a horse trotting left to right

Hobby
Horse

a horse trotting right to left

Leathercraft

leather goods for strong folks
LiftingStraps
$44
a pair of chestnut lifting straps with horses stamped on the rounded ends. the straps are looped through themselves, forming a 'p' shape. a pair of offset, solid copper rivets hold the loops together. a pair of tan lifting straps with horses stamped on the rounded ends. the straps are looped through themselves, forming a 'q' shape. a pair of offset, solid brass rivets hold the loops together. the shine of the leather grain contrasts with the matter flesh side. two pairs of straps, one tan with brass and one chestnut with copper, alternate in a stack. both colors are warm and rich, with the chestnut notably ruddier and darker a pair of chestnut straps coils around itself in a small cardboard box, ready to ship
Yoga MatSlings
$68
the trotting horse stands out on the tan shoulder strap of a yoga sling on a purple yoga met; shiny brass rivets and a brass ring hold a looped chestnut strap around a navy blue yoga mat in the slightly blurry backgorund shiny brass rivets and a brass ring hold a looped chestnut strap around a navy blue yoga mat; a purple yoga mat in the background is held by a tan strap
direct orders to michael@hobbyhorseleathercraft.com

I don't have an online store, because I can't imagine a computer telling me what to do. Consider this website an email-order catalog.

The prices above do not include shipping. I'll ship anywhere, though shipping and customs outside of the US can get expensive.

ask about custom work

I make these straps and yoga mat slings on a "production" basis, buying whole sides of leather—half a cow—to break down and turn into strap goods all at once. But I design, make, and repair other things, too!

a small zip pouch for holding earbuds and other small things, held in my left hand over a cedar deck my hand holds a rotted and ruined carrying strap; behind it, a rolled handle sits proudly on a large backpack basket (basketpack?) a log carrier---navy blue canvas and chestnut leather straps and rolled handles, with brass rivets, and unfurls next to a hearth a small tan zipper pouch, with bright brass rivets on its pull tab

Whether it's a recreation of something you've seen, an idea for us to design together, or something specific you've imagined... ask me if I can make it.

vegetable-tanned leather

I use vegetable tanned leather from Wickett & Craig in Pennsylvania. They've been vegetable tanning since 1867, using natural tannins from plants to turn hides from beef cattle into beautiful leather. The strength, feel, and wear-in of vegetable tanned leather is perfect for the hard-working leather goods I make—a stark contrast to the supple chrome-tanned leather used for clothing, bags, and upholstery.

copper & brass

I use solid brass where I can, for strength and aesthetics. I've switched to hand-peened copper rivets for my lifting straps—peening solid brass is quite a workout! As much as I enjoy functional fitness, copper feels like the right compromise.

hand made in my basement

I make everything by hand; I've cordoned off a small space in the basement that the kids can't get to. To get a sense of my process, you can watch my first production run of these lifting straps in a ten-part series of videos on YouTube. I'll document both production and practice on my YouTube channel, @hobbyhorse-leathercraft.