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Hello! I'm Natalie Ryan, owner of Double Barrel Custom Leather! My main focus for my business is to create western horse tack with the horse in mind. All of the tack I make, I design for the horse's comfort. I want to change the pattern in the western industry of flashy, bulky tack that doesn't fit most horses. I want to help be a part of the change from one-size-fits-all horses or the generic Horse, Cob, Arabian, Draft sizes that don't usually fit. All horses are different in anatomy to some degree and generic sizes won't usually fit in all areas. I am working in my local Oregon area to provide bridle fittings and offer custom fitting tack sets for local horses. It is my belief that a comfortable horse will always perform better than a stressed or uncomfortable one. I want to help people's horses and help make a difference in the western industry! This is my first bridle that I made for my horse. He is a small Arabian with a petite face and he has always been tough to shop for. So, I made my own! I still have a couple of adjustments to make, including making a new throatlatch because it needs to be longer. With this bridle though, he has had almost zero fussing and he is performing better with it as well! I want to be able to share this with western riders. I want to give them a solution to bridles and tack sets never fitting. I want to help alleviate common bridle issues and ear shyness that comes with ill-fitting tack. That is my ultimate goal as a leatherworker. Later this summer I also plan to enroll in bridle fitting classes to get my certification. This way I can be better informed and can do my job better as well as further educate future clients! On top of horse tack I also dabble in tobacco pipe accessories, wallets, and riding chaps! I also have more example work on my website! I also regularly post on my Facebook page!

Earlier this year, I was approached by a retailer who asked to feature my leatherwork in his shop. The retailer owns a well-known, independent gallery representing other area artisans. It's also located in a high-traffic shopping district. It sounded like a good opportunity and I agreed. After a few months, a change in the retailer's business model ended our partnership. But I certainly feel I learned a few lessons that I'll share here in case anyone else considers going down the "retail path." Lesson #1: Retailers take a big cut of the sales price. Retailers generally take a 40-50% cut of an item's sales price. This means you need to price your items accordingly. If adding 50% to the price of your goods is not feasible, then retail is probably not right for you. Also, keep in mind that your pricing must be consistent. You can't sell a belt at your retailer for $90, but charge $45 on Etsy. The customers will figure out the cheapest place to acquire your goods, and your retail relationship will come to a swift and inglorious end. Lesson #2: You should get a big benefit in exchange. Why do retailers take 50%? Because they're supposed to be providing value to your business. This value comes in the form of enhanced exposure, access to the business's clientele, joint marketing, and the value inherent in not having to file state sales tax returns, process shipping or provide in-person customer service. Now, 50% is a huge cut, so the retailer should be providing all of the above -- meaning, significant value to you. They should promote your goods via Facebook, broadcast email and other means. Lesson #3: Be picky. You don't necessarily need to partner with the first retailer that expresses an interest in you. Be selective. Visit the shop and look around. Would you shop there? More importantly, does the business cater to your target market? In my case, the retailer seemed to be a good fit for high-end leather accessories. They also featured jewelry and vintage home decor. But if I were selling holsters, I'd definitely find someplace else. Lesson #4: Build your inventory. Be prepared to meet demand for inventory, plus refresh your stock every 90 days. Your goal should be to establish a significant presence in your retailer's business. This means featuring a good selection of leatherwork. Different colors. Different price points. As an initial delivery, I provided 17 items. I've been told by other gallery owners that you should change out your stock every 60-90 days to ensure folks continue to see new stuff, whether it's selling or not. I hope this information helps anyone else who considers venturing into retail. I might also recommend the book, Craft Inc. by Meg Mateo Ilasco, which gave me plenty of initial pointers on working with retailers. Best, -Alex

Hi all, I am working with a clothing manufacturer for a small range of leather products, he is wanting samples which he will need to pay for, my question is how do I change for the samples. I will need to purchase the materials etc, a full shoulder for example, but I will only use, a small amount for the goods. Any assistance would be much appreciated Kind regards Richard

Selling a turn-key leather goods business (www.gifthighland.com) with over $2.2M in sales since 2012. Second kid, two companies and classic cars take precedence at this time. Wanted to store equipment with the hopes of starting up again in the future, but doesn't make sense at the moment with my growing family. Located in design district of Dallas, TX. Asking $95,000 includes everything below: Leather Equipment Fortuna 12' Band Knife Splitter w/ new blade Atom 20 ton Clicker Consew 206RB Sewing Machine Techsew 2700 Sewing Machine Brother Walking Foot Sewing Machine Cowboy CB4500 Cylinder Arm (all black model ) Cobra NP4 Skiver Cobra NP10 Double Feed Skiver Rossley Pneumatic Edge Folder Kwickprint Debossing Model 86 Kwickprint Debossing Model 64 (pneumatic setup, foot pedal activated, mounted on cast iron stand) Gluefast 20" Colonel Glue Up Machine RC50 Edge Painter Hand Press Rivet/Button Setter (x2) Heritage Foot Press Weaver Power Edge Sander/Slicker Misc Steel Clicker Dies (105 dies - wallets, key chains, mouse pads, coasters, portfolios, etc) Font Sets (x4) Company Logo Dies (200+...Nike, Adidas, JP Morgan, Gulfstream, etc) Speedtron 2403cx photography setup (all lights, controller unit and all cables in perfect working order) misc tools, needles, threads, heat stamping foils, cutting boards, snaps, buttons, etc Misc Shop Equipment Uline Plastic Bag Sealers (x2 - 12" and 8") 10'h x 8'w x 4'd Metal Warehouse Storage Racks (x8 Units) Small Metal Warehouse Racks (x3 units) Rolling Metal Storage Rack for shipping boxes Rolling Kitchen Rack w/ 12 trays Rolling Stainless Cart Air Compressor Quiet 5500LB Pallet Jack Packing Paper Roll Cutter 4'x8' Wooden Work Tables (x3) Misc plastic uline storage bins for tools, snaps, conchos, etc Customer List - I will provide historical sales data and all contact phone numbers, emails, company names, etc. (sample of customer list - MGM Properties, Gulfstream, New York Jets, JP Morgan, Montage Properties) Website & Product Photography - www.gifthighland.com , all hi-res product images (hundreds), latest product catalog in Ai format Leather and Misc Inventory- Approximately $5k worth of leather sides (Sepici, Horween, Hide House) and $20k of excess inventory from old orders including check book presenters, key chains, portfolios, tote bags, golf club head covers, briefcases, etc. I am including this inventory at no cost since some items have corporate branding. Consider it as free marketing materials. Manufacturing Partners- I will also introduce you to my manufacturing groups in Hong Kong and Los Angeles, perfect for large orders, custom products and anything you cannot make in-house.

“Furniture Clinic” Professional Leather Care/ Repair Kit++ : Pick up only in Hamilton, ON Please view this ad: https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-business-industrial/hamilton/furniture-clinic-professional-leather-care-repair-kit/1468645064?utm_source=com.google.android.apps.docs&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_android Price: $ 950 I am offering an amazing deal on everything you need to start your own Leather Repair Business, or for the leatherworker to do professional repair and dye jobs. I purchased all of this four years ago, but ended up pursuing a different career. 99% of all of this product is unused and as new. It has barely been touched at all. You get everything in the attached pictures and listed below. The manuals that come with the kit give excellent detailed instruction on every repair or colouring challenge you may face, and you can also call the makers, Furniture Clinic, for assistance or advice. The kit allows you to mix any colour needed. You can check out furnitureclinic.com to see what all of these products do. I am offering much more here than is in the kit they have on the website and it is all-together worth at least $1800 Canadian new. I am offering it all for $950. I am sorry it would not make sense for me to sell any items separately. It sells as one lot. Please see linked ad for all items included, as my formatting is lost here: 1 Litre Leather Ultra Clean, 1 Litre Leather Prep, 1 Litre Alcohol Cleaner 1 Litre Leather Protection Cream 500ml Leather Ultra Clean 500ml Leather Binder 500ml Leather Revive 500ml Adhesion Promoter 500ml Leather Finish Matt 500ml Leather Finish Gloss 250ml Cross Linker X 250ml Dye Fixative 250ml Leather Stain Remover 250ml Leather Degreaser 250ml Flexifil 250ml Heavy Filler 250ml Acid Wipe 150ml Leather Mousse Foaming Cleaner 100ml Leather Aroma Spray 50ml Grain Repair 50ml Leather Glue PU 15ml Grain Copier Hardener Half-bottle of Magic-Zymes Original Odor Eliminator 30ml Mixing Cups 35 x Plastic Pallet Knife Assorted Sandpaper, Scouring Pads, and Sanding Sponges Assorted Terry Towels, and Cotton Cloth Paint Stir Sticks Colour Matching Swatch Booklet and Guide Huge Stanley FaxMax Toolbox with Shelf, as pictured Rolling Case with many optional dividers for storage and transport Cleaning, Repair and Restoration Manual 14 Paint Strainers Syringe Tampico Scrub Brush 288 page Full-Colour “Leather Care Compendium” Book by Kim and Axel Himer 0.01 to 200g Scale (will require batteries) Daylight Magnifying Lamp for natural-light colour checking 5 x 1500 yard spools of High-speed bonded leather sewing thread 4 Sponges 7 x 250ml Leather Re-Colouring Balm in: Dark Brown Tan Maroon Medium Brown Ivory 2 x Black 16 x 250ml Pigments (Standard Colours) plus 250ml Matting Agent: JS Black HC LS Blue LC MS Yellow LC NS Red LC PS Green QS Yellow RS Blue HC TS Yellow Oxide US-N Orange VS Red HC WS Umber XS Black LC YS Red Oxide ZS Violet BS Magenta KU White All of this stuff manages to fit into the two transport boxes, so that you have a fully mobile business. I also have an Iwata Power Jet Lite Air Brush Compressor that I would be willing to part with for an additional $400, but you would need to buy your own airbrush. Using an airbrush is the most efficient and even method of applying dyes and finishes, rather than just using a sponge.

I have been racking my brain for the past few months and I have not been able to come up with a name that I am satisfied with for my one-man leatherworking operation. I really would just like some filler words, for example: mercantile, brand, works, goods, etc... I would love to use my last name (Petty), but unfortunately, the word "petty" also has a definition in the dictionary that is synonomous with lesser quality. But if I could insert a filler word, so that "Petty" isnt describing the type of leather, or the type of operation I am running, that would be ideal. Something like "Petty (insert word here) leather goods". Or am I just over-thinking this? Because, at the same time, I think that anyone with common sense would realize that no one in their right mind would use a negative word like "petty" to describe their own product, so they must come to the conclusion that "petty" is a surname. Am I right? I don't know! Does anyone have any good ideas? What are some common generic words people use in their leather company names, or even words that people use in the trade business? Thanks Zayne

Hello, I’m looking for a name for my leathercraft shop/business. I’m not quite ready to start selling yet, though I would like to have a name and website started and a stamp with my “brand” made. At the moment my Instagram is “Crooked K Leather”: I’m not so fond of it anymore because it’s not too professional. Here is my dilemma, I would have liked “Hoffman Custom Leather”: My last name is Hoffman which is practically unavailable in every realm. I could use my name or middle name but I don’t want anything too feminine. I thought of naming the business after my father from fort worth who is fighting cancer and donate but his name is Jay Lynn. Which is also a big name in the leather world: Jay lynn gore –(Circle Y, pattern designer, Tool maker etc.) So I’m Kind of stumped on name ideas. I want to keep it close to home and short: ____ custom Leather or ____ Leather. I like letters and brands for my logo. im doing western style items and want to do tack in the future. Any ideas would be appreciated.

I thought I would put this up for other people to use. I frequently found myself Googling conversions for various things when conducting my business and figured I'd put together a full time Excel tool to have it all in one place to easily access. What can this tool do? Convert Thickness: Enter in ounces or mm to convert to the opposite metric in decimal and fractions Calculate Square Footage & Pricing: Enter in the length, height, quantity per piece, and pricing per square foot for your project to get a cost of your materials. Ex: Entering $15 per square foot for leather with dimensions of 8.5" x 3.5" for 1 piece shows you that you're using .2066 square feet and $3.10 in leather materials. Convert Currencies: Enter in a quantity and select the currency you're converting from and to. Utilizes current market rates for conversion. Refresh data to update. Ex: 300 EUR to USD = $327.84. Dimension conversion: Convert square feet to square meters or sq. m. to sq. ft. Ex: 20 square feet is equal to 1.86 square meters. Or .29 square meters is equal to 3.12 square feet. It is nothing earth shattering as all of this can be done quickly with Google, but I found myself doing it enough that it warranted being put in an Excel file that I keep on my Google Drive to access whenever I need to. Hope it helps someone else out! DOWNLOAD LINK HERE

Hello All, After spending an ungodly amount of time scowering all the resource threads I am having a hard time locating a good avenue to grow your business through an industry forum. We are currently in numerous local shops in the Indianapolis, Indiana area but looking for a forum that will provide communication between craftsmen and the buyer (wholesale). Leatherworker.net is such a great tool to share ideas and processes but I am trying to find something that can connect to the industry. We have attended trade shows such as MAGIC and Desert and Denim but would love to connect on a wider scale throughout the US. Any info helps! Cheers,

Hey guys I am a 22 year old out of Seattle, WA and I just started my own small business called Raw Leather Goods LLC. I am currently making belts, bracelets, and key clips. I am looking to expand my range of products but am currently short of funds (full time school, part time work). Because of this I have started a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter. Please check it out and any support would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sunnysid3up/raw-leather-goods-premium-full-grain-leather-goods

I hope some one can help me with this. I have been making leather items for the past few years mainly as gifts and for a few local folks. I am wanting to give my leather business a name and come up with a product stamp. My question: what if anything do I have to do to make sure I do not infringe on anyone else's company or have any other legal issues that I am unaware of. I live in Colorado. Any input would be great. Thanks

Hey guys I am a 22 year old out of Seattle, WA and I just started my own small business called Raw Leather Goods LLC. I am currently making belts, bracelets, and key clips. I am looking to expand my range of products but am currently short of funds (full time school, part time work). Because of this I have started a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter. Please check it out and any support would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sunnysid3up/raw-leather-goods-premium-full-grain-leather-goods

This article appeared in the "Purse Blog." I'm including it because perhaps we should consider reason #6 when we price our products. Do you all think it is true? http://www.purseblog.com/listicles/8-reasons-spending-1000-bag-worth.html?all=1

Hello everyone! I've been a long time lurker, first time poster. Thank you so much in advance for all of the wisdom that all of you share freely, it has been a wonderful learning curve and I'm enjoying the ride so far I am a director/photographer based in NYC and are currently looking for a fine leather craftsman around the area to do business with. If you are interested, please answer these 3 questions: 1. If you can create and design something today, what would that be? 2. Why do you do what you do? 3. Where are you planting your flag? Kude

Has anyone tried the Xero accounting program. After reading the discussion on accounting software in http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=53061&hl= I started doing some research on cloud-based programs (so I can access the data at shows, in the car etc). Xero looks promising for a variety of reasons. It was developed in New Zealand, but is being marketed worldwide. It's gotten very good reviews for its features and ease of use, and Forbes considers it a good alternative to Quickbooks online. I'm just wondering if anyone on this forum has used it? Do any of our New Zealand readers know people who have used it?

I have been searching for the ways of how one can boost their leathercraft work more and let others know about the work you did and what you are offering. And I guess this is the right place. Borlino is the name where I make leather bags with the finest Italian leather of Buffallo and Vanchetta. With my craftsman we know what the people want but how to get them is what I am here to learn. Please give suggestions for the leather business. You can see some of my bags below :-

We are selling everything in our business. Willing to sell altogether or part out. Please go to this link to see pictures. The files were too big for this site. http://austin.craigslist.org/search/bfa?query=leathershop&zoomToPosting=&minAsk=&maxAsk= Chandler 305-64 $1,500 Juki DDL-552 $400 Singer long arm 29k60 Landis in line finisher (sander, waxer, polisher) Landis Model K boot stitcher $8,000 American ModelC leather splitter Auto Soler Toe Stretchers 3sm, 2m, 1 large, 1 special, 2 upper boot, 1 in step $200 Misc tools St. Louis Shoestand $100 Saddle stand adjustable $150 Hand Stamps and tooling leather punches for making belts We are in the Central Tx area $30,000 obo for everything, a lot not listed Everything is in good working order, we were running just last month.

I am not asking for legal advice. Just general discussion on the topic. What needs to be done in order to make profit from your crafts. Why is no one talking about this? Is it a taboo kind of question in crafts. If it is just no one reply and I will know better next time

Looking for production help/ any want want to do piecework? I am in Atlanta and prefer someone local.... Please contact me: meredithjbridges ( at) gmail.com