Best Leatherwork Podcasts (2024)

1
Caswell's Kevin Wilson on How to Start a One-Man Boot Brand—and Bringing Back US Manufacturing 56:40

4h ago56:40

56:40

“The only way I learned was making many mistakes and losing a shit ton of money in the process” is how Kevin Wilson neatly sums up the never-simple process of getting Caswell Boot Company off the ground. In the past five years since saying "I'm going to start a boot company!", Kevin's stared down a failed Kickstarter attempt, his original US-based …

1
Shoebag!!! Best Boots to Travel With, Shoe Books, Wood Soles, and P'Zones 1:14:08

7d ago1:14:08

1:14:08

Ben and Ticho once again dip into the Shoebag to answer listener questions—and tap in some special experts along the way—including: how to size boots to match orthotic inserts? What are some of the best brands for Women’s GYW shoes? Our thoughts on revolutionary new sole materials? Initial footwear “hard pass” that you eventually learned to love? H…

1
Flora Knight on Guthrie, Oklahoma's Cowboy Bootmaking Lineage and That Time She Tried to Tan Her Own Leather 1:00:57

14d ago1:00:57

1:00:57

She was born in Canada and grew up in New Zealand, but few people could possibly seem more at home making bespoke cowboy boots in Guthrie, Oklahoma than Flora Knight. Learning the craft from two of the historic western city's best teachers imaginable—bootmaking legends Lisa Sorrell and Ray Dorwart—certainly didn't hurt things. Neither did her other…

1
Flock Fiber Festival + La Mercerie - Special spaces for makers w/ Jess Povenmire & Jen Joyce, ep 164 35:31

21d ago35:31

35:31

To know Jess is to love Jess and Jess' love of this special fiber arts community is very evident in everything she does. From in her yarn shop on Bainbridge Island, WA to Flock Fiber Festival, a yarn show in Seattle, WA, celebrating a love of all things wool, the fibers arts community is so very lucky to have these two spaces to come together and c…

1
Scott Reed 1:50:55

19d ago1:50:55

1:50:55

Scott Reed is a knife maker from Oklahoma who makes the "Cowboy Switchblade." I found him through a friend that told me about his knives and I'm so glad I did. Scott is a very interesting guy to visit with and I truly enjoyed interviewing him for this episode. Along with his knife work, Scott also makes his own sheaths for all his knives and as a l…

1
Tokyo Boot Scene—Japan's Incredible Footwear City 1:27:29

26d ago1:27:29

1:27:29

Phil Kalas of the Full Grain Podcast takes over the Shoecast this week to interview Ben about his recent trip to boots-and-shoes mecca Tokyo—expect a deep-dive into city's astounding footwear scene, why and how it exists, plus a preview of five upcoming feature videos that'll be coming out before too long. Come to Stitchdown's Boot Camp, the world'…

1
Behind The Scenes of Footwear Development With White's Boots President Eric Kinney & Jason from Division Road 50:43

1M ago50:43

50:43

In long-overdue returns to the Shoecast, White’s Boots President Eric Kinney and Division Road’s Jason Pecarich sat down to pull back the curtain on what it’s really like to develop new footwear products, getting into every twist and turn on past collaborative makeups as well as some forthcoming never-before-seen construction + style combos. We als…

1
Custom Shoemaker Amara Hark-Weber on Why She Makes a Different Pair Every Single Time 1:05:47

1M ago1:05:47

1:05:47

Amara Hark-Weber surely must be one of the most delightful people in this world—which anyone could likely tell just from looking at the remarkably unique and creative boots and shoes the Twin Cities, Minnesota-based custom maker creates. This episode, Amara fought through a cold to discuss why she makes EVERY pair different from the previous, the i…

1
Matt Wanner 1:25:08

2M ago1:25:08

1:25:08

We are visiting with Matt Wanner who is a saddle maker out of Utah. Matt works for Burns Saddlery in Salina, UT. He is a man of many hats with Burns. He not only builds fantastic custom saddles for himself and Burns, but he also manages and trains many of the amazing craftsmen that work there creating pieces for the store. Matt is also a lead instr…

1
Shaun Woodsum 1:23:35

2M ago1:23:35

1:23:35

In this episode we visit with Shaun Woodsum who owns and operates Cross Winds Forge in Arizona. After a long career as a farrier, Shaun made a change and put his blacksmith skills to work designing and making knives. His main focus now is leather craft knives. As a leather crafter himself, he is focused on creating knives that are not only sharp bu…

1
Growing into your purpose—Meet crochet artist & Making engineer Abi Santiago w/ Ashley Yousling, ep. 163 44:44

2M ago44:44

44:44

The universe definitely brought this fabulous human to Making. Ashley chats with our crochet-loving engineer all about her journey in craft, her path to leadership and computer sciences, and how we were so lucky to have Abi join the team. To know Abi is to love Abi! Grab your WIP and hit play. :) Abi's crochet website If you're in Seattle, catch he…

1
Joe Meling 1:12:04

3M ago1:12:04

1:12:04

Joe Meling is a leather craftsman based out of Pendleton, OR who specializes in teaching floral carving and leather craft. He and his wife are the owners and operators of 23+ where folks from all over come to improve their skills and goals in leather work. You can find Joe and all the information about his social media, products, and resources by v…

1
Releasing self-assigned boundaries of creativity w/ Emily Botelho & Jen Joyce, Ep. 162 0:04

3M ago0:04

0:04

Award winning embroidery artist, mother, teacher, author, and all around lovely human! If you don't know of Emily Botelho aka Salt Stitches, you're in for a treat! (If you do, you are too!) Emily joins Jen and not only do they chat about her beautiful art, how her favorite places and values come through as inspiration but also her new book which is…

1
Nicole Morgenthau 1:24:23

3M ago1:24:23

1:24:23

This episode is an interview with Nicole Morgenthau who is a photographer who's passion is taking portraits. Her favorite subjects are the folks who are experiencing the West like the trappers and settlers that lived in and explored the wild west of the 1800's. Based in Salt Lake City, UT she travels to rendezvous held in many states to capture ama…

1
Chisos Founder Will Roman on How Cowboy Boots Will Save Us All 43:31

4M ago43:31

43:31

For the closeout episode of Shoecast season 11, Ben sits down with Will Roman, founder of Chisos Boots, a young and growing brand out of Austin, Texas that offers one of the best values in a legitimately well made, well designed cowboy boot. They cover how Chisos in some ways started with a lemonade stand, how Will ended up in León Mexico and fell …

1
A Making update + some maker inspiration & musings on fear w/ Ashley Yousling & Jen Joyce, Ep. 161 40:26

4M ago40:26

40:26

Ashley and Jen share some really exciting features that are coming to Making VERY SOON. We kick off a new segment where we will share business and/or makers in our community that help spread our values and Ashley dives into the topic of fear and decision-making. Grab your WIP, your favorite snack, and hit play! If you are a designer, sell finished …

1
Exploring What "Handmade" Truly Means With Leatherworker and Bootmaker Bob Henderson 1:07:25

4M ago1:07:25

1:07:25

For the penultimate episode of the 11th season of the Stitchdown Shoecast, I’m quite excited indeed to be chatting with the just ridiculously talented man they call Bob Henderson. Bob is the operations manager at Popov Leather, the bustling leathergoods workshop over yonder in British Columbia, Canada—and over the last few years has been sucked up …

1
Love is in the Making w/ Catherine Clark of Brooklyn General Store & Jen Joyce, Ep. 160 40:17

4M ago40:17

40:17

Hello, makers! Super excited to bring you this episode with our pal, Catherine. Just a heads up, there are parts of this episode that are a little more visual as we give a shop tour. Click to watch instead! Brooklyn General Store has been the go-to place for crafty supplies of all kinds for NYC makers since 2002. We sat down with the Queen of Union…

1
Fritz Sr. and Jr. of Seidel Tanning on the Art, Science, and Challenges of Making Leather 1:01:51

4M ago1:01:51

1:01:51

This time Ben sits down with two, count ‘em TWO Fritz Seidels: Fritz Jr. and Fritz Sr., who every day are continuing on the tradition of the four-generation, 79-year-old Siedel Tanning Corp in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to getting the lowdown on some longtime Seidel favorite leathers and overlooked gems, we get into Seidel’s history and flui…

1
Kent Rollins 59:59

4M ago59:59

59:59

This episode is an interview cowboy chuckwagon cook Kent Rollins. Kent has an amazing YouTube channel where he shows how to prepare some of the traditional cow camp meals, grandma's meat loaf, or even his version of the Big Mac. My family and I love tuning into his channel every week to see what he is up to and what he's cooking. You can find infor…

1
Shoe Care Essentials, How Many Boots is Too Many, Brands We Want Back...It's The Shoebag!! 1:22:43

5M ago1:22:43

1:22:43

Before he bolts for a very important trip to the bread store, Ticho is back in the leather-smelly homestead for perhaps our most comprehensive Shoebag episode ever, in which we discuss what shoe care products are essential and which you don't really need, brands we'd love to see restored to their former glory, what to wear with Red Wings (vague hin…

1
Sheep heroes, lamb gangs, and a very, very good book w/ Jane Cooper and Jen Joyce, Ep. 159 48:48

5M ago48:48

48:48

Author Jane Cooper joins us to talk all about her book, The Lost Flock: Rare Wool, Wild Isles and One Woman’s Journey to Save Scotland’s Original Sheep. Jane and Jen chat about why the Orkney Boreray sheep are so very special, Jane's maker journey, lambs...lots of lambs, and what it's like writing your first book. About The Lost Flock Purchase Pape…

1
Bespoke Shoemaker Sebastian Tarek on West-End Outwork and Judging the World's Greatest Shoemaking Competition 54:57

5M ago54:57

54:57

When London (by way of Australia) bespoke shoemaker Sebastian Tarek began making shoes in high school, his grandmother let him in on a little secret: he had been preceded in his journey by 18 generations of family cordwainers. After years of schooling—including at the famed Cordwainers College in Hackney, London—he eventually ended up settling into…

1
Meet & Greets New York City Edition Pt. 3 | Brooklyn General Store & VKL 2024 w/ Jen Joyce, ep. 158 52:00

6M ago52:00

52:00

In the final episode of this series, we get to hear from a few more makers that we chatted with during our last visit to NYC! Get to know some very special humans that we invited to join us for our Brooklyn General Store booth Meet and Greets at Vogue Knitting Live and also from our special maker meetup that we hosted with Brooklyn General Store an…

1
Actor Adam Goldberg on His Lifelong Quest to Remake James Dean's Boots 1:11:01

6M ago1:11:01

1:11:01

Adam Goldberg has quite legitimately always been one of my favorite actors—and from Dazed & Confused, to the Fargo TV show, to A Beautiful Mind, he has always been EXCELLENTLY attired, right down to his boots. But he doesn't just play a person who cares about boots on TV and in movies! Adam is a very real-deal obsessive who's neck deep in Clinch, Z…

1
Meet & Greets New York City Edition Pt. 2 | Brooklyn General Store & VKL 2024 w/ Jen Joyce, ep. 157 49:29

6M ago49:29

49:29

We're continuing our Making Meet and Greets from NYC with crafty friends, old and new! The lovely Catherine of Brooklyn General Store and Aimée of La Bien Aimée asked us to bring a bit of our Meet and Greets to their 2024 Vogue Knitting Live booth and we also co-hosted a maker meet-up at Brooklyn General Store. Lots of great conversation, stories, …

1
Tony & Tobias of Wyatt & Dad Cobblers on Building a Shoe Repair Mini-Empire 1:01:31

6M ago1:01:31

1:01:31

Back in 1989, Tony Wyatt and his brother Lance launched Wyatt & Dad Cobbler Company (and even trained their retired-preacher dad to do shoe repair work, so no it's not just a clever name). Thirty five years later, the operation has seen endless swings in the cobbling industry, weathering them as well as any operation out there. The goal was always …

1
Meet & Greets New York City Edition Pt. 1 | Brooklyn General Store & VKL 2024 w/ Jen Joyce, ep. 156 45:49

6M ago45:49

45:49

In this episode of the podcast, we’re taking it back to New York City! If you’ve been following along for a while you know that we’ve been visiting events around the world, collecting and then sharing important stories. (Mostly fiber arts related but we want to expand that. Hey other maker events, hit us up!) This time we did things a little differ…

1
Goods & Services' Rory Fortune on Handwelting Sneakers, and the Shell Cordovan BIRKENCHONKS 52:14

6M ago52:14

52:14

The sneaker and welted footwear worlds are (very slowly) colliding, and Rory Fortune is smack in the middle of the two In 2019, Rory and his wife Lauren set up shop in LA's design district to open Goods & Services, a half cobbler shop / half sneaker customization pacesetter. Custom resoles—often accomplished via the tricky process of converting cem…

1
The (Mostly) Complete History of Boots with Bata Shoe Museum Director Elizabeth Semmelhack 1:23:14

6M ago1:23:14

1:23:14

In one of our favorite—and certainly the most sprawling—Shoecast episodes to date, Ben chats with Elizabeth Semmelhack, director and curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto, Canada. Which I believe is safe to say—thanks to more than 15,000 shoes, boots, and related artifacts covering 4,500 years of human history—is the world’s preeminent dedicat…

1
How to adapt to an evolving world of fiber art and craft w/ with Jonna Helin, Aimée Gille, Ashley Yousling, Joji Locatelli, and Jen Joyce, Ep. 155 34:04

7M ago34:04

34:04

During Vogue Knitting Live 2024, Jen took the stage with big names in the fiber arts and maker industry to talk about how we can adapt to the ever evolving world of craft-what has changed, where the opportunity is, and advice on what to do when things are challenging. Our Panelists Jonna Hietala is the co-founder, creative director and CEO of Laine…

1
How to enhance your making | Get to know Liza Laird, author of Yoga of Yarn w/ Jen Joyce, ep. 154 55:16

7M ago55:16

55:16

Liza Laird is a fiber artist, human mom, dog mom, cancer survivor and author of Yoga of Yarn, a knitter’s guidebook to self discovery. (Don't worry dear maker! The book is for makers of all kinds. We chat about that too!) We journey through Liza's life--deciding to leave the corporate world to pursue her passions, how she approached writing a book …

1
Sagara's Bagus Satrio on the Indonesian Bootmaking Explosion 44:50

7M ago44:50

44:50

Sagara head man Bagus Satrio is one of my favorite people in the whole bootmaking game. I absolutely love the work he and his team do—his Cordmasters need to be at or near the top of ANYONE’S best monkey boots ranking—and he’s just a hugely interesting and wonderful man. Sagara’s almost 15 years deep doing exceptional work, and about a half decade …

1
All about pricing for makers w/ Quayln Stark, Brittany Garber, Terry Streetman & Jen Joyce. Ep. 153 1:28:59

7M ago1:28:59

1:28:59

"How do I price my makes?" "How do I price my services?" "As a maker that does not sell...how can I help change perceptions so my community can get paid what they're worth?" "How do you price handmade items?" Let's talk pricing. Out with the gatekeeping. Patterns, services, finished goods, etc. They name names, spill tea, get really real, and share…

1
Ken Diamond on the Rare Satisfaction of Making Boots by Hand 48:31

8M ago48:31

48:31

Back in the 2010s, Ken Diamond had a booming moccasin business in Vancouver—celebrities wore his shoes, which also secured a hallowed spot on the shelves of Istetan, the Tokyo department store that's home to likely the world's great shoe selection. But at the brand's peak, a bit burned out and seeking something fresh, Ken bailed on it all. Today, 1…

1
Barcelona Knits 2023: Meet the artists and vendors w/ Jen Joyce, ep. 152 1:38:04

8M ago1:38:04

1:38:04

In this podcast episode, we're heading back to Barcelona Knits in…you guessed it…Barcelona, Spain! Get to know some of the vendors, artists, and vloggers who all share the love of all things fiber art, yarn, knitting, crochet, cross stitch, and more! This is a special group of people, dear makers! :) https://www.barcelonaknits.com Who you'll meet: …

1
Trent Johnson 1:23:48

8M ago1:23:48

1:23:48

In this episode we are visiting with Trent Johnson who owns and operates Greeley Hat Works in Greeley, CO. I really enjoyed getting to visit with Trent about his path to business in the hat industry. I think you will really enjoy his story and mindset on business in the western industry.By Don Gonzales

1
Sacred Sheep 2023 - Making Meet and Greets with vendors and artists, ep. 151 48:37

9M ago48:37

48:37

In this podcast episode, we're heading back to the Sacred Sheep Fiber Festival in Portland, Oregon! Get to know some of the vendors, artists, and vloggers who all share the love of the act of making. The full meet and greet videos are coming soon, so make sure you are subscribed. :) https://thesacredsheep.com Who you'll meet: THE SHEEP. Casanova AK…

1
Curtis From Alden Madison on How to Size Into Any Last, and That One Time He Saw Harrison Ford 1:14:11

9M ago1:14:11

1:14:11

Alden Madison is one of the essential New York City shoe stores, stocking and selling more Alden shoes and boots than likely anywhere else in the world. This week, Ben and Ticho sit down with shop co-owner Curtis Bosch to talk about how he got sucked in by the good-shoe tractor beam in the first place, how their makeup program has taken off in wild…

1
Storytelling with Ashley & Jen: starting with community, ep. 150 1:18:55

9M ago1:18:55

1:18:55

Ashley and Jen come together to share stories of their beginnings in the tech industry and how they discovered their passion for building authentic community with Making. Music by Despatches. If you'd like to give a shout-out, have a question that you'd like us to answer on the podcast, or are interested in sponsoring Making Conversation, email us …

1
Todd Broussard 1:50:23

9M ago1:50:23

1:50:23

In this episode, we sit down with a man that I have known online for almost a decade and only we only just met in person at the Heart of Texas Leather Show in Waco in 2023. His name is Todd Broussard and he is the owner/operator of T-Pop Leather Shop in Louisiana. Todd is a rodeo cowboy, farrier and leather craftsman that has found his passion in b…

1
Shoebag!! Craziest Break-In Stories, Plus Ticho & Ben's Only Five Forever Pairs: Revisited! 58:08

9M ago58:08

58:08

Long, long ago, Ben & Ticho did a Shoecast episode in which they had to (just for pretend, don't worry) get rid of all their shoes and boots—FOREVER—and only keep five pairs that just made sense for their lives. A lot has changed since then! So we went back to revisit our picks, and the results are...interesting! Also on this Shoebag episode: why t…

1
Tips from a Chef: Gathering w/ loved ones, good food, and how the proper prep can lead to (little to) no stress w/ Chef Andreya Nightingale and Jen Joyce 1:38:50

9M ago1:38:50

1:38:50

Chef Andreya is back to share so much amazing information about how to host a holiday party without the stress. She walks us through the planning stages that she has perfected as a chef, along with many valuable tips she has picked up over her amazing career. But what Chef Andreya really wants to remind you is that a holiday gathering (or any gathe…

1
LIVE at Barcelona Knits 2023 w/ Aimée Gille of La Bien Aimée and Jen Joyce 1:02:27

9M ago1:02:27

1:02:27

Jen and Val took Making on the road to Barcelona Knits this past weekend. It was a journey that further solidified our belief in the power of local unity, connection, and creativity. The vibrant sense of togetherness at Barcelona Knits is only magnified by our interview with Aimée Gille of La Bien Aimée. Jen and Val took Making on the road to Barce…

1
Cutting it Up With Cobbling Legend Steve Doudaklian of Bedo's Leatherworks 1:15:35

9M ago1:15:35

1:15:35

Ten years ago, Steve Doudaklian looked at a camera, said “good morning shoe repair family”, fixed up some shoes, and put a grainy video on YouTube as a service to cobblers around the world. A decade later, Steve’s videos still don’t look all that different from his first—but now they’re often watched by millions, and stand as perhaps the measuring …

1
Sarah Guerin aka Saboteuse Knows More About Massachusetts Shoemaking History Than Anyone Alive 1:17:22

10M ago1:17:22

1:17:22

To call Sarah Madeline Tierney Guerin an incredibly skilled cowboy boot maker would be accurate—and also highly incomplete. Sarah is also an artist, a historian, an educator, a storyteller, a preservationist, someone who just thinks about things differently than most of the rest of us, and quite possibly the person who knows the most of anyone in t…

1
Setup at Sacred Sheep 2023: Behind the Scenes w/ vendors and artists! w/ Jen Joyce 37:29

10M ago37:29

37:29

We got a sneak peek of Sacred Sheep's setup the night before the inaugural festival and were honored to chat with these amazing vendors and artists! Hannah Thiessen Junebug and Darlin' Spincycle Yarns Three Fates Yarn Handmade Renee The Wandering Flock PortFiber Ritual Dyes The first year of the Sacred Sheep fiber festival took place on Saturday, N…

1
building meaningful community by being authentically you + appreciation vs appropriation w/ Terrance Williams + Jen Joyce 1:03:25

10M ago1:03:25

1:03:25

Y'all are in for a treat. Terrance of Terrance Williams Designs joins Jen for an episode full of big laughs. :) Terrance shares his maker journey that was sparked by a love of fashion, which grew into learning how garments are made and the art of sewing, which led to launching his business! He then dives into tips for sustainability, talking to the…

1
Boot Camp!!! Ben & Ticho Recap Our Inaugural Fine Leather Footwear Gathering 51:09

10M ago51:09

51:09

So, Ticho forced Ben to talk about Boot Camp, the fine leather footwear gathering / world's fair of boots and shoes and leather / celebration of shoemaking / big ol' party that Stitchdown just put on a few weeks back in Industry City, Brooklyn. The two get into plenty of aggressive reminiscing—about the community connections forged and strengthened…

1
Size Inclusivity in the maker space: a (frustrating) history of sizing, where to find size inclusive patterns, and how designers can be size inclusive in the year of our Beyonce 2023 and beyond w/ Autumn ... 57:17

10M ago57:17

57:17

Autumn is out here doin' the important work! She joins Jen to chat all about size inclusivity in the maker space. We kick it off with the (not-surprisingly frustrating) history of sizing because if we want to change the world, we must know where we came from. Autumn tells us all about her passion project of sharing designers and patterns that are s…

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Leatherwork Podcasts

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