History of Amish Leather

The Amish have traditionally been a people heavily involved in agriculture and farming. As a result of rising land prices, the urban encroaching upon the rural, the expansion of the Amish population, modernization of farming equipment and other factors -- many amongst them have found it harder and harder to make a living by farming.
Experimenting with working for someone else has not always worked out best as they are supposed to stay at home and provide a model and an example their children. So the Amish have come up with the second-best option to agriculture and that has been the development of cottage industries to serve the both their own community and the tourist trade.

Their shops are ideally situated next to or very near to their homes, and they manufacture a variety of goods that usually involve apprenticed skills such as cabinet-making, gazebos, custom furniture, leather goods, quilts, and more.

Initially, the Amish started developing leather goods for their horses such as harnesses, and as these were gradually replaced by synthetic-type harnesses which were much cheaper, they moved on to making similar products for the tourist trade where the price could be justified in return for the time-consuming work put in. Today their goods are gravitated towards both horses and humans, and you'll often be surprised with how popular Amish leather is.

Among the most famous examples of Amish entrepreneurs is Moses Smucker, owner of Smucker's Harness Shop which has outfitted the Ringling Bros./Barnum & Bailey horses, the pets of Michael Jackson, Kenny Rogers and a Saudi prince. Looking at such a wide ranging list leaves no doubt that Amish quality is quite prized when it comes to leather goods.

As far as humans are concerned the most popular products are leather belts and they are often a wonderful gift for men because of their usefulness and regular use. Not only that -- the Amish handcrafted quality adds an exotic old-world touch to the leather belts and making it a prized yet very affordable possession.

Pennsylvania and Ohio which have some of the highest concentrations of Amish are also known for their wide selection of leather goods. If in Homes County, you'll want to visit R.W. Leather who specializes in creating belts for women. If in Western Pennsylvania, Henry Miller specializes in belts for men, and we hope he adds to his collection by making some exquisite pieces for women as well.