During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, junior Wade Ryan was looking for a way to kill time during the isolation that quarantine created for us all. The new free time he had allowed him to pursue something he’d been interested in for a while: leatherworking. 

“Well, I’ve always liked this kind of stuff, and I could never afford to buy the nice stuff for myself, so I figured I’d just make it, and it’s cost me a whole lot more to make it than it would for me to just buy it,” Ryan laughed, “and for a lot of people I’ve made this for they don’t have a lot of money so I wanted to make it and start it now so that I can get it established and I won’t have to spend as much money so I won’t have to charge as much as most people would.” 

Ryan was inspired by other people he knows that are involved in the same profession. 

“I’ve known a couple of people who have done it and I’ve seen the cool stuff that people can make and like I said, I just figured it’d be easier for me to make it and put my own touch on it instead of buying somebody else’s work,” Ryan said. 

The name of Ryan’s leatherworking company is WR Custom Leather. He’s had experience with just about everything in the leather industry. 

“I make wallets and belts and horse tags – everything in between – keychains. I’ve done gun slings, guitar straps, anything you could think of made out of leather, I’ve done it.”

Ryan doesn’t have any social media platforms advertising his work, only the occasional post to his Instagram story of his latest piece. If you’re looking to purchase something, you can reach him through Facebook if you don’t happen to see him in the hallways of Central Hardin. 

“They can just walk up to me,” Ryan said.. “I put a lot of stuff on Facebook when I see somebody looking for something, but mostly it’s just people coming up to me telling me what they want and going from there. I don’t post stuff for sale, I just usually when I see somebody looking for something I’ll just message them on it.”

After high school, Ryan hopes to continue his business. 

“I’d like for this to be my main source of income, later on in life along with a horse trainer which is my thing that I do, but I would like to use this as my main source of income, and I’d like to get into saddle making too. That would be the big deal to go with it,” Ryan said.

Ryan’s business is a solo act for him, one that he gets to pursue on his watch, under his own rules. 

“It’s just me. I’ve had a little bit of help from other guys that do this too, but it’s just me,” Ryan noted. “I just do it in the house and down in the basement I’ve got a little shop that I work in.”

Seeing his customers use his products is part of what makes his business so fulfilling. The ways they use them and how they’ve incorporated them into their lives is always exciting to Ryan. 

“I like seeing people use the stuff that I make, that’s my favorite part of it.”

Though Ryan hasn’t entered any competitions outside of school, our FFA opportunities at Central Hardin have provided Ryan another outlet for working on his craft, as well as an opportunity to compete with his craft.  

“I’ve not really [competed in leatherworking events], we’ve done FFA events like we went up against each other with our essays which is our supervised agricultural experience which is just our job basically. That’s about it that I’ve put my stuff into.”

Leatherworking is a difficult craft that Ryan makes look effortless and easy. His business has such a bright and exciting future, one that could ultimately support him financially and be therapeutic to him as well. The future of WR Custom Leather lies in the fate of Ryan’s ambitious hands.