Guns For Hire Leatherworks

This is a wildly local and one-of-a-kind experience. I got a custom made leather hat band from the proprietor of 30 years, whose name is Bear. Bear is cranky. Bear is curt. Bear doesn't want to talk to you. Bear was asleep and hooked up to oxygen when I entered the shop. But you know what? Bear is a craftsman who gets the job done - in his time and his terms. My custom hatband has 8 nickels from the 1930s and is made from Mexican calf leather. He measured my hat and custom cut it just for my head. How much? A wildly fair $30 for a one-of-a-kind piece I'll always wear and enjoy.Jane, Bear's wife and partner of 40+ years, repairs jewelry and creates custom pieces from found items like arrowheads and coral beads. All of the locals come here.If you're looking for a hatband or a custom leather belt, you have to come wake up the Bear.

I was looking for someone to make a belt for me and Guns for Hire was recommended by several people in town. I also ran into one of Jane's (one of the Owner's) nephews selling beautiful silverwork in front of the Governor's Palace. He also recommended that I talk to Jane. I couldn't be more disappointed. I had my original belt which was a simple strap with a leather tip guard that wrapped over the end of the belt and reduced to a narrow band sewn over the belt holes. The holes were punched through the two layers of leather. It is a simple but elegant design which I thought would be relatively easy to reproduce.Jane took my old belt and promised to make a facsimile using my old buckle. I paid her in advance since I was out of town and the belt would not be finished while I was in Santa Fe. I had to call and call to get my belt made and when it arrived, it was made from very poor quality leather. The leather was very stiff and uneven such that it would naturally bend across weaknesses in the material. The stitching was uneven and the tip guard and leather detail was sewn on to the wrong side of the belt, a wholly unacceptable job. My old belt strap was not returned.I called Jane and began to describe my dissatisfaction to which she quickly replied that she would refund my money and my old belt strap. This was in July. It is now the end of September and I have not received a thing. If you are buying something off the shelf from this store, you might do well but I would not trust them to make or ship anything. If you can't see it, feel it and take it with you, I would avoid this place at all costs.