In the Beginning…

When I first returned to leatherworking in September of 2024, my mother shared a memory that bridged decades of my life. She reminded me that this wasn’t actually a new hobby—I had been working with leather since my days in 4-H and later with the Boy Scouts of America.

The pictures you see above are of the very first wallet I ever made, back in the late 1970s through a 4-H project. I crafted it specifically for my father. My mother recently told me that for years, whenever Dad was "dressing up" for an occasion, he would carefully switch his things into this wallet. The rest of the time, it held a place of honor, kept safe on his dresser.

My fascination with the craft started even earlier than that wallet. I remember our local Hobby Shop on Sherman Avenue. While our town wasn't large enough to support a full Tandy Leather store, that shop carried a small selection of their goods. My mother recalls that every time we walked in, I was drawn to the leather section. I always wanted to start a project, though, at the time, the kits they stocked were usually a bit too advanced for my age group.

Those early sparks of interest, nurtured by family and small-town hobby shops, are what eventually led to the founding of Higley Leatherworks. Today, I carry that same childhood wonder and my father’s appreciation for quality into every piece I create.

I invite you to become a part of this story by commissioning your own handcrafted heirloom that, like my father’s wallet, will stand the test of time and be passed down through generations.