I have worked with leather for over 30 years. I remember my first trip to Tandy leather in the mid 80's to purchase my first hides. Simple projects that have grown over the years.

Right around the time I was looking at leather backpacks and the thought of spending $900 on a bag from a company that mass produces them in a 3rd world country buying hides and hardware in large quantities for better pricing, all the leather parts are "punched out" and electric machine sewn piecemeal and then put together shipped to the USA and sold for too much. I was working as a custodian in an elementary school in a 100 year old building a metal stair collapsed, shattered my back nicely re-injuring the spinal fusion I had done from my "military adventure". Another fusion and months of recovery with a failed attempt to return to work. Now I am doing the long 3-5 year wait for federal disability.

I can't turnout work as fast as I used to, most of the bags take about a week now to make, but they seem to be well liked by people. I source most of my leathers from Tanneries here in America...trying to keep the country strong by paying more to support American companies.

I do it all from planning to cutting and assembling myself in my central New Jersey Smoke and Pet Free studio. Every bag gets rubbed down with my own 100% organic leather conditioner, and I think you will be very happy with your purchase