Random Maker

Random Maker

 

Custom Leather with a Silver Twist

Minnesota Leather maker has a knack for pleasing mounted shooters.

 

People who own a pair of his chinks say they are “gorgeous.” His spur straps are described as “beautifully made.” His specially designed cowboy shooter concho is unlike anything else on the market.

 

But John Clark of Clark Leather doesn’t easily pat himself on the back. He makes sure the people who have helped and influenced him through the years get the credit.

 

“Andra Olson and Jim Hanson got me interested in Cowboy Mounted Shooting,” Clark says. His first show was in Scottsdale just five or six years ago, where he premiered his cowboy mounted shooter concho and buckle set. The conchos, inspired by the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association (CMSA) logo, have become very popular with members who put them on gunbelts, chinks, headstalls, and other leather items.

 

“Jim and Andra help me a lot,” Clark says. “They tell me what people [in the sport] are really looking for.”

 

Clark began his leather-making career under the tutelage of Dave Dahl in Ft. Pierre, SD, as a young man. He started out making spur straps and other small items. Clark says, “I did a lot of repair work before I ever did anything new.”

 

Growing up, he spent a lot of time on racetracks with his dad, who always had racing and saddle horses. So it’s no surprise that much of Clark’s leather repair experience took place at the track. When he turned 18 he began to rodeo, and held his PRCA card for five years.

 

He went to spur making school in Idaho and made jewelry and spurs for a few years. Then he moved to Minnesota in the mid-80s, where he decided to get serious about his leatherwork as well.

 

“When I did get interested in it, my friend Keith Palmer got me some equipment,” Clark says in what seems to be typical John Clark fashion. He decided to go full time with the leatherwork in ’90 or ’91, close to the time he married his wife Alexa. Originally from Arizona, she came to Minnesota with her Northwest Airlines job. But Alexa was also a rodeo exhibitor with many years of experience on the circuit.

 

With his leather and silver work, he began traveling to some of the biggest Quarter Horse shows in the nation. In the beginning, he mostly made products for Quarter Horse exhibitors. But his interests have broadened to include other venues, and the CMSA is richer for it.

 

Today, Clark Leather makes chinks, gunbelts, and other leather products for cowboy shooters. And the popular cowboy shooter concho is a hit at the shows. “Someone who has helped me a lot is Gary Keithley,” Clark says. The Idaho silversmith and saddle maker worked with Clark to create the cowboy mounted shooter concho from his initial design. Clark sends his friend a design, and Keithley helps him with prototypes. “I want to make sure he gets credit,” Clark says.

 

The company has expanded since becoming involved with CMSA. Ten months ago, Clark Leather added a line of gun cases to its selection. The cases, made from blankets with a Navajo-style pattern and leather-and-concho handles, are as beautiful and well made as the rest of company’s products.

 

Clark enjoys his work for the cowboy shooters, and especially likes coming to the shoots. “They run a good operation and have been real cordial to help,” he says. That inspires him to constantly look for new products to make and to create new spins on existing products.

 

In fact, Clark Leather is rolling out some new chinks at the CMSA World Championship in October.

 

“We’ll have some new chinks with double fringe,” Clark says. In addition, he is exploring exotics with his chinks line, including some made from buffalo and some from elk. And he is looking forward to seeing old friends at the Worlds and meeting new ones.
“I enjoy the people so much there,” Clark says. “You try to return the respect that they give you.”

 

John’s wife Alexa has become very active in the business. “She lines up the shows, takes orders, she’s even started doing some sewing,” Clark says. The couple travels to all the major shows together. Their marketing consists almost entirely of shows. The company doesn’t have a web site. In some cases, companies like Clark Leather want to protect a more rural heritage, but for Clark it is simply a case of not having the time to get comfortable with computers.

 

He’ll tell you it’s because he “messed up” the first computer he touched. But anyone can see, from the quality of his work, that John Clark does everything he focuses on very, very well.
 

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