From a Northwest Ohio garage side hustle, Mike Epling has built Black Swamp Leather Company LLC into a one-person shop making handmade holsters, belts, and everyday leather gear. His former work repairing tooling and machining in a plastic injection shop informs the shop’s emphasis on precision and durability, while every piece is made in-house rather than mass-produced. The company also supports military personnel, law enforcement officers, and firefighters through its work and community-minded mission.
DeSantis Holster & Leather Goods CoWhat began with Gene DeSantis hand-building a holster at his kitchen table in 1972 is now DeSantis Holster & Leather Goods Co., a family-owned American manufacturer of hand-crafted firearm holsters and carry gear. The company still builds and ships from its U.S. plant, combining skilled handwork with modern design and serving customers that include elite law enforcement and the U.S. military. Its custom shop also makes special-order holsters for discontinued or uncommon firearms.AMITYVILLE, NY
Duvall LeatherFounded in 2005 by master craftsman Nick Duvall, Duvall Leather handcrafts American-made leather goods in Pennsylvania, from everyday carry pieces to handbags and custom work. The Kingston-area company grew from Duvall’s basement workshop and an early specialty in historically accurate military reproductions into a contemporary leather-goods maker, while retaining its emphasis on traditional construction and small-batch production. Its private-label operation also provides in-house leather manufacturing from a 4,000-square-foot production facility.KINGSTON, PA
Blade-Tech HolstersBlade-Tech Holsters began in 1995 as a father-and-son venture and has grown into an American manufacturing company based in Northeast Ohio. Its team designs and produces precision-molded and handcrafted carry gear for commercial users as well as military, government, security and law-enforcement customers worldwide. Blade-Tech is also known for patented attachment-system engineering, including TEK-LOK.STREETSBORO, OH
C&G HolstersC&G Holsters began in 2008 when retired law-enforcement officer and master firearms instructor Christopher J. Burns started making gear in his garage after failing to find a Kydex holster that met his standards. Today, Burns works alongside his son Gary and a team drawn from military, law-enforcement, and competitive-shooting backgrounds, with the company producing American-made holsters shaped by that practical experience for both professionals and civilians.KITTANNING, PA