We caught up with the brilliant and insightful J Renard O’Neil a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
J Renard, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
I got into leatherwork because of a $350 wallet I saw at a Prada store in San Diego, Coming from a family that makes things, I thought to myself, “I’m good with my hands. I could make something better.” My next thought was “Well, stop talkin’ s**t!”
Since then, I’ve been working hard to continually get better at this craft. I strive hard to make items that will last long enough to last into the next generation. I’ve seen High-end brand names use substandard materials that crack and break apart in 2 years. For the price they demand, they don’t always deliver on quality.
I want for a young man to buy one of my belts at a farmer’s market, and wear that same belt on his first date, then years later to his honeymoon, kids’ soccer games, and his grandchildren’s birthday parties. I want my wallets, knife sheathes, holsters to be passed from parents to their children. I want to make heirloom pieces, even if they’re not so big.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I started leatherwork as a hobby on a VERY long Navy deployment. The love for the hobby grew into a passion and then into an obsession. Even on vacation, I can’t NOT do leatherwork.
I only ever work with full-grain leather, or with a very high-quality suede. Most consumers have “genuine leather” as most of their leather goods. This is the LOWEST quality of leather on the market. For a more reasonable price, I provide a higher quality of material and a more superior stitch method when sewn by hand. Any clients of mine will ALWAYS have the option for leathers from multiple sources and types. Belgian, Italian, and American leathers, as well as a myriad of exotic hides are always viable options. Everything from Arapaima fish leather from Brazil, to Ostrich and Elephant legally harvested (verified by CITES) from Africa, to Alligator acquired from the SE United States. I’ve even recently started doing leather cord bracelets with pearl studs on them.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In May 2021, my right hand was permanently disfigured due to a workplace accident onboard my ship. I am right-handed. I had to have surgery while awake and fully conscious, and thinking to myself, “this is my new normal now.” I was so determined to be able to keep doing my passion, but I couldn’t cut or sew until the bandages were off. I used my teeth to pull the needle through until my hands worked properly enough. My hand still hurts and I have permanent nerve damage on top of the mental trauma that never FULLY goes away. but I’ll find a way to make this dream a reality. Fate tried to stop me…TRIED! And that’s as far as she got.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn applying a craftsman’s scrutiny to a customer. Often enough, I as the craftsman want a PERFECT item that will last a long time. RARELY is the customer judging me to the standard of a Master Craftsman. If I do my job to my ability, my customer will be satisfied. They wouldn’t have dealt with me otherwise. I gave myself a LOT of undue stress by believing I wasn’t good enough or nitpicking my work.
I had to unlearn self-skepticism and learn to trust that I did right by my customer
Contact Info:
- Website: www.etsy.com/shop/JRenardLeather
- Instagram: @J.Renard.Leather
- Facebook: J. Renard Leather
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jahmal-o-neil-300580146
- Twitter: @JRenardLeather
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/JRenardLeatherCo
Image Credits
All photos were taken by me, and are the property of J. Renard Leather.