Shop pics
Welcome to the shop — the heart of Double S Leatherworks. This is where hides become heirlooms, and every cut, stamp, and stitch is done by hand right here in Texas.
Step inside and you’ll notice it right away — the smell of leather in the air, rich and earthy. It clings to the walls, the tools, your hands. The kind of scent you don’t forget. You’ll feel the texture too — thick full-grain hides, smooth from oiling, rough around the edges until they’re worked and worn into shape. And ready to be taken from plain to amazing.
These behind-the-scenes photos give you a glimpse into the process: the tools, the bench, the mess, and the magic. It’s not always tidy, I know you won’t tell anyone when I have a mess, but it’s always real. Every project starts with an idea and a hide — then it’s tooled, dyed, burnished, and stitched with care.
This is where leather meets legacy — and where stories get stitched into every piece. Where you get to join into the growing number of people who are able to take these pieces home and you become a part of my shops story.
Cutting bench
A few years ago, a photographer friend came in and made me look official! I mean, I’ve been working in this shop for many years, but I was actually in pictures for once, not just my work.
The shop has been shuffled around, but the cutting bench is large and ready for me to spread out those lovely leather hides.
Tooling hammer
Moving over to my tooling bench made the light funny, so no, I don’t do my tooling here. But you do get to see the maul I use most and an example of a tool that I use to make those intricate designs.
My favorite sewing machine
Do I have several sewing machines? Yes. They all do something a little different thought. This one does the vast majority of my work. It’s pretty variable on the leathers that it will handle and man….things turn out beautifully. My oldest machine? From the 1930’s and heavy as can be. I’m sure at some point a picture will be posted.
Shop dogs of Midlothian Calander
Look how excited she is! Convincing her to sit on top of the leather? Not exciting for her.
She is quite aware she is not allowed to touch my leather! We finally convinced her she wouldn’t be in trouble.
Shop Security making sure I’m watched over
Do I need security? Not too sure. But I have it. Daily. Sometimes he follows me two feet, plops down, and then is backup when I move again. That’s usually when I get a major sigh from him. But he is dedicated!
Marketing Department in her “thinking spot”
Who is this pretty girl? Our beautiful head of Marketing. She will calmly look into the camera and beg you to place your order now instead of waiting till the last minute. She knows I want to get your project made and never want to run into a time crunch! Could you possibly tell her no?
Going cross-eyed from focusing on hand stitching
Sometimes I focus so hard that I don’t remember to take a break. My eyeballs can get just as exhausted as my hands when doing some tasks like hand stitching or tooling. Gotta take those breaks!
This shop runs on coffee. And smirks. Possibly sarcasm….
Coffee? Daily.
Smirks? Only when applicable.
Sarcasm? Well…….that’s probably more often than I realize.
But I just want you to love coming into the shop and getting your final product. I enjoy making these items, but I treasure the smile I see when you get the final thing in your hands.
