Meet the Maker- Golden Age Supply
An Inside Look at The Crafter of Sackett Ranch's Leather Goods
Sackett Ranch is dedicated to supporting hardworking individuals who are pursuing their American dream. They partner with businesses that take pride in their craft, investing countless hours to perfect their products. By aligning with these values, Sackett Ranch fosters relationships with artisans who emphasize quality and tradition.
What is Golden Age Supply?
Golden Age Supply Co. is a family owned and operated business focusing on handmade leather goods that are crafted to last a lifetime. We strive to make top of the line products using the finest materials we can get our hands on.
I started working on leather goods in between touring as a drummer in 2014. I would be on the road for months at a time and then be off for 3 - 4 weeks at a time. When I was off the road I’d usually have nothing to do since my wife still had to work. I started getting sick of sitting around during those times and wanted to find another creative outlet. While on my way home from a 3 month long tour, our tour bus stopped in a small town in Texas. The town was filled with small shop owners and handmade goods. I was extremely inspired by these fine people, their craft and their town. Taking this inspiration back home with me to Utah, I came up with the idea to start making handmade leather goods. I found a small leather making shop outside of town and signed up for a “basics in leather making” class. While I was there I purchased some tools, some leather and immediately went home to start making stuff. I drew up a simple wallet design and made it. After about 6 failed attempts and lots of wasted material, I finally had a finished product. I was excited about what I had made. I quickly became enamored with leather work and decided I wanted to start my own business.
The following week I started brainstorming ideas for a business name. l knew I wanted a name for my shop that reminded me of a time when people valued working with their hands. In every aspect of their life, when people worked hard for the small things we take for granted now. I really enjoy the era of the Wild West. There was a lot of innovation at that time and people worked so hard to create things of value to better themselves. I decided on Golden Age Supply because to me that era truly was the Golden Age. And with that, our business was formed. We are currently located in Mississippi, U.S.A. and offer a wide variety of leather goods. We also offer wholesale and private label.
What types of leather do you use, and how do you choose which one to use for a particular project?
I use a wide variety of leather. At this point in my career I usually already know what kind of leather I am going to use before I make a new product, but if I am unsure, I have a giant library full of leather samples from the tanneries I use. So I can look through that, prototype a product out with it to make sure it's going to work, then move forward. The most common kinds of leather I use in the shop is Bridle, Latigo, and vegetable tanned leather.
Where do you source your leather from?
Sourcing in the USA is extremely important to us. However, because there is so much red tape from the government in that industry, lots of US tanneries have shut down over the years, which sometimes limits what I need to get. About 95% of the leather I get comes from the USA, the rest usually comes from Mexico if need be.
Sewing machines, clicker presses, custom dies, hand beveling tools, hand burnishing tools, punches, sanders, anvils, mauls, nippers, rivet setters, ball peen hammers, leather tooling stamps, button setter machines, rotary punches.
It really depends on the mood I’m in, haha. But creating something completely new is always fun. It can take a lot of work and a lot of mess ups to produce a completed new product. So it’s always a good feeling to complete a new final product and have a sense of accomplishment. I like the variety and learning to craft new things, from items such as belts, purses, passport holders, leather coasters etc. I enjoy coming up with new creations. I'm really happy with how popular the Heritage Bifold Wallets have been! It brings me a lot of joy to see people utilizing pieces I created!
What do you like about working with Sackett Ranch?
Our brands and values align perfectly. Both of us have a high standard for creating and selling high quality items. I was drawn to Sackett Ranch the first day I found out about the company. I instantly reached out to Jon and it was a good fit from the start. I am proud to be working alongside Sackett Ranch.
It's brands such as this that will rebuild the backbone of American quality and commerce. We are proud to offer these fine handcrafted products on our site and showcase the incredible handy work by our friend Kenny!
