Leather Shop

In this episode:

How Ted grew up in a family of collectors

The unexpected $6 auction purchase that started his tool obsession

More than 40 years of collecting antique tools

Restoring thousands of vintage hand tools

How buying and selling helped Ted build a higher-end collection

Turning a lifelong hobby into Ted Dawson Antique Tools

Why collectors love "the hunt"

Leatherworking tools dating as far back as the 1830s

Why old tools were often built for functionality and repairability

Vintage C.S. Osborne, Gomph, Johnson and Barnsley tools

Oversized vintage leather edgers

A rare adjustable French edger

Antique leather draw gauges and strap cutters

A nineteenth-century Huber draw gauge

Barnsley leather plows

Brazilian rosewood tool handles

The difference between modern and vintage tool ergonomics

How decades of use physically wear into antique tools

The craftsmanship and ornamentation of nineteenth-century tools

Why high-quality modern hand tools still exist — but serve a smaller market

Why a vintage Stanley can sometimes provide the same functionality as a much more expensive modern hand plane

The surprisingly deep world of vintage vise collecting

Using vises and custom jigs to make a shop more versatile

Polish FPU and Bison vises with reverse-moving jaws

What to inspect before buying a vintage tool

Why rust and seized components aren't always dealbreakers

Why broken or missing internal parts can be much bigger problems

Ted's approach to restoration

Where to find Ted's collection of user tools and collector pieces

Find out more about our guest on his Website

Follow the show: leathershoppod.com · @leathershoppod

Support on Patreon for early episodes and bonus content.

Guest

Jake Houston
Houston Boot Company

What You'll Hear

Jake's journey from professional musician to full-time cowboy bootmaker

Learning bootmaking through repair work and independent study

Why stingray leather sparked the entire business

Working with kangaroo, horsehide, elephant, alligator, and crocodile

Understanding CITES regulations and state-by-state restrictions

Material costs and sourcing premium exotic leathers

How cowboy boot sizing differs from sneakers

Why arch length matters more than shoe size

Choosing and modifying lasts for bespoke footwear

Traditional cowboy boot construction and quality indicators

Leather insoles, welts, stacked heels, and wood pegs

Why custom boot fitting is far more involved than off-the-shelf sizing

How Houston Boot Company Started

Jake explains how leather carving began as a hobby while he was performing as a country musician. After searching unsuccessfully for a custom pair of stingray cowboy boots, he decided to learn bootmaking himself, eventually opening Houston Boot Company after studying repair work and traditional construction methods.

Choosing Leather for Cowboy Boots

The conversation compares several premium leathers, including kangaroo for its strength-to-weight ratio, horsehide for its appearance, elephant for durability, and the unique challenges of working with stingray and alligator. Material selection depends not only on appearance but also on workability, longevity, and intended use.

Sizing Custom Boots

Jake explains why proper cowboy boot fitting begins with arch length instead of overall foot length. The discussion covers Brannock measurements, width sizing, custom lasts, heel height, and how bespoke boots are built around an individual's foot rather than forcing the wearer into a standard size.

Inside a Handmade Cowboy Boot

From leather insoles and welt construction to stacked leather heels and wood-pegged shanks, Jake walks through many of the details that distinguish handmade boots from mass-produced footwear and explains why those traditional construction methods continue to matter today.

Find out more about our guest on his Website

Follow the show: leathershoppod.com · @leathershoppod

Support on Patreon for early episodes and bonus content.

dsfdGrant Anderson runs Uptown Common, a small handmade shop known for structured purses, briefcases, and bags with a distinctive double-color stitch line. This spring he launched a second venture, The Leather Reserve, importing MPG Industria hides from Italy after a discontinued leather nearly cost him a sale. Matt and Grant get into the making and the business in equal measure.

Highlights:

The used King Ranch F-150 whose saddle-leather interior sent Grant looking for a bag — and eventually into making his own.

Why he wet-forms nearly everything, and how he builds gusset forms out of stacked acrylic (with a belt-strap molding idea to kill clamp marks).

The two-color saddle stitch: four needles, two threads, and a "leapfrog" rhythm that skips every other hole.

Switching from waxed linen to Tiger/Ritza polyester after breaking thread mid-stitch.

The Barry King maul, and why a $90 hammer changed how the work felt.

How one discontinued hide turned into a corporation and a wire transfer to Italy in about three weeks.

Why a 50 sq-meter tannery minimum (~35 hides per color) keeps makers from buying direct.

The MPG lines coming in: Apollo, Aragona (corrected grain), and Vakeda (tumbled), plus a custom deep-red veg tan.

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 – Welcome and guest intro

1:02 – How Grant got into leather

2:09 – The King Ranch truck that started it

3:20 – Why leather longevity (and care) matters

4:26 – Hobby to business: Uptown Common

6:01 – Why most makers avoid bags

8:59 – Wet-forming for structured bags

12:15 – Acrylic forms, molds, and the strap trick

19:10 – Tools that matter: the Barry King maul

20:50 – Hand stitching vs. machine

24:22 – The jig rabbit hole

27:09 – The two-color saddle stitch

29:47 – How the four-needle "leapfrog" stitch works

36:19 – Stitching ponies and their frustrations

42:54 – The Leather Reserve origin story

47:17 – Why makers can't buy direct (minimums and shipping)

49:46 – What makes MPG leather different

55:12 – The Apollo, Aragona, and Vacchetta lines

1:02:00 – Five-year plans for both brands

1:08:18 – Leather weight and the splitting-machine question

1:13:03 – Listener questions and where to find Grant

💬 Join the Leather Shop Discord

Support us on Patreon

🧰 Check the Amazon Tool List

👉 Follow on Instagram: @leathershoppod
👉 More episodes: leathershoppod.com
👉 All links & resources: Linktree

Guest: Alexis Saab
Sponsor: None
Primary Topic: Building a small leather goods brand from a custom footwear background
CTA: Listen to the full conversation on The Leather Shop Podcast at leathershoppod.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you listen. Follow @leathershoppod for new episodes and clips.

Discussed in this episode

Alexis’s move from custom sneakers into small leather goods

The early direction for his new brand, Back Home

Designing a logo that works when stamped into leather

Why detailed artwork can fail when pressed into certain leather types

The skull-and-halo concept behind the Back Home mark

Learning leather through footwear, scrap leather, and experimentation

Chrome tan versus veg tan from a maker’s point of view

Why shoe patterns are harder than wallet patterns

Sneakers, boots, and dress shoes as different craft disciplines

Rush-order stress and the cost of mistakes in custom footwear

Heat-activated glue and sole attachment

Post-bed machines, roller feet, and stitching around curves

Bell skivers, machine maintenance, and workshop space

Leather community versus shoemaking community

Selling through design instead of only selling material

Alexis’s long-term goal of creating his own shoe silhouette

Mike from BulSae Leather joins Matt in this deep‑dive into Korea’s vibrant leathercraft culture. Starting with a single wallet and fueled by a passion to “make things that last longer than our lifetime,” Mike has built BulSae Leather into a small but mighty workshop known for its clean design, uncompromising hand‑work, and thoughtful storytelling. In this episode you’ll hear how a childhood fascination turned into a full‑time craft, why the name BulSae—Korean for “phoenix”—represents both heritage and reinvention, and how Mike balances tradition with modern tools in a world where “handmade” is often gate‑kept.

💬 Join the Leather Shop Discord
🧰 Check the Amazon Tool List

👉 Follow on Instagram: @leathershoppod
👉 More episodes: leathershoppod.com
👉 All links & resources: Linktree

Support us on Patreon

This is a long-form, no-rush conversation about leatherworking as it actually exists.

Bryan from Lowtide Leather joins the show to talk about staying small on purpose, working by hand, rising leather and tool costs, and why many makers quietly fund the craft long before it funds them.

If you’ve ever questioned growth, scale, or why you’re still doing this—this one will feel familiar.

Guest:

Lowtide Leather: https://www.lowtideleather.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowtideleather/

💬 Join the Leather Shop Discord
🧰 Check the Amazon Tool List

👉 Follow on Instagram: @leathershoppod
👉 More episodes: leathershoppod.com
👉 All links & resources: Linktree

Support us on Patreon

IMatt sits down with Shane from Bow the Maker to talk about the tools every leatherworker thinks they need — and the ones that actually matter.

From $12 Amazon pliers to top-shelf skiving knives, they break down which tools perform, which ones disappoint, and how to buy smarter without wasting money. The two also tackle social media “tool envy,” influencer reviews, and how to build a functional bench setup at any level.

“You don’t need the prettiest tools — you need the ones that work for you.”

💬 Join the Leather Shop Discord
🧰 Check the Amazon Tool List

👉 Follow on Instagram: @leathershoppod
👉 More episodes: leathershoppod.com
👉 All links & resources: Linktree

Support us on Patreon

In this episode, Matt talks with Will Hodges of Treve Cambridge about the art of fine leatherwork. They explore the tools and techniques behind luxury craftsmanship, from handling exotic skins to achieving precision with stitching and skiving.

👉 Follow on Instagram: @leathershoppod
👉 More episodes: leathershoppod.com
👉 Recommended tools: Amazon Shop

👉 All links & resources: Linktree

Support us on Patreon

Inside Mack Provisions: Craftsmanship Beyond the Field

In this episode of The Leather Shop, Matt Roach is joined by KC of Mack Provisions, a handmade baseball glove company rooted in old-school leatherworking and modern craftsmanship. From glove relacing as a teenager to launching a full-time custom glove brand, KC shares his journey, philosophy, and what makes his gloves truly unique.

Whether you're a leatherworker, player, or lover of timeless design, this is your behind-the-scenes pass into glove-making at its finest.

🔍 Episode Highlights

Why Chrome-Tanned Leather Reigns Supreme

How KC Learned Craftsmanship in an Alaskan Tent Shop

The Horween Leather Advantage

Canvas vs. Leather: What You Need to Know

The Great Glove Break-In Debate

Tools of the Trade: Cylinder Arm Machines, Tex 135 Thread, and More

Why Suede Welting is Making a Comeback

About KC & Mack Provisions

KC started relacing gloves for teammates at age 13. After stints in Alaska sewing canvas tents and marine gear, he transitioned into building premium handmade baseball gloves using materials like Horween’s Ball Glove X leather, real shearling padding, and custom welting techniques.

His approach blends nostalgia with durability, favoring rugged, vintage aesthetics and minimal synthetic components. Each glove is made to order, emphasizing craftsmanship over mass production.

📷 Follow KC on Instagram: @mackprovisions

Craft Tips from the Episode

The Truth About Glove Construction

“Sewing a baseball glove is the hardest thing I’ve ever sewn—and I’ve worked on yachts, tents, and boat canvas.” – KC

Why Thread and Machine Choice Matter

Use UV-rated nylon thread like Tex 135, and invest in a cylinder arm machine for maximum control.

Break-in Methods

Skip the water dunk. Use a mallet and play catch for best results—especially when using wool padding.

Related Episodes

🎙️ How Scott Makes Gloves: The Deep Craft of Baseball Leather

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Guest: Stevie, founder of Hellbound and Back Leather
Host: Matt Roach | @leathershoppod

What We Cover:

How Stevie pivoted from trauma healthcare to custom leatherwork

Designing niche gear for trap shooting and shotgun sports

What it's like being a left-handed maker in a right-handed world

Tools, templates, wet molding, and avoiding edge paint at all costs

Mom life, creative hustle, and pricing one-off commissions

Mentions:

Trap shooting tips and terminology

Bonded stiffeners like Bontex

Edge paint favorites: Giardini vs. Vernice

Listen if you love: leatherworking, craft entrepreneurship, gear for sports, or behind-the-scenes process talk from makers who live it.

🎯 Rate + review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more leather lovers find the show.

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Website: leathershoppod.com

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