Meet David Petrie

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful David Petrie a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi David , thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

As a kid, my dad instilled in us the importance of having a solid work ethic. Any time I wanted something, my dad would repond by asking what I could do to earn that thing. I had a paper route at age 7 that lasted me through me early teens. At age 16, I got involved in a “stay in school” program through my school were I would work half a day and go to school half a day.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I was exposed to leather working through my dad at a young age but I didn’t take it seriously until about 20 years ago. I am 3rd generation in my family making leather crafts. I inherited tools from both my father and my great uncle.

I started out making tooled leather guitar straps and belts in 2004. In 2013, I decided to quite my job and start making leather products full time. I as well as making leather products, I make the tooling that I need to make leather items. I do private label wholesaling to different designers around Los Angeles, but I still largely depend on making custom orders to the customers specs. I have a large variety of leather products I do many local craft fairs and events in my area and I still largely operate by word of mouth.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

With Leather work, attention to detail is extremely important. Leather is a difficult medium to work; often “redoes” are impossible. Paying close attention to what works well and what does not can make or break an order.

The skill most needed to work with leather is the ability to do the tedious and repetitive work and maintain focus. Sitting at a sewing machine for hours doing fine detail work will teach patience. It can become rather meditative at times.

When doing custom orders, it is extremely import to listen to the customer, find out exactly their needs and tastes are tailor the project to precisely what they ask. I always process multiple options with the customer so I know what the customer will be going home with a fictional art piece that they can use for years.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

The last few years have been extremely challenging. Covid 19 impacted my business severely. Once things started to pick up, the writers strikes slowed things down significantly. Attendance at local events noticeably decreased during that time. This month, the fires here in Los Angeles has devastated our community. What I’ve done at each crisis is simply diversify what I do. I expanded by tool making as well as the types of products that I make. I now make a large variety of canvas and denim items in addition to the leather products that I already make. I currently looking into direct to garment printing machines and expanding the types of items that I make. I’m also looking into embroidery machines and more industrial sewing machines to help me expand and make life a bit easier on myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/cowpunked
• Instagram: cowpunk leather products
• Facebook: coupunk leather products

Image Credits

David Petrie