chinotack.com • chinotack@gmail.com

54 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

weight added to our “English” bridle leather opens the door for creating wallets, bracelets, and accessories that match belts made from heavier hides in the same color. We, and belt makers alike, are really excited about this new lineup of choices.”

For more information on leather, hardware, leather care, tools, machinery and more, please visit weaverleathersupply. com.

• Tandy Leather has introduced a line of four new leather care products to prolong the life of your leather goods.

NaturGlo Leather Care products contain natural ingredients that help promote leather renewal, protect against surface damaging environmental influences, and support the enhancement of leather’s vitality. NaturGlo products will not leave a greasy feel or a film buildup and will nourish leather without harming the stitching.

NaturGlo Gentle Cleansing Foam cleans, nourishes, and protects, thereby extending the life and preserving the natural beauty of all smooth finished leathers. NaturGlo Nourishing Oil assists in replacing the delicate oil balance and renews dry leather. NaturGlo Intensive Care Lotion has a unique, emollient rich formula to help seal moisture to preserve and protect leather. NaturGlo Moisturizing Crème is specifically formulated to provide intense nourishment

and hydration to revitalize and prolong the natural beauty of leathers.

If you are not currently receiving updates about new products through Tandy Leather’s monthly flyers, visit www. tandyleather.com, click on the “Catalog” option at the top of the page, and fill out your information to receive a free catalog and sales flyers.

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 1793 Old Gradyville Road • Columbia, KY 42728 • Stitchmaster 441 machines in 9", 16½" also 25" throat.

• Parts in stock for all 441 machines.

• 1508 NH 5

Embossing Dies & Machines

Over 50 different styles of embossing wheels Wholesale Makers of Mini Harness, Cruppers, Wholesale

ONLY

Shop Talk!

Carriage Harness, & Custom Show Harness

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

AUGUST 2015

| 55

An Important Message From Hermann Oak Leather March 25, 2015

raising two teenage children.

Todd enjoys coaching baseball, trout fishing, and family chicken fries.

Dear Customer, Lee Rottmann has decided to retire as our Sales Manager after fifteen years of service to our company and its customers. Lee brought a lot of experience to our company, has been a great asset to us and a help to many of you, and will be missed. His health is fine, and he sends his best to all of you.

Jeremy Thoene will become our Sales Manager. Jeremy trained as an engineer, and has worked at our company for seven years. For the past five years he has been our Finishing Department Superintendent where he has been very effective in instituting Lean Manufacturing. He also brings a great deal of technical knowledge to our sales department. Jeremy is an Eagle Scout and current Scoutmaster for his son Jacob’s troop. He likes outdoor activities involving water and hiking, playing and coaching volleyball and basketball, running marathons, and gardening.

Jeremy looks forward to serving you.

Ray Cranmer has been promoted to Vice President of Operations.

Ray has been invaluable in transitioning our entire company to Lean Manufacturing, embodying both its spirit and its methods.

Ray runs marathons, and enjoys travelling with his wife Donna.

I will be taking a sabbatical for two months. A small tumor has been found on Ampula in my abdomen,

Renee Pinner will become our Assistant Sales Manager. Renee has been with the company for three years, the last two as our Inside Salesperson. She and her husband Tom have three children in college. She enjoys cooking and family. She also looks forward to continuing to serve you.

Todd Salzman will assume the position of Finishing Superintendent. Todd has been with the company for four years. His previous experience has included large companies like John Deere, as well as running his own flower nursery business. He and Nikole are 56 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

and it requires surgery. The good news is that the tumor is very small, does not even show up on a CT scan, is caught early, and is in an area that is most easily removed and treatable. The bad news is that I will get a Whipple surgery, which is invasive and requires time to recover. The gifts that I would most appreciate are your prayers. I have adopted the phrase, “I’ll be back.”

During my absence, I have called on an old friend in the industry to fill in as our Acting General Manager. Tom Eberle is my age and grew up in his family tannery of Eberle Tanning, later known as Westfield Tanning in Westfield, PA. He has since worked for two other tanneries. He currently works with Leadership Development Company out of Atlanta where he helps people find their purpose in life. Tom recently lost his lovely wife Jan after a two year battle with brain cancer, but still has his three children in the house. If there is one thing I like best in Tom, it is that he is trustworthy.

Thank you for your business as always. We strive to make the finest leather and to offer the best service.

Our sales people and everyone in our company are here to help you.

NUTRA-GLO™ Nutritional Feed Supplement for Horses, Ruminants, Dogs and Poultry (Liquid Products)

hoice The 1st tofChundre ds of

en Supplem Hors e O w ners, ’s y a s! to d & Tr ad er s r e in a r T

Shop Owners...

Supply your customers with one of the finest horse feed supplements on today’s market!

“Call for wholesale prices”

We Supply all Literature!

Regards,

— Runs $8-$10/horse/mo —

Shep Hermann

Find Us On

Approved Organic d Poultry Dairy an Available s ct u d Pro

Discover Your Herd’s Maximum Potential!

™

Dealer orders shipped same day! ✯✯ 30 days same as cash!

Shop Talk Leather Magazine Shop Talk!

For more information contact:

Sunrise Supply LLC. P.O. Box 104 Winesburg, OH 44690

866 • 704 • 2374

AUGUST 2015

| 57

Classifieds

Buy or sell or trade

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 Wanted: New subscribers from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. Now is the time to renew! Give us a call at (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net or visit www.proleptic.net.

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

Wanted: Bench equipment. Any condition. Skivers, splitters, pressers, spotters, etc. Also parts and pieces—bolts, frames, springs, blades. We pay shipping.

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

Holster Business for Sale: Prominent, reputable leather holster manufacturing company established in 1972. Owners wish to retire. For details, contact: donlbrown46@gmail.com.

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-

For Sale For Sale: Double headed Schwabe clicker, $4,000.

Antique 100-ton leather press, $800. Also 22 new H&H saddles. Located in Bryant, AL. Contact: Cheryl Tolliver (423) 939-0284 or e-mail: cltolliver81@yahoo.com For Sale: Randall Edge Beveller with stand. Extra knives and wheels. Excellent condition. Contact: Christie Saddlery, Alvord, TX, (940) 427-3260. Email: 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.

58 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 59

2889 for quality leather and friendly service from a USA family-owned and operated business.

3106 Cedardale Rd., Mt. Vernon, WS 98174, (360) 708-4201.

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,

Leatherman Tools. Rebar $55. Wave $77.50. DeWalt ½” 18V.XRP drill driver with 2XRP batteries, $269. $7.50 SH per order. Contact: Yoder’s Harness Shop, E 14994 State Road 82, LaFarge, WI 54639

KREBS SKIVER springs • rollers • blades

small springs…$1950 large springs…$38 rollers…$38 new blades…$200

CLASSIFIEDS ARE OUR BEST BUY! Reach 1,000’s of potential buyers for as little as $26.50!!

Install and remove Chicago screws quickly and easily in the shop or on the trail. $16.95 + $4 S&H. Call for wholesale pricing. Contact: JP’s Bridle & Equine Tool, 26266 E. County Road 700 N., Easton, IL 62633. (309) 562-7266. E-mail: jp-equinetacktool@ casscomm.com, www.jptacktool.com.

For all your leather needs. Call Moser Leather (800) 874-1167 or (513) 889-0500. You can visit our website at www.moserleatherco.com. (R&B) For Sale: The Pro-Concho Turner: The only one in the U.S. Makes removal of decorative conchos a snap! Used with electric drill. Take the fuss and bother out of a difficult job with the Pro-Concho Turner! Saves time, makes money! Rubber gripper protects the concho and makes removal or installation easy. Only $29.00 plus $3.95 S&H, 6-inch steel shank, and rubber gripper. Ready to use! Contact: Proleptic, Inc., P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net.

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.

Proleptic, Inc.

PO Box 17817 • Asheville, NC 28816 P: 828.505.8474 | F: 828.505.8476 | shoptalk@proleptic.net

www.proleptic.net

60 | AUGUST 2015

The “Word of the Day” is laconic.

Shoe Repairs That You Can Do

Shop Talk!

Ask for your FREE catalog! Contact: Countryside Mfg., 504 S. Humbert St., Milton, IA 52570.

trial Sewing Machine, 3631 Marine Rd., Toledo, OH 43609, (866) 362-7397 or (419) 380-8540. (11/10)

For Sale: “Making Harness: A Step-by-Step Guide”, $58 plus $5.50 S&H. Specs and instructions on how to make and repair six styles of harness from pony to draft, driving, team wagon and mule. Contact: Proleptic, Inc., P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net, www.proleptic.net.

For Sale: Tools for the Professional—Ol’ Smoothie swivel knives, blades, stamping tools, and more. Contact: Chuck Smith Tools, Smith & Co., P O Box 2647, Valley Center, CA 92082. (760) 749-5755. Fax (760) 749-5355. E-mail: olsmoothie@sbcglobal.net. (R&B)

For Sale: Pricing Guide: “How to Establish Prices for the Saddle Maker and Leather Worker.” Only $39.95 plus $4.50 S&H. Contact: (828) 505-8474. (12/12) For Sale: 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 Indus-

Shop Talk!

www.theleatherguy.org for all your leather, tool, and supply needs. Friendly, helpful staff at (507) 9323795. (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.

AUGUST 2015

| 61

A. Lyons..............................................14 American Leather Direct....................37 Barta Hide............................................54 Beiler’s Mfg. & Supply........................16 BioThane.......................................29, 59 Bogle Greenwell Machinery Corp.....15 Booth & Co..........................................24 Bowden Saddle Tree..........................17 Brayer....................................................9 Brodhead Collar Shop........................10 Buckeye Blanket.................................46 Buckeye Engraving............................48 Buckle Barn USA................................48 Buena Vista Blankets.........................42 Buggy Builder’s Bulletin....................49 C.S. Osborne.........................................5 Campbell-Randall...............................33 Champion Halters...............................45 Chino Tack..........................................54 Chupp Blacksmith Shop....................44 Coblentz Collar...................................47 Danny Marlin Knives..........................19 Double K..............................................19 Fairview Country Sales......................44 Fiebing Leather...................................39 Fine Tool Journal................................47 Gfeller Casemakers, Inc.....................41

ADVERTISERS INDEX Goliger Leather Co., Inc.....................24 Hadlock & Fox Mfg. Co......................13 Hand Plait Leather..............................35 Hansen Western Gear........................12 Harness Hardware..............................54 Hastilow . ............................................21 Hermann Oak........................................2 Hide House..........................................55 Hillside Harness Hardware..back cover International Sheepskin.....................52 Kalico Products..................................42 Kelly-Larson Sales.............................49 Kimmel Boot Roundup.......................34 Landis Sales & Service......................55 Leather Crafters Journal......................8 Leather Machine Co., Inc., The..........63 Mark Staton.........................................18 Metzger Auction..................................45 Mid-River Sales...................................45 Miller's Wholesale..............................55 Mules and More, Inc...........................16 N & A Harness Shop...........................23 Nettles..................................................46 Nick-O Sew............................................7 Ohio Plastics Belting Co....................46 Ohio Travel Bag..................................13 Pecard..................................................21 Perfectex Plus LLC.............................49

Classified Ads

20 words or less $26.50 Additional words (each) $ .65

Display Ads

Precision Saddle Tree..........................50 Proleptic....9,21,26,29,38,43,47,51,53,57,60,61 RJF Leather...........................................9 Raphael Sewing Machine/TechSew............ ............................................52, back cover Sam Troyer..........................................52 Shelton-Reynolds, Inc........................10 Sheridan Leather..................................6 Shetler’s Collar Shop.........................48 ShoTan.................................................18 Small Farmer’s Journal......................41 Smoke & Fire Co.................................19 Southstar Supply................................16 Sorrell Notions....................................14 Springfield Leather.............................20 Steel Stamps.......................................56 Sugar Valley Collar Shop...................41 Sun Bias, Inc.......................................21 Sunrise Supply...................................57 Sweat Pad Shop.............................42,51 TechSew/Rapheal Sewing Machine............. .............................................52, back cover Tennessee Tanning............................51 Texas Custom Dies.............................22 Toledo Sewing......................................3 WESA...................................................31 Weaver Leather...................................40 Western Mule......................................15

$45 each additional page.

Event flyers must be inserted 60 days in advance.

All inserts must be shipped directly to printer.

Full Page $485.00 Half Page $271.00 Reduce - Reuse - Recycle Quarter Page $147.00 Recycling old magazines, catalogs, and Eighth Page $78.00 newspapers is one of the (Color and guaranteed placement addi- easiest ways to help the tional) environment. To increase the supply of recoverable Setup Charge wood fiber and to reduce the demand $60 per hour with a $18 minimum. Line art on regional landfills, Shop Talk! urges Advertising Deadline for advertising copy is the 5th may be inserted at no additional charge. $10 its readers to support recycling efforts in of the month prior to the month of publi- per photo. their communities. cation. Invoices are due upon receipt. 6 or 12-month prepaid advertising contracts Inserts Shop Talk! is printed only with inks receive a 5% discount. $399 for one page­— made from vegetable oil.

Maximum trim size: 8-1/4” X 10-3/4”

Shop Talk! • published by Proleptic, Inc.• P.O. Box 17817 Asheville, NC 28816 • email: shoptalk@proleptic.net

62 | AUGUST 2015

Shop Talk!

Shop Talk!

AUGUST 2015

| 63

Shop Talk!

with Boot & Shoe News

P.O. Box 17817 • Asheville, NC 28816 (828) 505-8474 • FAX (828) 505-8476 www.proleptic.net

August 2015 12 Monthly Issues $36 Canada & Mexico $39US Other Countries $54US SHATA Members deduct $4

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Check your renewal date today!

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

X

• BioThane Coated Webbing • Thoroughbred Leather • Quality Stainless Steel and Brass Saddlery Hardware • Fiebing Products • WahlClippers • Fortex & Fortiflex Products • Nylon Webbing • Leather and BioThane Harness Parts plus much more

Large enough to serve you…

Small enough to need you!

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

We also do custom leather and nylon work.

4205 Township Road 629 Millersburg, OH 44654 Request your free catalog today!