Q&A with Britney Jacob, owner, Short Stack Tack

You create unique, one-of-a-kind leather items. What are some of the items you create?
I can make nearly anything except saddles. But that’s something I’d love to branch into one day. I love trying something new or combining traditional techniques with more modern designs.

What are your bestsellers?
Custom belts, dog collars, wallets, spur straps and slobber straps have always been really popular.

How long does one piece take you to make from start to finish?
That really depends on the size of the project and how much detail and intricacy is involved. I also have to leave some time for a project to dry after oiling, dyeing or having a finish coat applied. I also can’t sew an item until it is fully dry or it will leave marks on the project.

As an example, a fully tooled adult belt takes me about 3-4 solid eight-hour days. Something like a simple dog collar with little to no fancy details might take me an afternoon. I’m also a mother, a wife, and take care of a farm, so I have to balance out my days.

Do you tan your own leather?
No, I don’t. Most of my projects use a cow leather called vegetable-tanned leather, and the process to create that takes industrial equipment, special natural-based tanning liquors, waxes, and a large chunk of time as well for it to cure. Then it has to be shaved down to the correct thickness.

There are other kinds of leather too, called chrome-tan, which are made with harsher chemicals but develop a different end product for different types of projects. Either way, tanning a hide is quite the process and is usually done on a mass scale to be economical.

Can you describe the steps and how long it takes to have a product you can work with?
Let’s say I want to make someone a custom belt.

First, I have to cut the straps for the belt – one for the top and one for the back.
Then I have to figure out the measurement for the belt that accounts for the thickness of leather, the turn (where the buckle goes) and the tail of the belt while leaving reasonable room for adjustment when it’s worn.
After that, I glue the front and back together and sand the edges down so they’re flush.
Next, I draw my pattern or designs onto the belt.
Once that’s done, I wet the leather really well with a sponge and let it dry just a bit before carving out the design using a special knife called a swivel knife, and then I use various stamps to really make the design pop. After that I do decorative cuts, apply a finish coat, add an antiquing compound and another top coat.
Lastly, I sew it all up, burnish the edges, dye, paint and sometimes wax the edges before I put all the hardware on.

How durable is cowhide leather?
If it’s properly cared for, a good quality leather item should last many years. Our family has saddles that are well over 100 years old.

Can you explain the differences between Full- and Semi-Aniline, Pull-up, Pigmented, Nubuck and Bycast leathers?

Full and Semi-Aniline Leather: This is the highest quality, and the leather is left natural before dyeing it and has natural imperfections like color variations or scars. Full aniline has no top coat, so it can be stained and is pretty high maintenance, whereas semi-aniline is the same thing but has a slight top coat to add protection.
Pull-up: Any kind of leather can have pull-up. It refers to the two-tone effect that occurs when the leather is pulled or stretched, and is created by infusing certain hot oils or waxes during the finishing process of tanning. Some leathers have better pull-up than others.
Pigmented: These are the least natural grain but also the most durable, as they have a heavy top-coat applied over the buffed hide. The leather is dyed all the way through, not just on top.
Nubuck: This is regular leather with the smooth top side sanded off. It isn’t the same as suede, as suede is the actual rough bottom side of a hide and isn’t quite as tough as Nubuck.
Bycast: After you split the high-quality top grain from a hide, the leftover bottom portion is then called Bycast and is often used in lower-grade furniture. It is coated with polyurethane or vinyl.

Do you use different types of leather for different types of pieces?
Yes. I have to use veg-tan for anything that requires tooling or stamping, but I use many different kinds of leather for inlays, overlays, wallets, or bags. It all depends on the look someone is going for and how heavily the project will be used.

Do you use suede as well?
I often use suede as a liner for fringes, or sometimes I will tool the backside of a regular veg-tan hide, often referred to as the “rough out” side.

Where can we find you?
I am located about 15 minutes west of Woking in Saddle Hills County and about one hour north of Grande Prairie. I also have a Facebook, an Instagram and a website. I ship anywhere.

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