Rural Missouri - March 2022 - 49

highly respected toolmaker Henry Gomph.
" These guys made magnifi cent tools, " Eric says. " They
used African rosewood, they used real steel and these
guys were artists in their own right. These things still work
today just like the day they were made 150 to 160 years
ago. "
Along with these fi nely crafted tools with brass and silver
inlays are crude but effective tools carved from wood by
rural leatherworkers who used what they could fi nd.
Eric collected the tools for one reason,
and that is to use them. His skills in crafting
leather pouches, bullet bags, knife
sheaths and other items used by those who
built this country grew along with his collection
of tools.
A typical piece from Eric's Ironweed Leather
shop begins with a conversation with the customer.
" The fi rst thing I'm going to ask you is
what do you want it for? What is your persona?
Are you a backwoodsman? Where do you live? Because
there is a difference if you live in North Carolina or Virginia, "
Eric says.
From the answers he will spend a good eight hours
doing historical research from his extensive library. He will
seek original examples to study. Then he will start sketching
on paper to come up with the design. From posterboard
patterns the idea fi nally moves to leather. " Then
comes the stitching part, " Eric says. " Depending on how
fancy it is, it could take me three or four days of straight
work just doing that all day long. "
He likes the cold days of winter because it lets him
spend time stitching in front of a fi re. " That's where you
spend your time, " Eric says of the careful stitches he puts
in his work. " These cold winter nights are fantastic. I just
let it get cold out and sit down to stitch. "
The fi nished product is far from being done, however.
The leather still carries the new, white patina from the tanner.
What sets Eric apart from other leatherworkers is the
care he takes to make each piece look like it spent years in
the company of a pioneer. His antiquing process took him
years to perfect.
" I use six different layers of antiquing, " he says.
Higbee
" Because I want it to have that old, worn-out leather look
and feel. That is a three-day process all by itself. "
He shuns harsh chemicals and uses only natural
methods to age his work. From the historical accuracy
to the careful stitching and use of antique tools down
to the timeworn patina, everything Eric crafts is
truly one of a kind. " I want it to look like some guy
needed to feed his family and this is all he had to
put his stuff in, " Eric says.
There's one fi nal step Eric takes before he is
ready to part with his creations. Each one carries a
tiny star stamped into the leather next to Eric's own Ironweed
Leather Maker touchmark. Eric calls this a " Mock
Shining Star " and it is a tribute to his friend and mentor,
Glen Mock, who died in 2020. Eric found the star stamp
among the tools he purchased from Glen's wife, Connie,
after his passing.
" It's the only one I've seen like that, " Eric says of the silversmith
stamp. " That's my way of remembering Glen. You
will see the Mock Shining Star somewhere on my work.
Nothing leaves my shop without it. "
Eric says there is a fi ne line between tool collectors and
those who use them. It's a line few want to cross, but Eric
is one of them. He feels using the old tools adds value to
Opposite page: Eric still builds the occasional black powder rifl e but has turned his attention to historical leatherworking. Left: Eric applies
a fi nal polish to a dogbone key holder he made. Most of his work is done at a small workbench in his Howard County shop. Right: The leatherworker
uses tools dating to the early 1800s in his work. He feels the use of tools from the golden age of toolmaking adds authenticity to his work.
MARCH 2022 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 49

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Rural Missouri - March 2022

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