We had the good fortune of connecting with Clayton Harkey and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Clayton, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
“Genuine Leather”. Genuine leather doesn’t just mean that the product is made of real leather (which it is), but it also means it is the lowest quality of all products made out of real leather. … It’s made by splitting a piece of full-grain leather and sanding away any imperfections in the hide and stamping a fake grain on it. Because of this, you’re left with a product that wears out, not in. At Twisted Arrow, we DO NOT use genuine leather, rather, full grain leather only in all our leather goods so that they patina well, wear in, and last forever.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Leather goods have been around for a really really long time. Throughout the ages, crafters and artisans have found new ways to use leather to help improve lives, and make things more convenient. Good products and ideas are then spread all over the globe and are passed down through generation to generation. At Twisted Arrow Goods, we believe that is still true. With all of our goods, we try to solve problems and think of exciting new ways to use leather to better people’s lives. We are excited about how the business is growing and how our skills are improving for us to tackle larger projects and challenge ourselves to more complicated and intricate work. Just like all things, practice makes you better. It is not an easy skillset, but it can be learned. The more you build, and the more you flex your creative brain muscles, you learn so much about how to tackle future products or how to improve older ones. We’ve learned to stay humble throughout everything and hope that reflects our brand and our story.
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We’d start off every day at Tenfold Coffee, to grab a flat white. We’d probably spend the days going to music shops like Southpaw Guitars, Fuller’s, among others. Probably go out a night or two and hang out at the local breweries, like Hollar, Spindletap, and Karbach. Of course, we’d spend some time in our own shop making new things and drinking whiskey. Houston is such an awesome city because there is so much to see and do. Whether you like to shop, hang out, get drinks, or spend the day outside, there is something for everyone. We have so many friends that own local shops that we’d probably try to see every single one of them!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that deserve a shoutout with their efforts in supporting and guiding us along this journey. It has not been an easy one, and we are not done yet! With growth comes new challenges and hurdles that we have to dance along with. With that being said, I’d like to give a shoutout to Andy and Morgan Sommer, Owners of Forth & Nomad, for their continued support, consistent orders, mentorship in retail, merchandising, and just general awesomeness. They approached us at a market back in 2016, and we immediately new they were good people. They have assisted us and presented us with so many opportunities that without them, I firmly believe we would not be where we are today. Secondly, I want to give a shoutout to Cooper and Jennifer Meaders, Owners of Recoop Designs. Besides them just being the nicest people on the planet, their flexibility, understanding, and mentorship can’t be contained to this text box. We also met them at a market, and kicked it off like we’d known each other for years. Good people, and good help. Lastly, I want to thank our repeat customers. Y’all are the very backbone of this company challenging us day in and day out to not only improve our craft, but to think outside the box to provide great products that will last forever and also solve problems at the same time. Your purchases encourage us that we have a good thing going on and push us to fight through and challenges ahead so we can continue to serve you!
Website: www.twistedarrowgoods.com
Instagram: @twistedarrowgoods
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/twistedarrowgoods
Facebook: facebook.com/twistedarrowgoods
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVZR4L63A46NqTfmCgnHwYA