When the Western frontier was still being tamed, and horses and wagons carried people from town to town, leathercrafters who would make saddles and harnesses played a critical role in the economy.

Today, the skills they honed over generations are no longer required in daily life. However, Jim Linnell – a master craftsman with over four decades of professional leatherworking experience – has collaborated with Colorado 4-H in an effort to keep their heritage alive.

Linnell is starring in a series of detailed instructional videos teaching 4-H members leatherworking techniques that stem from a transformative era in U.S. history.

“It is important that the next generation gets the opportunity to learn where leathercraft came from and how to use their imagination to create useful and beautiful items out of leather,” said Linnell.

The videos will accompany an updated 4-H Leathercraft project manual that will help youth learn the skills necessary to become excellent leathercrafters.

A small committee of dedicated Colorado 4-H staff and volunteers are spearheading these efforts by writing the manual updates, updating exhibit requirements, judging scoresheets, and so much more, to help pass on the passion for leathercraft to youth and spark connections across generation.

Jim Linnell’s story

After Linnell retired from almost 40 years working for Tandy Leather, he began working from his home base at Elktracks Studio in Venus, Texas, where he remains dedicated to helping others improve their leathercraft skills.

Linnell teaches leathercraft worldwide and has recorded hundreds of instructional videos on various leathercraft skills, so the committee was thrilled when he offered to record videos for the 4-H Youth Development Program.

Linnell got his first set of leathercraft tools 56 years ago, and he feels it is essential to give back to others and share the knowledge he has gained from the world of leathercraft due to having had what he considers the best job in the world. Linnell outlines the history and impact of leathercrafting in his booklet, Regional Carving Styles.

“As the progress and growth moved our country into the 20th century, many of the more successful saddle shops started to create catalogs to help them sell their wares to an even wider audience,” said Linnell. “It is from those old catalogs that we learn much about the different regional styles of leather carving that is at the root of what we see today.”

Updating the manual

The updated 4-H Leathercraft manual was released in Colorado this past winter to get feedback from 4-H families for revisions that will be made for the next 4-H year. A Leathercraft Project Guide was posted with the manual on the state 4-H website to help 4-H Leaders provide guidance on techniques for youth who may not have a 4-H leader who is knowledgeable about leathercraft.

Tactile art has a long history of community building and self-expression, and 4-H, with the help of Jim Linnell, is spreading this art form all across Colorado, encouraging youth to expand their horizons.

Stop by your county or state fair to check out the work of our 4-H youth who will be exhibiting their leathercrafting projects over the summer.

Stop by your county or state fair to check out the work of our 4-H youth who will be exhibiting their leathercrafting projects over the summer. Visit our website for the county fair calendar.