machinehead

I started learning leathercraft in the 70's when I saw some of the work that students were doing in shop class. It looked far more interesting than my college prep classes so I bought a few tools and a couple of Al Stohlman's books and away I went. Shortly after this I began hanging out at a leather shop owned by a man who was very accomplished in the art and although we don't see each other very often we are still friends.

I continued doing a lot of hand tooled and dyed belts, purses, Bible covers, buckles and all the other small items with an occasional hat thrown in and then graduated to holsters and gun belts. During this time I also made a few sheaths for custom knives and several sets of suspenders for iron workers.

Work commitments and a move or two to places that didn't really allow for a noisy, fume laced pastime caused me to lose interest and by the mid 1990's I had quit almost all together.

Now, in 2010, with all of my original tools plus many others that I have acquired through the years, along with a very understanding and encouraging wife, I am going to start again.

I am sure it will be frustrating at times to try and regain my skills but each step forward will hopefully return the joy and sense of accomplishment that I once had when immersed in this amazing craft.

And who knows, maybe in the future there will be grandkids to teach.