Leatherworker finds niche market with beverage enthusiasts
The expression, “you can take the man out of the bar, but you can’t take the bar out of the man” absolutely fits the profile of Dirty Leather owner/ operator Josh Friesen.
Friesen grew up working in restaurants and bars across southern Ontario: serving good times, filling bellies, swapping stories, sharing laughs and ensuring he had happy, loyal and engaged customers.
While out of the restaurant and bar business, for now, the heart of his passion remains the same: People, beverages and bellies. Sound weird? Read on!
Dirty Leather, as Friesen puts it, is “leatherwork for the beverage enthusiast.”
While he is popular for a selection of unique leather products centred around the waist (custom belts), he is best known for a series of accessories for beer and cider aficionados, namely two- and four-pack drink caddies (80 per cent of which go on strollers for on- the-go beverages for parents, toddlers and babies), mason jar sleeves, hip holsters and necklaces… and wallets to pay for it.
Initially a hobby, Friesen is still amazed at the growth he has experienced. “I didn’t think I could make a business out of this; I thought it would have to be a side gig and I was wrong,” he said. The hobby started years ago when, out of a job and playing video games in sweatpants for far too long, a friend pointedly said, “I don’t care what you do but you need to do something.”
Always an avid follower of all things bushcraft and camping, he decided to make a leather sheath. Through trial and error, he refined the sheath and then started to trade his wares on niche bushcraft sites across North America. One such buyer wrote to Friesen saying that he couldn’t possibly use his purchase because it was ‘too nice.’ Friesen responded saying, “Use it. My leather goods are meant to get out, get used and get dirty.”
The name stuck.
Dirty Leather goods can be bought off the rack or can be custom made in a number of warm natural leather tones. Creativity has no limits, particularly on belts. Customers can pick their own letters, stamps (stars, moon, leaves, birds, insects, shapes – like emoticons for belts), grooving, stitching, rivets and conchos, which Friesen calls “decorative doo-dads” including sugar skulls, gems, deer, or flowers. The outcome is a custom belt, made to measure, and completely personalized – “that’s what she said” is apparently a very popular message.
Friesen has recently taken on an apprentice to keep up with demand. He’s taking it one day at a time and his first priority is to fulfil orders while balancing time spent with his family.
“I am at the point where I should scale but don’t want to lose the integrity of what I do. Everything I make is by hand, no machinery – every groove, stitch, snap and rivet is set with my hands. I care about what I do and don’t want to lose that individual approach,” he said. “I truly get excited when I see someone lift their shirt and proudly show me their Dirty Leather belt. I get an over-the-top satisfaction out of their happiness.”
This is why you’ll find Friesen at a number of the festivals and artisan craft shows in Ontario – face-to-face with customers, making them happy.
Between festivals and shows, you can find him at the Made on Oak local artisan co-op store at 200 Oak St. in Stayner. Visit www.dirtyleather.ca or find @dirty_leather_work on Instagram.
Janet Logan is a Creemore resident with a background in business development and entrepreneurship. Amazed by flourishing new businesses across Clearview, her articles aim to feature these entrepreneurs and share their stories with the community.
