Made by hand.
Made with intention.

My name is Martin Pina. I was born and raised in El Paso, and I've been working leather since 1977.

It started with a high school elective. I was a knife fanatic, and I wanted to make a leather sheath for the one knife I owned, so I chose the leather class. The instructor started everyone on the beginner projects, the keychains, the coasters, the wristbands. I just wanted to get to the knife sheath. So I finished everything I was supposed to do for the whole semester in about two weeks. She kept her word and showed me how to make one, and I've been making knife sheaths ever since.

I'm 64 now. I kept at it on and off after high school, and for the last 25 years I've been doing it in earnest, selling my work at farmers markets, festivals, that kind of thing.

I buy knives off the internet, eBay, garage sales, gun shows, anywhere I see something I like. If I like it, I'll buy it and build a sheath for it. If I make a sheath I wouldn't carry myself, I won't sell it. I have to make it to where I like it.