Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Durbin.
Hi Matt, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
I got started in leather work in early 2015 when I was living in College Station going to Texas A&M. I was quite honestly bored and looking for a hobby. I had seen custom leather and was really interested in learning how to do it. On a whim, I reached out to a leather worker by the name of Clayton Kinney and asked if he’d teach me the craft. After spending a couple weeks in his shop watching how things were done, he agreed to teach me. From there, I apprenticed under him for about 3 years while going to college. About a semester before graduation, my apprenticeship ended and I set out on my own. I started building things for my friends and posting my work on social media. Luckily, word of mouth caught on and I built up a nice little backlog of orders. Once I graduated from college, I started to look for a “real job”, but kept telling myself I needed to finish all of my orders before I could work for someone else. Well… That conversation with myself never ended, and I kept taking orders, and I never did get that “real job”. Fast forward to now, social media and word of mouth have played a huge role in growing my business and clientele. I’ve been doing leatherwork full-time since 2018.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Most definitely not! There have been slow times, where my list of orders gets short or I don’t take an order for a few weeks at a time. Not having new work coming in is one of the scariest and hardest parts. I learned to just trust the process and remember that things will pick back up. If you build it, they will come type of mentality.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I do custom hand-tooled leatherwork. I specialize in semi-traditional floral tooling, but with a modern twist. I would say I’m most known for my belts and wallets. They’ve been the most popular products over the years that people get to enjoy on a daily basis.
I’m really critical of my work, but I think I’m always most proud of the large-scale pieces that I create. For example, the “Fischer” sign, was 36″x20″ and a huge challenge. Large-scale work pushes my creativity and skills as a craftsman and as an artist, so it’s always the most rewarding.
As leatherworkers, especially in this day and age, we really have to develop our own style of tooling to set ourselves apart from others. There are thousands of people posting their work on social media, and you have to bring something different to catch people’s attention. I’ve been developing my style of work for years, and I think that’s what sets me apart from the rest.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Georgetown has been an amazing place to live. It’s the perfect balance of a small-town feel, but also has everything you need in one place. The only thing I don’t like about it right now is how fast it’s growing! I don’t ever want to lose the small-town feel we have.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.durbsleather.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/durbs_leather/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/durbsleather
