I'm not very good at the really artistic leather work like some people are. I don't do really well with the fancy tooling or dying and finishing leather from scratch.

But I am good at taking already dyed and finished leather and making useful products that will last a long time. And I can still touch on the artistic side of leatherwork a bit by making use of decorative hardware, coloured thead, printed leather, and such.

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I started leatherwork as a hobby a couple years ago just to make things for myself, my family, and our animals. But as I got more skilled at leatherwork I was buying more and more materials and tools. And I got to a point where I want to keep making stuff cause it's fun but I need to sell it to make money to buy more supplies. So I started advertising and selling my leatherwork online.

 

My first goal with leatherwork is to make stuff that will last longer. So that involves picking out good leather and I like using a bit thicker leather. Thinner leather is always easier to rip and damage, so I always would rather go with a bit thicker leather vs thinner if I can. I also try to pick out good quality hardware.

My second goal is to try and make stuff that can be adjusted or repaired more easily. I'm still learning more ways to make the possible but I already put many different things into practice with my products.

Third goal is to make useful things that you might not find anywhere else. It can be irritating when you have a problem with your horse tack, dog collars, etc but there's nothing really on the market you can buy that will help with the issue. I've already come up with a couple unique things and hope to come up with some more. 

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So what are my other hobbies, intersts and skills that also sometimes translate into my leatherwork?

Well horses are a big hobby of mine, loved them since I was little, and we got horses when I was in my midteens. We own ridable horses so I can test my tack on them. I mostly use western tack on my own horse but I'm still interested in and have quite a bit of knowledge about other styles of tack. And sometimes those different styles inspire me when making stuff. 

I've also always liked dog and we have dogs, so of course I can trial dog collar ideas on them.

 For work, we have a family business, we sell firewood. I work with machinery lots and I am used to securing down loads and equipment. So hence where the good understanding of what is heavy duty comes from. And also stronger arms and calloused hands for setting rivets and stitching thick leather by hand.​

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