A stack of alligator and rattlesnake skin belts at Bull & Briar Leather .
The first belts I made were just gifts for friends , but soon things started to take off .”
The founder of Bull & Briar Leather , Bryan Wynn , trims a hide in preparation for further leather work .
Wynn officially registered Bull & Briar , LLC , as a business in 2016 . While the main focus of the company has always been handmade leather goods , especially alligator and rattlesnake skin belts , Bull & Briar also offers purses , wallets , hats , t-shirts , rifle slings , and guitar straps crafted from a variety of leathers
and hides . All of their products are made in the United States .
The name of the company was inspired by two creatures that contribute their skins to the craft of leatherwork : Bull was chosen to signify the hides given by cattle , and Briar to honor the habitat where rattlesnakes often dwell .
Bull & Briar sources its alligator and rattlesnake skins as locally as possible . The rattlesnake skins are purchased primarily from landowners who remove snakes they see as threats . The gator skins may come from multiple sources across the Southeast , but Wynn prefers to source from hunters who take the reptiles as nuisance animals within the state .
“ Alligator and rattlesnake belts are still my favorite products to make ,” he said . “ I also really enjoy the process of tanning skins .”
Wynn , along with several of his employees , will be present at Bull & Briar ’ s booth at the Calico Arts and Crafts Spring Show , which is to be held the third weekend in March at Moultrie ’ s Spence Field .
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