Our Story...Indian Creek Leather Co.
 
     Nestled in the rich rural farmland of Northwest Ohio along a meandering creek that lends its name to our enterprise, is a small leather shop called Indian Creek Leather Co. To get a better understanding of what we do here, it would be helpful to know why we do it.
      In the early 60's I joined the Boys Scouts of America, and what a great time it was, camping, cooking over an open fire, hiking and exploring and the best was being introduced to leather crafting at Camp Miakonda in Sylvania, Ohio. Those years odd articles of leather were repurposed into useful items, at least from a twelve year olds perspective, the owner of the boots may have seen it differently. Miakonda had a family night once a week during summer camp, and being on staff I found myself and several other staff members involved in an Indian dance group, to entertain the families of the scouts. We spent hours making belts, knife sheathes, moccasins, and other native American clothing, and studying the history of the Indians we portrayed. What great memories, and the humble start of a life long hobby in leather craft.
      After my wife and I were married we dabbled in making leather items for sale, I think the only one who prospered was our leather craft suppliers. Family and job took center stage and we packed the tools away for another day. Fast forward, in the late 90's a friend introduced me to the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting, so I got the tools out of mothballs and made a holster setup for myself and my friend. Well, it wasn’t long before the people at the monthly matches were placing orders which helped fuel my passion, so much so that in 2005 we launched Indian Creek Leather Co. I joined SASS (Single Action Shooting Society) in 2000 and have been an advertiser in their monthly news publication The Cowboy Chronicle for many years. We have also been a former contributor to a leather trade magazine, The Leathercrafters and Saddlers Journal, writing how to articles for their readers.
     Our goal is to make top quality leather gear regardless of what you order from us; be it full custom rigs, conceal carry holsters, belts, or any of the other items we make. We strive to do our very best, because we want our products to reflect our commitment to our Christian values, bringing honor to our Lord Jesus.
      Along this journey I’ve met some truly amazingly wonderful people and have even had the opportunity to speak comfort into the lives of several, and I’ve had the privilege to work on some unique one-of-a-kind projects.  Over the past months my granddaughter has started apprenticing in the shop, learning the artisan craft of leather working so she can assist and carry on the legacy and quality that Indian Creek Leather Co. is known for.   
     As a competitor for over 25 years in Cowboy Action Shooting, I not only make the gear, I use the gear.  Being a custom shop, I can help the novice wade through the decisions of their first leather rig to the seasoned shooter looking for something not off the rack. So, when you reach out to Indian Creek Leather Co., I'm the guy who answers the phone, and I’ll work with you to give you the best advice for your situation, not to make a sale.
     In our sport we have a saying, “Ifin ya can’t shoot fast, at least look good doin it." That’s where we come in, we want to help you do both. “Quality that takes your breath away, not your wallet.”       
                        Gene Weishuhn, Master Leathersmith