what do you do for a living

[Warren]

I'm a firefighter with 20 years on the job. I also have my own yard maintenance business that my son and I run.

Warren

[china]

I am a cabinet maker by trade, I now run my own woodturning buisness, leather work was a hobby back in the seventies, I recently bought a new mobile phone (cell phone) and could not buy a siutable belt pouch for it, so I made my own, now every one wants me to make one, the leatherwork is realy taking off, I am receiving orders for all types of leather items, hand stiching was taking too much time so I now have 4 sewing machines, Ijust need to learn a lot more about how they work, sewing machine techs around here realy know how to empty the wallet.

china

[MarkB]

I'm a ranch manager on a large ranch in east central WY. I have been a cowboy / horseman all my life. To me leather gear was something that went hand in hand with cowboys. A lot of the gear we use is made of leather and the leather come form the cows we raise.

God gave me the gifts that I use. John 3:27 A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. I thank God every day for those gifts.

I thank those here that share their God given gifts with every one else.

Thanks to all

Mark

Edited April 2, 2009 by MarkB

[barra]

Claybuster101. Sounds like we do something similar. The rafts we use and maintain are Aerolite 10's and Switlik SAR 8's as well as various life preservers, survival aids and immersion suits. I am also a qualified weapon's instructor and RHIB driver.

Barra

[rickmc]

I am currently an athletic trainer and teacher in a high school in El Paso; a lot of water has been under this bridge though, I was raised on a ranch in NE New Mexico. My dad had insisted that I go to school to learn a trade that would make a living "someday", well I never dreamed that someday would come. I taught school for 5 years until I had the opportunity to go back to work on the ranch that I loved. I was third generation on the land, my wife and I had three beautiful kids, we were living our dream, we had built into a large herd of registered red angus cattle and a sampling of registered charolais cattle as well. However, after 5 years of drought, never allowed to stop the feed wagon or water runs, we had a banker decide that we needed to do something else for a living. We sold the cows, the land and paid off "most" of the debt and moved to town. Went to bible School became a tent preacher for 5 years and finally settled down to what I had been trained to do early in life, I loved the kids, and wanted to make a difference in their lives, so we are back in educaiton and using leather to make a way to supplement and feed the passion for "making a difference" I miss cows, horses and all that is the west, but now I can still be a part.

I appreciate this site and all the folks geared to helping others, with a grateful heart I say "thank you for all of you, and for JoAnne for putting it all together.

Rickmc

[31ford]

Okay; I'm a latecomer to the topic, but I run a steam locomotive on our 4-mile "Washington Park and Zoo Railway" here in Portland, Or.; Also a machinist, mechanic, track repair person, and all around gopher. So many interests, so little time

[tonyc1]

Okay; I'm a latecomer to the topic, but I run a steam locomotive on our 4-mile "Washington Park and Zoo Railway" here in Portland, Or.; Also a machinist, mechanic, track repair person, and all around gopher. So many interests, so little time

You must be living the dream of many a young boy. Fantastic!!

Tony.

[particle]

I work in the design department at a large architecture firm in north Dallas, doing architectural renderings, websites, marketing brochures, and CAD drafting. I also run my own little CAD drafting business from home that helps to supplement the income, though the income has really dropped off significantly since construction has slowed so much. Thus, I'm looking to get into holster making as another side business...

[jmace]

Insurance

[cgleather]

I'm a Firefighter-EMT-P with 19 years on the job. That is what I do for money, my real job is my three boys.

Edited January 12, 2010 by cgleather

[IHL]

Full-time holster maker. Born in Scotland, raised in South Africa and been living in the USA since 1987. Was in the motorcycle industry in SA from 1979 - 1986. Worked for a holster maker here from 1987 to 1994 then started my own holster company at the end of 1994 to current.

[Wizcrafts]

What I do for a living is a combination of arts and crafts.

My primary income, believe it or not, comes from playing Country-Western, Southern Rock and Classic Rock Music, in two bands, in Flint, Michigan (+ some studio gigs). My instrument is the pedal steel guitar, which I play aggressively and precisely. I have been a professional musician since late 1974. I have toured the US and Canada, have been on live and recorded TV shows and on numerous recording sessions. See www.wiztunes.com for details.

My secondary income is from computer troubleshooting, webmaster services and online security and threat consulting for websites and individuals. My current specialty lies in protecting websites and forums hosted on Apache Web Servers from hackers, spammers and scammers. To do this I write, publish and update several IP blocklists to deny access to unwanted traffic. See my Wizcrafts Computer Services webmaster page for details

I made a fair amount of cash last summer and fall, doing contract sewing of guitar straps and rifle slings, for a nearby leather shop; M&M Leathercraft, with whom I have been associated since the late-1980's. I am hoping to make money again in custom leather work and contract sewing, which used to be one of my major businesses, about 15 years ago. I plan to get back into making custom gun leather and heavy belts, straps and harnesses, now that I have a Union Lockstitch machine - for the second time in my life.

Edited February 2, 2010 by Wizcrafts

[somewhereinusa]

I grew up in the auto business, then Navy, came back and opened up an import car business that grew into a complete auto machine shop. Got an offer to work in a auto restoration shop

I couldn't turn down and sold my shop. That was a rich guy's hobby that closed after 3 years. Trained stockdogs for 10 years, mostly Border Collies. Now I drive cross country trucking

I also have an event photo business specializing in stockdogs. Just getting started in leather.

[wyldflower]

I am a school psychologist. Presently I work in a high school -about 2200 hundred students. I've worked with all ages, preschool to post-high, and I like 'em all Much of what I do involves special education services for students with disabilities. I get to do some intervention and counseling work too.

It's a stressful job, so I come to my leatherbench to let my creative self free and destress me.

wyldflower

[BondoBobCustomSaddles]

Well Josh, look what you started! I wasn't going to post here because I thought that I had done too much to list, but; obviously, there are many more folks with lots of stuff and it is interesting to read, so here goes. Out of high school, I started on the drafting board at an engineering co. for a year or so then ended up in the Navy in the mid 60's. I was a hydraulics spec on F4 Phantoms, then out of the service I ended up as a supervisor ar Ford finally branching off into engineering. At the same time I went to horseshoeing school, and that was my "side" money. Along the way I also built motorcycles, race cars and sporterized guns. Always loved horses though, and always kept my hand in them. Along the way I finally ended up as a supervisor at Lear Corp. Once the auto industry took a dump, I was forced to retire, nobody wanted to hire a 63year old engineer around here. So at the end I was an advanced seat system engineer, now I am an antique seat system engineer! I now work on saddles and have been for 20 years or so, and leather goods for the race track full time. Not getting rich, but; getting by.

Bob

[Storm]

Well I started out welding when I was about 14 and then after high school I went to Vietnam for 2 1/2 years. After that I worked as a engineering and architectural draftsman and did surveying on the side. After college I spent over 23 years as an architectural designer and illustrator and as a project manager in Saudia Arabia and the Philippines and worked severl times at the Mid-Pacific Missile Range on Kwajalein Atoll. My job carried me around the world. Guess I have been in every country in Asia with the exception of Mainland China and Burma(Myanmar). Yes I do speak several languages, as someone asked me earlier. Just something I like and love to do. Ialso guess it was because when I was in basic training being tested they said I had no apptitude for language. The stupid thing was that I already spoke two languages at that point.

Got laid off several years ago and could never get back to Architecture. So I taught myself MAC computer systems and computer graphic design and up until 15 months ago I had worked at the LA Times. Did computer graphics and designed ads for them a bit over ten years.

Been carving leather since about 1975 and it had put some money in the bank but never enough to payall the bills. None the less I love tooling leather and it helps me maintain a level of creativity.

[tadziu]

I am retired from the Pen in Leavenworth. Worked there for 22 years, before that I was in the Army for six. Now I am try to learn to do farming with horses.

[Denster]

I spent 35 years in law enforcement. Retired from the Sheriff's Office as a Det. Sgt/Polygraph Examiner. Got bored with retirement full time and decided there would be less stress in leatherworking and traditional archery than doing polygraph monitoring of sex offenders.

[whitebeard]

I started out working for several architects as a draughtsman. Eventually made redundent. I then spent a few years training people to ride motorcycles - again made redundent!

Now I work putting together and supplying weather panels to the newspaper industry - we take the raw data from our tame forecasters and make it look pretty! It's not that exciting, nor is it paid well, but I enjoy it!

[FineasRanch]

While in h.s. I worked at a vet. clinic. Prior to working at the vet clinic I had dreams of becoming a vet, after I started working there I changed my mind. I went off to college and worked various part-time jobs; I cleaned lots of horse stalls, worked as a cashier, worked in a factory that built freezers and as a receptionist/secretary in one of the departments at my college. now I've graduated and am looking for a job in my field.

I had horses for 10 years and learned to love leather then. Now I'm setting out to learn about leather craftsmanship. I would LOVE to eventually learn to make horse equipment, but I know that is probably years down the road. For now, I'm reading your posts and learning what I can. Maybe someday, if I do enjoy this, it may become a career...maybe.

[rickeyfro]

I was a commercial diver for about 21 years then got injured right after hurricane Katrina, now I work at a friends shop operating a wet saw and a CNC fabricating granite countertops and trying to learn what I can from a couple of master stone workers who work in the monument company that we share the shop with

[Tnoisaw]

Service Plumber for past 15 years-currently unemployed.

[MADMAX22]

US Navy here, sub mechanic. Pretty much a really bad job with long hours but if I can put up with it for another 10yrs Ill get a decent retirement.

Before I joined at 24 years of age I had a multitude of odd jobs, bookstore, reptile breeder,builder of campers, flight line, aircraft mechanic ...... guess I needed to join the military so I would settle down a bit lol.

[loopinluke]

I cowboy for a living, currently working for a ranch north of Rock Springs, WY. I grew up on a ranch in Northern Wyoming, then went to college at the University of Wyoming and Colorado State University for a Bachelor's in Range Management, and a Masters in Integrated Resource Management respectively. My folks both work with leather, and I have continued gaining tools when I can and making all my own tack. I just try to do enough leatherwork for other folks to pay for the materials for my own projects. So far I am doin okay I think.

[brathair]

Started out as a LEO then moved to working with troubled youth in RTC settings. It was there and my experience with the BSA both as a Scout and Scout Master that I was introduced to leather working techniques. I served a time in the Army, and am now a Nurse.