Shop Talk! September 2022

ShopTalk! friends, this has never happened! We are republishing a feature editorial that was originally published back in January of 2018, in our first ever Leather Legends issue. Why, you ask? Well, have you ever had one of “those” months? You know, the kind where somedays feel as though the world is conspiring against you? I can honestly say, the world was indeed conspiring against me. Some days quite simply fell apart and, no matter how much preparation and planning took place, things just did not happen the way I had hoped. Some days required a deliberate change to get back on track, or a change to get on another track entirely. And some days were a complete waste of my time, like the five days I was quarantined in…

GENE FOWLER A writer and performer based in Texas, Gene Fowler has written for Cowboys & Indians, Oxford American, San Francisco Chronicle, True West, and many other publications. His books include Maverick, Border Radio, Crazy Water, and Metro Music. BRUCE JOHNSON I am Bruce Johnson and my wife, Rundi, and I have a leather tool business in Oakdale, California. I started off doing my own repair work and making a few little tack items for myself. About 30 years ago, a horse accident left me with a broken pelvis. I started making a few more things with leather and getting more serious about it while I healed. I went from rank amateur to having a fun little hobby. I started selling a few things and my leather hobby became a side business that…

Michael Magnus is an advertising professional who supports the growth of the leather industry through his marketing agency, Magnus Opus. Among his client partnerships are Silver Creek Leather Co., manufacturers of Realeather® Crafts and Lace, and Jim Linnell’s Elktracks Studio. Learn more at www.magnusopus.com or reach out at michael@magnusopus.com. PR as SEO: Publicity for Robots Last month we started a discussion about how Google rankings work. In marketing, we refer to this practice as “Search Engine Optimization,” more commonly called SEO. This series is a little more technical than previous articles, but it addresses some of the questions I commonly get asked in the marketing classes I teach. Last month, I offered some tips and tricks around “keywords” and how the words on your page can impact how easily people can find your…

The following is used with permission from hidenet.com, the premier source for information regarding the worldwide hide and leather markets. Please remember that this information will be a month old by the time it reaches you. Leather Naturally Management Board & Supervisory Council Changes Leather Naturally members have just confirmed through voting, changes to the Management Board and Supervisory Council. • Debbie Burton is elected to the position of Chair, Management Board, moving from her position heading up the Communication team. Debbie is Director of Marketing at Pittards and has a background in product development and international consumer brands.• James Lang is elected to the position of Chair, Supervisory Council. James has been part of the Supervisory Council since 2019 and is a Director at Scottish Leather Group as well as holding several…

One of the common scenarios I see is this: You have gotten into leatherworking as a small hobby with an entry level kit, found you like it, and want to step up to better quality tools. I’ve been there in a time period when there wasn’t as much information…and not as many tool makers and sellers. There wasn’t as much information available and not as many makers. We now have a lot of choices at several price points for shop and leather tools and you may not know quite where to start. I will share my insight as a leather worker and now seller on moving ahead in a somewhat logical way. This is all based on what type leatherwork you do, tools you need to improve your work, your…

“There is nothing more British than a satchel.”— Julie Deane, Founder, Cambridge Satchel British mum Julie Deane found herself in a pickle one day back in 2008. Her eight-year-old daughter was being bullied at school and Deane decided to move both the girl and her six-year-old son to a private school. But she and her then-husband were £23,400 short of the £24,000 annual tuition for both children. (The British pound, for which £ is the symbol, is currently equal to $1.20 in U.S. currency.) Cambridge Satchel, the company she started in her kitchen that year to pay the school fees, is today a global brand producing handmade leather bags that catch the fancy of students and fashionistas alike. “I’m a very logical, nerdy person,” Deane has explained to countless nosey reporters inquiring about…