Andrew Boomer rounds out a high school teaching career with an ever-evolving creative sideline. 

By Lynn Ascrizzi 

It all began with “a cheap, mass-produced pair of spur straps,” said Andrew Boomer of Bluff Dale, Texas, as he began to recount the seemingly accidental way that leatherwork became an ongoing passion. “The straps broke one day. I decided to try my hand at building a pair.”  

At the time, he was about 20 years young, dating a girl and attending Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas. “I bought some kind of veg-tan leather and a basketweave tool from a little leather shop in town. I had no idea what I was doing. I made a god-awful pair of spur straps. They were terrible. I had to go and buy a pair,” he admitted. 

Maybe it was the rich scent of tanned leather or the novelty of working with his hands. For although his project failed, the experiment brought unexpected pleasure. “I liked trying to make them. It was a lot of fun,” he said. 

Captivated, he bought how-to books on leatherwork and more tools. “I started piddling around, trying different techniques,” he recalled. He was especially drawn to books by Al Stohlman, such as Craftool Tech-Tips, published in 1969. The classic guidebook was created for beginners and intermediates. Still available, it offers basic tooling techniques, like how to use swivel knives and stamping tools, and more. “It’s a great starting point,” Boomer said. “Stohlman was a big name with Tandy (Leather) and got people doing leatherwork.” 

He began making frequent visits to the San Angelo shop, owned and operated, at the time, by leatherworker Mike O’Dell. “I wore him down, until he offered me a job. I worked there for a year.” 

Then, O’Dell had to close out his shop. Both men ended up working for M. L. Leddy Boots, a large boot factory in San Angelo. The business employed about 30 men and women who created a production line of custom-made boots. “Mike and I did the small leather goods, like belts, wallets and notebooks. We did pretty much everything, except boots and saddles. Mike taught me a lot at both shops,” Boomer, 45, recalled. “Leddy Boots is still in business. They’re doing very well,” he noted. “They’re not doing mass-production. Each boot they make is a custom fit — designed for the customer.” 

Once again, the twists and turns of life led him on. He graduated from college with a B.S. degree in animal science, “which I never used,” he pointed out. Instead, he moved to Granbury, Texas. There, he taught high school world history for 12 years and U.S. government for the last nine. “When I moved to Granbury, I didn’t touch leather for three or four years. But I did marry the love of my life, Meg Boomer. She encouraged me to get back into leatherwork. I started a leather business on the side.”  

For five years, while holding down his high school teaching job, he created medieval armor and parts made from leather. “Everything was hand sewn and hand cut. No machines. I couldn’t afford machines! I was in my late 20s and recently married.”  

Then their son, Gus, was born, and more sacrifices had to be made. Boomer shut down his workbench, located where the kitchen table was supposed to be. “We needed a civilized table and a regular place to eat to raise our son properly. For 10 years, I had no place to work. I did no leatherwork,” he said. 

CHANGE, CHALLENGES AND CREATIVITY  

In 2018, Boomer endured the traumatic, sudden death of his beloved father. “He died instantly. Nobody saw it coming. Outside of my wife, he was my best friend. I was at loose ends and didn’t know what to do with myself.”  

Amazingly, the profound loss also reawakened his creative spirit. “My wife suggested that I get back into doing leatherwork. I remembered how much I loved it,” he said. He started working again, relearning  the craft. “I got back to where I was and started another leather business, about three years ago — Six Gun Forge & Leatherworks. And, I’m also still teaching to this day.” 

Now, for four or five hours every weeknight, he works on leather at home. And, he builds handmade leather products for about 14 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Altogether, he puts in about 40 to 50 hours per week doing leatherwork, he estimated.  

“If not at school, I’m at the workbench, located in a 12-by-14-foot space in the back bedroom of our house. I love doing leatherwork there. It makes me happy. At the end of the day, when I’m teaching, I can’t point at something and say, ‘Look at what I’ve created!’ But I can build something for a customer and put my name on it. I’m proud of what I’ve done. I do like teaching, but my true passion is leather.” 

He really enjoys teaching government, he added. “But I’d also love to teach leatherwork. It would be neat to teach a leatherwork class.” Now and then, he has an opportunity to teach, on an informal basis, young leatherworkers who are not part of his high school classes. Currently, one such craftsman is a young man who lives in a nearby town. “He teaches me as much as I teach him,” he said. “We do similar, but different products. He came out to the house and I showed him how to make a leather zipper pouch.”  

Meanwhile, his active and engaging son, now age 13, has officially entered his teen years, bringing with it the dynamic changes of that life phase. Boomer said he enjoys the close family interactions and doesn’t mind sharing part of his small, back-bedroom workspace. “My wife makes jewelry. And, there’s a bearded dragon lizard named Sam Houston, who also lives in that space. And, we have a dog named Jim Bowie. He’s the official ‘spokeslizard’ of Six Gun Leather,” he said, with humor.   

In fact, despite the compromises and the squeeze on his time and space, Boomer accomplishes an amazing amount of diverse leatherwork. “It’s a long list!” he said.  

The following are some of the many projects he has worked on – 

Coasters 

Koozies (A beverage can cooler, which Boomer makes out of leather.) 

Leather-wrapped cups (Short and tall coffee cups, mugs and tumblers.) 

Shaving Kits (Dopp Kits) 

Belts 

Purses 

Makeup pouches 

Wallets 

Guitar straps 

Rifle slings (A strap or harness that helps a shooter carry a firearm, usually a long gun, or brace a firearm while aiming.) 

Leather topped coolers (Boomer recently finished six, 12-by-18-inch cooler tops,  

within two weeks.) 

Wall art (Carved leather art that can be displayed on wall.) 

Spur straps 

Nose bands (An equine product) 

Leather inlays on wood tables (He carves out some of the table top, so the inlay is flush with the table.) 

Leather notebooks and three-ring binder covers 

Folios 

Bracelets 

Dog collars 

His most popular products? “Probably leather-wrapped cups. They’re my biggest seller.”  He gets a lot of custom orders for tote-type purses as well. “I have some stock designs, but I do custom work on request,” he said. 

“My style is different,” he continued. “Right now, Sheridan-style tooling is very popular. I do more of a traditional Texas-style tooling. I try to stay true to my Texas roots. I learned the Texas style. And that’s what I like to do.”? 

Boomer announced with enthusiasm, that soon he’ll be making “leather tops on shoes. They’re very popular,” he said. The technique, he explained, involves attaching custom-designed, tooled leather sections to the vamps of soft shoes, such as Vans. Typically, the technique enhances and decoratively transforms the shoe. “I’ve been waiting on the arrival of my new sewing machine, a patch machine. Its needle and foot can rotate 360 degrees, so I can get into a tight place,” he noted. 

After first launching Six Gun Forge & Leatherworks, he felt that as long as the business could pay for itself, he’d be happy. Now, however, his home business has been making a profit.   

“I absolutely want to do leatherwork in retirement,” he said. “I’m not going to stop working on leather, until they put me in the ground!” 

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KEEP IN TOUCH 

SIX GUN FORGE & LEATHERWORKS 

Andrew Boomer, owner, operator 

Bluff Dale, Texas 76433 

E-mail: sixgunleather@gmail.com 

Facebook: @SixGunForge&Leatherworks 

Instagram: @SixGunLeather