My Story;
Hello, my name is Vegus, I was born, raised, and live in the Santa Clara County in California. And I am the proud founder and owner of Jackass Leatherworks. When I was younger I never really knew what I wanted to do when I grew up. Never knowing what kind of life I wanted for myself. And this terrified me. I tried somethings here and there, but nothing ever really stuck, the passion never stayed for long. I kept my head held high, but I was lost. I was decent at school, but I never really found anything that I could see myself pursing and enjoying. I feared living a life I wasn’t proud of. Then, comes senior year of high school, it was 2022 and I 17 years old. A class craft project was given to us, and I decided that I was going to incorporate leather into mine. So I went to the local Hobby Lobby (where I worked during the time), picked up some leather and a few cheap tools, and figured I would practice a bit before jumping into what I was supposed to turn in. The first thing I ever made was a pen holster that slips onto your belt, it wasn’t good quality by any means, but it was mine, and I had a blast making it. Then I wondered what else I could make. Before I knew it I started making keychains, belts, bags, wallets, hats, clothing. I wanted to try it all. I was mesmerized, my life was completely engulfed with this craft, every single second I wasn’t working or going to school, I was in my parents garage learning how to make the next project. That’s when I realized that this was my future. I finally found something that gave me joy, passion that never went away. I never did make that class project, maybe one day.
My Brand:
The leather that I use is a byproduct of the meat industry, meaning none of these animals were killed for there skins. If it wasn’t for the tanneries that processed these hides, the skins would be wasted. In this one man operation everything from the cuts all the way down to the last stitch is done completely by hand. This is done to ensure that every product is made, handled, and delivered with quality and care. I believe that the beauty of leather lies in its natural imperfections. Every piece may be part of the same design, but the impurities of each cut are untouched. Since leather is made from something that once lived, these blemishes, marks, and scars are remnants of that animal's past. Keeping them ensures that these parts of their past will live on in parts of your future. This also means that every piece is a little different than the last and no two products are exactly the same, each one comes with its own characteristics and personality. All of the leather used at Jackass Leatherworks is 100% full grain (learn more about Full Grain here). Simply put the leather used is real, you will not find any pleather or “genuine leather” here. If cared for, these products will last a lifetime, and will age beautifully. If you have any questions please feel free to email me at jackassleatherworks@gmail.com, or reach out to me on my social media (TikTok and Instagram). I hope you enjoy using my products as much as I enjoy making them.
My Goals;
I want to bring back the old traditions. The traditions of a craftsmen; ensuring that everything made in the shop cannot leave it unless it is held to the highest standard of the craftsmen. That doesn’t mean it has to be absolutely perfect, things that are handmade seldom are. A craftsmen’s work should be a complete reflection of them, no matter how large or small the work may be.
I want people to remember what it’s like to love what they own, to have something that lasts and not something that needs to be replaced.
I don’t wish to be the next big “fast fashion” brand, I just want to do what I love, and what I love is using my hands. Leatherworking is my canvas and my hands are it’s brush. I have no desire to be #1 at anything. I don’t need to be the best at what I do I just want to do it.