David Rhodes had a lot to learn when, at the ripe old age of 16, he decided to pursue a career in leathercraft.
The biggest problem was that he’d never used a sewing machine or a splitter, had never made a tool case, a bag handle or repaired a buggy harness. Having grown up on a dairy farm in Dayton, Virginia, he knew a lot about cows, but not necessarily their tanned hides.
Nonetheless, in 2008 – after it was determined that his big brother would not have been a good fit for the opportunity – he decided to join Martin Harness Shop as an apprentice of sorts, to then-owner Lewis Martin. The idea
