EASY RIDER
As long as I get to mess with leather,” jokes artisan Duane Ballard, “I don’t really care what I’m making.” To prove it, he sports tattoos of a swivel knife and a traditional oak leaf tooling on the back of his right hand.
But, while he does find leatherwork of any kind to be a satisfying activity, Duane generally concentrates on custom motorcycle seats and other biker culture items at Duane Ballard Custom Leather, his home workshop in Lake Elsinore, California. His product lines also include unique wallets, belts, purses, motorcycle bags, grips, straps and other hand-tooled creations.
It all started when his family moved into a new home in Phoenix and Duane’s mother found a large box of leatherwork tools the previous occupant had left in the attic. At the time, 10-year-old
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