Let's be honest, not all tack is created equal. As a maker we get questions often on why our tack is priced the way it is and why should someone should make an investment into our pieces. It has made us realize that handcrafted companies like us are often unfairly boxed in with mass produced tack on the market. They are vastly different! It had me thinking that I could do a better job explaining the difference. So here it is, our top five reasons on why you should purchase handcrafted leather tack.

I think to put this one in perspective I will explain the difference between mass produced and handcrafted. Mass produced tack is made with little to no variation in design and produced in large volumes. Handcrafted is made by a small team, in small batches and with the ability to make creative variations in designs.

Here at DRE, we’re proud that we can have one of a kind items. If we make two items the same it is extremely rare. Customization also can be made because we have the ability to accommodate for it due to the bespoke model. The price difference is always going to be higher for handcrafted to cover the additional time it takes for these accommodations.  

We work with the best of the best for our supplies. Since we make products in house, we can assure that the hides we work with are quality and each hardware is up to our standards during manufactuing. Can you ask mass produced companies what kind of leather they’re using? None of the ‘genuine leather’ stuff, that does not indicate quality.  Are they using Grade 1 leather? Is it double ply?  Heck, do they even have any knowledge in leathergoods to answer these questions.  

This is also another area where our prices are higher for handcrafted. We don’t receive price cuts in our supplies like mass produced.  

I always take it back to purses because it is very comparable. Have you ever seen a knock off purse retain its value with resale? In comparison, what have you seen for the resale of an original designer purse? Simple, it is easier to resell as it retains its value. This is very much the case for handcrafted tack.

I love seeing our goods resell because its a testament to our quality and eye for design. How cool is it that our clients use a piece and are able to make almost up to full retail of our products? Heck, we’ve even seen resale above orginal asking price. Most of the time our clients take that money and reinvest into another piece.

On the other side, can you use a mass produced set for the same amount of time and get that same resell result? Likely no.

Since we make the items, we can offer repairs and guarantees. I’ve removed fringe, added fringe, made longer straps, replaced straps and so much more. You can be reassured because we stand behind our prodcuts. We're proud to offer this service if at ever needed.

We can never say enough thank you's to our clients. It is so cool that we're able to do this! It was always my dream to be an artist, but it just did'nt seem sustainable to do so. BUT you guys make this possible.

You’re supporting our life. You’re supporting our craft. You support our ideas. We can’t thank you enough for that.