by Gene Fowler 

“We’re a bunch of rednecks here cuttin’ up dead cow skins,” jokes George Canfield, the self-described “chief bottle washer” at EDC Leather in Springfield, Missouri. Though his self-effacing humor and Ozark-y charm makes for a fun conversation, George and his crew at EDC are up to some serious stuff. As ShopTalk! team member Savannah Keller put it when assigning this story, “George and his team are at the cutting edge of innovation in leather. They are currently making molds that will cut three-day projects into three-hour projects. It may well be the next big thing in leatherwork.” 

Specifically, they’re developing and offering “Click n Ship” kits for assembling leather holsters and belts. The EDC in their handle stands for “Every Day Carry.” As George says, “We call our company EDC because life happens every day!” 

Six years ago, the Ozarks outfit was a start-up, operating in “the back few rooms” of “a run-down house” in Springfield, that had been “fortified and converted into a small and extremely crowded shop.” Traveling to every leather show they could find and hollering into the universe over the Internet, the company grew and today finds itself in a dedicated brick-and-mortar location, where George says they go about their business of reinventing the leatherwork wheel “with two-by-fours and sledgehammers.” (In truth, the company uses all the sophisticated machinery one would expect. A new rotary press headed to EDC set them back $4,000.) 

Somehow, he adds, over the last few years Team EDC has moved into the supply side of the leatherwork biz. And for the last five years, they have been hosting Holster Makers Bootcamps twice a year. The camps last three days and echoing George’s passion for the subject, they’re, uh, intense. “We really bootstrap ’em in,” he says. “We work ’em from seven a.m. to seven at night.” A dozen or so holster newbies attend each camp. Asked if hombrettes attend along with hombres, George answers, “Heck yeah. Absolutely. We always have two or three women in the class. Leatherwork doesn’t know gender.” 

Except for in-person transactions at leather shows and a salesman calling on law enforcement agencies “back East,” one hundred percent of EDC’s business is conducted over the digital Information Superhighway through the company’s website, its Etsy and Instagram pages, Amazon, etc. “We offer more than 400 holster patterns in downloadable PDFs,” says George. The company website even includes wallet patterns. And in the FlatPak Holster Kit department, whoa, they’ve got ’em for 65 different firearms, including Glocks, Berettas, Bersas, Rugers, Smith and Wessons, and many more firearm brands. 

The FlatPak Holster Kits, George explains, “are designed to be a solution to some of the problems folks can run into as makers.” If a customer has a need for more holsters than they’ve got time to build, for instance, EDC Leather can help out “by taking care of some of the steps from designing the holster to cutting and getting it prepped for the build.” Basically, he continues, the customer is using EDC’s shop “to handle some of the grunt work in making a holster. It’s just like having someone in your shop who’s handy enough to do part of the work for ya.” 

The Pancake Holster Kits arrive in the mail already “cut, edge beveled, sanded and stitched.” And here’s the part that’ll really appeal to busy creative types, “You, the maker, will still perform all of the tasks which define you as a craftsman. You will mold, dye, slick the edges and seal. FlatPak Holster Kits allow your own technique to shine, and each maker’s molding and sculpting will showcase their individual styles. Our goal at EDC is to make you a winner and to grow with you.” 

But what about the actual hide used? FlatPak Holster Kits are constructed of Hermann Oak eight-ounce, veg-tanned leather. They’re stitched at six SPI with 277 top and 207 bottom bonded, nylon thread. “Here in Springfield,” adds George, “we’re only two or three hours away from their tannery. But we like Hermann Oak, for its strength and high density. Also, they don’t pre-brine the leather, which leaves a layer of enamel on the surface. We like that, and our customers do, too.” 

The EDC Leather YouTube page (see end of article for URL) offers a whole library of informative videos replete with detailed how-to’s that are useful to the beginner and the accomplished leather worker alike. In the most recent video, posted a few months ago, Jeff Engelhardt of EDC walks the viewer through the process of assembling “our newest Click n Ship and pattern product, the SnapCake.” He guides the viewer through “the cutting, gluing and marking stitch lines.” After that, comes the stitching and knocking out the belt slots. A separate video, link handily provided, completes the process with “Finishing the FlatPak.” 

Also, super handy, that particular YouTube video page includes a list of 24 separate items used to complete the SnapCake kit, along with links for obtaining the items. They include such things as a K40 Laser Engraver, Sara Hagel’s Slicking Solution, Olfa Black Blades, a Copic Wide Dye Pen, Carnauba Creme and a Metal Machining Burr. Also listed are a Belt Sander, Drill Press, Edge Beveler, Curved Slot Punch, T-nut Setting Tool. In short, these folks give you all the nuts-and-bolts info that you’ll need. 

In a two-year-old video that’s been viewed some 9,200 times, George leads us through a tutorial on How To Mold, Dye and Finish an EDC Leather FlatPak Holster Kit. Along with various Barry King tools and other gizmos deployed in the process, George displays a deer antler (with the enamel still on it) that is good for slicking edges and working inside of belt slots. My favorite part of the video is the dye action, in which he pours a good amount of Angelus Leather Dye into a Tupperware container and works the holster in it for about eight seconds. Then, when he removes the holster from the dye and holds it up, you can see the process called flashing, in which the leather surface changes from glossy to matte. It’s a really cool thing to see. 

“Great tips to take your holster fitting process to the next level,” commented one viewer. “This is the first time I’ve seen the wax paper trick [watch the video to see it] so I’ll be using it from now on.” Another viewer, with an outfit called Smooooth Creations – Home of St. Rock Leatherworks, inquired about EDC’s source for the wheel on its horsehair buffing machine. George’s answer, a supplier called Shoe Systems Plus, Inc., hooked Mr. Smooooth up. 

A more operatic instructional video (in terms of length) featuring George can be found on the website of Illum Atelier, an online learning platform for the global traditional arts community helmed by principals of Burns 1876, the folks who bring you Shop Talk! The class is entitled “Design and Construct a Modern Retention Holster for the Glock 19” and consists of 48 lessons over two and a half hours. Popping the pistol into the holster in a 30-second preview, George bubbles with charisma as he observes, “That is the clicking sound of a well-defined, molded holster.” 

George says he first met the magazine’s Misty Shaw over the phone when she called to inquire about an educational gathering he’d attended. It had been hosted by Leather Work Patterns (a Facebook group with 47,000 members) and held at Roaring River State Park, which is 65 miles from Springfield. (Fun factoid: The land around Roaring River Spring was donated to the state of Missouri in 1928, by the eccentric Dr. Thomas Sayman, a St. Louis medicine showman and patent medicine manufacturer. So don’t say that snake oil never done nothin’ for the human race.) 

EDC Leather also offers acrylic templates for leather projects such as Belt Billets and Chapes, Cobra Rifle Slings and various wallet designs; Double Layer Oil or Veg Leather Belt Strips; leather molds for knife scabbards and magazine pouches; Leather Stamps and Embossing Plates; and a variety of tools and hardware. The line of Blue Guns they carry is marketed only to police, trainers, instructors and holster manufacturers. An array of law enforcement agencies, including ICE, Border Patrol, Homeland Security and municipal forces (even some in Europe) rely on EDC Leather products. 

Garrett Holt, who handles production methodology and workflow, is George’s partner in EDC. Jeff Engelhardt “keeps our communications moving in the right direction” and does all the leather cutting. George’s son Jake runs the company’s tech, including lathes, lasers and printers. What does that leave for George? “I draw pictures, drink coffee and curse a lot.” 

The company is growing, but for now all four of the EDC employees also have some form of outside part-time employment. George still makes a run here and there in his 18-wheeler. But even on these freight-hauling trips, he’s still working the leather biz. “I drew 36 patterns for our Etsy page last night,” he said during a recent trip. “I use CAD (computer aided design) for that.” He’s also been known to buy and then sell caches of hides while on the road and on one trip to Texas, he attended an auction at the venerable Tex Tan institution in the leather mecca of Yoakum. 

 In June, the EDC headquarters will host a bootcamp focusing on the famous No. 55 O’Connor Rifle Scabbard, named for legendary hunter Jack O’Connor. Developed at the equally legendary harness and saddle outfit, the George Lawrence Co. of Portland, Oregon, the No. 55, in George Canfield’s view, “is the most technical rifle scabbard I’ve ever seen. There’s not a lot of people who know how to build it.” The lead instructor of the EDC bootcamp will be Lowell “Dusty” Harvey, longtime production manager at George Lawrence. 

In August, EDC will have a booth at the Heart of Texas Leather Show in Waco. And in November, look for the guys at the Pendleton Leather Show. 

As much as he kids and jokes, George can turn reflective at the drop of a leaf. “Work. Life. Balance. That’s what’s important,” he muses, when thinking about how a person can get too caught up in the natural high of putting all your energy and effort into a business activity that inspires your imagination, keeps you learning new stuff every day, captivates your interest like some abstract lover and makes it a pleasure to roll the bones outta bed each day. “Just don’t let your family get the short end of the deal.” 

For now, it’s all workin’ and the future looks good. Just ask EDC customers. 

“Wish I had this when I got started,” says one, of the FlatPak Holster Kit. 

“Super simple,” testifies another. “You guys are making it too easy to be successful.” 

For more info: 

edcleather.com 

etsy.com/market/edc_leather 

instagram.com/edc_leather_ 

youtube.com/channel/UCvAro6akiqbOZ6NGMJhGKaQ 

illumatelier.com/courses/make-a-holster 

And check out George’s novel: 

amazon.com/Long-Walk-Verge-Walker-Book-ebook/dp/B06WWQ4S6G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=365JYK703AB3O&keywords=verge%20walker&qid=1670953788&rnid=2941120011&s=books&sprefix=vergewalker%2Caps%2C98&sr=1-1&fbclid=IwAR12SSwUiCcM5xWmHZRSvJLvXNMCluWgAD7QhzwveA8dRM-WUzrIHKhUxq4 

This article is dedicated to Mojo, the EDC shop dog. R.I.P.