5 ms·

Chicago’s Last Tannery

75 points by gregmolnar 12y ago

rjett 12y ago
I have a friend who quit his day job working as a developer for a design agency. He now makes handcrafted leather products for men because he likes the satisfaction of working with his hands on physical products. Incidentally, Horween supplies all his materials. As you would expect from reading the article, it's quality stuff. If you're in the market for some cool products that will last a lifetime, check out starkmade.com.
- aaronem 12y ago
  That's some impressive work; I've preferred a trifold wallet for almost twenty years, but now I'm thinking about whether it might be worth going back to a bifold again.
- sogen 12y ago
  Thanks, how did he start or how did he get his first clients?
  - erikholmberg 12y ago
    Hey there! I'm Erik, the guy behind J. Stark. I started by failing. I know that sounds funny, but I just started making things and learning 1 little piece to make better in the next iteration. I worked nights and weekends. I'm still not able to support myself 100% with this venture, but I have my heart in it and I'm willing to hustle and grind until I can. The first clients were free. Mostly friends and people I met that I asked what product they needed most. Then I went off and tried to make it. The reaction when someone holds something made by your hand is like a drug. If you want to talk more about it, feel free to email me. info [at] starkmade [dot] com
    - sogen 12y ago
      great stuff man, sending email tomorrow
- cju 12y ago
  Horween's Chromexcel is also used by Gustin for some of their wallets [1][2] and belts [3]. I have one of these wallet, the leather is really impressive. It's nice to get more details on it with this article. [1] https://www.weargustin.com/store/495 https://www.weargustin.com/store/495 [2] https://www.weargustin.com/store/622 https://www.weargustin.com/store/622 [3] https://www.weargustin.com/store/654 https://www.weargustin.com/store/654
twosheep 12y ago
I got Alden shell cordovans, which are made with Horween leather, and I can already tell that they will last years longer than my other shoes. Don't spend $100 on shoes every year, spend $600 on shoes that will last for 10 years.
- freehunter 12y ago
  That's not always the best advice, though. What happens if my shoes get ruined after two years? I would have been better off with the cheaper shoes. What happens if my taste changes and I don't like boat shoes (or now I only like boat shoes)? I would have been better off with cheaper shoes. What happens if I lose a foot in an industrial accident? I would have been better off with cheaper shoes.
  - shijie 12y ago
    One can argue "what-ifs" ad infinitum with no real efficacy or usefulness. Comments of this ilk are completely unhelpful. The parent comment is merely saying that, if one plans on wearing a type of shoe for an extended period of time (dress shoes like an Allen Edmonds Park Avenue, for example, have hardly changed in decades), one might as well buy the best, and have it last for a long time. One actually saves money by doing so.
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
    - _delirium 12y ago
      > One actually saves money by doing so. This is what the disagreement is over, though: empirically, do most people taking this route save money, or do they end up spending more money in hopes of long-term savings that do not materialize? It depends strongly on the shoe, wearer, and various failure modes (and how repairable / expensive to repair each of those failure modes is). In my own case, I've generally found that the expensive shoes fail to save money, because even though they're more repairable, the cost of repairs eats up any savings, vs. just treating shoes as a disposable good (might be different if I lived somewhere with lower labor costs; around here even a simple resoling costs $50, and anything more involved starts at $100+). That might still be worth it if you prefer the nice shoes, don't like unnecessarily sending things to landfills, or other reasons, but for me, from a strictly cost standpoint I've found it hard to come out ahead.
freehunter 12y ago
I've never understood the need for putting the source of the article in the title of the submission. It's usually not important (I have no idea what The Distance is), it can be confusing (is The Distance the name of the tannery?) and it's printed literally right after the title of the submission (thedistance.com). I see it all the time, though, mostly on other sites like Reddit (Major Political Scandal Breaking - Forbes (forbes.com)). Why?
- gdilla 12y ago
  just so you have more information about where you're going to be sent and the source of said article. It's that simple.
  - smacktoward 12y ago
    Doesn't the little gray "(thedistance.com)" after the title accomplish that pretty effectively, though?
- smacktoward 12y ago
  Outside the context of HN, many sites put their name after the name of the article in the article's TITLE element (usually with a separator like a pipe or chevron) so that if the user bookmarks the article the site name is included in the text of the bookmark. That has value, though less than it used to now that browsers display the site's favicon with the bookmark. In the context of submitting to HN, though, you're right, it makes no sense. My guess is that people just grab the content of the TITLE element and don't bother doing the extra work to strip the site name out.
- moogleii 12y ago
  If I had to guess, they just pulled the title from the title field of the page. Nothing to get knotted up about, though.
- aspidistra 12y ago
  The HN guidelines specifically ask submitters to take the title out: If the original title includes the name of the site, please take it out, because the site name will be displayed after the link anyway. http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
photoGrant 12y ago
Go past the place quite a lot. Definitely know it's there, the stench!
- drzaiusapelord 12y ago
  I drive by all the time on Ashland. I just assumed it was another rotting piece of "Old Chicago" and would soon be turned into condos. Good to hear its a successful business.
kippn_it_real 12y ago
Some day I will get one these bags made from Horween leather: http://www.kaehler1920.com/shop/briefcases/leather-briefcases http://www.kaehler1920.com/shop/briefcases/leather-briefcase...
brc 12y ago
It's interesting the migration of trends from the hand-crafter (but expensive) to the mass-produced, but cheap, and then starting to come back to the hand-crafted, where it can be afforded. I'm not sure if that is a natural cycle of fashions - or a choice that has become repopular by increasing affluence. I see a lot of low-volume, handcrafted things growing in size, whether it is low-volume hand-crafted vehicle manufacturers (like Morgan), low-volume handcrafted products (like craft beer) and even low-volume, hands-on farming. At this point I take the re-emergence of these things as a sign of growing affluence, where there is so much disposable income it can be spent on things which are off the cost/benefit ratio in comparison to competitors. Perhaps it is a swing away from owning large properties as a form of wealth consumption and more towards individual items, betraying a gradual lowering in the average age of people who are able to afford such things. At any rate, it's an interesting phenomena to watch.
- leemcalilly 12y ago
  I think the internet is enabling this trend. It allows you to bypass the middle man. The consumer is also able to educate themself on products more easily (because of the internet). So high-quality products are more affordable, but not necessarily cheap. It's awesome. You see this happening with everything from Warby parker to Tonx coffee to clothing startups like Frank & Oak. My company, Original Fuzz, just launched a guitar strap that uses Horween leather (http://www.originalfuzz.com/products/skinny-leather-guitar-strap http://www.originalfuzz.com/products/skinny-leather-guitar-s...), and we could have never made it with Horween 10 years ago. We're able to sell it for $48 because we can find customers from around the world through the web. You don't have to do the traditional keystone pricing and leave room for retailers and distributors if you don't want to.
  - brc 12y ago
    A very good point. In order to match up the limited supply of handmade goods with the limited market of buyers, you need to have a long-tail searching tool, and the ability to tap into small but geographically dispersed consumers. The internet is indeed the glue that brings this together, probably moreso than rising incomes (which have been rising for a long time, anyway).
cmbaus 12y ago
I'm a big fan of horween and alden. If you care about quality and craftsmanship, then I think the products are worth the price (even if it has gone up a lot in the past few years). It is possible to wear out cordovan, but you really have to work at it. Horween shell is an awesome material.
ScoobTEQ 12y ago
Anyone who is interested in some really fantastic Horween products (belts, wallets, bags, etc.) check out Mitchell Leather goods, another family owned multi-generational business: http://www.mitchell-leather.com/ http://www.mitchell-leather.com/

75 points by gregmolnar 12y ago

rjett 12y ago

I have a friend who quit his day job working as a developer for a design agency. He now makes handcrafted leather products for men because he likes the satisfaction of working with his hands on physical products. Incidentally, Horween supplies all his materials. As you would expect from reading the article, it's quality stuff. If you're in the market for some cool products that will last a lifetime, check out starkmade.com.

aaronem 12y ago
That's some impressive work; I've preferred a trifold wallet for almost twenty years, but now I'm thinking about whether it might be worth going back to a bifold again.
sogen 12y ago
Thanks, how did he start or how did he get his first clients?
- erikholmberg 12y ago
  Hey there! I'm Erik, the guy behind J. Stark. I started by failing. I know that sounds funny, but I just started making things and learning 1 little piece to make better in the next iteration. I worked nights and weekends. I'm still not able to support myself 100% with this venture, but I have my heart in it and I'm willing to hustle and grind until I can. The first clients were free. Mostly friends and people I met that I asked what product they needed most. Then I went off and tried to make it. The reaction when someone holds something made by your hand is like a drug. If you want to talk more about it, feel free to email me. info [at] starkmade [dot] com
  - sogen 12y ago
    great stuff man, sending email tomorrow
cju 12y ago
Horween's Chromexcel is also used by Gustin for some of their wallets [1][2] and belts [3]. I have one of these wallet, the leather is really impressive. It's nice to get more details on it with this article. [1] https://www.weargustin.com/store/495 https://www.weargustin.com/store/495 [2] https://www.weargustin.com/store/622 https://www.weargustin.com/store/622 [3] https://www.weargustin.com/store/654 https://www.weargustin.com/store/654

twosheep 12y ago

I got Alden shell cordovans, which are made with Horween leather, and I can already tell that they will last years longer than my other shoes. Don't spend $100 on shoes every year, spend $600 on shoes that will last for 10 years.

freehunter 12y ago
That's not always the best advice, though. What happens if my shoes get ruined after two years? I would have been better off with the cheaper shoes. What happens if my taste changes and I don't like boat shoes (or now I only like boat shoes)? I would have been better off with cheaper shoes. What happens if I lose a foot in an industrial accident? I would have been better off with cheaper shoes.
- shijie 12y ago
  One can argue "what-ifs" ad infinitum with no real efficacy or usefulness. Comments of this ilk are completely unhelpful. The parent comment is merely saying that, if one plans on wearing a type of shoe for an extended period of time (dress shoes like an Allen Edmonds Park Avenue, for example, have hardly changed in decades), one might as well buy the best, and have it last for a long time. One actually saves money by doing so.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - _delirium 12y ago
    > One actually saves money by doing so. This is what the disagreement is over, though: empirically, do most people taking this route save money, or do they end up spending more money in hopes of long-term savings that do not materialize? It depends strongly on the shoe, wearer, and various failure modes (and how repairable / expensive to repair each of those failure modes is). In my own case, I've generally found that the expensive shoes fail to save money, because even though they're more repairable, the cost of repairs eats up any savings, vs. just treating shoes as a disposable good (might be different if I lived somewhere with lower labor costs; around here even a simple resoling costs $50, and anything more involved starts at $100+). That might still be worth it if you prefer the nice shoes, don't like unnecessarily sending things to landfills, or other reasons, but for me, from a strictly cost standpoint I've found it hard to come out ahead.

freehunter 12y ago

I've never understood the need for putting the source of the article in the title of the submission. It's usually not important (I have no idea what The Distance is), it can be confusing (is The Distance the name of the tannery?) and it's printed literally right after the title of the submission (thedistance.com). I see it all the time, though, mostly on other sites like Reddit (Major Political Scandal Breaking - Forbes (forbes.com)). Why?

gdilla 12y ago
just so you have more information about where you're going to be sent and the source of said article. It's that simple.
- smacktoward 12y ago
  Doesn't the little gray "(thedistance.com)" after the title accomplish that pretty effectively, though?
smacktoward 12y ago
Outside the context of HN, many sites put their name after the name of the article in the article's TITLE element (usually with a separator like a pipe or chevron) so that if the user bookmarks the article the site name is included in the text of the bookmark. That has value, though less than it used to now that browsers display the site's favicon with the bookmark. In the context of submitting to HN, though, you're right, it makes no sense. My guess is that people just grab the content of the TITLE element and don't bother doing the extra work to strip the site name out.
moogleii 12y ago
If I had to guess, they just pulled the title from the title field of the page. Nothing to get knotted up about, though.
aspidistra 12y ago
The HN guidelines specifically ask submitters to take the title out: If the original title includes the name of the site, please take it out, because the site name will be displayed after the link anyway. http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html http://ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

photoGrant 12y ago

Go past the place quite a lot. Definitely know it's there, the stench!

drzaiusapelord 12y ago
I drive by all the time on Ashland. I just assumed it was another rotting piece of "Old Chicago" and would soon be turned into condos. Good to hear its a successful business.

kippn_it_real 12y ago

Some day I will get one these bags made from Horween leather: http://www.kaehler1920.com/shop/briefcases/leather-briefcases http://www.kaehler1920.com/shop/briefcases/leather-briefcase...

brc 12y ago

It's interesting the migration of trends from the hand-crafter (but expensive) to the mass-produced, but cheap, and then starting to come back to the hand-crafted, where it can be afforded. I'm not sure if that is a natural cycle of fashions - or a choice that has become repopular by increasing affluence. I see a lot of low-volume, handcrafted things growing in size, whether it is low-volume hand-crafted vehicle manufacturers (like Morgan), low-volume handcrafted products (like craft beer) and even low-volume, hands-on farming. At this point I take the re-emergence of these things as a sign of growing affluence, where there is so much disposable income it can be spent on things which are off the cost/benefit ratio in comparison to competitors. Perhaps it is a swing away from owning large properties as a form of wealth consumption and more towards individual items, betraying a gradual lowering in the average age of people who are able to afford such things. At any rate, it's an interesting phenomena to watch.

leemcalilly 12y ago
I think the internet is enabling this trend. It allows you to bypass the middle man. The consumer is also able to educate themself on products more easily (because of the internet). So high-quality products are more affordable, but not necessarily cheap. It's awesome. You see this happening with everything from Warby parker to Tonx coffee to clothing startups like Frank & Oak. My company, Original Fuzz, just launched a guitar strap that uses Horween leather (http://www.originalfuzz.com/products/skinny-leather-guitar-strap http://www.originalfuzz.com/products/skinny-leather-guitar-s...), and we could have never made it with Horween 10 years ago. We're able to sell it for $48 because we can find customers from around the world through the web. You don't have to do the traditional keystone pricing and leave room for retailers and distributors if you don't want to.
- brc 12y ago
  A very good point. In order to match up the limited supply of handmade goods with the limited market of buyers, you need to have a long-tail searching tool, and the ability to tap into small but geographically dispersed consumers. The internet is indeed the glue that brings this together, probably moreso than rising incomes (which have been rising for a long time, anyway).

cmbaus 12y ago

I'm a big fan of horween and alden. If you care about quality and craftsmanship, then I think the products are worth the price (even if it has gone up a lot in the past few years). It is possible to wear out cordovan, but you really have to work at it. Horween shell is an awesome material.

ScoobTEQ 12y ago

Anyone who is interested in some really fantastic Horween products (belts, wallets, bags, etc.) check out Mitchell Leather goods, another family owned multi-generational business: http://www.mitchell-leather.com/ http://www.mitchell-leather.com/