Process and Materials
The items I create are made from only the finest full- or top-grain grain cowhide, pigskin and other hides. I personally hand select and hand cut each piece of leather. These items are not made from genuine or bonded leather and certainly not vinyl, plastic or faux leather. Those products do not pass quality standards for the true leather connoisseur. Because leather is a natural material it is never uniform. Every piece of full-grain leather has a unique color, texture, wrinkle or grain. These variations in each piece of leather create a distinctive beauty that can never be duplicated by synthetic materials. The item's durability is magically hidden in the secrets of full-grain leather (see diagram). I hand finish and buff each piece with a regimen of vegetable dyes, creams, waxes, oils and acrylic finishes. Since full- and top-grain leather is used you are rewarded with the remarkable character and story of that piece of leather. The scratches, barbed wire cuts, stretch and other marks, brands and tattoos are undisturbed to preserve that character and story, provoking conversation and inspiring appreciation.
Leather—Where does bonded leather fall into this? If full- or top-grain leather is compared to ribeye steak, then bonded leather is ground hamburger. It is the bits and pieces of full-, top- or genuine leather ground up, bonded together and then rolled out, flattened, shaped and polished into “leather.” It is a far inferior product to full- and top-grain, even genuine (suede or split) leather. Predominantly, store bought leather goods are made from bonded leather even though they may be marked as “genuine” leather. And even real genuine leather is inferior to full- or top-grain leather, but still better than bonded leather. Any company would be proud to display the moniker of full-grain or top-grain leather unless they use the inferior products. No company would label with “genuine” or “bonded” leather where indeed they have used full- or top-grain leather.
Leather lining—If a product is lined it is typically lined with full-grain natural pigskin or thinner cowhide (for holsters). Pigskin’s durability and tinsel strength, stronger than cowhide, are its driving features. Beauty is the bonus. It is soft and supple. It also adds body and strength. I first adhere the lining to the leather with a non-water-soluble adhesive and then anchored it in with stitching.
Polyester thread—I use only exceptional bonded polyester thread. Polyester surpasses nylon and certainly cotton for strength. Parachutists and automobile passengers wearing seat belts trust their lives with it. It is the most expensive thread because of its tinsel strength and engineering. If your item is saddle-stitched then the single strands of your imported bonded polyester thread are also braided and weaved not twisted like most thread used in store bought leather goods. This design is engineered to add strength. Additionally, this special import is waxed to shield it from the elements.
BRAIDED vs. TWISTED
Saddle stitch—No stitch is superior to the classic hand saddle stitch. A machine (locking) stitch will pale in comparison to a saddle stitch. Once there is thread failure with a machine stitch, likely because it uses an inferior, and less expensive, thread like cotton the whole stitch line may unravel because of the stitch design. We have all experienced this with clothing. You pull one tiny thread but 6 inches of stitching comes out. In the unlikely event your high tinsel polyester thread tears or fails in your saddle stitch it will only fail in that specific spot. The stitch line will not unravel as there are two passing threads in each and every hole, locking the thread in place, something machines cannot duplicate.
In preparation of saddle stitching I carefully mark a stitch line with a chisel built specifically for this job. This chisel marks a location for each intended stitch. I then pierce each stitch hole by hand with a diamond shaped awl for stitch integrity. This awl is specifically designed to delicately open the stitch hole without cutting the leather to allow it to shrink back around the stitch for added strength and durability. The awl’s diamond shape leaves a hole that brings the stitch line together for appeal. Also at the end of every stitch line I add a backstitch to make certain the thread stays where it was intended, locking it in place. I then cut the excess thread and burn it. This process mushrooms the end and bonds the thread to the adjacent thread. I then set the stitch into the leather by tapping it with a cobbler’s hammer. This process helps close the hole, anchors the stitch and nestles it into the leather so the thread realizes little wear.
Holsters and Gun Belts are machine stitched, not saddle stitched unless requested. This yields a markup in price for the item.
Machine locking stitch—In an effort to appeal to customers that do not want the classic English hand saddle stitch, I also offer machine stitching on some items to accommodate lower price points. Holsters are machine stitched unless otherwise asked. Machine stitching may not be as royal as the hand saddle stitch, but is still of very high quality. I only use bonded polyester thread and set the thread with a cobblers hammer to close the hole and nestle it into the leather so the thread realizes very little wear. Buy with confidence!
Hardware—Where hardware is required, I do my best to source and use only solid stainless steel or solid brass. This is not always possible, but I will go to the ends of the earth to find quality hardware. When procuring stainless steel, I seek to find 316 solid stainless steel. This is the stuff mariners use to best avoid corrosion. I will not use a zipper. This is asking for premature failure.
Edge creasing—Where possible, I will crease the edges of your product with a hand fired heat creasing iron for appeal, but more importantly to assist in sealing out the elements and moisture from the edges of your item and ipso facto the rest of the leather in your item.
Edge finishing (vegetable tanned leather)—I hand bevel, round and finish the edges of your item where possible to seal out the elements keeping them from penetrating your leather. I then add another coat of gum tragacanth or other finishes to seal edges. Additionally, I add a final coat of a house made wax that is made from paraffin wax and local beeswax, procured from Shelby, Nebraska, to seal these edges. I hand burnish these edges between each coat with hard wood tools to a beautifully sealed finish. This process, called burnishing, utilizes the heat created by the friction of the hard wood tools on the leather to set and cure the edge finishes, ensuring the longest protections for your item.
GUARANTEE—Your item will be engineered and custom made with the care of using only the finest materials and workmanship. I ensure this by not packaging an item for you that I would not personally enjoy or have confidence in. Your item will not be imported and then passed off as handmade. It is bespoke and not a resale. I personally pour my hard work and passion into these items. If you are not satisfied or you perceive flaws in the craftsmanship of your item, please get it back to me and I will bring it to your satisfaction, remake it or refund 100% of your purchase price. I hope you will enjoy your item as much as I enjoy making it.
**WARNING**
I do the best I can at sealing the leather so that it does not bleed color. However, some bleeding is inevitable, especially in the very beginning, since I hand finish and seal these items. As your item cures and develops patina it will do a better job of not leaching its color onto adjacent material. But please do not take a chance with light colored clothing or priceless pictures carried in your items until you are assured it will not leach color.