For the past few months there has been a buzz on one of the Facebook pages touting items for sale in the Upper Peninsula. The reason? Beautiful, hand-made leather works being sold by a local artisan by the name of Ray Anthony.
Anthony, the owner of
Benchmark Leather Works, knows what it takes to create art from quality leather. That's because he grew up watching his father do the very same thing. Of course, his father's workshop was at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn. He was the resident leather smith, chosen by the Henry Ford Estate to create goods in the historic workshop on the grounds of the museum.
Anthony offers a wide variety of leather good items, ranging from barrettes to book binding to coin purses, journal covers, purses to wallets and wristbands.
"Or anything a client seeking leather goods can conceive of and commission me to replicate for them," Anthony says. "All my leather good items are created from U.S. tanneries in most cases, typically using a 'B' grade for general stock items and an 'A' grade for commissioned request leather goods."
Folks looking to take a gander at Anthony's goods can do so on his Facebook site, at least until he finishes his
new website.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Ray Anthony, Benchmark Leather Works
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