The Tale of Southern Trapper

My fondest memories are of growing up on 480 acres of sacred land, my family called home. Living so close to nature, filled my heart with happiness and an appreciation for wildlife only grew as I learned more about it.

Unsure of what to do after college, I heard I ought to pursue a life of passion. While embarking on every adventure life had to offer, I discovered a passion for working with leather, when I made a wallet for an elementary school student I was mentoring. That first wallet resembled a beat up glove, but like any good businessman, he saw a market and had classmates who wanted it more than him, so he bartered it away for snickers bar a week later.

Inspired by wildlife and creativity, I was determined to become a better citizen of earth and a master leatherman. Along the way, I had discovered that leather suppliers virtually only sold farmed hides. My outdoor pedigree and love for animals lead me to refuse to support the incredibly inhumane farming industry.

Wild animals like gators, shouldn’t be farmed for their skin. They should live and reproduce in the wild, and be sustainably & humanely harvested through national wildlife programs.

Limiting our materials to only wild hand wrestled animals, meant that there are very few hides for everyone in the world! Made one at a time, our collections can never be mass produced. Only a rare few are capable of transforming leather into inspiration, and their devotion to perfection personifies our values, traditions, and hard work.

We offer tools, tools made with pride and integrity. Tools you’ll use to enjoy wildlife with unmatched durability. A tool that enhances with wear and one that will be handed down and fought over for generations.

Our mission is to serve tenacious outdoorsmen, leaders of the pack, and offer tools that outperform and outlast all. You’ll get more from our leather goods, you’ve got my word.

- Captain Dane Bligh Charles Schemel -