For the love of leather: One of the last crafters and the unique items he's made
Gary Barnes was a teenager when he first got into leather.
Forty-five years later — Barnes is still cutting, sewing and creating goods that his customers have grown to love and depend on.
The tanneries have long gone from Newfoundland and the rest of Canada. One of the main reasons was due to free trade. Barnes now imports leather from places like South America and Europe.
Barnes began his career making leather purses and belts but soon discovered an untapped niche working on Newfoundland-styled horse harnesses. The Newfoundland pony was different in size and shape than most workhorses, as it required a specially-designed harness.
"I was 23 years old ... been operating my business for a couple years," Barnes said. "I met a man, Jack Phelan. He was 72 years old. He said, 'Let me make some items for you. I can put you in business."'
This was the beginning of a working relationship that lasted 13 years. According to Barnes, Phelan brought with him old knowledge of the Newfoundland pony harness that was virtually unknown to leather workers of the day. Phelan was old enough to be Barnes's grandfather, but he was an employee.
But Barnes said it was soon evident that, although he was the boss, he was very much an apprentice.
"When we started, we were hand sewing everything." Barnes said. "Hand sewing is very long and painful and not very profitable."
Some people will say it is a dying art, but it is not. It is just an unused trade around here.- Gary Barnes
That's when Barnes bought three sewing machines. One was 120 years old but perfect for sewing leather. He still has that same machine.
The Newfoundland harness was fashioned after the Irish horse harness. A single smaller pony wore it, which was virtually unheard of in North America.
The business changed with the times. With the advent of the Newfoundland migrant worker, a new product caught Barnes' eye. Gone was the Newfoundlander who fished and farmed the land — now he was making hand-crafted belts and pouches for ironworkers.
Barnes said the wonderful thing about these belts is that they're functional, and are a little piece of home that the worker can take with them.
Another market that Barnes has tapped into in recently is customized motorcycle seats. When a rider buys a bike, it's important to have a seat that's comfortable and will allow a long ride.
"A lot of my customers who want work done on their motorcycle seat are not looking for repairs, they are looking for adjustments," said Barnes.
Women usually require a seat that will allow their legs to reach the ground. Barnes takes the seat, cuts the foam and then covers it with upholstery leather from Italy or Germany. He said one customer wanted Newfoundland sealskin incorporated into the seat to give it a unique look for when they travel outside the province.
Painstaking care to build bellows
Perhaps Barnes' most memorable project took place two years ago when the Brigus Historical Society commissioned him to repair the bellows to Pinkston Forge, recently acquired for their working museum.
The century-old bellows were in such bad shape because of dry rot and age that Barnes suggested he just build a new set.
"It was probably about three months worth of work spread out over a year and a half," he said. Because it's a working museum, Barnes thought it important to document every detail of the bellows that were originally built 100 years ago in Scotland.
When we started, we were hand sewing everything.- Gary Barnes
So, with inspection cameras and a flashlight, Barnes carefully inspected the interior, then painstakingly copied the bellows piece by piece inside and out, and built a brand new set that's being used at the forge today. The original bellows are still at the forge as a display.
Barnes has no plans on retiring anytime soon. "My studio is next door to my house and I set my own hours," adding that as long as he's enjoying his craft, he'll keep on working.
"Some people will say it is a dying art, but it is not. It is just an unused trade around here," he said.
Barnes said that like everything, people could buy cheaper elsewhere. "But, there will always be a market for locally hand-crafted goods."
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