Tall in the saddle

PALMER — Behind a nondescript storefront in Palmer, Mike Sturgeon is crafting a detailed, one-of-a-kind Western saddle from a hunk of leather.

Inside his shop, Yellow Rose LeatherWorks, the smell of cowhide is strong, and so is the craftsmanship. Behind a large table covered with various leather crafting tools, Sturgeon sits next to his latest creation, a western saddle for a local cowboy.

Sturgeon creates what few people in the Mat-Su Valley could. All his saddles — along with tack, chaps, belts, purses, billfolds and a gaggle of other leather goods — are custom; nothing is bought from a distributor and resold.

Sturgeon’s wife, Janet, makes long-hair cowhide furniture, taking entire hides and turning them into plush chairs or couches.

But the Sturgeons weren’t born into this leather craft.

No, the couple’s love for leather art comes from nine years of living with the Amish in Indiana, the Sturgeons’ home state.

The simple living, plain dressing group of Christians in middle and eastern America taught the Sturgeons how to work with their hands, and also started Mike Sturgeon on his love affair with leather.

Working with the men and older boys, Mike Sturgeon did farm work; some of that work involving making saddles for the horses.

Flash forward to present day in Palmer, and, after the urging of Janet, Mike Sturgeon has created a business out of his talent for shaping leather.

“I kept telling him ‘you need to do this,’” Janet Sturgeon said.

Taking his wife’s advice, Mike Sturgeon began to make leather goods for a profit, and his business grew.

With absolutely no formal training in leather working, Mike Sturgeon said there’s was only one way to go about it.

“School of hard knocks,” he said, laughing out loud.

Through trial and error he eventually sculpted his skill like he does his leather.

Working with leather is no easy task. For Sturgeon to build his saddles he has to use almost an entire cow hide.

Made on a pedestal called a tree form, the saddle Sturgeon was making recently goes through many phases. Just when an onlooker might think it’s complete, Sturgeon will take it all apart, make a few tweaks, then put it back together again.

Sturgeon seems to be making a name for himself among local horse enthusiasts. And, although business has died down a bit since the store opened in July, it remains steady.

Customers seem to be happy, too.

Joseph Hale, a local horse enthusiast, strolled into the store recently to pick up bridles Sturgeon made for him.

Hale said Sturgeon has been a blessing for local riders, and his goods are crafted with quality, unlike run-of-the-mill store-bought gear.

Comments like that are what drive Sturgeon to keep going. And his friendly, leather-scented, saddle-laden shop is ready for more customers.

Sturgeon is also teaching his grandkids how to work leather, in the hopes that one day someone might take over the business.

Until then, Mike Sturgeon’s hands will continue to take a flat piece of leather and make a detailed saddle. A saddle no one will see anywhere else.

“It’s all one-of-a-kind,” Sturgeon said.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman or 352-2252.