The Leather Retailers’ and Manufacturers’ Journal
February 2015
Shop Talk! With Boot & Shoe News
Pendleton ShowReview Review PendletonShow Southstar Supply Company
ISA TanTec Nick-O Sew Since 1984
Avila’s Pro Shop Spradley Hats
Farewell & Godspeed Huber Gillaugh Passes 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
Shop Talk! |
The Leather Retailers’ and Manufacturers’ Journal
with Boot & Shoe News
Laugh Lines 6 Hide Report 9 Boot & Shoe News 24 News, Notes & Queries 53
Pg.40
Read Shop Talk! Online with links to advertisers and online information www.proleptic.net ShopTalkLeatherMagazine
Classifieds 60
Farewell & Godspeed....................15 Pendleton Show Review..................22 Southstar Supply Company.............26 Avila'sPro Shop............................34 Spradley Hats..............................40 New US Tannery..........................44 Nick-O Sew.................................46
Nick Pernokas (c) on the set of "Bail Out" , a TV show that was being filmed in Fort Worth in 2014. On left is stuntman Jeffry Summer, and on right is actor Sheril Rodgers. The handsome briefcase shown on the cover of this issue was created by Nick who may be reached at (254) 967-6183.
Shop Talk!
published by Proleptic, Inc. P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816 Ph (828) 505-8474 | Fax (828) 505-8476 www.proleptic.net
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
Shop Talk!
FEBuary 2015
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Laugh Lines A Thoughtful Valentine’s Day Gift Eli asked his friend, Amos, whether he had bought his wife anything for Valentine’s Day. “Yes, I did,” said Amos. “I bought her a belt and bag.” “Well, that was very kind of you,” Eli said. “I hope she likes them!” “So do I,” replied Amos “Hopefully the vacuum cleaner will work better now.”
"I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry. That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste."
David Bissonnette
Q: What did the Valentine card say to the stamp? A: Stick with me and we’ll go places! Q: What did one snake say to the other snake? A: Give me a little hug and a hiss, honey. Knock, knock! Who’s there? Olive! Olive who? Olive you!
Q: Why did the banana go out with the prune? A: Because it couldn’t find a date. Q: What travels around the world but stays in one A:
corner? A stamp
When a woman on the staff of a school became engaged, a friend and colleague offered her some advice. “The first ten years are the hardest.” “How long have you been married?” the newly engaged woman asked. “Ten years,” her friend replied.
Q: Why is lettuce the most loving vegetable? A: Because it’s all heart. Q: What did one pickle say to the other? A: You mean a great dill to me. 6 |
FEBRuary 2015
Shop Talk!
Phil, a smart and handsome young man dressed very fashionably, walked into a local bar where he noticed a woman gazing at him with big brown eyes. She kept staring. Phil felt flattered so he walked up to the woman and said in his deepest voice, “I’ll do anything you wish, beautiful lady, for just $20 but on one condition” The woman appeared to be in a trance and asked in a low whisper, “What’s your condition?” Phil answered, “Tell me your wish in just three words.” There was a long pause before the woman opened her purse and handed Phil a $20 bill. Then she looked deeply into his eyes and said, “Clean my house.”
"It’s better to have loved and lost than to do forty pounds of laundry a week." Laurence J. Peter "If love is the answer, could you rephrase the question?" Lily Tomlin "Instead of getting married again, I’m going to find a woman I don’t like and give her a house." Groucho Marx "My boyfriend and I broke up. He wanted to get married and I didn’t want him to." Rita Rudner "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you." Winnie the Pooh "One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love." Sophocles
Happy Valentine’s Day to Everyone!
Shop Talk!
FEBuary 2015
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GENUINE New from Juki
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www.Nickosew.com • 7745 Hwy 76 S • Stanton, TN 38069 1-800-526-4256 • ph (731)779-9963 • fax (731) 779-9965Shop FEBRuary 2015 Shop Talk! Talk! FEBRUARY 2015
your global perspective
At times people seem to have become addicted to tragedy. They really don’t want to share good news. Lots of leather people are like that—they’d rather swallow their tongue than admit to making money. What you hear is that, “Times are tough! Prices are out control! Margins are tight!” Everybody is always waiting for the other shoe to drop. The anticipation of global disaster gets wearing to be honest. Friends, after reading through different reports about the hide and leather markets, I come away feeling that things, generally, are in pretty good shape. Why is that? I read about new tanneries being built around the world, from Ethiopia to Vietnam. Luxury brands for all sorts of products are doing well—and people lay off luxury items when times are tight. Sure — you can point to this or that company losing money, like Coach, but it’s not the trend. And people will talk about “slow downs” or “lost revenue” and you always have to stop and say (real loud sometimes), “BUT WAIT!! Compared to
The Hide Report what???” Sales were up 15% last year and they’re only up 8% this year — is that a loss? OK — that’s a “decline in sales” but it seems like a “decline in sales” is often a meaningless — or misleading — term when a company is still making a profit. It would be nice if the figures were put into context. So it seems that the business analyses I read are actually relative in nature, not absolute truths as to the financial state of any particular company. Again, the commentaries seem to want to play down a company’s accomplishments while making it sound as if they are operating in a hostile world, fighting against the odds, and barely making it. When all is said and done, friends, I am very, very hopeful about 2015. It really looks like it could be a good year for us all—maybe not “record setting,” maybe not “the best sales ever,” and why does it have to be! Whatever happened with “enough”? It doesn’t matter who’s in the White House or what the stock market did or didn’t do. What matters is that you stand up on your hind legs
BONDED NYLON THREAD
1-866-415-8223
www.TECHSEW.com Shop Talk!
FEBRuary 2015
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every morning, wash your face, get dressed, eat breakfast, and get to work because those are the only things you have any control over. And smile because it’s good to be alive and feel the sun on your face. Please Note: The following information was dated from the early part of January 2015, so by the time you read this, it will be outdated. However, the information is still useful in that it should give you some idea of what’s happening in the global leather industry. Enjoy! Mexican Government Makes Credit Available Mexico’s federal government is renewing for 2015 a finance program to give tanners and footwear producers in the state of Guanajuato access to credit. National finance institution Nafin will offer companies in the Guanajuato leather sector credit of more than $60 million in total. Local industry association CICEG said it hoped its member companies would take advantage of the offer which could give them access to affordable loads for sums of up to $300,000 each. Vietnam’s Exports to Italy Increased by 18% Vietnam’s exports to Italy in the first eleven months of 2014 reached $2.5 billion, up 18.2%
H
compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Trade and Industry reported. Among them, Vietnam’s exports to Italy include mobile phones and accessories for a total of $913.4 million, up 9% from the same period last year and accounted for 40% of total exports, followed by footwear which reached $238 million. Italy is the largest export market for Vietnam. Chinese Manufacturing Contracts Chinese manufacturing contracted in December for the first time in seven months in another sign that the slowdowns in the world’s No. 2 economy are quickening, according to a survey of factories in mid-December 2014. HSBC’s [a bank] preliminary purchasing managers’ index fell to a seven month low of 49.5 from 50 in November, based on a 100 point scale in which numbers above 50 indicate expansion. It was the first time the index dipped below 50 since May when it was 49.4. It’s the latest in a string of week data on China’s economy which is struggling to meet its full year growth target amid weak global demand. China’s economy expanded at a five year low of 7.3 percent last quarter [2014], below the official full year target of 7.5 percent. [Editor’s Note:
ANSEN
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Conchos Saddle Trim Hand Engraved Silver Products “For those who want the very best”
HansenSilver.com
209-847-7390 Marie, Tim & Kelleigh Hansen
10 |
800-970-7391 Oakdale, CA 95361
FEBRUARY 2015
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Would that the US economy had done so poorly in 2014—only 7.3%!!!] China’s communist leaders, who have expressed confidence they can manage the slowdown, cut interest rates unexpectedly in November in a sign that they were worried growth was falling too sharply. High-End Sneakers a Trend Ferragamo creative director Massimilano Giornetti knew sneakers had truly arrived as a fashion statement when, at a formal dinner in Rome, he spotted a former Italian senator of a certain age wearing them with a pinstripe suit. . . . Ferragamo, which is celebrating the 100th anniversary of company founder Salvatore Ferragamo’s emigration from Italy to the US where he entered the luxury business through fine leather footwear, launched a new collection of sneakers in December 2014. They include color block high-tops and sneakers in exotic skins with prices ranging from $540 to $3,400 for crocodile. . . .
Birkenstock and Concept Debut Collaboration Birkenstock is keeping the cool factor going this season, thanks to a design collaboration with Concepts, a Cambridge, MA-based retailer. The limited edition, co-branded collection debuted in-store this past December 20, as well as online at Cncpts.com and retail for $160. . . .
The unisex collection includes two styles—a natural leather version that gently conforms to the shape of one’s feet over time and one in bright orange felt. . . . How to be a Luxury Brand [This is portion from a larger article on how luxury brands continue to be seen as making highend products and able to charge commiserately.] . . . . The point of the big groups is to foster profitable growth, but too much of it or the wrong sort can tarnish a luxury brand. In 2004, Gucci set itself a goal of doubling its sales within eight years. To achieve that, the company produced many more canvas double-G dappled handbags than was healthy for the brand. The trick is to polish a brand to a high sheen and then to disseminate the glow through the full
$21.50 $19.50 $19.50 $19.50
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product range without letting it dull [Status by association.] Hermes and Chanel have lately been better at this than the big groups’ main brands. That is not because they are small: Hermes has 315 stores and 3.8 billion euros in revenue, and Chanel’s sales are three-quarters the size of Louis Vuitton’s. But each company has its own knack for teaming exclusivity with accessibility.
Makers of luxury have come to realize that the paradox of industrial craftsmanship can be pushed only so far. To captivate new clients and keep older ones on board, brands will have to invest shopping with a sense of occasion and give ordinary customers some of the individual attention that has been lavished on their biggest spending ones.
Hermes starves the market. Customers have to wait six months or more to buy its most famous products, its Kelly and Birkin handbags, each one handmade by a single craftsman. Although Hermes makes an estimated 70,000 Birkins a year, prices on the secondary market can be 50% above the retail price. . . . Hermes sells plenty of less expensive products, including scarves, wallets, and towels. But 500 euros will merely buy you an expensive scarf, not a cheap handbag. . . .
Increasingly, that is what they are still doing. When Burberry launched a perfume last September, it gave customers a chance to inscribe bottles with their own initials, both in shops and online.
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Customers still want to hear the story that luxury tells, perhaps more than ever as the world comes to seem more rootless and mass produced.
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
First Pig Leather Processing Plant in Cambodia In a bid to compete with producers of cheap factory-ready leather, Mong Reththy Group is building Cambodia’s first pig skin processing factory. Mong Reththy said the work on the $8 million plant had already started and was slated for completion by late 2015. . . . “While [Chinese plants] import pig skin at about only $2,000 per tonne, they can sell it back after processing it to leather for about $30,000 [per tonne],” Reththy said, adding that the majority of the factory’s produce will be reserved for export. Cheat Khemara, senior official at the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia (GMAC), said that there are around fifty factories in Cambodia that produce shoes and bags and require leather as a raw material. . . .
he said, referring to icy roads. But this year’s unseasonably warm weather brought shoppers out. Boots were a top seller. “We didn’t have enough,” said Wittenstein. “Based on last season, we stuck with short boots on low heels, and they all did very well.” Briana Moteberg, owner of Jackson Bootlegger in Jackson Hole, WY, said holiday sales exceeded those of 2013. “It was attributed to Sorels,” she said. Sorel was a strong seller throughout last year, Moteberg said, so the store is increasing its buy for this year. . . . Also a strong seller was Dansko’s new faux shearling lined boot. . . .
Boots Drive U. S. Holiday Sales Many retailers were optimistic that they would finish the year on a high note, and they had good reason to think that: consumer confidence was up in December 2014, and the sale of boots was leading the way.
Dee Mooney, co-owner of Footwise in Corvallis, OR, said some categories did better than expected while others came up short. “Birkenstock did well this season. We expected it to and it did. We found that some of the boots and winter product suffered a little by not having the cold weather we’ve had in the past. However, low, casual boots, especially from Teva and Dromedaris, sold well.
Michael Wittenstein, general manager of Karavel Shoes in Austin, TX, said holiday sales outpaced last year’s due to, in part, better weather. “Last year, people didn’t want to get out on the road,”
Reebok Plus Horween Leather At its best, leather is butter soft and the cream of the crop is the Horween version of the material. Reebok serves up a slice of supple realness with
Shop Talk!
FEBuary 2015
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this latest release which lets [Chicago-based] Horween leather run rampant all over the upper. The sneaker is treated in wheat colored leather and given a cream colored outsole for contrast. Wheat colored seams pop up on the midsole as well to keep things consistent and even the branding is given a boost by the use of embossing as opposed to the normal sewn on tags or embroidery. Demand for Sheep Hides Falls Australian and New Zealand farmers are having a tough time selling lambskins as China’s tanneries face slowing demand for the products, particularly from Russia, and as Beijing cracks down on some chemical intensive processing plants. In Australia, lambskin prices were down by close to 85% last year. Sheep farmers are also beSelection
ing hit in New Zealand where prices have fallen as much as 40%. China’s government is under rising pressure from a rapidly merging middle class to address the country’s air, soil, and water quality. In May, China began regulating tanneries and other factories believed to be contributing to pollution, targeting smaller outfits in particular. . . . China is the biggest importer of sheep and lambskins, receiving about 74% of all skins exported worldwide, while remaining one of the top five sheep and lamb skin producers, according to FAO [UN Food and Agricultural Organization] data. Turkey, Russia, and Italy are smaller importers of the skins.
Weight (lbs.)
November (early)
December (early)
January (early)
Price Last January (early)
Heavy Texas Steers
66-68
$108-110
$104-106
$98-100
$97-98
Heavy Texas Steers (Hvy)
74-78
$117-118
$109-113
$105-108
Branded Steers
66-68
$113-114
$108-109
$96-98
$97-98
Branded Steers (Hvy)
74-78
$120-122
$111-113
$106-108
$104-106
Colorado Steers
66-68
$103-105
$99-100
$94-96
$95-96
Butt Branded Steers
66-68
$113-114
$113-114
$108-109
$104-105
Butt Branded Steers (Hvy)
74-78
$117-118
$115-117
$101-103
$101-103
Heavy Native Steers (Hvy)
74-78
$120-122
$116-118
$116-118
$108-110
Heavy Native Heifers
48-52
$95-97
$91-92
$87-90
$88-90
Branded Heifers
48-52
$92-94
$90-91
$82-86
$85-87
Heavy Native Cows
48-52
$72-74
$68-71
$66-67
$79-84
Branded Cows
48-52
$62-65
$57-60
$53-57
$66-68
Spready Dairy Cows
48-52
$85-88
$77-82
$75-79
$85-87
100-110
$85-90
$82-87
$78-83
$84-87
Native Bulls 14 |
$112-115
FEBRuary 2015
Shop Talk!
Farewell & Godspeed Huber W. Gillaugh 1933-2014 The harness trade has lost one of its most knowledgeable historians with the passing of Huber Gillaugh on Christmas Eve, 2014. Huber lived in Lewisburg, OH, and is survived by his wife Ingeborg. He was a lifetime member of the Carriage Association of America and a founding member of the Ohio Valley Harness Shop, a group dedicated to the preservation of historical harness and carriage company catalogs and memorabilia. Huber was an avid collector of unusual items related to the harness and leather trades. It was Huber who came up with the idea to have an annual harness makers’ get-together back in 1970 along with the late Joe Bowman of Bowman Harness Shop in Millersburg, OH. Huber was also a sales rep for Schutz Bros. of N. Manchester, IN, for over forty years. He
was also retired from the City of Dayton and was a Korean War veteran, having been the recipient of two Purple Hearts. Huber was a gentle soul, a member of the German Baptist church, and held in high regard by all who knew him. Many thanks to Eli Miller of Mesopotamia, OH, for sending in this note.
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.
468 CANAL ST., STE. 201, LAWRENCE, MA 01840
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GOODS & SERVICES
INVENTORY and EQUIPMENT and UPDATES
Leatherwork Tutorial DVD's by Cary Schwarz
Reviewed by Nick Pernokas, Senior Feature Writer
When I look at the tools and information available to leatherworkers today, I can't help but think, "I wish that had been available when I started out." Cary Schwarz's ever expanding collection of educational DVDs is no exception. Cary is a member of the TCAA and a well known saddle maker from Salmon, Idaho. Now he is giving other leather enthusiasts a glimpse into what goes on in his shop as he works on various projects. I think anyone who is interested in leather carving would benefit from watching the floral design and the floral carving videos. Cary has some unique ideas on how to lay out a pattern that will have you thinking outside the box which is what art is supposed to be about. There are some great drawing tips included as well. Cary's DVD's on saddle construction are geared towards the "Buckaroo" style saddle, but, as he covers rigging, fork cover, seat , and cantle binding installation, he touches on a lot of techniques that can be applied to any style saddle. Cary also shows some ways to use tools that you may not have tried. I watched his DVD on making bucking rolls skeptically because, frankly, I probably won't ever make one . By the end of it, I was glad I had watched it because it's full of tips on how to countersink parts to make them fit better, putting welts in, and trimming hard to reach liners. If you build bags or cases, you'll enjoy this one. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but I think any old dog could pick up a few from Cary Schwarz's Saddle Maker Series. To find out more about new titles contact Cary at www.caryschwarz.com. Stay tuned to Shop Talk! for a visit with Cary in his shop in Idaho.
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FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
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Of course, the thing that folks in North and South Dakota start thinking about this time of year when business gets a little slow and they get hunkered down by the stove is what they can do to increase sales so why not make ice cream! That’s obvious. Get a little orphan looking child with a sad face and a sadder story and I bet he or she can charge $5 a scoop when it’s 10 below and the snow is blowing hard. OK—we got that figured out. Now you need a first rate ice cream churn and, boy!, do I have exactly the thing for you! Step right his way, ladies and gents! For only $7,915 I can provide you with a fully mobile, self-contained, fully automatic DOUBLE 20 qt. rig powered by a 3 hp “hit-n-miss” John Deere engine, dripping with so much charming nostalgia that your customers will simply swoon with joy as they give you their money hand over fist— please keep the change!
Or perhaps this hydraulic powered unit (no ice, no salt!) for the lower price of $4,750—
Of course for the winter months, you might consider using chains on the tires for better traction. For these and other interesting products (including lots of 12v gadgets, nice reel mowers, etc.), please contact Georgetown Sales, 375 Old Dam Rd., Christiana, PA 17509, (610) 593-5193. Who knows—maybe they could use leather carpenter aprons? Work belts? Sheathes? Suspenders? But tell me this—when did ice cream machines get so %#@*&%! expensive??? Somebody better call the Hillbilly and report the situation!
MANUFACTURING
W Farm & Buggy Collars W Adjustable Top Collars W All Purpose Collars W Show Collars W Heavy Logging Collars W No-Choke Pulling Collars W Collar Clock & Mirror Large Inventory in Stock for prompt shipment!
Design ©The Draft Horse Journal
We also stock No Wrinkle Vinyl Healing Pads Harness Parts
CALL OR WRITE FOR A FREE WHOLESALE CATALOG.
Answering service 515-830-2596 17607 200th St. | Bloomfield, Iowa 52537
Shop Talk!
FEBuary 2015
| 17
he’s got on hand and or *whereYouhe’snevergoingknowto be!whatThat’s Roy Peakes who’s
forgotten more about machinery than most 10 other people know. He goes to a lot of auctions so you never know when he’s going to be in YOUR area to either pick up or drop off! To find out what sort of used machinery he has in stock or might be looking for, please call Roy at (508) 769-8899. You can write Roy at 5 Sibley St., Auburn, MA 01501.
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Are you looking for zippers, wax, thread, leather, dies, dyes, shoe findings, tools? Then you better call Paul Friedman at Lewis Sales—(978) 682-3587. Paul has a huge warehouse full of STUFF! Shelves and shelves, boxes and boxes. You never know what he has on hand and he ships all over the world! Paul is at 468 Canal St., Ste. 201, Lawrence, MA 01840. If Paul doesn’t have it then you probably can do without.
* We got such a nice note from Daniel Yoder at
Yoder’s Harness Shop, E 14994 State Road 82, LaFarge, WI 54639, whose motto is, “Making Quality Affordable”. Daniel writes that he sells those handy LED Lenser rechargeable headlamps— These are great for sewing after dark or when you need a little extra light! There is a 300 lumen model and an 850 model. You can recharge or use alkaline batteries. Handy! Daniel also makes wholesale nylon halters in different sizes, weights, and with different hdw. This includes both large and small draft halters. Also different sizes of neck ropes. He even has mule harness! If you’re too busy, then you might contact Daniel and talk about him doing some private labeling for you!
Chap, Saddle & Tooling Leather! The best grades from the best tanneries! Hermann Oak #1, or A & B grades only! Skirting, Harness, Strap, tooling, etc. Large clean sides of chap leather! Same types and colors always in stock! Work, Rodeo and Show!
Outstanding service! Real leather sample cards available!
Goliger Leather Company 800 423-2329 Fax 805 650-1742 email: service@goligerleather.com Visit our website: goligerleather.com
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FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
That’s a win-win for everyone! at Keystone Leather sell Argentine cut *solesTheas folks well as leather sole bends, and 11 iron belly strips for $7.45/lb. They have treated soles as well as some very nice sole leather from Belgian for those customers wanting the BEST! Contact: 2100 Reach Rd., Williamsport, PA 177018783, (570) 329-3780
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Please contact: 1718 N. 1st St., Milwaukee, WI 53212, (800) 425-4747.
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Here’s a company that you might like knowing about—Keystone Air Power at 60 Elco Dr., Myerstown, PA 17067, (717) 866-9224. They carry a whole lot of DeWalt and Milwaukee tools that use battery packs—big selection. They carry battery operated LED area lights and work lights—handy. Lots of air powered tools like drills, routers, miter saws as well as air motors.
Sun Bias has recently started carrying a new bonded nylon thread called Strongbond for people THEquality INSIDE SCOOP looking for a long-wearing, high thread. It ON HIGH LEATHER PRICES comes in 10 and 16 oz. spools, and there are 100 colors in many sizes. Buy a spool or a case. Give it a try! It’s described as consistent, machine friendly, and colorfast. Sun Bias also carries variegated thread in sizes 69, 138, and 277.The Black and white nylon thread is availPlease Note: following information was dated from able in sizes 33 to 554—that’s big! the early part of Deceber 2014, so by the time you read this, it will be outdated. However, be that as it may, the information is still useful in that it should give you some idea of what’s happening in the global leather industry.
The short and skinny is this: hide prices are backing off slightly; however, one sparrow does not a summer make. For prices to back off any at all, prices would have to decline for several months in a row. Tanners and manufacturers alike are hoping that the market has stabilized and they can avoid further increases—at least for a while. The truth of it is that demand for leather goods—including cars with leather upholstery—is strong. Generally speaking, the news from around the world is very encouraging—businesses are doing well plus there are a number of interesting technological developments in the tanning industry, several of which are mentioned below. The items here have been extracted from reports that appeared on www.hidenet.com, the leading source for information about the global hide market. PLEASE NOTE: In the “Hide Report Chart” at the end of this column you will note that prices in EVERY hide category are down. Enjoy!
THE HIDE Z REPORT Z 8149 Twp. Rd. 662 | Dundee, OH 44624 Ph: 330.359.0147 | Fax: 330.359.0196
Manufacturers of
• Old Style formed steel eveners • Pipe Eveners & Neck Yokes • Clevis & Tongue Hardware
Leather Prices Fall First Week of December Dealers’ Inquires Welcome
Prices for Heavy Texas Steers continued their slide again during the first week of December. After finishAmerican Donkey &$106, Muleearly Society ingThe in a range between $104 and business Established 1967—Serving Longears and their was done at $104 but prices at the close of 12/5/2014 for over 40 years. were $103 on owners 64/68 lbs. averages. World’s Largest Single Source of Information and Services for
allBranded sizes of Donkeys, Mules & Zebra Hybrids.as low as Prices for Steers also fell, trading $100 and $99 during the first week of December on Home of the BRAYER magazine, average weights of 64/68 lbs. Colorado Steers fell to The Original All-Breed Longear Publication $98 112 andpages $97. bi-Monthly. $23 US, $30 Canada, $35 overseas Ck, MO, Paypal, MC/Visa
Butt Branded Steers were down $2 to $108 and $108.50 on 68/70 Heavy Native ADMS, PO lbs. Box 1210, Lewisville TXSteers 75067 dropped 219-0781 as much as $2.50 to(972) $106 on 64/68 lbs. Email lovelongears@hotmail.com ** www.lovelongears.com
Try our NEW Vinyl in 8 Colors Both sides vinyl. Better than marine vinyl. For longer wear-Wash them clean & keep inside dry.
• Collar pads • Breast pads • Show pads • Split Breast pads • Back pads • Breeching pads
Write For Free Catalog Sweat Pad Shop 183 Stoneyhill Road, Quarryville, PA 17566
BONDED NYLON THREAD
Shop Talk!
FEBRuary 2015
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Brasses casts high end brass pulls *andLondonderry other hardware for woodworkers. You never
know—if you have a small piece of brass hardware that needs to be made then you at least give them a shout. Contact: P O Box 415, Cochranville, PA 19330, (610) 593-6239, www.londonderry-brasses.com.
*
Countryside Manufacturing has come out with an improved design for their pony and mini gig saddles. The saddle is described as “Now made with a shaped bio punchout on top instead of a straight bio strap. Also with new gig saddle bottoms.” Countryside is also having a sale on hdw. while supplies last--#200 snaps, #121 buckles, #5, Conways, #56 snaps, #2002 snaps, and more!! Get on their mailing list! Also sale on their “soft grip” coated webbing in black and orange, from 5/8” to 2”.
Custommade Knives & Tools for Leatherworkers
D M K
anny Repair ■ Sharpen ■ New Handles ◉ Round Knives ◉ Stitch Groovers arlin ◉ Custommade Tools nives ◉ Bench Knives ◉ Stock Tools (254) 842- 5405 ◉ Old Blades Reshaped 1550 County Road 207 ■ Blanket, TX 76432
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. Hudson Machine Co. Randall Leather Machine Corp. Western Supplies Co. Quick Roll Leaf Mfg. Co., Inc. Schaefer Machine Company, Inc. Ferd, Schmetz Needle Corp. Fortuna Machine Co. New England Needles Inc. Jado Machine Co. Pfaff Pegasus of USA, Inc. Juki AmericaSinger Machine Co. & many more
Sale or Lease of New & Used Machinery www.boglegreenwell.com
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Contact: 504 S. Humbert St., Milton, IA 52570. *There are any number of fascinating doodads, gizmos, dust collectors, and jigs in the Rockler Woodworking and Hardware catalog. Something that caught this reviewer’s eye is their assortment of glue applicators! They have small brushes for
Auctions!
Auctions!
Auctions! New Auctions Every Month
Shop Talk! 828-505-8474 - www.proleptic.net
SUN BIAS, INC.
INDUSTRIAL SEWING SERVICES 1718 N. 1ST. STREET ** MILWAUKEE, WI. 53212 Serving the needle trades 90 years. POLYPROPYLENE WEBBING Firsts & Seconds. 28 colors on Firsts 59/60” NYLON FABRICS Firsts & Seconds Urethane Coated. 60 colors on 1000-Denier & many other fabrics. HOOK & LOOP Sew on 1/4” to 6”, some widths in 35 colors. P. S. (Stick on) 5/8”-5” Rubber & Acrylic. SPECIAL Hook/Loop. Call for prices ELASTICS Woven H D 1” thru 3” & Ex H D, also knitted & braided types. PLASTIC & METAL HARDWARE for webbing & miscellaneous items Grommets Washers 3 colors & Snaps 39 cap colors.
Firewood Bundle Webbing Handles Automated Hot/Sear Cutting on webbing, Elastics and Hook & Loop. For no-fray ends use Hot cutting on webbing for belt tip ends. 2-1/4” Electric Webbing & Rope Cutters for cut it yourself. Self-Locking Nylon Ties (Cable Ties) 4” thru 15”. BIAS or STRAIGHT CUT fabric binding tape slitting SINGLE & DOUBLE folded Bias Tapes * 200+ colors. CORD EDGE PIPING 200+ colors & Asst. Cord Fillers for horse blankets.
Up to 200 Catalog color pages available. Save paper order as needed from our catalog index pages and the latest changes by e-mail in the same day to sales@sunbias.com (or USPS mail takes longer) TOLL FREE NATION WIDE 1-800-425-4747 • FAX 1-414-265-5353
MOST IN STOCK MATERIALS ARE SHIPPED WITHIN 24 HOURS. MASTER CARD,*VISA,*DISCOVER & E-CHECKS
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
real tight places, rollers, guides, etc. And you have to think to yourself—would that work in my shop? Or maybe something similar could be created.
Rockler is some place that could can buy all sorts and configurations of knobs. And they have hardware for chests like hinges. So you never know what you’re going to find that might excite your imagination and prove to be useful. Contact: 4365 Willow Dr., Medina, MN 55340. (800) 233-9359, www.rocklerpro.com. Another real good source for 1,000’s of miscellaneous items and supplies is McMaster-Car Supply Co., P O Box 54960, Los Angeles, CA 90054, (310) 692-5911. Very handy catalog to have.
Many tanneries will be represented, as well as finished products for both days, including Moser Leather • Newman Leather • Wickett-Craig • Auburn Leather • Smith’s Tack Shack • R&C Country Tack • Southern Saddlery • Tandy Leather • Hillside Harness Hardware • Larry Fonseca Rawhide Stirrups • Saddle Trees and Western Decor • Rocking 'S' Tack and Saddles • William Smith Tannery • and much more William Smith will be hosting a hands on tanning seminar (for a small fee). Tandy will be hosting a basic carving seminar. Seminars will be held Saturday. Mention Western Leather and Equipment Show for French Lick Hotel discount or call Lanes Hotel for their discounted rate of $69.95. 812-936-9919
Show and Auction starts at 9 am on Friday Show on Saturday starts at 9 am till 4 pm Check out our website at www.moserleather.com For auction items visit www.auctionzip.com, enter our ID number 8433 or look under Cox Auctioneers. For Hotel Reservations: 888936-9360 • Group Code 0314WWL
See Auction Zip for terms of sale and updated consignments.
Shop Talk!
FEBuary 2015
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2014 Pendleton Show
by Vandy Douglas, Sheridan Leather
Here are the highlights from the 2014 Pendleton Leather Show: It was held November 7 & 8, 2014, in Pendleton, OR, at the Pendleton Convention Center. We gave away over $1,200 in "Leather Dollars" that could only be spent at the Trade Show with the vendors. “Thank you� to Leather Machine Co, Shop Talk!, and Hansen's Western Gear for their donations. We had several door prizes and thank you to Bee Natural and Tandy Leather for their donations. GRS was a new vendor this year and plans on coming back in 2015 with the addition of a class during the show.
There was increased customer traffic to the show this year, up at least 25%. Many vendors commented on this. People also enjoy increased sales: nearly all vendors reported the best ever sales numbers (for this show), and a couple vendors have already asked for additional booth space.
2015 plans: we are planning on at least the same number of Classes. The construction to the additional classrooms will be completed and we will have access to those. Also we want to establish a saddle contest and exhibit for next year. Many details need to be finalized, but we do know the saddle competition will feature all roughout saddles. As always we plan on building the audience and vendor selection via advertising (Publicatons, Facebook, websites), Leather Dollars, door prizes, and involvement from the community in Pendleton, OR. Please check www.pendletonleathershow.com for updates or call 307-674-6679. Thanks!
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FEBRuary 2015
Shop Talk!
Luke Harris of Sher idan Leather and the Pendleton Leat her Show
Bob Douglas
erid promoting his new Sh Paul Van Dyke attende y. dan Schools of Saddler
Leather Mach ine Company sold out at th e
show
Men saw us tion you in Sho save 5%p Talk!
eel Rule Your St Specialist Die Clicker
We build custom open face, brace reinforced Clicker Dies “Earning our customers’ trust - one die at a time…”
two shops Bolivar, MO (417) 683-7670
Bells, TX (903) 821-2704
www.cutritedies.com Shop Talk!
FEBRUARY 2015
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Boot & Shoe News
PEOPLE and PRODUCTS and PLACES
SSIA 2015 The next SSIA convention will be held this coming July 19-20, at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Philadelphia, Valley Forge, PA. For reservations, call (610) 337-1200 or visit www.ssia.info/convention/index.asp.
Writers Wanted! We are always on the lookout for material to be included in our Boot & Shoe News—that includes suggestions about stories you’d like to see us do as well as jokes, reminiscences, short articles, information about new products, and interesting pictures! Maybe tell us about your worst customer experience or strangest repair job you ever did. If
we use what you send then we’d be happy to give you a free year’s subscription to Shop Talk! Wow! So get something together and please send us—we do pay for features. Contact: Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, or e-mail: shoptalk@ proleptic.net. We really would like to hear from you! Right now we are looking for the oldest shoe repairer in the US (still active) and the youngest shoe repairer working at least part-time on a regular basis. Let us hear from you!
Send Us Your Picture! Please take a snap of you working at the bench or posing in front of your shop and send it to us! Please identify everyone in the picture and
A. Lyons & Co., Inc. The Best Quality Components since 1933
We stock over 1,000 types & colors of leather!
New & Improved Full Color Catalog Upon Request
FeatURINg: Chap Leather (125 colors available),
• Leather Components • Leather Insoles • Leather Heels • Leather Midsoles • Leather Counters • Leather Bends A. Lyons & Co., Inc.
40 Beach Street • Manchester, MA 01944 Phone 978-526-4244 • Fax 978-526-1445 email: info@alyons.com
embossed Cow Sides, garment & Hair-On Hides, genuine Buffalo, genuine Salz Latigo, Harness Leather, Metallic Cow Sides, Patent Leather, Skirting, Strap & Upholstery Leathers Complete line of decorative accessories & full line of leather crafting tools.
Become a Preferred Customer:
Benefits of becoming a preferred customer: Very best pricing for the leathers you use the most. Receive immediate notification of leathers going on sale. Added luxury of choosing only leathers that interest you, thus eliminating unwanted emails. Notification of new products and services as they become available ensures the personal service you deserve. Logon to
l 595www.hidehouse.com Monroe St., Napa, CA 94559
800-4LEATHR (800-453-2847) Fax: 800-255-6160
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FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
SMILE! Don’t make a fuss and just do it! If you mail a photo then we will return it. Contact: Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, email: shoptalk@proleptic.net. Just do it!
MBG Reaches Every Repair Shop I bet you didn’t know that. But, yes—My Buyer’s Guide! reaches dozens of custom boot makers and ALL the shoe repair shops in the US. As well as 100’s of shops that combine boot/shoe repair with things like saddle and harness work. For as little as $189. Why not take advantage of this great, effective, and affordable opportunity to attract new business? Deadline is March 7, 2015. In print and online at www.mybuyersguide.net. Contact: My Buyer’s Guide!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: info@mybuyersguide.net.
Woof! Woof! Woofety-Woofety-Woof! Woof. Woof-Woof. Woofety-Woofety-Woof!
WOOF!
Dog to human translation... Y’all sure know how to keep us BUSY! Thanks for another GREAT year! SLC...Helping our customers to be successful by providing supplies, value, and help you can count on! Springfield Leather Company is so much more than just a leather store! Springfield Leather Company 1463 S. Glenstone Springfield, MO 65808 1-800-668-8518 www.springfieldleather.com
Shop Talk!
FEBRUARY 2015
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SouthStar is Small But Mighty Player in Sewing Accessories by Jennifer Fulford, East Coast Bureau Chief
E
very weekday, John Rebrovick sits at an antique desk near the front of SouthStar Supply Co. in Nashville, proudly helping sewing enthusiasts around the globe. “We’re sort of like the Dollar General Store for the sewing industry,” he says. “I’m glad to have a place to come every day.” The portraits of three patriarchs in the family watch over Rebrovick while he fills orders for sewing machine needles, scissors, pattern papers, and specialty items
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needed by sophisticated sewers, not specifically leather workers, but also embroiderers, apparel makers, canvas workers,
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
Everything for the Manufacturer & Retailer.
My Buyer’s Guide!
TM
Abrasives Accessories Adhesives also see Glues Advertising Air Purifiers Alligator Hides & Finished Goods Aluminum Molds—see Holster Molds Angora Animal Health Care Animal Hides Anvils Apparel Apparel Patterns Art Artisan Markets Associations & Museums Australian Saddle Trees Australian Saddles & Tack Automotive Accessories Automotive Leathers Awards Awning Fabrics & Supplies Axes Backpacks Bags & Handbags Bandages Baseball Glove Reconditioning Beader Blades Beeswax also see Leather Supplies Bells Belt Blanks Belts—Whsl, Retail, Custom Bindery Equipment Bit Accessories Bits Black Powder Supplies Blankets Blind Irons Books, Tapes & Videos—Whsl, Retail, Used Boot Accessories Boot Jacks Boot Making & Repair Boot Shapers Boot Tops—Stitching & Inlay Boots—Wholesale Bouncers Box Toes Brackets-Tack, Saddle & Harness Braided Leather Braided Rawhide
Advertiser Holster Molds Holsters Hoof Care Hook & Loop Horn Horse Collars Horse Grooming Horse Health Care Horse Hide Horsehair Horsehair Products Horseshoes Human Hair Industrial Signage Insectant Repellant Instructional Videos Jewelry—Western & Equine Jewelry Findings Juggling Cubes Kangaroo Keepers Kersey Lining Keys & Key Making Equipment Knife Sheaths Knives Laces Lap Robes Lariats Lasts—Shoe & Boot Lead Ropes Leather Leather—Belt & Lining Leather—Bison/Buffalo Leather—Bridle Leather—Buff Leather—Chap Leather—Deer Leather—Elk Leather—English Leather—English Calf Leather—Exotic Leather—Garment Leather—Harness Leather—Kip Leather—Lacing Leather—Latigo Leather—Lining Leather—Moose Leather—Ostrich Leather—Patent Leather— Pig Tool Collectors Tool Sharpening & Repair
SELLS
Deadline: March 7, 2015 Tools—Custom Tools—Leather Top Beading Tracking Software-Shoe & Boot Repair Trade Shows Trail Riding Supplies & Saddles Training Aids Treeless Saddles Trooper Saddles also see Canadian Trooper Saddles Trophy Saddles Troughs Trunks Tubing—Aluminum & Stainless Steel Twine Upholstery—Polyurethanes & Vinyls Vaccines Vacuum Cleaners Vehicles, Carts, Buggies, Parts and Instructional Videos Vinyl Walking Sticks Wallets, Belts, Finished Goods Watch Bands Watch Fobs Water Tanks Waterproofing also see Conditioners Wax Webbing—Nylon, Polypro, Cotton Webbing Cutter Weight Lifting Belts Welting Western Saddle Trees Western Saddles & Tack also see Custom Western Saddles & Tack Western Saddles & Tack Repair also see Custom Western Saddles & Tack Wet Rawhide also see Rawhide Wheelwright Tools Whips also see Bull Whips and Driving Whips Wholesale Leather Goods Wood Saws Wooden Rakes Workshops Woven Saddle Pads Yak Hair Zippers
s e v i s Abra to s r e p Zip
Reach 16,000 Manufacturers, Distributors, Wholesalers, Retailers
My Buyer's Guide! • P.O. Box 17817 • Asheville, NC • 28816 • Ph 828-505-8474 • Fx 828-505-8476
Shop Talk!
www.mybuyersguide.net • info@mybuyersguide.net
FEBRuary 2015
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boot and saddle makers, anyone who puts needle and thread together commercially. Sales at SouthStar hum right along, keeping Rebrovick and a staff of about six busy throughout the year.
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In SouthStar’s 2,000 sq. ft. distribution office, out of the way of retail traffic on nearby Briley Parkway, Rebrovick and staff are the kings of small items, in particular needles and scissors. SouthStar’s vast selection of scissors – Heritage, Fiskars, Wiss, Gingher – could be the subject of its own article. “A lot of them have gone out of business over the years,” he says. “There’s only one major US scissor manufacturer left, Heritage. We have them and push them.” Rebrovick, 56, the co-founder of SouthStar with Bill Starks, has been running the company for twenty-five years. Starks is still involved with the business, part-time. Rebrovick started in a similar company,
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
Cutters Exchange, operated by his father, who took over from Rebrovick’s maternal grandfather. Cutters Exchange, founded in 1917, was a much bigger company based in the South with hundreds of employees in offices around the US. Cutters Edge closed shortly after SouthStar opened due to market changes. SouthStar has always been a much smaller operation. “We started out thinking we would make our money off of apparel-making manufacturers because Levi’s and Oshkosh and all those companies were still all over the United States,” he recalls. “NAFTA came in and that was the end of that.” Since then, Rebrovick has established a long-standing customer base of smaller mom-and-pops and budding entrepreneurs who buy via a summer/fall brochure and the Shop Talk!
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“I like the creativity of our customers. I like to see entrepreneurship. They stick it out and work long hours.”
company’s website which has been online since February 1998. He’s proud to have been an early adopter of e-commerce. On his desk is a new order from France. As Rebrovick puts it, SouthStar has been selling online since before 9/11, “Obamanomics,” and Y2K. He says a recent website upgrade went live in July. “We have over 5,000 items on the website right now, so it is very data heavy and complicated,” he says. “But it’s doing real well.” SouthStar doesn’t sell fabric or sewing machines, but he can and does direct many customers to the right sources. He enjoys finding new customers wherever they may come. Recently, he’s been taking orders from NASA for space suits and from theater groups for costumes.
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Rebrovick, a tall fatherly figure, brings a sense of gratitude and a plainspoken Southern drawl to his work. He is genuinely entertained by stories about his customers who surprise him with their ideas. For example, he tells of the ex-CIA agent from the 1960’s who started a home based business to sew small pouches for hearing aids (now eclipsed by tech advances). The agent’s wife liked to sew. “I like the creativity of our customers. I like to see entrepreneurship,” he says. “They stick it out and work long hours.” Like his customers, persistence is the key to SouthStar’s longevity. And if the clock started when his great grandfather went into business, the company’s history goes pretty far back. At the turn of the 20th century, Leonard Beard Fite owned a dry goods store on the public square in downtown Nashville and “sold notions and fabrics and other things there,” Rebrovick says. Fite went on to run Cutters Exchange. As far as sewing hotbeds, Nashville is a good place to be, according to Rebrovick,
February 2015
Shop Talk!
but so are Boulder, Portland, OR, Seattle, LA, and San Francisco. From his view in the balcony, he’s watched change after change affect the sewing industry. Right now, a labor shortage is afoot. “The biggest problem is finding people to do production work. It’s very hard nowadays,” he says, and, if a company reaches a critical mass, the pool of workers trained in production methods and sewing is infinitesimal. “I’m not just talking sewers. I’m talking supervi-
sors, the whole nine yards.” SouthStar’s product line hasn’t changed nearly as dramatically as the industry itself, mainly because the company focuses on essential low tech tools rather than machines and technology. Nevertheless, he and the folks who answer the phone at SouthStar still spend a good amount of time trying to teach people to sew or to troubleshoot a problem. It’s a frustrating aspect of the business because a huge need exists for educa-
Serving Professional Leather Workers & Manufacturers Since 1984 • Shoe & Boot Repair • Saddle Makers • Harness Makers • Holster Makers • Custom Leather Goods
• Auctions • Wholesale Sources • Classifieds • Industry News • Monthly Specials
(828) 505-8474 • Fax (828) 505-8476
www.proleptic.net • shoptalk@proleptic.net (Not available to current or former subscribers.) Shop Talk!
FEBRuary 2015
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tion yet little is available for newbies. “A lot of times people call here and they don’t know what it is they need to order. For example, sewing machine needles are a complete mystery to most people. There are a gazillion different types of needles, they
vised version is the trusty old sock. If it’s an oddball item and it pertains to sewing, more than likely SouthStar has a few in stock. Forty-five mm blades? “Tons and tons” go out the door, he says. If you’d like to receive the SouthStar
have all these aliases on the box, and so it really takes some experience and knowledge to get somebody successfully through a needle order,” Rebrovick explains. Customer education extends to other items, even pattern paper. There’s waxed paper, craft paper, manila paper, dotted paper, and plotter paper. There are chemicals in many varieties – foam and fabric adhesives, silicone, Teflon, degreasers. And, of course, scissors come in a wide range of sizes and types. Scissors, Rebrovick says, are a fluid market because good vendors are hard to come by. Some items and companies just disappear. The Perforated Powder Co. went out of business years ago, so no more powder stamper, the low tech way to transfer a pattern onto paper. The impro32 |
harness shops & dealers welcome
•Collar Pads •Back Pads
•Pulling Collar Pads •Breast Collar Pads •Lots of Sizes
•Lots of Colors!
We have a large selection in stock & ready to ship! Call us and we will ship them to you. If you don’t like them, send them back within 30 days for a full refund.
10348 CR 18• Middlebury, IN 46540 VM (574) 825-9253
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
product bulletin, send a note to John Rebrovick at P O Box 90147, Nashville, TN, 37209. SouthStar’s phone is (615) 353-7000 and fax is (615) 353-7155. E-mail orders to service@southstarsupply.com or place them on www.SouthStarSupply.com.
ith l w w No ble stee dou edges w
Shop Talk!
FEBRUARY 2015
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Avila's Pro Shop: Cowboy Gear for Show Horses by Nick Pernokas, Senior Feature Writer
"When I was thirteen years old, I was staying in cow camps and riding thirty mile circles,� says Joel Gleason. "You learn in cow camps how to save your own life." Joel's dad had moved the family to southwestern Montana from Utah when Joel was ten and had taken a job running a 127,000 acre ranch for a family there. There were 3,000 mother cows and 10,000 sheep. While other kids were playing cowboy, Joel was living it. It was demanding work. "I didn't want to go home in the fall because I was having so much fun. Sometimes it wasn't
35 | 34
pleasant though and sometimes I was scared." Doctoring cattle and taking care of horses in this wide open country taught Joel self-reliance and how to get himself out of a jam. His future lay with another type of horse though. The first show horses that Joel ever saw was in the 1957 when famous Texas horseman Rex Cauble stopped at the ranch. He was passing through and made arrangements to keep his cutting horses in some of the shipping corrals. Joel still remembers how good the horses looked with their pretty heads and big hips. The ranch boss allowed Cauble to work the horses on
FEBRUARY 2015 2015 FEBRuary FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk! Shop Talk! Talk! Shop
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The Gleason’s Montana ranch and shop are on the edge of the Flathead Indian Nation and has a gorgeous view of the Mission range.
some cattle while they were there, and Joel was amazed with what the horses could do. "The old bang tail horses we had on the ranch couldn't do anything like that," says Joel. "That was my first experience with a trained show horse.” From then on show horses became a big part of Joel's life. There was another equine activity that was popular in the Sheridan, MT, area. Fifty miles from the nearest movie theater, Joel and his friends had to create their own entertainment. Joel recalls, "You weren't anybody if you didn't ride bucking horses." Joel rode saddle broncs until 1969. In 1965, Joel joined the Navy. When he got out, he enrolled in Dixon Junior College where he was on the rodeo team. In 1969 he was in a
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Shop Talk!
FEBRuary 2015
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Joel and Lynn Gleason run Avila’s Pro Shop by themselves.
bad wreck on a saddle bronc and was hung up. That ended Joel's rodeo career. Joel went to work for a land development company in St. George, UT, where he took care of the stables, and guided clients on trail rides to see the property. The company moved him
around to different developments until he ended up in Parker, CO. It was there, in the early 70’s, that he met his wife Lynn. At about the same time, Joel went to work for Middlepark Land and Cattle Company. His boss was a knowledgeable horseman named Bobby Goodman, and Joel learned a lot from him. Joel and Lynn leased a small place and went out on their own, training halter and pleasure horses in Elizabeth, CO, for the next six years. When the area began to get built up around them, the Gleasons knew it was time to make a move. They heard through some friends of a beautiful place in Pablo, MT, that was all set up to train horses. Having family in that area sealed the deal, and that piece of property has been their home for the last thirty-seven years. In 1981, Joel became a judge for the American Quarter Horse Association. The Gleasons
27th Annual
� Saddle Makers' t o o R b ou n d m Be There! o t s u u p C
Friday, Oct. 2, 9 am-6 pm
Saturday, Oct. 3, 9 am-6 pm
MPED • 1000 5th St • Wichita Falls, TX
For Information Contact: Eddie & Kathy Kimmel, Kimmel Boot 2080 CR 304, Comanche, TX 76442
36 | 37
www.bootandsaddlemakerstradeshow.com
Email: kimmels@cctc.net Phone: (325) 356-3197 Fax: (325) 356-2490
FEBRuary 2015
Shop Talk!
"It's not how much you make but how much you keep."
trained horses full-time until Cowhorse became a full 1986. That year the tax laws blown corporation, and, in changed for the worse for 1992, it became the parent horse operations, and this afcompany of Avila's Pro Shop. fected many of their customThe Gleasons formed Avila's ers. In 1987 the stock market Pro Shop as a means of having fell, dealing another blow to a retail outlet for the products horse owners. that Cowhorse was wholesal"I could see then that we ing. They felt this could be an weren't really a necessity anyalternative to all the thirty day -Joel Gleason more," says Joel. "I told Lynn accounts that they had to set up that we needed to find somewith retailers. The Gleason’s thing else." experience in training show Joel became a factory rep for American Hats horses for twenty-five years would play a large and the English division of Blue Ribbon Leathpart in the success of this new venture. er. He also repped for a small Colorado wholeA good friend of the Gleasons was Bob Avila, sale company called Cowhorse Equipment. a top horseman in the show horse world. They Their products were mostly high quality strap goods like reins and headstalls, and Joel found that it was easy for him to sell this kind of merchandise. In 1989, the Gleasons bought Cowhorse Equipment from Ron Berndt and began to produce the equipment themselves. They'd used this type of gear for their entire lives and knew how it was supposed to feel, look , and perform. "I could see it was something that we could do until we were old." Joel’s office is filled with artwork and awards accumulated over a lifetime in the horse business.
Lynn handles most of the production of reins and headstalls while Joel takes care of sales and office work.
Shop Talk!
FEBRuary 2015
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Joel’s trailer can be set up at a show as an attractive shop or the merchandise and fixtures can be moved inside a building to be an attractive display.
had both been on the quarter horse show circuit, and, if Bob needed an extra exhibitor for one of his horses, he'd get Joel to help. Joel had a lot of respect for Bob's training ability. When Joel started making reining horse headstalls, he sent some over to Bob to try. Bob called him and said, "Joel, this is really good stuff!" Everyone in the horse industry knew who Bobby Avila was, and Joel realized that not as many knew who he was. He asked Bob if he could use his name for marketing the new retail part of his business. Bob said sure, and Avila's Pro Shop became an endorsement relationship that has lasted twenty-two years. The key to this has been good communication between the two. "He's been the best partner that anyone could have," says Joel." I still pay him the same amount I did then, and we still own all of the business. He's been a major force in our sales, and we always consult with him on new products." Joel carries other products besides what they make. He tries to not get emotionally invested in what he carries even if he really likes the products. It's the margin that's important. 38 |
"It's not how much you make but how much you keep." Joel found that he kept increasing his gross income but his net wasn't increasing at the same rate. Joel had a high quality boot line that he believed in, but he was having to stock $90,000 worth of boot inventory all the time. He could sell 300-600 pair a year but figured that he needed to sell 1,200 pair to make money. A friend who was a business consultant looked at his books in 2006 and told him that his boot inventory was eating him alive and that he should get rid of them. Joel also was carrying a top line of jeans, and his friend told him that Avila's Pro Shop wasn't a department store and to get rid of them as well. The strap work produced the highest profit by far and continues to be the cornerstone of the business. Joel had also started a saddle business by then. "Saddles are like refrigerators. They're a large ticket item, and you have to spend a lot of
An indoor arena that the Gleasons once used for training horses, now houses Cowhorse Equipment, and Avila's Pro Shop.
money to keep them in stock," says Joel." I don't know of any store that can sell them at a full margin." Joel limits the number of saddles that they carry. They offer Bob's Custom Saddles for a production saddle, and then have a custom saddle
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
maker, Tim Piland, who makes their own line of Cowhorse Equipment saddles which are a high end saddle. Joel feels that when you control the source, you can control the price. Joel provides all the materials which include Hermann Oak Leather and forged dee rings. Joel purchases his latigo from Matt Foster at Maverick Leather. The Gleasons make 30-40 pair of reins a day with Lynn doing most of the actual manufacturing. "I love the leather work," says Lynn. “It's the office work I don't like to do." They have tweaked their rein production process over the years, and Joel admits that it took at least eight years to get the oiling process just right. He credits a lot of their processes to Phillip Cheaney who helped them quite a bit. The reins are all edged by hand, then rubbed with white saddle soap and a piece of 10 oz. canvas. Joel estimates that in their best years, they cut up about 600 sides of harness leather a year. "There are still people who like things done one piece at a time. The reins are a telegraph line to the horse's mouth. If he wiggles his tongue, you can feel it with our reins." Joel sells Tom Balding bits which are very high end. He uses several different silversmiths for his strap goods and Lynn's headstalls, depending on what he can spend for each project. Joel say that the most important thing that they pay attention to the finish of their edges and the consistency of the stitches which are good indicators of a work’s quality. They use single needle sewing machines just because they are easier to keep working. Joel has had to adapt to the economy of the last few years by cutting costs and using the Internet more. His volume is down, but his profits are actually up. Joel takes his 42’ cargo trailer and booth to about a dozen horse shows a year which allows people to actually feel the prod-
The inside of the trailer stays battened down for traveling. Some items remain on cane hooks, while others, like reins, are carried in barrels. The display cases can be removed and set up inside a building if required. All of the Gleason's sales are over the phone, the Internet, or at shows.
ucts. Joel never runs down the competition but shows why his product is a good one. "We don't have the marketing capabilities of some of the large companies, but, by the same token, we're not going to go broke trying to be something we're not." The Gleasons will continue to handcraft their strap goods in the shadow of the beautiful Mission Mountain Range. The indoor arena that is their shop also houses some of the rabbits Lynn has rescued. They also share their place with the rest of their extended family of cats and their beloved sheltie, Cindy Sue. "I don't think we'll retire. We'll probably just drop dead in the shop," laughs Joel. Joel repeats an old saying about being successful that a famous horse breeder once told him. "You need to drive a stake in the ground on the horizon then keep walking towards that stake." It looks like Joel has stayed on the path. To contact Joel or Lynn, call (800) 234-6771 or visit www.avilaproshop.com.
Shop Talk!
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Spradley Hats: You Can Feel the Difference
by Nick Pernokas, Senior Feature Writer
On the plains of Southwest Texas, Big Bend Saddlery has found a way to utilize some of their property profitably while also bringing potential customers to their location with a complimentary business in an adjoining building. Jim Spradley bends over the dusty hat that he's hand stitching while the owner of the hat, a sunburned cowboy, sits out in the main store, idly spinning his spur rowels. The cowboy's horse stands in the stock trailer outside the front door of the shop. He's all saddled and ready to go to
A saddled horse waits patiently in a stock trailer for his owner in front of Spradley Hats.
Many of Jim’s customers are cowboys from ranches in the Alpine area. These guys are waiting for a hat repair so they can get back to work.
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work, so the horse dozes in the West Texas afternoon heat with one hip cocked. Time passes a little slower in this part of Texas, between the Big Bend region of the border and the Davis Mountains. What will be has been, and man and beast adjust with their indifference. Jim talks as he sews the new sweatband in. "This hat wasn't fitting him so I'm just fixing it so it'll fit a little better." He laughs, "That's our plan, but since I didn't make it, there's no guarantee." It will probably work out because Jim knows hats. At sixty-three, he's built them for twelve years. Jim's the owner of Spradley Hats in Alpine, and he's been at the current location behind Big Bend Saddlery for eight years. His wife,
Jim fixes a cowboy’s hat while he waits. His motto is that, “Everybody’s important.”
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
All Jim builds are 100% beaver hats. He doesn't make any blends. He has three different qualities. He starts with the "Beaver 100" for $800.00 "I've been involved which takes him a with hats since I couple of weeks was in college, forty to build. His next years ago," says Jim. level is the "Beaver Canadian born, Jim grew up in Midland, Deluxe" which is Jim Spradley’s Silver Select is his top of the line hat and has a beautilighter weight than TX. He came to Alful finish. the "Beaver 100". It pine when he went takes three weeks to Sul Ross Univerto build and sells for $900.00. This hat is very sity. Jim also spent some time in New Mexico, similar to the old "100x" hats that were made cowboying and ranching and still runs a few in Fort Worth in the 60’s and 70’s. His top of cows of his own. the line, and the lightest weight, is the "Silver Judy, works for Big Bend Saddlery. Jim's son in law, Adam Holmes, works in the small hat shop with Jim.
Shop Talk!
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Select" for $2,200.00. Each quality of hat body comes from a different felter. "A lot of people think you can get a thin hat from sanding and you can. But you ain't got a hat," says Jim. "You have to start out with finer hair, to get the thinness and the light weight. I could take that $800 hat and sand it down but after a while you'd notice hair coming out of it." When you feel the unfinished hat bodies on the rack, you can definitely feel the difference. In the higher quality hat, the hairs don't show in the felt. The light colored hats are clear but there are many colors available. "They're all good hats; it's just the difference of weight," says Jim. Jim uses an old "conformateur" to measure the head size and shape so that the hat fits properly. He then makes a last of each customer's head
Each customer has a last made for him that duplicates the shape of his head.
so that the finished hat can be shaped perfectly. These blocks that the hat bodies are finished on are a little wider at the bottom so the finished hat will fit just right after the sweat band is put in. The leather sweat bands are sewn in away from the felt so that they grip the wearer’s head. The cloth liners aren't put in until the hat is shaped. Jim prefers to shape the hat for the customer before the hat leaves the shop. His hats are really tight to begin with, and he puts them through a lot of heat and pressure which makes them hard to shape with just a teakettle. "These things will fight you the whole time, "says Jim. In fact he begins putting in a crease before he starts steaming the crown. He believes that a hat doesn't have to be stiff to hold
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Shop Talk!
a crease. Jim actually likes them a little pliable. Word of mouth is still Spradley Hat's best salesman and has allowed them to ship hats as far away as England and Hawaii. Singer Red Steagall and Western artist Bruce Greene both sport Spradley hats. His wait time to fill an order is 6-8 weeks. Jim usually calls the customer a month before he builds the hat to firm it up.
Out on the edge of the Chihuahuan Desert, in a place where yesterday is just around the corner, one man labors at a centuries’ old profession. Jim Spradley's goal has been to create hats "that don't just look good at a distance but feel good in your hand." I think he's achieved that. If you'd like to find out more about Spradley Hats, call 432-837-3061 or go to www.spradleyhats.com.
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New US Tannery on the Board for Germany Company
by Jennifer Fulford, East Coast Bureau Chief
A new tannery is set to go into production soon in Mississippi. ISA TanTec, a German company, is opening its first U.S. tannery in Vicksburg and is scheduled to start tanning in early 2015. The company states the decision to open a tannery responds to the growing demand for locally produced leather in the U.S. and because shoe manufacturers are “shifting part of their production to America.” “Several renowned brands have asked us to help them in this strategy through the production of leather in this region,” Thomas Schneider, founder and CEO of ISA TanTec (also known as ISA Industrial Ltd.), states in a news release last June about the tannery opening. ISA TanTec is a leading producer of high quality leather for the shoe industry. Its customers include Timberland, Wolverine, Deckers, Clarks,
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Keen, and New Balance, among many others. ISA TanTec says it is investing about $10 million in the new venture and has long range plans for up to 370 jobs at the Vicksburg facility, called Mississippi TanTec Leather, Inc. “I am proud to welcome ISA TanTec as a member of the Mississippi business community,” said Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, quoted on the company’s website, www.LiteLeather.com. “Our state looks forward to a great partnership with the company, and I wish them many years of success.” A spokesman for Leather Industries of America (LIA), the trade lobbyist for the leather industry, says the opening of the new tannery is indicative of the shift in shoe production away from China and back to North America. Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and the U.S. are seeing the fruits of the transition, primarily due to
FEBRuary 2015
Shop Talk!
increased costs of production in China and the tight turnaround needs of shoemakers to meet market demands. “It’s a fashion driven industry,” says John Wittenborn of the LIA. “TanTec buys Texas Native Steer, so it’ll be close to its supplier.” According to TanTec CEO Schneider, the Vicksburg tannery “will allow ISA TanTec to ship directly to customers within the United States.” In addition, he says, the new facility will be “more flexible and fast” for customers in Central and South America. The new tannery will meet strict environmental requirements as designated by the Leather Working Group, an industry environmental consortium. The company meets those standards with its two existing plants in Vietnam
and China. This is the first U.S. tannery for TanTec. “This new company,” Schneider says in a June 2014 company newsletter, “occupies a land of 52 acres, will be redesigned, equipped with the most advanced tanning technology with Lowest Impact to the Environment (LITE®) and utilizing all optimized experiences from our Siagon TanTec and Heshan TanTec operations.” For more information, see the company’s website www.LiteLeather.com. The tannery address is 101 Tantec Way, Vicksburg, MS, 39183. To contact the company, e-mail: info@tantec1.com.
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Shop Talk!
FEBuary 2015
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Nick-O Sew on Positive Trajectory
I
Despite – or because of – his youthfulness, Nick Pittman has taken his dad’s business and run with it. “I’ve been doing this since I was in diapers,” says Nick. For thirteen years, Pittman has been the working brains and hustle behind Nick-O Sew. He entered the day-to-day operations at his dad’s commercial sewing machine business straight out of high school. His dad advised him that there’s more money selling machines than working on them, and his advice has stuck. “My dad said he’d throw a wrench at me if he ever saw me working on one,” Pittman says. “He said you can make more money selling them than working on them, so he never really wanted me to work on the machines.” Nick-O Sew, headquartered in Stanton, TN, was a moonlighting job that grew into
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by Jennifer Fulford, East Coast Bureau Chief
a lucrative enterprise. His dad, Frankie, 60, founded the business and named it after his oldest boy, likely with little forethought that the company would end up in his son’s hands. Before the handoff in 2011, his dad might sell a million dollars a month in products. Nick’s still trying to top his dad’s sales record by selling machines of all kinds for heavy-duty and small-scale uses. He’s coming close. His latest strategy responds to the global economy. Now that factory sewing is gone in the U.S., he’s buy-
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
ing up the last batches of machines from old sewing interests. And he’s branched out into importing machines from overseas, especially China, where commercial sewing migrated from the U.S. Because China’s factories are in a downturn from the global recession, Nick is snapping up machines
by the scores in bulky shipping containers delivered right to his facility in western Tennessee. And he tries to send out shipments just as large to buyers overseas. “I’ve been over there for six years now, and every year they speak more English,” he says. “I go to buy machines, new and used. I think the manufacturing of sewing machines will always stay in China. I don’t think it will move to other countries.” The Chinese have improved their machine designs, he said, but the Japanese machines – Juki and Seiko – are still more valuable here. “The Chinese machines, you get like an A, B, C quality machine,” he says. “Ten years ago, they were really, really bad, but they’ve learned from their mistakes. And the Chinese machines are pretty good now.
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They’re reliable.” Pittman is a busy guy. In 2006, he rebuilt the company headquarters in Stanton, visible from Interstate 40 between Memphis and Nashville. The place is nicely decorated, clean, spacious, and full of sewing
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machines, particularly for leather and upholstery. It’s also full of taxidermy. An ostrich, a lynx, and a mountain lion are among the animals displayed in his conference room. Pittman, when he’s able, likes to hunt big game. To fund his bow hunting safaris in British Columbia and Africa, he runs winter
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
excursions for deer and turkey hunters in Missouri and Kansas with a friend. (See www.PrairielandOutfitters.com) Because of smart phones and mobile technology, he’s able to stay connected to his main business while he’s away. If it weren’t for email and texting, what would a CEO do? “I love the Internet,” he said, recently back from an elk hunting trip in the West. “I started doing e-Bay, and it was a little bit of a pain, because you have people who don’t understand the machines … But e-Bay and Craigslist are the two best advertisements I have, and they’re free.” No disrespect to Shop Talk!, of course, he immediately adds. He’s all about working angles. Obviously, the business has changed since his dad ran Nick-O Sew. Pittman
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focuses on service, repairs, and sales, primarily to small operators. He’s fairly protective of his service staff – six machinists who are as good as gold to Pittman. Two of the men commute 88 miles combined, one way, every weekday to come to work in Stanton. One lives in Mississippi. Occasionally, a
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desperate client will beg for one of the men to make a factory “house call,” but it takes a lot of cajoling for Pittman to agree. Usually, the fix isn’t a difficult one but the lost time is costly. He says the labor vacuum for repairmen (and women) is the biggest headache in the U.S. sewing industry, and many sectors, such as auto upholstery, furniture, tarps, tents, and canvas awnings, feel the pain. “There are no mechanics in this business. It’s a dying breed,” he says. “That’s why I opened the St. Louis office. I have three up there.” A year ago, Pittman opened a second location near St. Louis, following his buyout of A & B Sewing Machine Co., a family business dating from the 1930’s. He didn’t want the staff dispersing, and the former owner is now his general manager. He wanted the second location for sales, too, but he also wanted to be closer to his farm in Missouri, where he goes to relax. So far, the results have been good. He’s seeing good foot traffic in the 5,000 sq. ft. showroom in St. Charles, MO. Nick-O Sew’s main location in Stanton encompasses a 10,000 sq. ft. showroom and another 10,000 sq. ft. warehouse, under one roof. His repair crew sits smack in the
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
center of the facility, each man at a bench, working on a rebuild or repair. Reabon Sanders, Gene Dickerson, and Les Baxter have untold years of combined experience between them and an easy rapport with each other and strange women reporters welding cameras and promises of fame. “All my father’s friends, who are either 60
to 80 that were in this business, don’t have the desire to go after it,” he says. “There is still a lot of sewing done in the states. People don’t realize how many items are sewn. People always think of the textile business, the clothing business. That is gone. I mean, the gloves, the shoes, the jeans, all that’s gone, but there’s a lot of specialty sewing.”
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For instance, every other year he goes to a parachute show. But Pittman is concentrating less on trade shows and more on online sales. His 7,000+ machine inventory is about as large as he’d like it to be. When containers full of machines come in, it’s a major process to sort through and determine the viability of each product. He has an offsite storage facility for machines that won’t see the light of day. Maybe in another twenty years they’ll be museum pieces. Like his father, he has a mind for all the details. “I enjoy it,” he says, though he admits in high school he’d tease his dad about selling out. “At that time, dad would tell me to go get something, when we had 13,000-14,000
machines. And he’d tell me where to go get something, ‘Second shelf in the L-shaped warehouse on the third row,’ or whatever, and I’d ask how do you know where that is? And he’d say ‘When you pay for it, you know exactly where it’s at.’ And that’s true.” To reach Nick Pittman, president of NickO Sewing Machine, it’s best to send him an e-mail to Nick@NickoSew.com. The headquarters are located at 7745 Highway 76 in Stanton, TN, 38069. The phone number is (731) 779-9963 or (800) 526-4256; fax is (731) 779-9965. In Missouri, the showroom is located at 124 Point W Blvd., St. Charles, MO 63301. The phone is (636) 724-3800. The website is www.NickOSew.com.
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January 2015
Shop Talk!
News, Notes & Queries
Business and updates and happenings
The following information comes from Robert Raber at The Working Cowboy’s Choice in Coalgate, OK. Thank you, Robert. On the night of January 10, a fire completely destroyed the home and saddle shop of Alvin Brenneman, wife Lydia Ann, and eight children. Thankfully, everyone escaped unharmed, but there was a total loss of the families personal belongings and saddle including a clicker, bandknife splitter, sewing machines, tools, and materials. Any help getting Alvin’s shop up and running will be greatly appreciated. Please contact: Alvin Brenneman, 521 Val Rd., Rocky Comfort, MO 64861, (417) 628-3906, or Raber’s Saddlery at (580) 428-3143.
Nocona Revisited We got a real nice PS from Wes Morton at Texas Turf Supply pertaining to his articles on the history of his company and of the various leather
businesses in Nocona, TX—thank you, Wes! Hope you are enjoying retirement!! Here’s what Wes wrote: I can’t believe that I got ahead of myself so bad in my leather history pf Nocona to leave out Nocona Belt and Brazos Joe. Mel Chapman started Nocona Belt Co. in the last 60’s while still at Nocona Boot. In the early 70’s he left the boot company and, until the 90’s, Nocona Belt was a very important part of our economy. Tandy obtained it in the early 90’s and, after a few years, M & F Western Products bought it and it is now
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Shop Talk!
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operated out of Sulphur Springs.
Educate & Communicate and Don’t Wait
Don Hendrix was involved with Brazos Joe Belt from the early 80’s to the early 90’s. They were smaller than the Nocona plant but still employed people while in operation. There were also several saddle makers over the years. John Drake built saddle from 1905 until the late 30’s, early 40’s. His nephew Howard Paine started then and continued until the early 80’s. We also had a gentleman named “Preach” Taylor who was legally blind but built saddles out of his home in the 50’s and 60’s. Burl Jenkins had a shop in the late 70’s, early 80’s.
(We ran a similar piece in last month’s “Boot & Shoe News” and thought it bore repeating. Enjoy!)
In the late 80’s and most of the 90’s there was a shop that was first run by Ronnie Creek and later Bobby Biddy. Thanks, Wes! Would that be the Ronnie Creek who was one of “C’s” in Triple C Leather—now
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Believe it or not, that’s what advertising does or should do—EDUCATE! It’s like this: the world changes. The generation that always got their saddles and harness fixed have passed on and now this mutable world is inhabited by a tribe of zombie enamored spendthrifts that NEVER get their gear fix and one reason why that is that THEY DON’T KNOW BETTER. They are uninformed. Your job (if you want to keep it): INFORM THEM! So start with the pups when they are young and trainable. Put ads in your local HIGH SCHOOL
FEBRUARY 2015
Shop Talk!
paper (or web something). Put ads in your local COLLEGE paper (or web something). Or on local college radio stations. There’s 4-H. There’s Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts—just do something! Get out and let folks know that you are alive and kicking! Friends—if you want to moan and groan and roll your eyes toward the heavens, I promise you this: your business will suffer. Get off your duff and DO SOMETHING. Anything! Change with the times. But don’t wait—educate!!
We Want Pics of You! We certainly do. Snap a shot and send it to us. Maybe you working at the bench or standing in front of the shop. Please identify everyone in the picture—and SMILE! We’ll be sure to return any photos you send! Or you can e-mail us at shoptalk@proleptic. net or mail pics to Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816. Thanks!!! Don’t make a big fuss about it—just click and send. Amish readers can do a quick sketch!
What Is It? Last month we ran this picture— And we got an anonymous call from “Rope Andy” at the Troyer Rope Mega-Enterprise, identifying this as a rope fid. I still think it’s for planting bulbs or perhaps “encouraging” employees who might be moving a little slower than they should. Or maybe it’s a MULTI-PURPOSE tool! Yeah!!! Thanks, Andrew!
A Pyromaniac in the Office???? I had thought about entitling this item “Egg on My Face!” Especially after my rant last month about fire safety. Here’s the true story of a near tragedy: We have a small but nice office. There are even gas logs that look great and keep the office toasty during the winter. The fire comes off and on with the temperature controlled by a thermostat. So there aren’t always flames in the fireplace. Which is probably the reason why my wonderful and talented bookkeeper sat a plastic wastebasket up next to the gas logs—so when the heat came on, the plastic wastebasket melted!! Thankfully, it did not catch fire. So after a severe tongue lashing, my bookkeeper promised that she would never ever do that again—until the other day. When she had sat a
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CARDBOARD BOX AND A PLASTIC WASTEBASKET in front of the logs!! Which I pulled back faster than you say, “CALL 911!!!!” Then I headed to the hardware store and bought the BIGGEST fire screen available, rushed it back to the office, and set it up. I can just hear all the catcalls from “loyal readers” when they learned we were working out of “temporary quarters” (my truck) after the house burnt down! So the old saying is still truer than ever—Do as I say, not as I do. I better make sure she’s has our fire insurance paid up—APRIL!!!!
We Can Help—I Hope! We got a nice note from Noah Schlabach at 73 Water St., Nicholville, NY 12965, which reads as follows: I had a nylon shop for close to 20 years and then my work turned a lot to holsters, belts, pouches, etc. My boys didn’t get along with that work so then we moved up here to New York. Now it’s 10 years later and the boys all have their jobs, and I wish I could have my sewing job again. I still have my one good machine. Lasting Quality and Style Matte Finishes Many Colors
My question is could I get a sewing job from someone, helping to produce a product? Noah—we hope that someone is looking for a willing worker and will drop you a line!
Harness Makers’ Get-Together Gary Miller at Miller’s Harness called into let us know the correct number to contact him about the Get-Together is (217) 543-3238. The address is 431 N County Road 100 E, Arthur, IL 61911. The consignment auction is scheduled for July 16th and the Get-Together is on the 17th.
Did You Know? That My Buyer’s Guide! reaches every tack shop in the US? And every saddle shop, harness shop, English saddle store, and Western store? PLUS— 100’s of manufacturers, boot makers, and every shoe repair shop in the US. Need I mention holsters makers? Belt makers? Bag makers? Makers of pet goods? It does!
Easy Cleaning Easy Sewing Durable, Flexible
BETTER PRODUCTS & BETTER PRICES
P.O. Box 593, Columbia Station, OH 44028 Voice: 800-357-5070 Fax 440-243-5326 Email daves@firstlocal.net Website www.ohiothane.com
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And you can reach these 16,000 potential customers for as little as $189. I know—amazing! Deadline is March 7, 2015. Contact: My Buyer’s Guide!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: info@mybuyersguide.net. In print and online at www.mybuyersguide.net.
Mid-Winter Sale - New Date! We’ve that scheduled for March 10, 2015. Originally, it was going to be kind of a small aff air, made up of mostly odds and ends that build up over time and don’t get into our Big Too Sales in the fall. BUT—it’s grown!! I guess there may be as many as 1,000 lots, including 100’s of stamps that have accumulated. And prices should be pretty good since we’d like to clear this stuff out! We have extra special good selection of clicker dies, most of them made by Texas Custom Dies.
Western Gear, (209) 847-7390. Call for a list of classes available. March 20-21—French Lick Indiana Trade *Show/Auction in French Lick, IN. For all the details about attending, consigning, or exhibiting, please call (513) 889-0500.
Auction is scheduled for June 17*18, inTheMt.Weaver Hope, OH. The next consignment auction and Harness *Makers’ Get-Together will be held on July 16-17 at Miller’s Harness Shop, 431 N. County Road 100 E, Arthur, IL 61911, (217) 543-3150.
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 or Kathy Kimmel at 2080 County Road
The sale will only be online at www.proleptic.net. Should be a sweetheart of a sale!
Mark Your Calendar! new Wickenburg Leather Trade Show *willThe take place this coming February 5-7, 2015,
at the Wickenburg Community Center, 160 N. Valentine, St., Wickenburg, AZ 85390. The show is hosted by Tim and Maria Hansen at Hansen
Restores natural gloss
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304, Comanche, TX 76442, (325) 356-3197, www.bootandsaddlemakerstradeshow. com. Southwest Leather Workers Trade Show *will15th be held at the Prescott Resort & Conference
Holiday Inn, May 15-17. Hosted by The Leather Crafters Journal, 222 Blackburn St., Rhinelander, WI 54501, (888) 289-6409.
Center in Prescott, AZ. Hosted by The Leather Crafters Journal, 222 Blackburn St., Rhinelander, WI 54501, (888) 289-6409.
Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show *will22nd be held in Sheridan, WY, at the Sheridan
Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.
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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: Brown polyester thread. Bonded. Sizes 277346. Contact: Ed Smith. E-mail: silverrose@tctwest. net, (307) 765-2735. Wanted: New subscribers from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Hawaii. 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. Wanted: Equestrian and Western work including prints, posters, paintings, etc. Contact: Shop Talk!, P O Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, www.proleptic.net.
For Sale For Sale: New blades for 6” hand cranked splitters; Standard Rivet #2 spot setters with staple dies; A-G flip top embosser; Fortuna top feed skiver; and more. Call for complete list of sewing machines and equipment. Buy, sell, trade. Can deliver. Contact: 60 |
Roy Peakes, 5 Sibley St., Auburn, MA 01501, (508) 769-8899. Liquidating entire inventory. 7 hvy. Duty sewing machines—Cobras, Artisan, Juki’s. 2 embossing machines. 12” USMC splitter. 12” Aperture band knife. 2 creasers. Singer 112 dbl. needle. 14” strap cutter. 3 Standard Rivet spot machines. 5 nylon hole burners. 2 chap machines. 5 cargo trailer container loads of saddles, bridles, halters, leads, etc. No reasonable offer refused. Contact: Ben Day, Western Specialties, 3106 Cedardale Rd., Mt. Vernon, WS 98174, (360) 708-4201. 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. Custom manufacturing available for leather or synthetic products serving the equine, pet, and related industries. Quality and personal service for your project. Contact: Mud Creek Leather, 9415 W 300 S Topeka, IN 46571, (260) 593-0044. (R&B) 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
FEBRUARY 2015
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protects the concho and makes removal or installation easy. Only $29.00 plus $3.95 S&H, 6-inch steel shank, and rubber gripper. Ready to use! Contact: Proleptic, Inc., P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net. Wholesale Harness & Supplies! Brahma web, PVC sheeting, PVC belting, nylon webbing, nylon thread and hardware. We manufacture a full line of synthetic harness parts. In stock for immediate shipping, including blinds, gig saddles, molded curved crowns, cruppers, winker stays, and lots of die cut parts, etc. Ask for your FREE catalog! Contact: Countryside Mfg., 504 S. Humbert St., Milton, IA 52570. For Sale: “Making Harness: A Step-by-Step Guide”, $58 plus $5.50 S&H. Specs and instructions on how to make and repair six styles of harness from pony to draft, driving, team wagon and mule. Contact:
The “Word of the Day” is tendentious .
Proleptic, Inc., P.O. Box 17817, Asheville, NC 28816, (828) 505-8474, e-mail: shoptalk@proleptic.net, www.proleptic.net. For Sale: Pricing Guide: “How to Establish Prices for the Saddle Maker and Leather Worker.” Only $39.95 plus $4.50 S&H. Contact: (828) 505-8474. (12/12) For Sale: New and used Adler, Brother, Consew, Juki, Pfaff, Singer machines for sewing bio-plastic, canvas, leather and nylon. Available in single or double needles, standard, long arm, flatbed, postbed, cylinder arm. Contact: Bob Kovar, Toledo Industrial Sewing Machine, 3631 Marine Rd., Toledo, OH 43609, (866) 362-7397 or (419) 380-8540. (11/10) 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) www.theleatherguy.org for all your leather, tool, and supply needs. Friendly, helpful staff at (507) 9323795. (R&B) For Sale: Schwabe Clicker double head $4500. Also 100-ton leather press $1000. Located in Bryant, AL Phone:423-939-0284 Email: cltolliver81@yahoo.com
Shoe & Boot Total shoe repair equipment for sale. All supplies go with it. Price $5,500. Contact: Gerald Manor, Portland, IN, (260) 726-4172 or (260) 726-4343. Mon/ Tues/Thurs/Fri. Noon to 4 pm
CLASSIFIEDAds REALLY WORK $26.50 FOR THE FIRST 20 WORDS
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A. Lyons............................................... 24 American Leather Direct....................... 7 Artisan Sewing...................... back cover Barta Hide............................................... 9 Beiler’s Mfg. & Supply......................... 15 BioThane................................................ 5 Beachy Blacksmith.............................. 19 Bogle Greenwell Machinery Corp...... 20 Booth & Company............................... 41 Bowden Saddle Tree........................... 12 Brayer................................................... 19 Brodhead Collar Shop......................... 17 Buckeye Engraving............................. 50 Buckle Barn USA................................. 15 Buggy Builder’s Bulletin..................... 43 Campbell-Randall................................ 28 Charles Hardtke................................... 45 Chino Tack........................................... 51 Chupp Blacksmith Shop..................... 47 Chupp Brothers Wholesale................ 19 Coblentz Collar.................................... 52 Cut Rite Dies........................................ 23 Danny Marlin Knives........................... 20 Double K............................................... 53 Fairview Country Sales....................... 26 Fine Tool Journal................................. 10 Foam-Tex.............................................. 24
ADVERTISERS INDEX Gfeller Casemakers, Inc...................... 11 Goliger Leather Co., Inc...................... 18 Hadlock & Fox Mfg. Co....................... 49 Hand Plait Leather............................... 33 Hansen Western Gear......................... 10 Harness Hardware.............................. 17 Hastilow . ............................................. 23 Hermann Oak...................... inside cover Hide House........................................... 24 Hillside Harness Hardware.. back cover International Sheepskin...................... 41 Kalico Products................................... 57 Kelly-Larson Sales.............................. 52 Kimmel Boot........................................ 36 Landis Sales & Service....................... 48 Leather Crafters Journal..................... 26 Leather Machine Co., Inc..... back cover Lewis Sales Co.................................... 15 Mid-River Sales.................................... 32 Miller's Wholesale............................... 55 Moser Leather...................................... 21 Mules and More, Inc............................ 17 My Buyer's Guide................................ 27 N & A Harness Shop............................ 43 Nick-O Sew............................................. 8 Nutra-Glo.............................................. 35
Classified Ads
20 words or less $26.50 Additional words (each) $ .65
Display Ads
Advertising
Ohio Plastics Belting Co..................... 56 Ohio Travel Bag................................... 54 Pecard................................................... 41 Perfectex Plus LLC.............................. 55 Precision Saddle Tree......................... 59 Proleptic........11, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35, 37, 44 Raphael Sewing Machine/TechSew....9, 42 RJF Leather.......................................... 54 Shelton-Reynolds, Inc......................... 51 Shetler’s Collar Shop.......................... 54 Shop Talk.................................... 6, 20, 31 ShoTan.................................................. 57 Small Farmer’s Journal....................... 50 Smoke & Fire Co.................................. 21 Springfield Leather.............................. 25 Steel Stamps........................................ 48 Sugar Valley Collar Shop.................... 44 Sun Bias, Inc........................................ 20 Sweat Pad Shop............................. 19, 42 TechSew/Raphael Sewing Machine...9,42 Schwarz Productions.......................... 16 Tennessee Tanning............................. 15 Texas Custom Dies.............................. 18 Toledo Sewing....................................... 3 Western Mule....................................... 53 Y-Knot................................................... 21
$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 may be inserted at no additional charge. $10 its readers to support recycling efforts in per photo. their communities.
Deadline for advertising copy is the 5th of the month prior to the month of publication. Invoices are due upon receipt. SHATA members who display the SHATA logo in their advertisement receive a 5% discount on display ads. 6 or Inserts Shop Talk! is printed only with inks 12-month prepaid advertising contracts $399 for one page— made from vegetable oil. receive a 5% discount. Discounts may not Maximum trim size: 8-1/4” X 10-3/4” be combined (advertisers may receive Shop Talk! • published by Proleptic, Inc.• P.O. Box 17817 either a SHATA discount or a prepaid Asheville, NC 28816 • email: shoptalk@proleptic.net contract discount).
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COBRA Class 4 Specifications: *16 1/2” Arm *Best and most versatile presser feet in the business *Sews from 6 oz. to 7/8 ” *Thread sizes from 69 to 415 *Triple Feed mechanism *Reverse stitches in same holes *Stitch Length from 3-22 stitches an inch *Sews leather, pads, blankets, webbing, canvas, upholstery, bio-plastics, & other materials *28 LED Super Beam Lamp *Heavy Duty Speed Reducer *Digital DC Servo Motor *Accessories
FINALLY!!
An open toe center foot for maximum visibility, only available on the Cobra Class 4 or Cobra Class 3... it’s about time!
*Complete Accessory Package FREE!!
$2,695.00 Complete Christopher Andre (Slickbald Custom Leather) 1st. Place in the Holsters and Gunbelts category in Sheridan, WY., using his COBRA CLASS 4
LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY ON ALL COBRA MACHINERY!!
LEATHER MACHINE CO., INC. www.leathermachineco.com * cobra@leathermachineco.com
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Shop Talk!
with Boot & Shoe News
P.O. Box 17817 • Asheville, NC 28816 (828) 505-8474 • FAX (828) 505-8476 www.proleptic.net
February 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
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• 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!