
Meet Tara, our newest leather artisan
At the beginning of the month, we welcomed a new leather artisan to our shop.
Read moreAll of our products are made entirely by hand, with only the best American hides and hardware.
At the beginning of the month, we welcomed a new leather artisan to our shop.
Read moreWhy Max Wenerstrom thinks a hand forged knife is worth the investment.
Read more"As Phillips sees it, the only way ranchers can economically thrive, or survive at all, is by diversifying their income. In addition to its lodging, Ranchlands also offers ecotouristic activities like photography and painting workshops, as well as the Mercantile, its rather hip leather-goods shop."
"Their new collection of tanned leather satchels would look just as cool walking through downtown Manhattan as on horseback."
"It’s about conservation, working in harmony with nature to raise healthy land for a strong herd."
The roots of our shop trace back to a large isolated ranch in Mexico, where Ranchlands founder Duke Phillips was raised. Each month, a saddle-maker would come to the ranch to fix the ranch hands' tack and make any new bridles or reins that were needed. Duke looked forward to this visit every time and began a collection of his own tools that lived in a little leather bag on his saddle which he used to repair anything that broke while out riding.
As Duke grew older and began managing different ranches, he always made a space for leather work. When we moved to the Chico Basin Ranch in 1999, we selected the old woodshop for the leather room. Duke started making bags for his three daughters, and then their friends wanted them and their neighbors...and thus the mercantile was born.
Today, our shop still lives at the Chico Basin, and now shares a building with the saddle house. There's a team of women that you'll find in there daily, too, led by Madi Phillips. Each product is inspired by the pieces that we use each day on the ranch. Interns, apprentices and other Ranchlands team members are encouraged to learn leathercraft to fix their own tack and gear, and often spend time after work in the shop unwinding.
Ranchlands is a family ranching business that owns and manages cattle and bison operations across the American West. We use traditional methods alongside new ways to take care of livestock and the land, and make many things that we use. Our shop allows us to continue living the lifestyle that we all love.