What do the nationalities Make

[chrisash]

Hi Folk's

Looking through the posts, it's obvious that the USA guy's are obsessed with making Gun Holsters; as there main leathercraft occupation, it makes me wonder what the other nationalities on the forum consider there most popular item to be made from leather?

Before you answer yes everyone makes belts but what else

In England I would imagine that Bags would be high on any list

[gmace99]

I’m in the uk and everyone I know makes saddles.   Then again that’s because it is my trade

[Raksha]

In Norway i think most are into doggcollars and horse tacks. Real good handcraft is underpriced and underapriciated here, you can allways go on ebay and buy some cheap chinaproduct for much less. And we have very strick gun laws so holsters would not sell much. 

[Lobo]

Retired now, and in the US. All I make are indentations in the chair cushions at my club while I drink beer and play cards. Very difficult to do on a continuing basis. I don't recommend it for you younger, more active folks.

Edited June 4, 2018 by Lobo

[Sheilajeanne]

I have zero interest in guns, having never owned one, if you don't count the cap pistols I had as a kid! (Dating myself here, I know...)

So far I've made dog collars, leashes, coasters, wallets, belts, and bags. Planning to make a purse next and an eyeglass case. Oh, and my cellphone case didn't turn out as well as I liked, so a new one is in the works.

When I get more confident, I may try wet-moulding some cases. I would also like to do a water bottle holder for hiking, and maybe try a 'bum bag'. The one I use when I am walking my dogs has several features I'd like to improve on!

Also in the works is a dog harness for protection training, similar to this one: 

[Lobo]

1 hour ago, Raksha said:

In Norway i think most are into doggcollars and horse tacks. Real good handcraft is underpriced and underapriciated here, you can allways go on ebay and buy some cheap chinaproduct for much less. And we have very strick gun laws so holsters would not sell much. 

Raksha: During my 43 years in the holster business I delivered products to all 50 states within the US and to customers in 33 other countries, including Norway. Not my largest market, certainly, but you might be surprised just how many Norwegians are in the market for good quality leather holsters.

Best regards.

[Lobo]

27 minutes ago, Sheilajeanne said:

I have zero interest in guns, having never owned one, if you don't count the cap pistols I had as a kid! (Dating myself here, I know...)

So far I've made dog collars, leashes, coasters, wallets, belts, and bags. Planning to make a purse next and an eyeglass case. Oh, and my cellphone case didn't turn out as well as I liked, so a new one is in the works.

When I get more confident, I may try wet-moulding some cases. I would also like to do a water bottle holder for hiking, and maybe try a 'bum bag'. The one I use when I am walking my dogs has several features I'd like to improve on!

Also in the works is a dog harness for protection training, similar to this one: 

Sheilajeanne: You are doing well to concentrate your efforts on products with which you are familiar and interested in. I am sure that others will find your work both useful and desirable. Defining a market niche is the key to success in this, or any other business.

I was born on a farm with firearms as daily tools. I served as a soldier (nearly 5 years active, 4 years in reserves), including combat service in Vietnam. I was a cop (police officer, investigator, police chief) for over 20 years. Obviously, my attention was focused on the tools and equipment of my trade. After retirement from law enforcement I continued my long-time sideline leather business, eventually putting up a website and marketing my products to customers all over the world (33 countries altogether, including many Canadian customers). The leather business was very good for me, allowing me to retire a couple of years ago without any debt and with (what others might consider) a rather comfortable retirement portfolio. I was able to sell my company to a very good family, and they continue to do well with what I built up over the years, and that gives me much satisfaction. Now completing my 67th trip around the sun, I am about to start spending some of that investment money! Life is good here.

I wish you all the best!

[Sheilajeanne]

Since schutzhund is a sport I enjoy and take part in, I should probably concentrate on that as my niche. Most people who do dog collars do the fancy ones for small dogs, and that is not something that interests me.

Still trying to find my niche, though. I really enjoy the creative aspect of leather carving, and that's not something you can do with collars, leashes and harnesses!

 

 

Edited June 4, 2018 by Sheilajeanne

[Alisdair]

Scotland: sporrans!

 

[chrisash]

Lobo

Just looked at your site , those carved holsters are really top end, congratulations on achieving such a high level of skill

[Raksha]

7 hours ago, Lobo said:

Raksha: During my 43 years in the holster business I delivered products to all 50 states within the US and to customers in 33 other countries, including Norway. Not my largest market, certainly, but you might be surprised just how many Norwegians are in the market for good quality leather holsters.

Best regards.

That is cool to read :D  I have never touched a gun, unless you count airguns. 

[Lobo]

4 hours ago, chrisash said:

Lobo

Just looked at your site , those carved holsters are really top end, congratulations on achieving such a high level of skill

Thanks for your kind words. I cannot take credit for the beautiful floral carving work, now being done by the very talented Matthew Fedders. My forte appears to have been in design, patterning, and construction of the products, with a few innovations developed along the way that (in my opinion) improved several holster types for specific purposes. A pet project of mine about 10 years ago was the recreation of a classic holster first developed for the legendary Texas lawman Tom Threepersons (circa 1920). Having located photographs of the original, I commissioned several talented leather carvers to recreate the original carving pattern, allowing us to provide enthusiasts with the most accurate modern reproduction. Beyond those aspects, my contributions were primarily in working 10 to 14 hours per day, 7 days per week, in marketing the business, managing the orders, organizing and maintaining a work-flow that allowed us to deliver some 2000 orders per year.

Lobo Gun Leather continues under the ownership of the Fedders family, now located in beautiful Ely, Minnesota, near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area shared by the US and Canada in the border area, and also the site of the International Wolf Center (somewhat serendipitous, as 'lobo' means 'wolf' in the Spanish language so common here in the Desert Southwest region). I recently visited there, ostensibly in my capacity as "consultant" for Lobo Gun Leather, but really because the Fedders family are such wonderful people to share some time with! The fact that there is a lovely lake nearby featuring houseboat rentals, and my older son was able to join me for a few days of fishing, story telling, and adult beverages, well that also contributed to a pleasant trip.

[Sheilajeanne]

5 hours ago, Alisdair said:

Scotland: sporrans!

 

But of course!    Verry nice work! (Had to roll the 'r' to imitate a Scot's accent... )

[chrisash]

Just proves that simple can be also beautiful if well designed